Acne during pregnancy is surprisingly common and for many tends to occur during the first (and possibly second) trimester.  Surges of the hormone progesterone can lead to increased oil production, driving spots. Dermatologists have noted that pregnant women with acne may be more self-conscious of the change in appearance pregnancy can bring. You must not use treatments such as retinoids (oral or topical), spironolactone, and certain antibiotics during pregnancy due to a link with birth defects.  It is trickier to state what is safe to use, given that researchers don’t carry out studi ..read more

Cleaning Your Beauty Blenders How often are you cleaning your beauty blenders or checking expiry dates on your make-up products? A recent study* aimed to look at the extent of microbial (bacteria and fungi) contamination in commonly found items in most of our make-up bags. These specifically looked at five categories of products: lipstick, lip gloss, eyeliners, mascaras, and beauty blenders. Rather shockingly, 79-90% of all used products were contaminated with bacteria. EU guidance is very specific about safety guidelines in our products. Not all bacteria are bad or harmful to our health and t ..read more

I have written at length in the past about what is known about the relationship between diet and acne but clearly science does not sit still and there is a recent paper in JAMA Dermatology I wanted to spend some time reading and sharing with you.  I want to ensure that the information you gather from this page remains not only relevant but up to date. The link between whether or not diet can cause acne is one that remains controversial, with mixed results and no clear answers despite decades of research.  Clinical studies in nutrition are notoriously difficult due to a variety of fac ..read more

Keratosis Pilaris Keratosis Pilaris (KP) is a common, harmless skin concern, affecting nearly a third of people, which can be particularly problematic in the winter months. It is usually an inherited condition that can sometimes be found alongside other skin issues such as ichthyosis and eczema. It is characterised by red, bumpy skin often affecting the upper, outer arms and thighs. What is the cause? KP develops due to excess keratin (a protein found in the skin) accumulating in the hair follicles, resulting in the formation of scaly plugs. The skin itself can feel rough and may have the appe ..read more

There is a common misconception that optimising your skincare routine can lead to both short and long-term clearance of cystic acne. For many of us that suffer with our skin, we hold onto the hope that using the right products for our skin in combination with eating healthily and drinking plenty of water will help sort out spots or acne. Sometimes that hope is held onto not just for weeks or months but several years before help is sought in the right place. Unfortunately, delaying the right treatment can lead to unnecessary skin scarring as well as a prolonged negative effect on our mental wel ..read more

Many of us recognise that stress is a common reason for skin conditions to flare up.  This is particularly the case when it comes to chronic inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne and rosacea.  In the fast-paced modern world, very few of us are lucky enough to be able to claim no stress at all, and these varying grades of worry and anxiety may in some susceptible individuals cause worsening of these skin issues. So have you ever wondered why the stress response can affect the skin so directly?  Well, there is no doubt the scientific literature recognises a ..read more

Preservatives: don’t they get a bad rep in skincare? Why are we so worried about them? Are they really that harmful to our health? Or is this more unnecessary scare-mongering from the “non-toxic” skincare brigade? What are preservatives? Preservatives are ingredients added to beauty products to enhance their shelf-life. They protect us from contamination by microbes such as bacteria, moulds and yeast. Without them, cosmetic products will go off and we put ourselves at risk of skin, eye and scalp infection. Do all skincare products need preservatives? Any cosmetic product that contains water (a ..read more

What is rosacea? Rosacea (from the Latin for “rose-coloured”) is a common, inflammatory skin condition. It is unfortunately under-recognised and often inappropriately treated or dismissed as a cosmetic concern rather than a recognised dermatological issue. It tends to affect women, usually with fair skin or of Celtic descent, between the ages of 30 and 60 years of age. Common features affecting facial skin include redness, flushing or blushing, sensitive skin, spots or pustules which look similar to acne, and thread veins. Occasionally there can be a thickening of the tissue of the nose known ..read more

When we talk about “psychodermatology”, what do we really mean? The word has been coined to reflect the interaction between the mind and the skin. Dermatologists have long recognised a connection between the two and certainly when I was a trainee, I remember being taught very early on that over a third of patients who would come to our clinics would have mental health issues related to their skin. Whilst much is still to be learnt about molecular mechanisms and pathways, the one fact that I still find interesting is that in a developing embryo, both the skin’s epidermis and the central nervous ..read more