The other week I read in a major newspaper that we, as patients, are wasting billions of pounds on the NHS because we see our GPs with only ‘minor’ ailments. One of these ailments the article quoted was acne. As a dermatologist, I was shocked and outraged. Just because acne is so common – not only among teenagers but increasingly …
Pigment – The good, the bad and the ugly
Still hankering after that golden glow? Sorry to tell you, but all tans are not created equal. Human skin has two main types of pigment – eumelanin and pheomelanin. Under the sun, fair skin generates more pheomelanin – a reddish, yellow-brown tone, while dark skin makes mainly eumelanin, a black-brown melanin – the best quality for natural UV-protection. Pheomelanin is …
Self tanners – really harmless?
How safe is it to fake it? Self tanners have traditionally been seen as an easy way of getting a sunkissed look without risking UV-damage. And although I agree that they’re much less harmful for your skin than baking on a beach or – heaven forbid – a sunbed, I do have my reservations. And that’s apart from the ‘burnt …
7 days to change the future for your skin
Want to make an investment that pays serious long-term dividends? Change one thing in your life each day for the next seven days, and it could dramatically change how well your skin will age. In time, you’ll look 10 years younger than your contemporaries who have kept up their old habits. Here’s what to do. Day 1: Stop smoking. This …