As we age, typically in the late 40s, we begin to lose dental and structural support in the lower face and experience volume loss in the soft tissues in general and in the lips specifically. Ageing lips are a concern to many women.

Our lips thin with age and demonstrate less fullness and projection when viewed both in front and in profile This process is called soft tissue atrophy and commonly affects the lips and corner of the mouth. As these areas become less plump, they wrinkle more easily and the mouth develops a “mouth frown”, a very ageing sign. Another ageing sign are smoker’s lines or vertical lip wrinkles in the skin on the top lip resulting from the constant use of certain facial expressions such as pursing lips, chewing, sipping from a straw or bottle and even talking. These wrinkles can become evident form an early age especially if one has an overactive muscle around the mouth.

At Elan Medical Skin Clinic, our Nurse Consultant has over 20 years experience in creating natural looking improvements aroud the lips and mouth. ‘ Treatments should always look natural and not over-done”.

“We often combine a combination of treatments to the lip and mouth area, in order to achieve a natural looking lips” says Sue Ibrahim, “and ageing lips require a very gentle touch”.

At Elan Medical Skin Clinic we are dedicated to providing our patients with the highest standards of care.

Click here to read what our patients are currently saying about treatments at Elan Medical Skin Clinic.

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Facebook Groups are fast becoming the way to share your stories and experiences and recommendations.  At Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh, Essex we have a thriving Facebook Page, with followers all over Essex. We receive so many private messages looking for advice, we have decided to set up our own Facebook Group called ‘Cosmetic Treatments in Essex’. However, you do not need to live in Essex to join this group.

Have you ever had Botox? Who treated you? Would you recommend them?

Do lip fillers hurt? How to choose the best filler?

Do you think I need cosmetic surgery?

The group is moderated by our team of skin experts at Elan Medical Skin Clinic, but it is your group. We are just there to ensure all posts are genuine and not offensive. We do not allow advertising in our group but you can certainly tell people where not to go for a cosmetic treatment if you feel that you were treated badly or if you feel that you had wasted your money.

Cosmetic treatments can be expensive, they can also be extremely cheap. We believe that you shouldn’t merely choose a cosmetic practitioner based on price. Choose a cosmetic clinic based on the experience of others, check out reviews and don’t forget to ask the right questions?

Is this practitioner a Cosmetic Doctor, a Surgeon or a Nurse?

Is this a registered medical clinic? If so, who is the clinic registered with?

Will I be offered a free follow-up appointment?

And most of all, does has this practitioner demonstrated that they are competent to carry out the procedure I am about to have? If something doesn’t feel right then do not go ahead with treatment on the same day as your consultation. Do more homework.

There’s no denying that this summer has been glorious so far, says Sue Ibrahim at Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh, Essex. But the sunshine has led to more people than usual being bitten by insects and it seems that the horsefly population has exploded.

According to the BBC, calls to the NHS helpline 111 about insect bites are almost double the rate they normally are at this time of year and senior doctors are reporting incidents of patients being treated in hospital for infected horsefly bites.

One explanation for the rise in the number of horseflies is standing water, such as garden paddling pools, where they and other insects thrive. The advice is to drain paddling pools after use.

What should I do if I’ve been bitten by an insect?

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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?

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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.

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Rosacea is not caused by consuming too much alcohol, explains Sue Ibrahim from Elan Medical Skin Clinics in Rayleigh Essex, teetotalers are just as susceptible. Nor does it only affect people with very fair skin. Rosacea is now thought to be caused by the Demodex mite – and sadly this little bug isn’t fussy about skin tone, race or gender.

Sue, our nurse consultant in dermatology says there are newly licensed prescription creams to manage rosacea although they are not widely available on an NHS prescription due to the ongoing expense incurred. But Sue can prescribe them, if required and our rosacea phototherapy comes in handy for flare-ups.

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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

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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.

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Before you reach for yet another glass of water, Essex skin expert, Sue Ibrahim would like to shed some light on some of the skin fads out there.

At Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh we do not offer new technology or recommend certain skin care regimes until there is a wealth of clinical evidence to show they are safe and the results are clinically proven. Here are some myths that have no evidence base behind the advice.

Skin fad no.1 – drink 2 litres of water a day

It is claimed that drinking two litres of water a day is the amount we should drink for optimal health. This much water is said to benefit us in many ways from flushing away harmful toxins from our bodies, reducing lines and wrinkles, clearing acne, to helping us lose weight and fighting infections, among others.

But according to American paediatrician Aaron E. Caroll from Indiana University, there’s absolutely no science to back up the idea that we should be drinking eight glasses of water a day, and there never was.

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In a mid-air emergency, we are always told to fit our own oxygen mask first. This is to ensure we are able to help our loved ones in a calm, considerate and efficient manner – whilst being able to breathe ourselves!

It may sound selfish but it is absolutely essential – and not just in a life or death situation. If our own wellbeing isn’t being cared for, our ability to give our love to others is diminished, says nurse consultant in dermatology, Sue Ibrahim.

If we are dealing with a skin condition on top of all of life’s other stresses and strains, chances are the skin condition will worsen if it is ignored or put to the bottom of our list of things to sort. Does this sound familiar?

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