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.
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.”
We are delighted to announce that our very own Sue Ibrahim, has taken on the challenge to set up a Steering Committee in order to form a new multi-disciplinary professional association comprising doctors, nurses and dentists who work in the medical aesthetic speciality.
Elan Medical Skin Clinic’s skin expert Sue Ibrahim.
With over 30 years experience as a dermatology nurse and twenty years experience working within the medical aesthetic industry, Sue Ibrahim is excited at the prospect of this new venture.
The new association, The British Association of Aesthetic Nurses, Doctors and Dentists (BAANDD) will offer a multi-disciplinary voice to the medical aesthetic industry.
Sue has been an active supporter of the Safetyinbeauty Campaign, formed in 2013 by Antonia Mariconda as a response to the growing dissatisfaction and devastation caused by dubious cosmetic surgical and non-surgical treatments, and was formed by a group of like-minded professionals and experts.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Essex skin expert from Elan Medical Skin Clinic in Rayleigh debunks the myths not based on scientific evidence
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.
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.
How well do you trust reviews placed on websites? You are probably right in assuming that most medical and cosmetic clinics will advertise their more favourable reviews; claiming that they are the ‘Best Clinic in Essex’ and all you have to do is take a look at their glowing patient reviews. There is no doubt that reading client reviews are encouraged, but how reliable are they? Certainly we prefer recommendations from reliable friends but sometimes we need to find a skin clinic quickly; we don’t have the time to ask around. We can take a look at review sites but most of these sites will rank clinics by how much that clinic is prepared to pay to be at the top of the list.
Reliable friends will tell you truth about their experience
Online review sites
When Elan Medical Skin Clinic opened its doors eighteen years ago there was no such thing as online review sites. When What Clinic.com started, we were automatically listed as a medical clinic based in Essex. Gradually we started to receive review of our clinic and all them were published. While the vast majority of those published showed that our patients were satisfied with the service they received, we did receive some reviews that suggested improvements in the way we handled our clients. This constructive criticism helped us to create a more client centred approach to the way worked and we still welcome constructive criticism today.
Facebook reviews
With the rise of social media and Elan Medical Skin Clinic’s own Facebook page, we soon learnt the hard way how damaging a one star review could be. While our happy clients were more than happy to give us 5 stars we were unfortunate to be targeted by Facebook Trolls; these are people that go around leaving one star reviews having never even visited the clinic! These reviews were so frustrating mainly because there is not a lot of things you can do about it. The popular and well know you are, the more likely you are to be targeted by the Facebook Troll.
Trusted reviews
So how do you really get an honest review on how a skin clinic is performing? Well, if the clinic is registered and inspected by a government body as part of the inspection process the inspectors contact random patients and ask for feedback. The Care Quality Commission insist that all patients have the opportunity to provide their feedback to the clinic and if their complaint is a serious one, you can report it directly to them. Treatments You Can Trust are also an organisation that hold a register of inspected cosmetic clinic. They also have a disputes management service, when communications between clinic and client break down. Fortunately we have never had any issues that have required intervention by either The Care Quality Commission or Treatments You Can Trust.
How does Elan Medical Clinic collect treatment reviews?
When a patient or client visits Elan Medical Skin Clinic they automatically receive an email asking for their feedback. This feedback can be given anonymously or not. We receive that feedback immediately and any comments they are are immediately published on our website. If you don’t believe us, take a look at what our patients and clients are currently saying about us now! Just Click Here.
Click here for our latest report published by The Care Quality Commission
Click here for our our entry on Treatments You Can Trust Register
Pregnancy is normally a time when you are radiating with excitement, yes? But when your pregnancy complexion doesn’t always reflect that inner joy it can dampen your spirits.
Worry not, for most you will find that these skin issues resolve themselves following the birth of your baby. Here are some of the most common skin problems women encounter during pregnancy—and what you can do about them.
Pregnancy should be a time of excitement
Skin Sensitivity
Go easier on your skin now that you’re pregnant. You might get red more easily if you use a facial scrub, your normal facial might verge on painful, and the perfumed lotion you wear might irritate your skin (and make you nauseated, but that’s a different story). That’s why many mums-to-be switch to unscented products and start choosing products that do not contain harsh chemicals, preservatives and fragrances. “You certainly don’t want anything causing micro-tears on your skin,” says Sue Ibrahim, our dermatology nurse consultant. “The more cuts and wounds on your skin, the easier it is for chemicals to be absorbed into your bloodstream. Ingredients to stay away from in soaps and body washes include sodium laureth sulphate, parabens and fragrance.” These ingredients aren’t just potential irritants—some say they could pose health risks to baby. We say believe it, because (not surprisingly) a lot of products aren’t tested directly on pregnant women. If you are using prescription topicals on your face you need to tell your doctor that you are pregnant as most prescription creams are not licensed for use during pregnancy either. At Elan Medical Skin Clinic we advise our patients to use our Elan Medical DermaCalm range during pregnancy, because they are free from fragrances and preservatives. They also contain mild anti-inflammatory ingredients that can soothe irritated skin.
Acne breakouts during pregnancy
During pregnancy your hormones are all over the place, and that might mean pimples like you had when you were a teenager. The cruel joke, of course, is that many of the treatments that are prescribed for acne cannot be used during pregnancy. Prescription medications like Tetracyclines, Isotretinoin (Roacutane(R)) and the anti-androgen hormone therapies are definite no-nos. And the jury’s out on over-the-counter creams, since they haven’t been tested specifically on pregnant women (yup, you find that a lot with products). Ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid can be absorbed into the bloodstream, so they’re not worth the risk either. “You can safely use lactic acid and biosulfur to treat acne,” Sue Ibrahim says. Don’t touch, pick or squeeze pimples— just wash with a mild cleanser twice a day. “A lot of women find Acne Phototherapy beneficial during pregnancy and it is perfectly safe for both you and the baby.
Sun Sensitivity
Sorry, mums-to-be, but “pregnancy glow” does not refer to a bronzed, sun-kissed complexion. You should actually try to stay out of the sun as much as you can while you’re pregnant. That’s because your surging hormones make you susceptible to dark patches on your skin—known as melasma, or the ‘mask of pregnancy’, which is triggered by sun exposure. So pull out the big floppy hat, find a beach umbrella and be diligent about wearing sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every day. If you are unlucky and do get Melasma during pregnancy it may resolve on its own following the birth of your baby, if not then you will need the help of a dermatologist I’m afraid.
Stretch marks
Now you’ve got another big skin concern: stretch marks. Anytime someone’s body grows quickly, they’re at risk for stretch marks, so the fact that baby is growing exponentially in there puts you right in the high-risk zone. Of course, not every mum-to-be gets stretch marks. “For most people, whether or not they get stretch marks has to do with genetic predisposition,” says Sue Ibrahim. But you can do your best to head them off by gently exfoliating and thoroughly moisturising your belly, boobs, stomach, hips and thighs as much as you can. As for what moisturizer to use, it’s hard to make a recommendation. “A lot of products make claims,” Sue Ibrahim says. “Some may help but aren’t really proven to prevent stretch marks.” If you are left with troublesome stretch marks following the birth of you baby, it is worth looking into the skin tightening treatments we offer at Elan Medical Skin Clinic.
Skin rashes during pregnancy
If you’ve got red, itchy skin, it’s important not to ignore it. Itchy feet and hands could be a sign of cholestasis of pregnancy, a scary complication that can cause liver problems for baby. Your doctor can do a simple blood test to make sure that’s not causing your rash. Another common pregnancy rash is PUPPP (pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy), which often starts in the abdomen and spreads from there. PUPPP is actually harmless to baby, but it will be completely aggravating for you. Book in for a Dermatology Consultation if you are concerned.
Ageing skin is one of the most common concerns that we see at Elan Medical Skin Clinic. If all those expensive serums and cosmetic creams did what they claim to do then why do the women that use these products still complain that their skin is dry, dull, blotchy and wrinkled?
Many things cause our skin to age. Some things we cannot do anything about; others we can influence. One thing that we cannot change is the natural ageing process. It plays a key role. With time, we all get visible lines on our face. It is natural for our face to lose some of its youthful fullness. We notice our skin becoming thinner and drier. Our genes largely control when these changes occur. The medical term for this type of ageing is “intrinsic ageing.”
Let’s look good for our age
We can influence another type of ageing that affects our skin. Our environment and lifestyle choices can cause our skin to age prematurely. The medical term for this type of ageing is “extrinsic ageing.”
Even people who already have signs of premature skin ageing can benefit from making lifestyle changes. By protecting your skin from the sun, you give it a chance to repair some of the damage. Smokers who stop often notice that their skin looks healthier. By taking some preventive actions, we can slow the effects that this type of ageing has on our skin.
There is so much conflicting advice out there
If signs of ageing skin bother you, you may ask a beauty therapist for advice. However, this may result in you spending a lot of money on treatments and cosmetic creams that make no difference to your skin at all. Why not consult a dermatologist instead? Yes, you will have to pay for a consultation, but you may end up spending a lot less money in the long run. Why? Because prescription skincare contains the right amount of active ingredients that are designed to penetrate deeper into the skin. New treatments and less-invasive procedures for smoothing wrinkles, tightening skin, and improving one’s complexion are giving many people younger-looking skin.
Treated by Sue Ibrahim, these photographs were taken four weeks apart.
If you are worried about the effects the ageing process is having on your skin, then why not book in to see Sue Ibrahim. With over thirty years working within the medical and cosmetic dermatology sector, Sue has helped thousands of women and men improve the texture and appearance of their skin. Her professional but friendly approach is well known throughout the industry. Sue will never sell you any treatment that you do not need. As a Nurse Consultant in Dermatology she has won a number of industry awards and constantly receives a string of positive reviews about the treatment and service she provides.