See you at www.eudelo.com !

I'm thrilled to announce that my new site is now up and running at www.eudelo.com. Here you can find information on all the treatments I offer, skin care products I recommend, as well as our exciting new venture – Inner Portraits. For the first time, this enables people to create intensely personal art from their own skin cells. In order to make it easier for people to find all this information I'm putting everything in one place – and that includes this blog!

This blog continues then bigger and brighter than ever– but you can now find it at www.eudelo.com/blog

Looking forward to seeing you there!!

Now is the ideal time to tackle pigmentation issue

Irregular pigmentation is a common concern for my patients. It can affect people of any ages, ethnicities and skin types, although darker complexions are more prone. Hyperpigmentation occurs when the skin produces too much pigment (melanin) – for example in response to UV exposure, hormonal fluctuations and inflammation (e.g. after acne). There are some effective treatments on the market such as hydroquinone and vitamin A acid, however, these are prescription-only creams and treatment should be carefully supervised by a Dermatologist, as there is the potential for side effects.

Some patients prefer over-the-counter products and SkinCeuticals has recently launched a new product, called Pigment Regulator. Impressively this has been shown in a scientific study to be as effective as the gold-standard, prescription hydroquinone. The Pigment Regulator contains kojic acid, which inhibits tyrosine, an enzyme responsible for the generation of melanin in our pigment building cells, the melanocytes. In addition, it also contains antioxidant rich emblica and an exfoliating mix to accelerate shedding of already existing melanin. In the clinic, we combine this home treatment with a weekly Pigment Balancing Masque, a peel containing high-grade L-Ascorbic acid (pure Vitamin C) and exfoliating agents, which I have seen excellent results with.

When treating irregular pigmentation, timing is crucial. The winter months are the perfect time of year to treat hyperpigmentation as the intensity of ultraviolet irradiation is reduced. This is important, as UV exposure will lead to a significantly less impressive treatment outcome. Another corner stone of treatment is therefore sun protection, sun protection and more sun protection, even in winter! Broad-spectrum UV filters with SPF 50-90 are crucial and should be re-applied regularly throughout the day for optimal results

A perfect nose for Christmas in your lunch break

Everybody now seems to know that you can soften lines and wrinkles with ‘botox’ and fillers, and that cheeks can be nicely augmented with injectable ‘volumisers’. One procedure that most people are still unaware of however is non-surgical nose-shaping - and yet the results are amazing and the procedure is very quick and uncomplicated.

Non-surgical nose shaping is a relatively new variation of treatment with a hyaluronic acid filler. In our clinic we use a filler with added local anaesthetic, so that the procedure is virtually painless in most patients. 

Not everybody is suitable for this treatment, but if you are, then this is a great alternative for a surgical ‘nose job’ (rhinoplasty). We can treat for example bumps on the bridge of your nose and an uneven shape to the bridge of the nose (for example after trauma or surgery). Often the nose might even appear smaller compared to before treatment. I also frequently have patients coming to see me in clinic, complaining that they can’t wear glasses or sunglasses, as these tend to slide down, due to the flatter shape of their nose. Through means of non-surgical nose shaping we can now build up flat noses, giving them a beautiful, even profile and thus reducing the problem of ‘sliding glasses’. 

Looking Great in 2011

I am pleased to announce that on the 28. January I will be holding an exiting work-shop with two brilliant colleagues on how to look your best in 2011. This will take place in our Chelsea Bridge Clinic. Places are filling up quickly, so to book your place call: Tel. 020 7467 8500 

Are you feeling the seasonal itch?

Have you noticed over the past week or so that your skin seems drier? You’re not the only one. Dry skin is an extremely common complaint that affects up to 40% of us. Interestingly, the paler your skin, the drier it’s likely to be although science hasn’t yet discovered precisely why.

I’m sure you’ve already guessed that the changing weather might be causing your drier skin. But why does winter make our skin drier? Well, there’s something in the air. Outside, it’s getting colder, drier and windier while inside, central heating parches the atmosphere, meaning moisture evaporates faster from the skin surface. This ‘double whammy’ significantly lowers the water content of the skin’s horny layer. So what does that mean, exactly?

The skin is composed of three main compartments -  from the bottom up, the subcutis, or deep skin ‘cushion’ of fatty tissue, the dermis of firm connective, supportive tissue and the epidermis, the skin’s outer protective layer. Most surface signs of ageing such as wrinkles and loss of elasticity begin deep in the dermis. But it’s the epidermal top layer which regulates water homeostasis - the skin’s moisture quota. In most parts of the body, the epidermis is paper-thin and it is the most superficial sheet of the epidermis - the stratum corneum, or ‘horny layer’ that plays the most crucial role. 

Think of this horny layer as a microscopically tiny mortar/brick wall. The bricks are flat, horny dead skin cells and the mortar consists of lipids - ceramides, free fatty acids and cholesterol - which cement them together. This protective horny barrier has two key functions - to keep environmental hazards out and to keep water in. And it usually does both pretty well.

But certain internal and environmental conditions can reduce the lipid content between cells, so that water evaporates more easily from the skin surface. A genetic tendency to dry skin, hormonal influences, metabolic diseases (an underactive thyroid gland, say, or diabetes), impaired kidney function and, of course, age all compromise skin lipids. Medication such as Vitamin A acid tablets and drugs that lower cholesterol as well as certain blood pressure lowering drugs won’t help. Neither does an unbalanced diet, excessive weight loss or sadly, increasing age.

So if you are suffering from dry skin and ‘winter itch,’ here’s the strategy. Try to reduce contact with water and limit your use of soap and detergents. If you’re wrapping up against the chill, avoid scratchy fabrics such as wool and opt for soft thermal cottons and fleeces instead. And give that stressed, horny skin layer a helping hand.  A lipid-rich moisturizer will help to reinforce the skin’s protective barrier, minimize water loss and calm itching instantly. My top tip is to apply it when your skin’s still damp from the shower to trap even more moisture in the surface layers. Now that’s a soothing thought.

Can Botox make you happier?

I just read a very interesting study* performed at the highly reputable School of Psychology at Cardiff University. In this paper the investigators wondered whether injections with botulinum toxin (botulinum toxin is the active ingredient in ‘Botox’) might be useful in cases of depression.

It has long been believed in psychological circles that the actual act of frowning itself can make us feel unhappier. This is believed to happen via facial feedback mechanisms. What this basically means is that if you frown, your brain ‘thinks’ you must be unhappy and provides the corresponding feeling to your facial expression. Cosmetic botulinum toxin treatment on the other hand temporarily reduces the activity of the facial muscles we need to frown. So the question is, if we are no longer able to frown, would that lead to a less negative emotional state? In other words, can we ‘trick’ our brain (by not allowing our frown muscles to do their job) into ‘thinking’ that we must be happy?

Lewis and Bowler put this theory to the test and compared the mood of people who had received cosmetic botulinum toxin treatment with people who had received other cosmetic treatments. Amazingly they found that cosmetic botolinum toxin treatment does indeed correlate with a significantly less negative mood.

Does this mean that people with depression should now receive botolinum toxin injections instead of counseling, psychotherapy and anti-depressants? A good friend of mine, Dr Malin, a lovely Norwegian psychologist practicing in London, comments “It has to be remembered that this study does not indicate that Botox can successfully treat depression and that it can as such replace other treatments for depression. I would therefore highly encourage anybody going through a depressed stage to seek appropriate psychological help."  I couldn’t agree more. However, this is a very interesting study and I am looking forward to further studies in this area.

*J Cosmet Dermatol. 2009 Mar;8(1):24-6 

The day our skin sins finally give us away

When we holistically access a cosmetic patient in clinic, dermatologists look at three key problem areas – a) lines and wrinkles; b) loss of volume and contour; and c) skin surface and texture problems. While early cosmetic treatments were all about ‘chasing’ lines and wrinkles, over the past couple of years there has been plenty of hype about re-contouring and volumising the face. There’s no doubt that plumper cheeks and a firmer jawline give a more youthful profile. Yet a good daily skincare regime can work wonders for your skin surface and texture, while improving elasticity, irregular pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles.

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There’s no doubt that the right skincare can also delay the need for minimal invasive procedures and even surgery. But here’s the problem. There’s a jungle of extremely appealing skincare products on beauty shelves and counters out there - even practitioners find it hard to judge which ones come with serious scientific back-up. Marketing bumf can be so misleading….

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In clinic, patients are always asking me what skincare regime I recommend as a dermatologist. That’s why I have developed EudeloBoutique.com. Here I give expert tips and advice on how to look after your specific skin type and offer a hand-picked choice of must-have products I believe will work. It’s my hope that this new website will change the way people look after their skin and help them to stop wasting cash on so-called luxury products that frankly don’t deliver.

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As a dermatologist, I can't stress strongly enough how crucial skincare is. In our 20s, mother nature helps us to hide most of our 'skincare sins'. But from our 30s onwards, our skin is much less forgiving and it becomes more and more obvious how well it’s been looked after over the years and whether or not we’ve used regular sun protection. So don’t think skincare doesn’t make a difference. It’s no quick fix - we’re talking months to years, rather than days or weeks. But it’s worth it in the long term. So my advice is to choose your skincare wisely - and stick to it.