Skinmatters Blog (All Posts)

Sharing a smile is a gift itself, especially for your Valentine. But there are people all over the world who cannot share their gift because of a cleft lip or palate. This is a major problem in developing countries. Many of those affected cannot speak or eat properly, and many cannot attend school or work because of their abnormal facial appearance.

Three days before your hot date and you find a huge monster of a pimple on your face! Don’t stress – Skinsight is here to help! Just follow these steps.

Whether you want to keep your skin healthy for that special someone or practice some self-love by loving your skin, here are some tips from Skinsight for great skin.

Most people have a Valentine’s Day wish list, including items such as a box of chocolates, a romantic dinner, or just spending time with the one you love. Dinner with the in-laws or gifts like socks or a gym membership, on the other hand, are usually at the bottom of the list. Here is Skinsight’s Valentine’s gift to you: some of our favorite and least favorite Valentine trends and skin conditions for this amorous holiday.

Mild forms of dark spots (hyperpigmentation) on the skin are not usually medically significant. Sunspots on the hands of a middle-aged, fair-skinned woman, for example, may be a cosmetic concern to her, but they are typically benign and in no way endanger her health. However, if these spots were to grow or get darker in a dramatic fashion, it would be best to consult a dermatologist to discern if they are in fact harmless or not.

If you struggle with controlling acne, you are not alone. Acne can have an extremely negative impact on quality of life because it is usually quite visible. While many cases of teenage acne resolve with age after hormones calm down, for some adults, acne becomes a chronic condition, causing frustration and a never-ending search for “the cure.”

Acne rosacea is a chronic disorder that primarily affects facial skin. It typically appears after age 30, first as red blotches on the cheeks, nose, chin, or forehead. Over time, the affected areas become more severe and more persistent, and blood vessels may appear. Untreated, acne rosacea can develop into bumps and pimples. Many sufferers also experience irritated eyes that appear watery or bloodshot.

Q: Can hypopigmentation on the arms that has been present for about 10 years still leave one’s skin?

A: Hypopigmentation is the loss of color in the skin, and the contrast of the light spots is especially more noticeable after months in the summer sun, when the rest of your skin may be darker. If your pale spots have not changed in size over 10 years and are small, it is probably a common and benign condition that is actually a type of scarring, and which is not likely to disappear without treatment.

Q:  I have never had a chemical peel and would like to try one, but I am afraid of the thought of acid on my face. Should I be worried?

A: Chemical peels can improve and smooth the texture of facial skin by removing damaged outer layers and can be helpful in treating dull facial texture and color, fine wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, uneven pigmentation (solar lentigines, or “sun spots”), melasma, mild acne, and even precancerous lesions (ie, actinic keratoses).  

The development of new laser technologies is encouraging, especially the introduction of gentler tools that provide excellent results with less damage and downtime than original ablative lasers. While safe and effective, ablative lasers are harsh and indiscriminately remove layers of skin. The resulting wounds were at greater risk of infection and required a couple weeks of healing followed by months of redness. While these lasers generated good results for wrinkles, I searched for alternatives, as I would feel hesitant to undergo these types of procedures myself.