The Daily Telegraph - Features
How to undo a summer’s worth of skin damage
Rosie Green seeks out dermatologist-approved treatments to give your skin back its glow
Every year I promise myself I will keep my face out of the sun. That I will wear a full coating of a high SPF at all times. I’m a beauty editor. I know that the sun’s rays are the most ageing and damaging thing you can expose your face to, and yet the craving I feel for the warmth on my face, plus the desire to get a golden glow, means I sometimes lapse. But now, as we head into autumn, I look speckled and patchy and my skin is dull, dehydrated and rough.
I send out a sun damage SOS to my most trusted advisors, consultant dermatologist Dr Hiva Fassihi and cosmetic doctor Dr Vicky Dondos to see if skincare really can make a difference. They say it can and the gold standard ingredient is hydroquinone. Dr Dondos says it “truly delivers” and rates the Obagi Nu-Derm System. The bad news? It’s prescription only. To find your nearest clinic go https://obagiuk.com or try services like Get Harley which direct you to cosmetic doctors.
In terms of shop-bought creams, Dr Fassihi recommends, for pigmentation, a topical vitamin A derivative – a retinoid. “You do not have to use a prescription retinoid and over-the-counter topical retinoids are very effective,” she says. I know from experience retinoids can be irritating to the skin, but Dr Fassihi says CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum, £14, is well tolerated. Dr Dondos also recommends No. 7 Pure Retinol 1% Retinol Night Concentrate, £34.15 and La Roche-Posay Redermic Retinol Night Moisturiser, £33. “Use them at night,” advises Dr Fassihi, as UV rays break the ingredient down. “And it’s essential to pair retinoids with a broad spectrum sunscreen [which protect against UVA and UVB rays],” adds Dr Dondos.
Both experts agree that azelaic acid is a must – Dr Dondos likes Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster, £37 because it effectively suppresses the production of melanin in the skin (i.e. brown pigment). Niacinamide is another ingredient the pair recommend, with Dr Dondos favouring The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, £5.60, while Dr Hiva advises La Roche-Posay Pure Niacinamide 10 Serum, £40.
An antioxidant is also non negotiable. SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic, £150, supercharges sun protection and boosts radiance while a cheaper alternative is Beauty Pie Superdose C, £16.50.
As for in-clinic treatments, both doctors say patience is key. “There is no quick fix,” says Dr Dondos. “I often encourage starting with a product regime then add in an IPL (intense pulsed light) treatment.
IPL works by creating a targeted burst of heat that breaks down the melanin present in/on the skin. Usually an initial course plus an annual maintenance session will do the trick.” From £360 (www. medicetics.com).
Other options are peels, where chemicals (acid) are applied to the skin’s surface to remove dead skin cells and stimulate new ones. Superficial ones will get your glow back, but for the best results you need to “go deep,” into the layers of the skin, says Dr Dondos, who is about to launch Cosmelan at her clinic (medicetics.com). Just make sure higher strength peels are administered by an expert, as they can cause damage in the wrong hands.
The most essential thing to do in the first place, of course, is to use an SPF daily because, says Dr Dondos, “a single day of excess sun exposure can undo months of treatment.”