Six secrets your skin is telling you
6 SECRETS YOUR SKIN IS TELLING YOU
We tend to gloss over skin changes, putting them down to ageing, the season or stress. But paying closer attention could give you valuable insights into the state of your health 1 I’VE NEVER HAD SO MANY SUNSPOTS BEFORE
If you seem to be getting more sunspots as you age, you’re probably right. They’re also known as age spots because they’re more prevalent as we get older.
”Being over the age of 40 is a known risk factor for developing sun spots,” explains Dr Sanda Ntshangase of Sandz Medical Centre in Durban. “Other risk factors include very fair skin and a history of working outdoors.
“The medical term for sun spots is actinic keratosis. They’re a type of hyperpigmentation linked to prolonged exposure to the sun.” This hyperpigmentation is usually seen on parts of the body that aren’t typically sun-exposed such as the arms, face and shoulders, she says.
What makes them different from other types of spots (see beauty spots) is that they don’t grow above the skin level. In other words, they’re flat and don’t rise. Basically, what you’re checking for are the “brown, freckle-like patches on the face, chest, arms and hands that can darken and enlarge quickly”, says West Hollywood dermatologist Nancy Samolitis, adding that sun protection is the key to prevention.
“Sun spots are benign most of the time so there’s no need to worry about them if they aren’t changing in appearance,” Ntshangase says. But if they do bother you, your doctor can refer you to a dermatologist who’ll be able to investigate further and help you manage them.
2 I’VE GOT BAGS AND THEY’RE NOT HERMÈS!
Many of us have seen how staying up too late, indulging in too much alcohol, smoking or too much time in the sun can cause those dreaded under-eye bags.
But even after cutting down on these bad habits because of lockdown you might still find yourself staring at a puffy-eyed reflection as you log into yet another video call.
Besides allergies and PMS, experts say there are two other main culprits: sodium and not getting enough exercise, which can cause water retention. Try reducing salt in your diet and moving as much as possible.
‘Sun spots are benign most of the time so there’s no need to worry about them if they aren’t changing in appearance’
3 IS IT ’COS I’M GETTING MORE BEAUTIFUL?
You look at yourself in the mirror every day. Then one day you see yourself in a different light or in a new pic. Wait . . . Is that yet another beauty spot that’s made an appearance – almost as if overnight? Cindy Crawford, eat your heart out!
Unfortunately “almost every adult has one”, reports L’Oréal’s Beauty magazine – which means you’re not that exceptional for having one, two, or even 20 moles or beauty marks. In fact, it’s normal to have between 10 and 40 moles by adulthood.
A mole is generally more raised and pronounced than a sunspot and might be darker, lighter or the same colour as your complexion. It might also be present for years before turning cancerous – if ever.
As is the case with many skin conditions, enemy No 1 is the sun.
But the good news is that with frequent checking, a mole is easy to identify using the ABCDE method, says aesthetic practitioner Dr Bongiwe Msimang of Zuri Medical Aesthetics in Durban.
Normal moles are round and symmetrical, according to Cansa, so the ABCDE method involves checking asymmetry, border (edges are ragged or irregular), colour (the mole isn’t evenly coloured), diameter (the mole is larger than 6mm) and evolving (the mole is changing in size, shape and colour). These are cause for concern.
Msimang says history is important. “For example, whether you had the mole from birth or when you were younger – as it shouldn’t change as you get older,” she says. “If it becomes cancerous, it might start bleeding or feeling painful. A biopsy will tell which cells are cancerous.”
She emphasises the importance of doing the ABCDE to check for melanoma (skin cancer) before you even consider removing a beauty spot that looks offensive to you. “You can’t just have any mole excised because you could cause more damage if it turns out to be cancerous and the cells spread.”
Msimang says she uses the freezing method for removing moles. “We use liquid nitrogen which kills the mole, making it inactive, then it falls off and it shouldn’t leave any scarring.”
4 THE MASK OF PREGNANCY
Baby on board? Your skin has ways of telling you. Melasma is one of the more prominent signs indicating there’s more happening below the surface than meets the eye.
Melasma generally shows up as dark, patch-like marks on the chin, nose, cheeks, forehead or upper lip that can make sufferers deeply self-conscious.
The dark patches are also more prevalent in people with darker skin, although there’s no conclusive reason why this is the case, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
Melasma could be telling you there are significant hormonal changes happening in you body – as is the case during pregnancy or when taking certain types of medication – or could also be cause by too much exposure to the sun.
“The sun is the major exacerbating factor, whatever the underlying cause,” says Dr Shadi Kourosh, multi-ethnic skin-clinic director at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA.
Melasma can be hard to treat and its causes aren’t yet fully understood, she adds.
5 NOT BY THE HAIR OF MY CHINNY CHIN CHIN!
If you’ve joined the plucking-hell brigade, read on. In many cases facial hair on women is hereditary, but it can also be an indication that you have polycystic ovary syndrome – a hormonal disorder experienced by women with higher levels of androgen (male) hormones, says Dr Bongiwe Msimang.
If the growth of highly visible hair on the chin or upper lip is hereditary, you can seek treatment.
“Treatment depends on how bad the facial hair growth is,” she says.
She cautions against trying to wax the hair yourself – “you might strip off skin!” – or doing home laserhair removal, which could cause laser burn, resulting in hyperpigmentation. “Threading is probably best because you’re not applying any chemicals on the sensitive skin around your lip.”
And there are always your trusty tweezers.
6 MY SMILE IS ABOUT TO CRACK – LITERALLY!
That paper-cut feeling you get at the corners of your mouth isn’t a result of taking too large a bite into a crunchy apple, not moisturising your lips or smiling too hard in a two-hour video-call catch-up. It could be angular cheilitis.
The causes of this painful condition are varied. It could be rooted in a deficiency of vitamins B2, B3 and B6 or a high-starch or -glucose diet, says New York dietician Maya Feller. Or it could be the result of a build-up of drool while you’re asleep causing these sores to form at your mouth edges, says Dr Manjula Jegasothy, a dermatologist in Miami, USA.
Changing your diet with the guidance of a dietician and paying more attention to practising good oral hygiene are some of the suggested ways to treat this condition. But the most important thing is getting an accurate diagnosis first.