Silken Touch
My skin is very sensitive and breaks out easily. What routine should I follow?
Sensitive skin is often associated with hormonal imbalances and is sometimes mistaken for rosacea. This skin type is acutely sensitive to many stimulants like sun exposure, heat and even touch, that is, even touching the face could make it turn red or lead to a break-out.
For such a skin type, any skin procedure, whether it is a peel or a simple clean-up, should be done under the supervision of an experienced physician. Your doctor will examine your skin and advice what treatment is the best for you.
How can I fix uneven skin tone?
Uneven skin tone can be quite bothersome. After consulting a cosmetic physician, one can start using tropical creams which have skin lightening ingredients like Kojic Acid, Vitamin C, Azelaic acid or even Hydroquinone (2 per cent) on the dark spots. But these medicated products have to be used under proper medical supervision and strict sun protection or it may cause more damage than good to your skin. Alternatively, one can avail of skin-brightening peels to help lessen the pigmented patches on the face. Oral supplements of anti-oxidants and Vitamin C also help fight the accumulation of free radicals in our system, thereby improving the skin texture.
The skin on my body also is rough and dry. What should I do to ensure that it is smooth and healthy?
Hydration in the body is very important as it makes for a healthy functioning of the system and youthful-looking skin. Skin can be hydrated in two ways – internally by drinking an adequate amount of water, taking oil supplements. and externally by using products that hydrate and moisturise.
* Drinking water helps in flushing toxins out of your body and eliminates the pollutants that are present in the bloodstream. Complement this with creams that are rich in nourishing elements such as almond, coco and shea butter amongst others. Alternatively, one can also massage almond oil or olive oil on the skin (can be used on the face as well in case of acne-free skin).
* The skin around elbows and knees tends to be drier and darker than the rest of the body. The most common reasons for this are excessive exposure to the sun, heredity, extra friction around those areas due to continuous surface contact.
* Remove dark skin from knees and elbows by exfoliating the skin regularly. Choose a gentle exfoliating scrub. Moisturise rough knees and elbows regularly with deep moisturising agents. A skin-brightening chemical peel or a bleach could also help in lightening the skin in the area.
* Nutritional supplements of antioxidants, flaxseed oil, co-enzyme and Vitamin C will go a long way in completing this variety of non-invasive techniques that can be combined for combating dry skin conditions.
My friend has been complaining of whiteheads. What are they and how can you treat them?
Hormonal changes make your body’s sebaceous glands go into overdrive. These glands open up on your skin in the form of small pores. Sebum and dead skin cells collect in them causing comedones or whiteheads. When whiteheads are exposed to dirt, sunlight and pollution, they get oxidised and form blackheads. Blackheads are embedded in the skin and are a little hard to remove by oneself. Commercially available blackhead strips will work to remove the ones that are already loose but it’s always best to get a professional facial or clean-up, if possible, for a good, thorough
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