Did you know we do ear piercing at Elan Medical in Rayleigh?

Ear piercing in Rayleigh is offered at Elan Medical Skin Clinic

The secret is out! Although we do not advertise this service, Elan Medical Skin Clinic has been piercing ears for 18 years!

We are a registered medical clinic meaning piercings are carried out in a clinical environment by caring staff. We only use 9ct yellow or white gold earrings.

The school holidays is a really popular time for ear piercing in Rayleigh, so please book your appointment as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

For further details, you are welcome to call our helpful team on 01268 770 660 or email us at [email protected]

Help – I’m losing my hair!

DermaActive hair repair

Hair loss can cause embarrassment for men and women – and it can also affect children. Male pattern hair loss is well known but there’s a version that affects women and this can be a very upsetting condition, especially if the bald area cannot be disguised, says Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh Essex.

Patterned hair loss looks different in men and women. In women, there is widely spread thinning of the hair, mainly on the crown. The hairline often remains normal.

What causes female pattern hair loss?

Suffering from psoriasis? Elan Medical can help

Elan Medical Skin Clinic can help with psoriasis – call us now for details

When it comes to skin conditions, leading skin expert Sue Ibrahim at Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Essex understands the emotional upset they can cause. And psoriasis is no exception.

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease affecting 2% of the population. It occurs equally in men and women, can appear at any age, and tends to come and go unpredictably. It is not infectious and it does not scar the skin although sometimes it can cause a temporary increase or reduction in skin pigmentation.

Psoriasis can affect the nails and the joints as well as the skin. About half of people with psoriasis have psoriasis affecting the nails. For people with moderate to severe psoriasis about one in three will develop psoriatic arthritis at some time.

Can I treat psoriasis?

New mums reminded that dermatologists do not recommend using aqueous cream or Sudafed on babies.

Essex skin expert and new granny offers advice to mums

Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh Essex reminds new mums that dermatologists do not recommend using aqueous cream or Sudocrem on babies.

We are delighted to announce that Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh, Essex has recently become a grandmother. Her grandson’s birth at the end of March highlighted the need to remind new mums that dermatologists do not recommend using aqueous cream or Sudocrem on babies.

Aqueous cream contains sodium laureth sulphate (SLS), a detergent that breaks down the skin barrier. SLS functions as a stabiliser and cleansing agent and is a known skin irritant. However, aqueous cream products often contain other ingredients such as chlorocrescol, cetostearyl alcohol and parabens, which may also cause or contribute to adverse skin reactions.

Our Essex skin expert shines a ‘spot’light on acne myths

Suffering with acne? Call Sue Ibrahim at Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Essex for help and advice.

Despite being one of the most widespread skin conditions affecting teenagers AND adult men and women, acne is one of the most poorly understood. There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding acne and its causes. In this month’s blog, our skin expert and nurse consultant in dermatology, Sue Ibrahim, helps separate fact from fiction.

Myth: A poor diet high in fat and dairy causes acne

Sue Ibrahim reaches finals for Aesthetic Nurse of the Year!

Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinics in Essex and central London named Runner-up Nurse of the Year 2016 in the Safety in Beauty Awards

Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinics in Essex was named Runner-up Nurse of the Year 2016 in the Safety in Beauty Awards – fingers crossed for this year!

Our Essex skin expert, Sue Ibrahim has been shortlisted in the Safety in Beauty Diamond Awards 2018 in the category of Aesthetic Nurse of the Year.

Sue, founder of Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh, is delighted to have reached the finals of the highly acclaimed awards event.

The Safety in Beauty Diamond Awards are dedicated to recognising and paying special tribute to the many outstanding businesses, professionals, brands and service providers in the beauty and aesthetics industry.

They highlight those going the extra mile in dedication and excellence and those in pursuit of the highest standards of safety in an industry frustratingly tainted by the rogue minority.

The Awards Ceremony and Inaugural Rainbow Gala Ball will take place on Saturday 7th July 2018, at 6.45pm at the luxury 5 Star Montcalm Hotel in Marble Arch.

“It’s that time of year again, when we celebrate the companies, individuals and brands doing things right in the aesthetics and beauty industry,” said organisers.

“Since launching The Safety in Beauty Diamond Awards three years ago, they’ve become a prestigious and highly acclaimed event, and we’re proud to be presenting a fourth year of awards.

“2018 will see 12 recipients awarded with Diamond Accolades, followed by our final star award for Outstanding Career. We’ll end the ceremony and commence a glamorous evening of celebration, with an explosive carnival of colour, including music, and first class entertainment.”

Restylane, the secret to natural looking lips

Restylane is our most popular choice of filler at Elan Medical Skin Clinic. Why?, because 95% of our patients thought that their results looked natural within a few days of treatment.

The secret to soft, natural lips with Restylane

Both Restylane Kysse and Juvederm Volbella provide soft, natural looking lip enhancements and Sue Ibrahim, our Nurse Practitioner has over fifteen years experience in creating beautiful lips using Restylane, in fact Restylane was the first synthetic filler around 15 years ago.

What kind of product is Restylane Kysse?

It has been specially designed and formulated for injecting into the lips for enhancement and contouring of thin looking lips, the cupid’s bow, or to simply add fullness. It is structured to withstand the range of mouth movements and all Restylane products are completely broken down within the skin over a period of months, eventually leaving no trace of the filler.

Soft, natural looking lip enhancement performed by Sue Ibrahim

How safe is treatment with Restylane?

Providing you are treated by a qualified and experienced doctor or nurse practitioner, you should be in good hands.

Most of our clients only report slight swelling following treatment which normally resolves within a day or two. Occasionally, a small bruise may be seen at the injection site but this normally fades within a week.

Of course, there are risks associated with any skin or lip filler, like temporary palpable lumpiness has been noted after injection. Localised reactions thought to be of a hypersensitivity nature have been reported in about 1 in every 2000 treated patients. Redness, tenderness and rarely acneform papules may occur. In addition in rare cases (in less than 1 in 15,000 treatments) granuloma, superficial necrosis and urticaria have been reported. This is the reason why these procedures should only be carried out by registered medical practitioners in an inspected clinical environment.

Natural enhancement of the upper lip using Restylane

How can you reassure me that Elan Medical Skin Clinic is the right place to come for my Restylane treatment?

Firstly, Sue Ibrahim is a registered nurse, with over 30 years experience in dermatology and almost twenty years working in the medical cosmetic environment. She was also runner-up in the national ‘Nurse of the Year’ Safety in Beauty awards in 2016.

Elan Medical Skin Clinic has been around since November 2000 and during this time, Sue Ibrahim has performed thousands of skin fillers using Restylane and Juvederm.

Elan Medical Skin Clinic is also registered and inspected by The Care Quality Commission and by Treatment You Can Trust. Both of these organisations are backed by the Government in the UK.

Elan Medical Skin Clinic also provides a live feed, so you can view exactly what our clients are currently saying about us. Click here to see our reviews.

If you would like to speak to one of our staff about booking an appointment, please click here.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Elan’s skin expert debunks more skincare myths

Essex skin expert Sue Ibrahim debunks skin care advice for using moisturisers and detoxing.

In our last blog, Sue Ibrahim, a nurse consultant dermatologist and medical director of Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Essex, stressed the importance of only believing scientifically proven advice. This time she takes a look at general skin care tips including using moisturisers and detoxing.

Allergy tests, are they a waste of money?

Allergy testing has become increasingly popular over the years, in fact we see a lot of people at Elan Medical Skin Clinic who claim that they have been diagnosed with certain food intolerances. But how reliable are these tests?

The medicines regulator (MHRA) has said there is no scientific basis for tests widely available in health food shops and pharmacies that claim to show food intolerances. In fact the MHRA found that there was “no scientifically valid test to diagnose food intolerance”. Many of the tests confirm the presence of IgG antibodies, which show only that a food has been eaten at some stage, not that someone is intolerant of it!

The MHRA said that attempting to self-diagnose a food intolerance or allergy using a test kit alone could potentially result in a delay in identifying or treating other medical conditions. It added that there was a clear distinction between food intolerance and food allergies, which can be potentially life-threatening.

So what should I do if I think my child has a food allergy?

Before you make big changes to your child’s diet or your own diet, it’s important to proper medical advice, so talk to your GP. If you or your child suffers from severe eczema, there are allergy specialist that you can be referred to on the NHS. If you GP is reluctant to refer, then book in to see Sue Ibrahim at Elan Medical Skin Clinic.

All forms of allergy testing, even when the results seem to be strong, must be considered together with a physical exam and a detailed patient history – both of which can help narrow down what food might be the trigger.

“You have to look at all the pieces of the puzzle because none of the tests by themselves are predictive enough of a diagnosis of a clinical allergy,” Sue Ibrahim says.

The physical exam and patient history also provide important clues, such as symptoms that could indicate whether or not a food allergy is the likely cause.

If you have hay fever you probably don’t need allergy testing as it may be obvious from your symptoms that you’re allergic to pollen. But it’s important to find out the precise cause if your symptoms are more complicated.

For example, perenial rhinitis, – a runny nose all year round – can be triggered by a variety of allergens, such as house dust mites and mould, or a food allergy could be triggered by one of a number of foods in your diet.

Allergy testing can also help monitor a diagnosed allergy. For example, babies and children with certain food allergies often grow out of them.

A test can let the parents and child know they no longer have an allergy to milk or eggs for example, so they no longer have to avoid that food.

Skin-prick testing (SPT) is the most common form of allergy testing and is used to try and identify the specific foods that a patient may be allergic to. Theses tests are only carried out at specialist medical allergy centres and if Sue Ibrahim thinks that you or your child should be referred to for allergy testing, she will refer you.

What is a skin prick test?

Drops of different serums containing individual allergens will be put the on patient’s forearm or back. A medical professional will then use a small needle to prick the skin – this feels like a small poke with a pin – so that the serum goes beneath the skin.

Skin prick allergy tests are only ever carried out by medical professionals specialist allergy centres.

Then it’s a waiting game. The patient’s skin may react by forming a reddish hive, or wheal, at specific prick spots, indicating that the IgE antibodies in the skin responded to the food allergen in that serum.

A test is considered “positive” for a particular allergen if the diameter of the hive is 3 millimeters or greater than a prick site made with no allergen (known as the negative control). The bigger the hive, the more likely it is that you will react if you eat that food.

Book your appointment today!

Veinwave waves goodbye to thread veins

Most women will develop thread veins at some point in their lives, yet some can become so self-conscious and uncomfortable about the appearance of their veins that it can ultimately affect their self-confidence resulting in a low self-image and even social anxiety. However, simple yet extremely effective procedures such as Veinwave therapy – as featured on GMTV – can remove the appearance of thread veins completely with minimum discomfort and astonishing results.

A woman touches her smooth skin - London skin expert, Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinics in central London and Essex, soothes your skin this summer

Wave goodbye to thread veins with Veinwave Therapy

What are Thread Veins?

Thread veins – also known as spider veins – are harmless, tiny broken blood vessels often found on the face and legs, and are characteristic of ageing skin. Celebrities including Linda Robson ‘The Birds of a Feather’ actress admit to using cosmetic treatments such as Veinwave therapy to remove the appearance of visible veins on her face and to enhance the look of their skin.

What is Veinwave Therapy and How Does it Work?

We have one of the first nurse practitioners that was trained to use Veinwave at Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh, Essex. With over ten years experience using Veinwave technology, Sue Ibrahim is an expert in its application.

Veinwave technology uses a process called Thermocoagulation that can be used to treat spider veins, thread veins, (medically known as telangiectasia) including those on the nose, facial redness, blemishes and spider naevi.

The device uses a fine needle which is inserted into the vein to allow accurate application of the treatment whilst protecting the surrounding skin and tissue. As the needle used in the treatment is so small, most patients only report a mild discomfort during the treatment. A single thread vein may require just one treatment session in order for it to disappear. However, repeat sessions may be required.

Book a Veinwave Appointment with Sue Ibrahim at Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh, Essex

Our Essex based skin clinic is in easy reach of Basildon, Southend, Chelmsford and Brentwood.