January 2024

Is your skin looking dull and old? 

Skin Problems /

Melanocytes are cells responible for creating Melanin the pigment in your skin, they aren’t all bad, infact we would be very aged and damaged without it. The Melanocyte receive signals when the body deems it is being exposed to triggers such as UV sun damage. The Melanocytes increase the production of Melanin pigment responsible for protecting our DNA in the cell nucleus. Did you know that 80% of our Ageing is environmental only 20% is due to our genes the rest is on us! So get that SPF on no matter what the weather.    For every year we age our skin turnover slows down, turnover is how long it takes for the skin cells in your deepest skin layers to raise to the surface and then flake away.  At 20 years old we would expect this to take around 20 days we look all fresh and glowy with bright young skin. How old are you? Lets say 40, now this process slows right down to 40 days for this to happen. However the process is so slow now that multiple layers of dead skin cells are building up at the surface this is what us look dull and old. pHformula turns back time, speeding up our skin turnover back to our 20’s renewing for a youthful appearance and glowy skin.  

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Why do I have Hyperpigmentation?

Skin Problems /

Melanocytes are cells responible for creating Melanin the pigment in your skin, they aren’t all bad, infact we would be very aged and damaged without it. The Melanocyte receive signals when the body deems it is being exposed to triggers such as UV sun damage. The Melanocytes increase the production of Melanin pigment responsible for protecting our DNA in the cell nucleus. Did you know that 80% of our Ageing is environmental only 20% is due to our genes the rest is on us! So get that SPF on no matter what the weather.   

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What is Microneedling?

Skin treatments /

Tiny needles are insterted into the skin creating microchannels, small wounds that start a controlled healing response. There are several forms of microneedling device such as stamps, roller and pen like motorised device. Why are Microneedling rollers bad? Microneedling rollers are not advised due to the action of the needle entering and leaving the skin on an angle this leads to micro tears to the skin. Rollers are often chosen as they are cheap to purchase, but there is no comparison between a roller and a FDA approved Microneedling device. There are many dangerous microneedling devices on the market, these are horrifyingly openly available to the consumer on shopping sites and often used by uneducated or poor practitioners. Why are many Microneedling devices dangerous? Microneedling devices must be in individual sealed pouches to prevent contamination and infection, most of the devices available to the consumer are non sterile. The glide or serum should be sterlise, clinically safe for use, and marked CE certified for injection, these medical grade products are only available to qualified professionals. It is important to realise the process of microneedling allows substances to get inside the body, we are essentially injecting the substance. When we Microneedle we create microchannels allowing products to bypass the skin barrier. The body is clever and recognises foreign substances, arming an attack. Pathogens such as some Microneedling serums are surrounded and engulfed by immune cells this prevents foreign matter moving througout the body. These enveloped clumps can appear as long as 2 years after Microneedling due to the wound healing process, by which time you will likely not make the connection that poor Microneedling was the cause. The fibrous Granulomas appear as hard lumps beneath the skin that may need medical intervention.

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How does Microneedling work?

Skin treatments, Uncategorized /

Microneedling is the process of creating micro wounds which triggers the body to begin the wound healing process, this is a guaranteed reaction when a micro injury occurs, the body creates new Collagen and Elastin in this process. We lose collagen and elastin as we age leading to thin, sagging skin with lines and wrinkles, our body also slows the production of new collagen and elastin as we age. Microneedling allows us to minimise the appearance of lines and wrinkles reducing the signs of ageing via natural regenerative skin treatments. Microneedling also thickens the Epidermis, the skin surface, smoothing texture and creating a more youthful appearance. Special techniques by Microneeding experts allow the reduction of scars and Acne scarring and improves the appearance of hyperpigmentation and can even help even out Vitiligo.

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Why Dermaplaning is bad for your skin

Uncategorized /

Ah now this is a spicy subject between us face folks, there are us that work to protect the skin barrier, I personally as Skin Specialist am strongly against Dermaplaning. What is Dermaplaning? Dermaplaning uses a scalpel blade to remove hair from the face, it is advertised as leaving skin smooth for makeup appliation and for leaving skin glowing. So, why is dermaplaning bad? Despite what some people may say the the contrary Dermaplaning removes the skin barrier or Epidermis. The Epidermis is the skin we see, it is the largest organ of the body. Yes the skin is a precious organ with multiple functions such as protection from bacteria and pathogens and it keeps our skin moisture within, it is about as thick as a sheet of paper. Dermaplaning strips the skin barrier leaving the baby skin cells underneath exposed, this is the “glow” you are seeing it is inflammation and one thing we know about inflammation is that is causes ageing. With a damaged skin barrier pathogens and bacteria can lead to infections and breakouts, chronic redness and Rosacea. TEWL or Trans Epidermal Water Loss is when our skin hydration is lost via a comprimised skin barrier causing lines, dry, dull and crepey skin. The peach fuzz or Vellus hair that covers the face too serves many functions one of which is to wick sebum or oils from the skin surface towards the hair tip, without hair the sebum sits on the skin and can exacerbate issues such as oily skin and Acne.

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Should I use a Cleanser?

Skincare /

Yes, you need a cleanser to remove bacteria, pathogens and the build up of Sebum or skin oils. What cleanser an influencer uses should have no bearing on your skin choices. There are a few points to look for when choosing a cleanser: Should I use an Exfoliating cleanser? Not if there is granular, scrubby bits you can feel such as kernels. Plastic microbeads are terrible for the environment contributing to ocean pollution. Exfoliation grains are highly damaging to the skin barrier, they are sadly often found in common supermarket cleansers aimed at delicate teen skin. What are Enzyme cleansers? Active enzymes are important to remove desmosones the glue that bonds skin cells together. A well formulated cleanser must contain active enzymes such as Papain extract, derived from Papaya this can be found in pHformula Exfo Cleanse as the cleanser I recommend to my skin clinic clients. When we have a build up of dead skin layers this causes dull looking skin, particularly as we age and the skin turnover slows and layers build up. Water is not cleanser! In the pub recently as often happens I got a skin question. I’ll very happily talk skin I don’t need prompting! A friend asked what treatment they could have to remove Blackheads. I asked what they were cleansing with and this soon turned into a spicy debate about water as a cleanser. You need a physical cleanser to dissolve dead skin cell bonds and attract oil and sebum for removal water is not adequate. How often should I cleanse? Morning and night, you should double cleanse each time. How should I cleanse? Apply the cleanser to dry skin and massage in throughly 50 seconds is ideal . Then wet finger tips and massage again for 50 seconds, in pHformula this activates the active enzymes dissolving the dead skin bonds then rinse with warm, not hot water. Should I use hot cloth cleansers? I am not a fan and many clients that come to me with damaged skin barriers use them and I recommend they resist, using hot water strips the skin. I have had clients comment about things opening pores, this is an old wives tale, pores are not doors – they don’t open and close a quality cleanser is all you need.

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