Dermatology

First, you need to understand the type of skin you have. If you have oily or combination skin, then salicylic acid based cleansers need to be used. Also, other products used should preferably be gel based/water based. If you have dry / sensitive skin, you should opt for soap free cleansers, mild toners (tonics) and moisturizer rich / cream based products.

Acne can occur even in 30’s and this pattern is increasingly becoming common. In these cases, however, hormonal evaluation needs to be considered in female patients.

Acne varies in severity in different people. It is easy to manage with medicines and simple treatment sessions which your doctor would advise after assessing the severity. Do not wait for long to start treatment as they may leave sequelae like deep pigmentation spots and scars / open pores.

There are two ways in which our skin ages. Intrinsic, which is predominantly genetically determined; and extrinsic which depends on sun exposure, lifestyle habits and stress. Extrinsic factors lead to maximum damage by stimulating excess pigmentation and collagen breakdown. We can manage the external factors by applying appropriate sunscreens regularly and adopting a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition right from the beginning.

During 30’s, the signs of ageing starts appearing. These include dry, dull, uneven skin tone, open pores, dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles and sagging of skin due to volume loss.

Since you are 25, it is right time to bring necessary modifications in routine care and prepare your skin against premature aging. Start using night creams containing retinols / AHA for regular exfoliation, regeneration and stimulation of collagen. Chemical peels which can be combined with PRP can be started during early years for the same.

The lower layer of our skin (dermis) has collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid as a support structure to maintain firmness of our skin. Due to inflammatory process or aging, these networks of fibres get disrupted and give way. Hence, leading to loss of support to skin. This leads to scars / open pores. The products that are used on a daily basis work only till upper layers of skin and hence our target region is not reached. Treatment procedures like microneedling, PRP and fractionated laser, which can stimulate this cellular regeneration can be done approx. 6 weeks apart to minimize their visibility and further development. Microneedling RF helps in better and faster results and is done by specialized technology which requires lesser number of sessions and lesser downtime to recover.

Emollients/Moisturizers are meant to replenish and seal the moisture content of the upper layer of your skin. In terms of efficiency, oils are most effective followed by cream and lotions. Always put moisturizer when your skin is still slightly moist. Do not let the skin dry completely before application. They can be applied 2-3 times a day.

As mentioned earlier, the limitations with product usage is that they do not reach the desired depth / layer of skin where the underlying problem is. e.g. Dynamic expression lines/wrinkles are caused by our muscle action which can be corrected by injections of botulinum toxin; while sagging is due to loss of volume caused by aging and gravity, hence the need to replace them with dermal fillers. Procedures like chemical peels, microneedling-RF, PRP are very safe and targeted procedures which help you to get rid of your problems and give you a healthy rejuvenated skin with minimum downtime and minimum extra care. Aging is inevitable; why not age gracefully.

Hair, like other organs of our body receives their nutrition from the blood supply around its base which lies in deep dermis. No external application like oil can help in nourishing it. Oil application can only give conditioning effect. Also, those with oily skin should avoid oil application as presence of oil on scalp promotes growth of a fungus which causes dandruff and hence hair fall.

Shampoos are meant to have cleansing action and have no direct role to play in preventing hair fall. It is important to identify any causative factor (stress, improper nutrition, hormonal imbalance, child-birth, prolonged illness, genetic) and plan a treatment accordingly.

These procedures take 20 min to 1 hour per session and the number of sessions can be advised by your doctor depending on the severity.

The tiny growth that are seen on face are called DPNs and the bigger ones are called skin tags which are benign growths of skin due to sun damage and obesity / pregnancy / diabetes respectively. They can be safely removed with radiofrequency cautery under local anaesthesia (usually in one session) without leaving any scar. If causative factors are taken care of, development of new lesions can be prevented / delayed.

Unwanted hair over face or body becomes very bothersome for the very need of repeated removal sessions. Laser (US FDA approved) are safe and help you in getting rid of them permanently in 6-8 sessions without any pain. A hormonal work up might be advised to you before starting the sessions.