Medical director Sue Ibrahim has been working 12-hour days at Essex’s Elan Medical Skin Clinic during the pandemic while our team has been furloughed.

She has turned her hand to all aspects of the business, from reception duties, packaging and posting out deliveries, to answering email queries, posting extra updates and videos on social media to keep everyone informed of the latest developments, as well as undertaking virtual and face-to-face consultations over extended hours during lockdown.

As our loyal clients already know, Sue and Terry often go to Turkey around this time of year because it is generally quieter. After much deliberation, she has decided to take off her PPE for a moment and take a well-deserved break – well hopefully! (Who knows what might happen – just look at how quickly the situation changed with Spain)

If all goes as planned, Sue’s last day in clinic will be Tuesday August 25^th and her appointments will resume again on Tuesday September 15^th.

URGENT: Repeat prescriptions

If you are likely to run out of your prescription medication before mid September, please contact Sue immediately for a repeat prescription.

Contacting Elan Medical Skin Clinic

Reception will not be staffed during this time but if you need to get hold of Sue urgently, please email her at [email protected] and she will get back to you while she’s away.

Deliveries of Elan DermaActive skin care

The warehouse will be closed between August 26^th and September 14^th inclusive. Any orders placed during this time will be delivered from September 15^th onwards. So, don’t go short – please order your DermaActives skin care products now and make the most of the extended FREE delivery offer!

Thank you for your loyalty

We are so grateful to our brilliant clients for their loyalty during this difficult time and we hope you all continue to stay well, healthy and positive.

We wanted to update you about Elan Medical Skin Clinic and the treatments we are able to perform under the current government guidelines.

We are a CQC registered medical clinic and as such during the Covid-19 pandemic and up to Saturday July 4, Sue Ibrahim, our clinical director and nurse consultant in dermatology, was seeing most of our regular dermatology patients via video link consultations and issuing their prescriptions remotely. For the time being, where we can still do this remotely, we will be because we need to be restricting footfall in clinic.

FREE dellvery on all DermaActive skin care products

For those of you looking to purchase your DermaActive skin care products we decided it would be much safer for you, patients coming into clinic and our staff if you were to buy them online. To make this easier, we have extended our FREE DELIVERY offer on all DermaActive purchases for the foreseeable future. This is something we will review again in September.

Now that the restrictions are starting to lift, we have taken the decision to open our doors a little more to allow those patients of ours who were receiving treatments of a non-urgent medical nature to continue their ongoing treatment programmes with us.

This would include minor surgery procedures, such as mole and cyst removal and those we consider are of a medical rather than cosmetic nature. If you have any concerns please contact us and we will assess this on an case-by-case basis based on your individual needs.

We are not a beauty salon, we don’t wax people, massage them or carry out facials. Virtually everything we do at Elan Medical Skin Clinic is based on a medical model, so on need, rather than want. For example, patients do not come into our clinic wanting a prescription, they visit because they have a particular concern and we will judge the risks and the benefits associated with offering a treatment or a prescription for medication.

One of the cosmetic treatments we do offer is ear piercing and as the rules have now changed and restrictions have been lifted we have started to book clients in for this service.

Our ear piercing clinics is now full for July and booking has started for the next session on August 8. Slots are filling up fast, so please contact us now to avoid disappointment. Please keep visiting our Facebook page for details of the next available days we will be offering this service.

We can’t wait to see you!

It is great to know we can now start seeing you all again now that the scientific advisors have said it is safe to do so. Rest assured that we have gone above and beyond the guidelines in our safety measures and protocols  to keep you and our team as safe as possible. We look forward to seeing you again soon  – we have missed you!

Vicki Gumbley continues with part 2 of her keto journey. To read part 1, click here.

I had always thought I could live on eggs. For years they have been my go-to meal of choice when I can’t decide what to cook. They are versatile, tasty, affordable and filling, what more could I need? But after the first seven days of the Two Week Keto Challenge I just could not stomach another egg. Even I had reached my limit.

That’s not to say that every meal included eggs, far from it – it was the breakfasts* that posed the biggest issue for me. But every problem is a solution opportunity, as they say, and this egg quandary led me to a surprising breakfast discovery: coffee with cream. Yes, cream!

A keto diet is about avoiding carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes, bread etc) and replacing them with low-carb vegetables, proteins and healthy fats.

As I have mentioned before, the first most surprising thing about eating keto is that the food is absolutely delicious. The second is that I don’t feel hungry. And it is for these two reasons that I don’t feel like I am on a diet. And anyone who has ever dieted in their life will know that this is a big deal. Will power gets a person so far but I have been eating keto since February and these two things have not changed. The food is still delicious and I don’t have hunger pangs.

Is it too good to be true?

As I said in my previous blog, even having seen how much weight Sue had lost, I still wasn’t convinced this was the right path for me to take. My reservations were – and still are but to a lesser degree – that I was worried eating such a high percentage of my daily calorific intake as fat was unhealthy.

I was also concerned that this way of trying to lose weight just wouldn’t suit me, especially as I am prone to being greedy. I could eat butter, cream and cheese for goodness sake. I love cheese, so wouldn’t I just be tempted to eat the whole block? And if I did, how could I possibly lose weight if I had eaten that many calories?

Also, not all diets suit all people. You know yourself, one friend can seem to shed the pounds with relative ease doing Slimming World, while another seems to really struggle with it.

There was also a niggling doubt that even if I didn’t gorge myself, keto sounded too good to be true. All in all, I was sceptical.

Anyway, getting back to the 2-week challenge

If like me at the start, you remain unconvinced, consider signing up for the challenge. You will be joining Sue, me and 920,000 others!

On signing up, you will receive a series of daily emails with links to recipes, meal plans, videos, guides and support, all of which are completely free of charge.

What I really like about the Diet Doctor is that they don’t have their own range of products to flog, so there are is nothing special to buy, all the food is cooked from scratch – but don’t panic, the recipes are really simple.

So, how does it work?

Having cleared out my cupboards (well, moving stuff into other places – the kids would never have forgiven me if I had chucked away their ketchup, rice or pasta!), I went shopping, piling my trolley with meat, veg, butter, cream and cheese… oh and eggs, so many eggs.

The veg you can have is limited but there are lots of visual online guides explaining what to pick. A rule of thumb is that most vegetables grown above the ground are good, those beneath the ground are out (or reduced). I’m pretty happy with any veg, so this was no problem.

Sugar is completely off limits and you would be amazed at how much is added to our food. Who knew that prawns and smoked salmon required sweetening? It is definitely worth checking the labels.

And because most fruit is high in sugar, that’s strictly limited too. I thought this was going to be a problem for me, I have to admit. I used to eat at least one banana day and would have a fruit and veg packed smoothie at least three times a week.

Having been led to believe that sugar is harder to ween yourself off than heroin, I was expecting a rough time ahead (I’ve seen Trainspotting!) but I really was absolutely fine. I think it helped that the food is so tasty I didn’t need to reach for treats to cheer myself up – and the challenge is for just 14 days, so I was pretty sure I would be able to cope.

Now we come to alcohol. After explaining to one of my very dear friends that I was starting a keto challenge, she said ‘there is no way I could do that, you can’t drink”. So, I know this is off-putting to many. You might like to read this info if this is you.

I am very unlucky (or is that lucky?) to suffer from horrendous hangovers that have got worse the older I get, so there are lots of alcoholic drinks I can’t touch. So, while abstaining from booze wasn’t an issue for me, I know it is a problem for others. I spoke to Sue about this and found out that she used to drink a glass or two of wine pretty regularly pre-keto but said giving up booze for two weeks was do-able. And she has enjoyed the benefits so much since, that she hardly drinks anymore.

Million dollar question – how much weight will I lose?

The website says that most people with excess weight will lose 4-8 pounds (2-4 kilos) during the two-week challenge and some lose much more. I lost 5lbs in the first week and 1lb in the second. Since then I have lost another 1 stone 5lbs, so around a pound a week, which I am pretty happy with.

About the two week challenge, the Diet Doctor website says: “What have you got to lose? Well, maybe a few pounds, your high blood sugar, sugar cravings, and even other health issues like irritable bowel syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, and acne.”

Apart from sugar cravings, I don’t suffer from any of the other conditions. (NB. I don’t know if I had high blood sugar as I didn’t get my blood tested). But I would be fascinated to hear from anyone who tries the two week challenge and experiences any change in these conditions – your feedback would be really appreciated. Let’s start a conversation, what do you think?

* egg-free low carb breakfasts

So many of you have continued to buy your Elan Medical DermaActives via our online store during lockdown and we really appreciate your support.

Sue Ibrahim, the clinical director at Elan Medical Skin Clinic, explains that in order to ensure the safety of you and our team we have to minimise footfall through our Rayleigh clinic. To keep everyone as safe as possible, our reception desk will continue to operate remotely and patients will be greeted at the entrance by one of our triage members of staff, who will direct them into one of our treatment rooms.

This means patients should only visit us if they have an appointment already booked, not for picking up their DermaActive skin care products.

“As we need to restrict footfall through the clinic, we have taken the decision to extend our free delivery service until the end of August. You are what makes Elan Medical Skin Clinic so special – thank you for being so wonderful!” said Sue.

We are not a beauty salon

Being a registered medical clinic we have been re-opening slowly for urgent procedures. From July 4th we will begin to accept non-urgent procedures, such as minor skin surgery. We won’t be carrying our laser hair removal procedures for another few weeks and will keep you posted as soon as we have a date.

We are not a beauty salon, we are a CQC Registered Medical Clinic and as such, we fall outside the current Government guidelines. We offer evidence-based medical and cosmetic dermatology services using prescription only medications and medical devices.

Book NOW to secure your appointment with Sue!

Appointments with Sue are filling up fast. If you haven’t booked yours yet, then give us a call on 01268 770660 to avoid disappointment.

Welcoming you back to Elan Medical Skin Clinic 

Thank you for your continued loyalty and trust in Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh Essex during these uncertain times. We hope you and your loved ones are safe, healthy and calm, and, if you are self-isolating, that you are coping as well as can be expected. 

Our commitment and responsibility towards you has never been stronger as we face the Covid-19 pandemic. We are continuously monitoring the ever-changing guidelines and circumstances surrounding the coronavirus and we are going above and beyond to keep you and our team safe and healthy.  

“As you know, I am a qualified nurse consultant in dermatology, so cleaning protocols are reinforced repeatedly on a daily basis to keep our clinic clean but this is nothing new for us, we adhere to the best practice guidelines at all times. All our team members are trained in regular hand washing and undertake this as routine,” said Sue Ibrahim, our clinical director. 

Things we are doing to keep you safe 

• We are currently conducting as many Consultations and follow-up appointments via a secure video link. This helps to reduce the footfall through the clinic. 
• We are operating a remote reception desk from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 8pm and we are asking patients and clients to book appointments via the telephone rather than just turning up to clinic. 
• Elan Medical DermaActive products can be purchased via our online store www.elan-derma-actives and we are currently offering FREE DELIVERY on all purchases. 
• We are leaving at least a 15 minute gap between appointments to reduce the close contact between clients in our waiting room 
• We are disinfecting any communal areas between clients, including cleaning door handles etc more regularly 
• At present none of our team has reported any symptoms. If that changes we will follow the isolation guidelines as set out by the Department of Health. 

If you do have an appointment at Elan Medical Skin Clinic, please help us by 

• Attending your appointment on time. If you are early, you may be asked to wait outside. If you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, you may be asked to re-book. This will incur the loss of any pre-paid deposit. 
• Completing a Wellness Assessment Form on the day of your appointment. This will be emailed to you on booking your appointment. If you arrive for your appointment without this form, you will be asked to complete the form before entering the clinic. 
• You will need to wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth on entering the clinic 
• You will also need to disinfect your hands on entering the clinic. 
• Do not bring anyone with you to your appointment unless this has been agreed beforehand. 
• We kindly request that you refrain from touching any surfaces as much as possible. 
• You will need to maintain a 2-meter distance between any other members of the public in the waiting area. 
•  

Please be assured that our team will continue to provide you with the highest level of service in a safe and clean environment during your time with us. Please call us on 01268 770 660 if you would like any advice and we will do all we can to help.  

And keep checking our Facebook page for updates. 

Please look after yourselves, 

Sue 

DermaHydrate Serum is a light moisturiser that provides hydration without clogging your pores. This gentle moisturiser can be used in the morning or last thing at night and is suitable for even the most sensitive skin.

Apply a light layer onto clean fingertips and smooth across your face. Allow the serum to sink into your skin before using any other product. Your skin will feel smooth and hydrated, without looking or feeling greasy.

Sue Ibrahim , Elan Medical Skin Clinic’s nurse consultant in dermatology, said: “Use the DermaHydrate Serum as and when you feel your skin feels a little dehydrated – at night, in the morning, whichever is your preference. If you use it in the morning, do so after applying your Vitamin C Serum and before your DermaRepair Stem Cell Cream.”

Benefits to you

Suitable for all skin types including dry, combination and sensitive skin

Light, non-pore clogging moisturiser

Ideal for acne-prone skin

Contains Sodium PCA, the skin’s natural moisturiser

Hyaluronic acid helps provide surface hydration

Ceramides replenish natural lipids in skin to restore skin elasticity and prevent environmental aggressions

Paraben-free

Cruelty free

Vegan friendly

What do clients think of Elans’s new DermaHydrate Serum?

“I absolutely love this product and will now only use this. I’ve wasted so much money in the past but this is amazing,” said Ann Louise Wright on Facebook.

And on our DermaActives website, Vix G said: “I’ve been using this serum for a week now and apply it after removing my make-up just before bed. A little goes a long way and I can actually feel the serum being absorbed into my skin, rather than sitting on the surface. It leaves my face feeling lovely and smooth. This is the first time I’ve used a serum as I have preferred night creams previously. I’m a convert! It’s a fantastic product, thanks Sue.”

The active ingredients include sodium PCA, a major component of our skin’s natural moisturising factor (NMF). Sodium PCA is a natural humectant which binds moisture to our skin’s cells.

All Elan Medical DermaActive products are cruelty free, suitable for vegetarians and free from alcohol and silicones. Our serum bottles are made of PET which is 100% recyclable.

Click here to order yours now – with FREE delivery throughout June 2020.

Anyone who has seen Sue Ibrahim, Elan Medical Skin Clinic’s medical director recently will know that she has lost more than 5 stone.

She looks fantastic and it’s not just the weight loss. Sue, who is 60, says she feels fantastic too, she’s got more energy and feels much healthier. How has she achieved this? Keto.

Having struggled with my weight since I was in my mid-teens, I am always desperate to hear how other people have shed lots of weight.

Name a diet and I have tried it. I’ve done Cambridge, Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, soup diets, fasting for days on end, eaten raw food only, juiced and was even vegetarian for a few years – but I actually got bigger because of all the cheese I was eating. I could lend you a book or ten about eating mindfully and spiritual eating and I have been on courses to transform my eating habits for life.

Most of the time I cook healthy (ish!) food from scratch for me and my family, none of whom overeat or have a problem with their weight. I do yoga most mornings and love walking.

For brief moments I have hallelujahed at making it to a healthy weight. But for almost 35 of my 48 years my BMI has been in the overweight bracket – or worse. Well, I tell myself, I am big boned and most of the England rugby team are classed as obese, so I’m ok, right?

I saw Sue’s transformation at a time when my weight had slipped into the obese category. I was inspired (and more than a little jealous, I have to admit) by her success, so I grilled her about how she’d done it, what she’d been eating, which diet she was using. I wanted what she was feeling.

Read More…

Yes, you did read that right! As a thank you to our loyal clients during the coronavirus pandemic we are offering free standard delivery for all online purchases in our Elan Medical DermaActives skin care and make-up range.

As many of you know, we use Royal Mail Signed For delivery giving you the peace of mind of knowing your purchase will usually arrive within three working days by 5.30 pm.

Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Essex is closed to all non-urgent appointments and sadly this means that our DermaActives range cannot be picked up in person. This is to keep you and our team as safe as possible and to curb the spread of the disease.

The free standard delivery offer was our way of saying thank you for your support, while also saving you money – and we are sure it will be music to the ears of our customers from across the UK. There is no need for a special code, the free standard delivery will be automatically applied to your shopping cart.

Special appointments for picking up prescriptions

Everyone who has a prescription to pick up will be given a special appointment by our medical director, Sue Ibrahim. Each person will be given their own specific date and time to visit us. This ensures that our clients arrive one at a time, with plenty of space between appointments, to make sure they don’t come into contact with each other. It’s our way of keeping you safe.

We are so delighted to launch our DermaBright serum – the very first product in our new Elan Medical everyday skincare range.

This Vitamin C Serum with ferulic acid has 23% vitamin C, one of the highest concentrations on the market. Best of all, a 30ml bottle will only cost £45! The SkinCeuticals equivalent is £150 – and it only has 20% vitamin C.

The Elan Medical skincare range, which will support our DermaActives product lines, will see a whole host of new, affordable, everyday products launched over the coming months.

This serum includes high strength Vitamin C or specifically L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) to brighten and even out skin tone whilst ferulic acid helps protect your skin against free radical damage. If used twice a day it can help break down sun-spots with fantastic results.

The active ingredients in this serum encapsulate your skin cells and add an extra layer of protection from environmental damage – it is also proven to boost the effectiveness of sun cream. Use 1-2 pumps every morning on your face and neck after cleansing your face.

L-AA is a powerful antioxidant with a credible body of research supporting its skin benefits. Vitamin C has been shown to defend skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure whilst enhancing the production of collagen. 

It helps to inhibit the production of skin pigment, melanin, and is used to prevent and treat hyperpigmentation, resulting in a clearer, brighter and more even skin tone.

Ferulic acid is a powerful antioxidant found in the cell walls of plants and is particularly beneficial for protecting your skin against sun damage. 

Benefits of our Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid Serum

• Contains 23% pure L-ascorbic acid, Vitamin C, in an airless pump to prevent oxidation
• Non-greasy base, easily absorbed into skin
• Brightens and freshens skin 
• Particularly useful for preventing and treating hyperpigmentation
• No added colours, fragrances or parabens
• Cruelty-free, suitable for vegetarians and free from alcohol and silicones
• A pH range of 3.1 – 3.4

The DermaRepair Stem Cell Cream is one of our clients’ favourite products in the DermaActives range and we are delighted to announce that there are now two options to choose from.

DermaActive Stem Cell Cream is a day cream, as it is safe to use around delicate eyes and mouth. It is packed full of antioxidants, peptides and stem cells to moisturise and protect your skin, also helping it to repair if you have had a skin treatment.

The new product now comes with a slightly green tint, which is ideal for fading out blemishes and redness and is ideal for anyone with pigmentation problems (melasma), rosacea, acne and those with dermatitis. So, not only is it a skin treatment but a blemish balm too.

Click here to watch a video from our medical director, Sue Ibrahim pre and post this fabulous new tinted option. Here she demonstrates how this cream acts as a tinted moisturiser, which you can use with just a touch of mineral pressed foundation for a blemish-free appearance. Take a look and let us know if you would like to try a sample pot of this cream while we are in lockdown.

DermaActive Stem Cell Cream is a special treatment which revitalises and nourishes ageing and traumatised skin. This powerful skin rejuvenating cream contains a synergistic blend of peptides, bio-source epidermal growth factors, plant-derived stem cells and a pro-vitamin complex. Formulated to boost the stimulation of keratinocyte proliferation nourishing the epidermis and improving the look of ageing or traumatised skin. 

The tinted version, containing special pigments, instantly conceals, making skin look more even-toned, neutralising redness and blending out uneven pigmentation. To see all of the special ingredients it includes, click here.

The benefits of our stem cell cream:

• Anti-wrinkle
• Skin rejuvenating
• Improves skin firmness and elasticity
• Includes vitamins A, C and E
• Contains gardenia jasminoides stems that strongly inhibit collagenase by limiting collagen degradation and preventing skin damage and firmness loss
• Includes Centella Asiatica Stem Cells (Gotu Kola) – Is a rich substance with antioxidant activity higher than that of common natural antioxidant benchmarks. In clinical studies this extract has demonstrated a deep firming activity while improving skin tone and elasticity.

All of our products can be ordered directly from our website and are shipped promptly.