Big beauty questions
We all want to look youthful, but why have surgery when softer options can be just as effective – and much cheaper? Husband-and-wife team Dr Aamer Khan and skin care specialist Lesley Reynolds argue it out in the pages of best…
QI used to suffer from acne and, while I only have the odd breakout these days, I’ve been left with lots of scarring. Will they eventually disappear and how can I speed up the process?
Leanne,Guildford
ADR AAMER SAYS: For most scars, microneedling, also called dermarolling, can help. A numbing cream is applied to skin, which is left to sink in for 45 minutes to minimise discomfort. Next, a soothing cream is applied to reduce redness and provide a smooth surface for the needles. A hand roller covered with hundreds of fine needles is rolled over the skin, leaving tiny pinpricks. This is perceived by the body as damage which prompts skin to regenerate itself, which helps treat scarring. Three to six treatments four to six weeks apart may be necessary. Results can take up to a month to see while your skin cells regenerate. Don’t do any sort of microneedling yourself as it’s important to pay attention to sterility. Overdoing it can cause damage and create inflammation. Afterwards, SPF must be applied daily. Avoid excess sunlight for a week and anything that causes excess sweating, such as exercise, steam rooms, saunas or hot showers, should be avoided for 24 hours. Expect to pay around £200-£250 per treatment.
LESLEY SAYS: There’s no miracle product, but you can improve skin’s appearance. A vitamin C serum will help improve skin tone, hyperpigmentation and promote healing. Use Revolution Skincare 12.5% Vitamin C Super Serum, £12.50, in the morning underneath sunscreen. Retinoids help to prompt cell turnover – apply Nip+Fab Retinol Fix Intense Overnight Treatment Cream, £29.95 before bed. At home, weekly peels containing glycolic or salicylic acid will help even skin tone. Try The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling, £6.30, and a supplement, too. Oral niacinamide is a B vitamin (B3) that helps treat active acne and red scarring – check with a medical expert if you are on any other medication. Short term, Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer, £19.50, hides discolouration without looking too heavy.
Q I’m starting to discover a series of small red spots on my body. They look like red felt-tip pen! What are they?
A Sara, Truro DR AAMER SAYS: You’ve described cherry angiomas, which are benign, can run in families and can increase in number and size with age. Medical researchers are still in the dark regarding the exact cause of these tiny cherry-red papules but the lesions seem to be associated with ageing as they are most often seen in older adults, especially after the age of 30. Genetics also play a part, so if your parents developed them you’re more likely to have them. However, they’re no real cause for concern but if you dislike them they can be removed with a cosmetic radio frequency surgery treatment – a one-off procedure that works through a very fine loop of platinum wire, as thin as your hair. It brushes the area, removing the raised bump. A scab will form but will fall off within days. The results are usually permanent but new growths tend to arise over time in new locations, so you may need top-up procedures. Expect to pay from £390 per treatment.
LESLEY SAYS: The spots pose no risks so I wouldn’t waste your money on multiple treatments unless you’ve been advised that removal is necessary. Many doctors on the NHS who dismiss them as a cosmetic irritation rarely treat these sorts of tags. If you really hate the look of them try wearing a fake tan or a body make-up which can make skin look instantly smooth and more even in tone. Try Bod Bake Instant Blur Face and Body, £9.95. Otherwise, use a good concealer to cover the more visible ones.
Dab on Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation, £14.70, available in a range of skin colours, to get an ideal match.
READERS SHOULD TAKE THE ADVICE OF THEIR DOCTOR BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY ADVICE GIVEN IN THIS COLUMN
Q My lips are always chapped and sore. Is there a long-term solution to fixing this during winter, or anything I can do in the meantime? Gwen, Glamorgan
A DR AAMER SAYS: Many people suffer from the curse of winter chapped lips. Lip skin is much thinner and doesn’t have oil glands to protect it from the elements. Licking them only worsens symptoms. A new, natural, one-off treatment that can help uses an injectable made of hyaluronic acid mixed with a serum made of your own blood plasma. Blood is extracted from the arm and processed in a machine called a centrifuge, which separates the growth factors and platelets, creating a liquid which is then injected into the tissues of the lips. This results in hydrated and more youthful lips for several months and helps to smooth and heal cracked lips. Expect to pay from £750.
LESLEY SAYS: Lips don’t retain moisture well, and are notoriously dry in the winter. Whitening toothpastes can also aggravate lips, as well as long-lasting lipsticks. No product will properly penetrate without exfoliating. Apply Lanolips Lanostick Lemonaid Scrubba Balm, £13, which buffs away flakiness, leaving behind a layer of protective, lanolin balm. Try a rich eye cream on your lips, too. Be sure it’s a ‘hydrating’ formula, not ‘firming’ – which is code for drying. If you prefer a lip balm, avoid mineral oil, which can have a drying effect. Lanolips 101 Ointment, £10.99, is a super-dense balm which contains no artificial fragrances, parabens, petroleum, PEGs (polyethylene glycol), mineral oil or sulfates, and helps seal in moisture.