Do I need to have a regular facial?

A beautician will often recommend that you have a facial once a month, but this may not be a good idea for everyone, says our London and Essex skin expert, Sue Ibrahim.

A beauty salon facial may be relaxing but the benefits to the skin are usually only temporary and an worsen skin conditions such as dermatitis, acne and rosacea. Beauty Salon facials generally only offer short term hydration of the skin which products that contain a lot of pseudo scientific mumbo jumbo that has no evidence behind it.

What is a dermatology grade facial?

Facials that have been developed by dermatologists, on the other hand, may provide longer term improvements to the texture and clarity of your skin. A dermatology grade facial will contain evidence based ingredients that can slow down the ageing process at the cellular level of the skin. They help regenerate new, healthy skin.

Dermatology grade facials may not be as relaxing as a facial at a beauty salon, but they can significantly improve your skin.

Do you suffer from PCOS? Visit our London skin clinic for advice and treatments

Woman talks to skin experts at central London’s Elan Medical Skin Clinic about PCOS

If you suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) you have our sympathy, says skin expert, Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinics in central London and Rayleigh, Essex.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition that affects how our ovaries work. As well as causing problems when trying to get pregnant, the condition also leads to a number of other symptoms. Not all women with PCOS will have all of the symptoms, and each can vary from mild to severe.

Common symptoms of PCOS

London skin expert explains new approaches to rosacea treatment

Sue Ibrahim, skin expert at Elan Medical Skin Clinic in central London and Essex

Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinic in central London says new approaches to the treatment of rosacea will come as welcome news to sufferers.

Sue has more than 30 years’ experience in treating skin conditions and is a nurse consultant in dermatology. She said that maintaining the correct acid balance in the skin was vital in creating a hostile environment for the demodex mite. Demodex is a microscopic mite that is a normal inhabitant of our facial skin and is found in greater numbers on the faces of people with rosacea.

Have you noticed darker than normal patches on your face, asks London skin expert

The DermaActives hyperpigmentation programme from Elan Medical Skin Clinics

During the summer months, keep an eye out for patches of darker-than-normal skin that can develop on the cheeks, forehead, upper lip, nose, chin and jaw, and sometimes the neck and forearms.

London skin expert, Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinics in central London and Rayleigh, Essex explains that the condition is called melasma and it’s a common skin complaint that affects women and men.

Melasma is when brown or greyish pigmentation appears on the face, the exact cause of which is not known. But rest assured that it is not contagious, not due to an allergy and is not cancerous. It is not itchy or sore, so if you have a raised rash that is, please seek further advice immediately.

Essex skin expert explains how to stay safe in the sun

With the temperature hitting highs of 35 degrees in central London and Essex this week, it’s time to get out and enjoy this illusive summer sunshine but please stay safe.

Some sunshine is good for us and helps our bodies create vitamin D, not to mention the wellbeing and feel good factors it

Woman stays safe in the sun thanks to advice from Elan Medical Skin expert, Sue Ibrahim

induces. Essex skin expert, Sue Ibrahim at Elan Medical Skin Clinic says the best way to enjoy the sunshine safely is to use a daily, broad spectrum sunscreen of factor 30 + and remember to apply it frequently and liberally thoroughly the day.

“The BB cream is perfectly coloured to give my skin a healthy glow”

Thanks for this great review of a product in our DermaActives range Vikki!, from Sue Ibrahim, nurse consultant in dermatology at Elan

DermaActives BB cream created by Sue Ibrahim at Elan Medical Skin Clinics Essex and central London

Medical Skin Clinic, Essex and central London.

“I bought the DermaActives BB Cream in the hope it would even out my complexion and give my face a smooth, uniform finish. I have fair skin and tend to be quite ruddy in my cheeks. I also suffer frequently with a dry forehead so when I use foundation, it cracks and looks unsightly. Instead of the foundation creating a smooth and balanced look it actually highlights the imperfections and makes my skin appear scaly.

The BB cream has a lovely creamy texture that feels like velvet when applied to my face. It comes in two shades, light and medium. I have fair skin so I chose the light and it is perfectly coloured to give my skin a healthy glow without appearing artificial.

BB Cream contains a moisturiser and is SPF 26, both of which are hugely important and beneficial to me. The moisturising aspect means that the problems I have with foundations highlighting my dry skin are overcome and the sun protection is always welcome as my fair skin is prone to sun damage and I am very conscious of protecting it at all times.

I use the cream every day because it makes my complexion look healthy and smooth and like all of us, when we look good, we feel confident. I only need to apply a small amount because it goes a long way. Whilst the initial outlay may seem pricey the product lasts a long time and represents great value.

The fact that the BB Cream is also paraben, fragrance and oil free is obviously a bonus for anyone who has concerns about the content of most cosmetic products or who has sensitive skin.

I would highly recommend BB Cream to anyone who wants a flawless complexion with the added moisturising and sun protection benefits.”

Couple smiling safely in the sun after reading Elan Medical Skin Clinic's blog about sun spots

Essex skin expert talks sun spots and how to avoid them

Age spots, sun spots, actinic keratoses, senile lentigo or solar lentigines, call them what you like!

These flat, brown, gray or black spots are areas of sun-damaged skin found predominantly on sun-exposed parts of the body. These include the backs of the hands and forearms, the face, ears and lips, the scalp in balding men and the lower legs in women, says Essex nurse consultant in dermatology, Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinics in Rayleigh and central London.

They are not contagious and are usually harmless but there is a very small risk of some sun spots developing into to a form of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.

Seek professional help if you’re worried

A mum and her teenage daughter consider acne treatment from Elan Medical Skin Clinics in London and Essex

If you suffer from spots – read this article!

If you are a teenager going through puberty, a grown-up suffering from adult acne or a woman with the polycystic ovarian syndrome’s side effect of increased spots, you have our sympathy.

Active acne and the resulting scarring can have a lifelong effect on our self-confidence. It seems that everyone has some ‘helpful’ nugget of advice or comment to make and when you’re in the thick of a breakout, they just make you feel worse.

Elan’s nurse consultant in dermatology, Sue Ibrahim, is here to blast some of those myths and explain some science-based facts that might help people of all ages understand acne.

Essex skin expert quietens the cosmetic babble

The rise in popularity of beauty bloggers never fails to amaze our dermatology team at Elan Medical Skin Clinics in Essex and central

A woman considers speaking to a skin expert at Elan Medical Skin Clinics in Essex and central London

London.

We seem to be constantly fighting the cosmetic babble of advice, tips, myths and downright untruths from people with a huge following yet very little in the way of expertise.

Sue Ibrahim, our resident nurse consultant in dermatology said: “The beauty bloggers and vloggers often do more harm than good. Please take their advice with extreme caution and if in doubt speak to an expert.”