wellbeing Archives - Reskin Clinic

Is Beauty Sleep Really a Thing?

Good sleeping habits are essential to maintain skin health. Our skin is a renewing organ so it needs the time and rest for this to be done effectively. Lots of cellular functions happen at night and it’s a time when our skin repairs the damage that has occurred throughout the day. Lack of sleep will cause the skin to become sluggish, increase in inflammation and a decrease in collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid production eventually resulting in lines appearing and a loss of tone and volume.

It's important to maintain a good, consistent sleep pattern of around 8 hours per night, this will benefit overall health and in turn your skin too. Avoiding caffeine or alcohol before bed as these can interrupt sleep patterns.

Always remove your makeup before bed and change your pillowcase regularly, this reduces the chances of bacteria or blocked pores causing congestion. A silk pillow case can really benefit the skin reducing the friction and pressure reducing the risk of lines appearing. Side sleeping can also lead to lines and wrinkles forming so where possible sleep on your back.

Avoid having the heating or air conditioning on too high as this can cause a dry atmosphere reducing hydration levels within the skin, sleeping with a humidifier in the bedroom is great for ensuring you wake up with hydrated, plump skin.

Ready to take the next step towards healthier, radiant skin? Schedule your personalised consultation today and let's embark on your journey to skin confidence together. Don't wait any longer to love the skin you are in - contact us today!

Skin Cancer Awareness Month

This month is Skin Cancer Awareness month and as much as we may wear our sunscreen to prevent our skin ageing there is an even more important reason to slap it on every day, UV radiation from either the sun or sunbeds is the main cause of skin cancers, and it is the 5th most common cancer in the UK.

With 86% of melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK being preventable and the fact that this type of cancer is detectable with our own eyes should this really be the 5th most common cancer in the UK?

Skin cancer can occur when the skin cells DNA is damaged beyond repair, usually by UV exposure, this triggers mutations that leads to an out of control growth of these abnormal cells. The main types of skin cancer are Merkel cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma, and Melanoma.

The two main causes are Ultraviolet rays from either the sun or sunbeds, however there are other factors that can make us more susceptible to this type of cancer.

Sun Exposure

Too much sun exposure increases our chances of skin cancer, especially sunburn. In fact, having a blistering sunburn as a child can increase the risk of melanoma in adulthood by double!

All skins should take care in the sun, even darker skin types. If the following applies to you extra care should be taken:

Pale, white, light brown skin
Have freckles, red hair, or fair hair
Tendency to burn
Have many moles
Have a family history of skin cancer
Live in a hot country

This is not an exhaustive list, and every single person should take precautions to protect their skin daily.

Sunbeds

Not only accelerating skin ageing tenfold, sunbeds are artificial UV rays that directly damage your skin cells DNA. The earlier in your life you use sunbeds the greater the risk, and evidence shows people exposed to sunbeds before 25 are at a greater risk of developing skin cancer.

Age

Melanoma risk increases with age, in fact half of people diagnosed with skin cancer in the UK are age 65 and over. But please don’t have the attitude if you are under this that it may not develop as it is still the second most common cancer in adults under 50.

Skin Type

It may be obvious, but the group of people more at risk are people with fair skin, fair or red hair and those with freckles. These skin types burn very easily and therefore their skin’s DNA is easily damaged. However, if you are a darker skin type don’t be under any illusions that you don’t need to be cautious. Yes, darker skins are lower risk but that doesn’t mean that they won’t get it…look at Bob Marley.

Moles

People with lots of moles or moles that are large (5mm+ diameter) are also higher risk. It’s important to keep a close eye on these moles and if any changes are noticed to get them checked immediately.

Family history

There is a small number of melanomas that are caused by inherited genes. If someone in your close family has a history of melanoma, then your risk of developing it can be increased.

Reduced Immunity

A weakened immune system can increase your risk of developing melanoma. HIV, AIDS, or medication that suppresses the immune system can make you a higher risk as the skins immunity system may struggle to repair or fight the damaging forces.

As I said at the beginning of the blog, most skin cancers are preventable and early detection is the key. So protect your skin daily with a good broad spectrum sunscreen, do not use sunbeds, avoid sunburn, and check your moles or any other skin lesions that may appear.

If you need help with your sun protection or keeping your skin in the best of health get in touch for a skin health consultation.

Do You Have Realistic Skin Goals???

This month I’m talking all about skin goals. It’s one thing I try so hard to help my clients with, but I also have to give them realistic expectations on what can actually be achieved with their skin. Every skin is different so goals and expectations will be different with every client too.

We see so many filtered, unrealistic images these days, and as a skin specialist, I see so many people with misconstrued opinions of their own skin, normally exaggerated further by the use of the dreaded magnifying mirror…if you are reading this and you own one, please throw it in the bin!

The important thing to remember is our skin is an organ that is as individual as we are. Here are just some of its functions:

Protection
Sensation
Regulating temperature
Waterproof
Excretion
Reduces harmful effects of UV
Produces Vitamin D

So, taking all those functions that the skin constantly performs into account, do you really think getting it to look flawless like a filtered photo is really possible????

Now, don’t get me wrong results I see in the clinic can really blow me as well as my clients away, but it’s never an overnight success.

If you have suffered with a skin concern for many months or even years this is not something that can suddenly be reversed, making real changes in the skin take time and most importantly consistency.

It starts with a professional that knows the skin, takes time to understand your skin, and can support you on your journey to improve your skin’s health and work towards your goals, but also someone who will tell you if you are being realistic with what you want to achieve.

In my next blog, I will talk all about the skin journey and what you can expect.

If you’re ready to start your skin journey and work towards your skin goals, its starts with a consultation. Click here to book yours, I am accepting new clients from September. For any questions you may have please don’t hesitate to get in touch here.