1Sep

Thanks to technology, you too may soon have no more spider veins. The latter, known as telangiectasias, are dilated or broken blood vessels on the skin surface or mucous membranes. While they normally appear as fine pink or red lines, some people also have clusters of telangiectasias that form as a pink or red patch on the skin.

Who gets it?

Fair-skinned people are prone to developing these spider veins on areas with chronic sun damage. And pregnant women are also susceptible. As are people on chronic systemic or topical corticosteroids and those with rosacea and liver disease.

But, telangiectasias are also a classic feature of certain autoimmune diseases that affect the skin and other connective tissues. Examples are scleroderma, lupus and dermatomyositis. As such, we recommend that you visit a dermatologist for a diagnosis on the cause of your spider veins.

Prevention

Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent telangiectasias. These include avoiding the sun, cold, heat, strong wind, smoking, spicy foods, alcohol and hot drinks. Also, don’t ever use abrasive exfoliators on your skin.

Treatment

Fortunately, there’s good news. IPL can treat these pesky superficial spider veins effectively. A specific wavelength of light selectively heats haemoglobin, sealing dilated blood vessels. Unfortunately, it doesn’t prevent new telangiectasias from forming. So, you’ll need to schedule follow-up treatments to maintain the vein-free look.

After that, it’s a matter of being religious about applying sunscreen, wearing sunglasses and a hat, using mild cleansers and avoid using topical steroids.

Photo: from Nordlys IPL

sunscreen mistakes
18Aug

With spring beckoning, we’d like to remind everyone who treasures their skin: don’t make these sunscreen mistakes. After all, we don’t want the burn!

The difference

Sunscreen, which contains organic chemical compounds such as octyl methoxycinnamate, octyl salicylate and ecamsule, has a chemical reaction to absorb UV light and convert it into heat, which is then released from the skin.

But sunblock contains mineral ingredients such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide that physically block UV rays. So the difference is basically the way in which they protect the skin from UV rays. Sunblock blocks UV rays by forming a physical shield, while a sunscreen contains chemicals that absorb UV rays before your skin can.

Check the expiry date

It’s pointless slathering on a product which is past its sell-by date. So, make a point of checking. Most sunscreens have a shelf-life of six to 12 months.

Don’t apply in the sun

Applying sunscreen in the sun is also rather a waste of time because 60% will evaporate.

Cover the upper lip

Nothing worse than a crinkly, sun-damaged upper lip. Therefore, it’s important to cover this area with sun protection too. In fact, the upper lip is also prone to basal cell carcinomas, which makes it even more important to cover liberally with sunscreen.

Don’t skip cloudy days

Often, the UV index on cloudy days is sky-high. Therefore, make a point of applying sunscreen every single day – come rain or shine.

Not topping up

We’ve said it over and over again, but once more: reapply your sun protection product every two hours. Sweat, exposure to water and towel drying will reduce your protection. And do apply liberally all over your body.

Moisturise before

Sunscreen is not a moisturiser or cosmetic product. It’s skin protection – designed to protect your skin from ultraviolet rays. There are sunscreens that contain some moisturiser. But sometimes, when sunscreen is mixed with a moisturiser, its effectiveness may be reduced. That’s why experts recommend using sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF).

It’s best to always apply your moisturiser before the sunblock. And then, top up the sunscreen throughout the day.

Application

Sunscreen needs to be absorbed by the skin, so you have to rub it in. However, because sunblock acts as a physical barrier, you can simply slather it on.

So, don’t make these sunscreen mistakes and enjoy a fabulous spring going into summer.

Frax 1550
10Aug

Get the joy of a smoother skin after Frax. Post-procedure, most people see smoother skin within a few weeks — and the results continue to improve for another six months.

The good news is that with the Frax 1550 there’s less risk of significant complications such as scarring and pigmentary changes compared to fully ablative lasers.

How it works

This next-generation laser uses high-grade medical technology to deliver a deeper skin resurfacing experience. Instead of removing the top layer of skin, it warms up the underlying layers of skin by strategically administering small columns of heat energy. This helps stimulate collagen production, as well as addressing several skin concerns.

Because the roller is programmed to offer consistent resurfacing, you’ll be getting the more balanced, even skin tone you desire. Also, the device is quiet, giving you the opportunity for a good nap during treatment.

Good candidates

Optimal candidates for fractional laser resurfacing have facial lines, wrinkles, acne scars, surgery or traumatic scars, sun spots, or more extensive sun damage. Fortunately, there isn’t an age minimum or maximum.

However, people who have particularly sensitive skin or are prone to vitiligo, keloid scars, psoriasis or scleroderma should skip Frax treatment. Unfortunately, these lasers will only irritate the skin further. The same applies to those with skin cancer. But once the cancer has been removed, the fractional laser can provide significant improvement to scars.

Dark skins

Typically, people with dark skin tones are more at risk for melasma or hyperpigmentation, so it would be best to avoid Frax treatment. But people with fair to medium skin tones can tolerate the procedure well, barring there are no other contraindications.

Benefits

  • It can treat acne scars, age spots, and even wrinkles, often producing significant results after a single session.
  • Typical downtime is less than a week, with a shorter and easier recovery than from fully ablative lasers.
  • This laser is equipped with a continuous cooling mechanism which improves comfort levels significantly, while also reducing burn risk.

For smoother skin after Frax, most people opt for at least three treatments at monthly intervals. After that, you would do well with yearly maintenance.

Hair loss
20Jul

If you suffer from androgenic alopecia or alopecia areata, the good news is that microneedling may help for hair loss. And Lasermed’s therapists are highly skilled in microneedling. However, you do need to consult with your dermatologist prior to treatment.

It’s believed that the same process of creating wounds in the skin will regenerate hair follicle health. This may result in new hair growth, or may thicken thinning hair as seen in androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness.

One study also explored the potential benefits of microneedling when used with a topical corticosteroid to treat alopecia areata. But the majority of the trials combine it with other therapies such as topical minoxidil or platelet-rich plasma.

The procedure

Forty-five minutes before the procedure, your therapist will apply a topical anaesthetic to your scalp to reduce discomfort. Then, she’ll use a roller with needles in several directions over your scalp. Usually, the procedure takes about 10 minutes. After the treatment, she’ll apply a topical balm to the area.

Side effects

The treated area may be red and inflamed for a few days post-procedure. But most side effects diminish within 5 days after your treatment. However, do note that microneedling itself may also result in: bruising, redness, swelling, pain and oozing from the wounds.

If you have a history of acne or eczema, diabetes, or are on blood thinners or other medications, it’s imperative to consult your dermatologist prior to booking a treatment.

Your dermatologist also should advise whether minoxidil should be used after the treatment. The minoxidil may cause more burning, itching and scalp irritation.

After-care

Use a sunscreen daily on your scalp and adding a hat when outdoors would be even better.

Because of the possibility of infection, your healthcare provider may prescribe topical or oral antibiotic to ward off bacteria. But it’s imperative to follow the aftercare instructions meticulously.

vitamin C serum
11Jul

To beat free radicals with vitamin C serum, you need to find the serum most suitable to your skin type.

We all know that there are countless benefits to using vitamin C. And chief among these are managing hyperpigmentation issues (including acne scars) and evening out skin tone.

But importantly, as an antioxidant, vitamin C helps to neutralise free radicals in the atmosphere. These unstable atoms form as a result of exposure to environmental stressors such as UV rays and pollution. As time marches on, free radicals can cause oxidative stress, thus harming the skin and causing premature skin ageing.

Concentration

Firstly, the concentration is important. Because vitamin C products may be a skin irritant at higher concentrations, first-time users should ease into the programme by starting with a 5% concentration.

Gradually step up the concentration to 10% and then 15%. However, those with non-sensitive skins may even go all the way up to a 20% concentration. But after 20%, the effects you’ll get from vitamin C products pretty much plateau.

Dry or sensitive skin types should stick to lower concentrations. But oily skin types, or those who deal with extensive pigmentation issues, may be able to handle higher serum intensities to improve tone and texture.

Check the ingredients

People with oily skin should choose a serum containing sodium ascorbyl phosphate – a light, water-based product. But if you have a mature and dry skin, the lipid-soluble ascorbyl palmitate, is by far the better ingredient option.

Also, being sensitive to both oxygen and light, Vitamin C is very unstable. So do check the packaging. Products in light-blocking opaque or dark packaging are best. But an airless pump is even better, because it’ll prevent exposing the serum to oxygen.

Application

The golden rule is to apply vitamin C in the morning directly after cleansing your skin but before moisturising it. Also please note, if you use retinol or benzoyl peroxide regularly, steer clear of using a vitamin C serum at the same time. Rather use benzoyl peroxide and retinol at night, or on different days of the week for the best results.

The take-out is: you too can beat free radicals with vitamin C serum.

Enlarged pores
4Jul

If you’ve experienced the horror of enlarged pores in the magnifying mirror, know this: you can shrink those pores with IPL. You can’t wish your enlarged pores away, but luckily you can gradually shrink and minimise them. Achieve this with a mixture of effective cleansing, exfoliating and the wonder of IPL.

Often enlarged pores are genetic. An oily skin doesn’t help either. Usually, overactive sebaceous glands which cause pores to expand are the culprits. Also, hormonal changes, poor skin hygiene, too much sun, extreme climates and the ageing process influence pore size.

Treatments

We all regard enlarged pores as cosmetically undesirable. Not only that, but they’ll be more prone to getting clogged with oil and dirt, increasing the chance of break-outs.

Steps to take include prudent use of skincare products adapted to your skin type. That certainly will help to reduce oil production and help control pore size. Do take note that by using cosmetics to camouflage large pores, the problem actually might eventually get worse.

The wonder of IPL

IPL is recognised as an effective treatment to stimulate cell renewal and collagen production in the skin. So, to shrink those pores with IPL, it works thus: without harming the skin’s surface layers, light pulses are focused on the skin cell layers responsible for cell renewal. These intense light pulses effectively have a rejuvenation effect by penetrating deep into the skin, killing bacteria and stimulating collagen production. The result is improved skin tone, reduced oil production and an eventual reduction in the pore size.

Typically, multiple treatments are necessary. But the good news is that you will notice results within a week or two after the first treatment.

In addition, IPL also corrects visible skin imperfections and improves skin tone. So, it’s a double-whammy.