Normally starts in teenage years, when hormonal changes occur in puberty. Can present with whiteheads, blackheads, enlarged pores, oiliness, uneven texture. Can continue into adulthood.
Description:
Can affect all ethnic groups and races of varying symptoms and degrees of severity.
Problematic skin, also classified as acne is characterised by pus-filled spots (pustules) and comedones (blackheads and whiteheads). From puberty most adolescents grow out of problematic skin, but it can affect the face, neck, back and chest, which sometimes can cause and leave scarring. This can impact self-confidence.
Treatments Recommended
Acne Laser Treatment
Deep Cleanse
Active Rejuvenation facial
Heathy eating and reduced sugar in-take
Products Recommended
Cleansing Gel
Hydrating Day Moisturiser
Exfoliating Enzyme
Heliocare SPF50
Developments of Acne
Hormonal fluctuations – triggered by puberty, stress, lifestyle, pregnancy, medications, and incorrect use of products leads to an increase of a hormone known as DHT which some people are sensitive to.
Barrier Impairment – this sensitivity causes a reaction which affects the natural protective barrier of the skin, known as the Acid Mantel.
Sebaceous glands – in a bid to protect itself the skin begin s to go into overdrive to correct this impairment. Increasing the activity of the sebaceous gland. With high levels of oil production sebum develops a thicker consistency.
Skin cells – additionally the natural cell turnover starts to accelerate which leads an abnormal build-up of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin due to reduced shedding. Which mixed with the excess oil, causes blockages in the pores. Hair follicle - Hair is absent or weak therefore unable to act as a wick to assist in the removal of the blockage.
Bacteria – P –Acne (known as Propionibacterium acnes) lives on everyone’s skin, usually causing no problems. However, as a result of the surface blockage, it provides a favourable environment for P-Acne to breed and multiply. Inflammation – now that the follicle has an excess of sebum, dead cells and bacteria causing an irritation within the skin the natural healing process begins. This is the development of the acne characteristics.
Acne can be controlled through medication, lifestyle, and a healthy diet. Some medications can have quite severe side effects, so speaking with a medical professional to determine the best course of action is recommended. You can assist your skin with daily washing, exfoliating the dead skin cells, controlling the oil and killing the P. acnes bacteria.
Blackheads - Appear as a dark spot on the skin. Is a clogged hair follicle. Keratin (skin debris) combines with oil to block the follicle
Whiteheads - Covered by a thin layer of your skin, appear as white bumps or spots.
Pustules – Normally pus-filled with the appearance of white or yellow on top and red at the bottom. Popping your pustules leads to possible acne scarring and further infection.
Cysts – Can require professional medical treatment and removal. The pressure of a cyst can be very painful and is generally filled with either soft or hard pus and can cause you to scar.
Telangiectasia varicose veins – also known as “thread veins” or “spider veins”, are small clusters of red or blue blood vessels. They can appear anywhere on your body, but normally on your face and/or body and are visible beneath the surface of the skin.
Description:
Spider veins are small, damaged veins in the dermis that can appear beneath the surface of the skin on the legs and/or face. They normally cause no painful and are not harmful, but some people may wish to treat them due to self-confidence via a cosmetic procedure. Spider veins can be red, purple or blue, and their appearance is normally in the shape of a spider’s web, hence the term ‘spider veins’, or in lines, which branch off from a damaged vein. They are also referred to as ‘Angiomas’ and ‘Spider Angiomas’, ‘Poikiloderma of Civatte’, ‘Telangiectasia’, ‘Spider Veins’, ‘Thread Veins’ or ‘Broken Veins’. Both men and women can develop spider veins. They can affect people of any age but are more common in those that stand for long periods of time and who are older.
Treatments Recommended
Laser Vascular Removal
Injection microsclerotherapy
Products Recommended
Heliocare Tinted Moisturiser
Heliocare Tinted SPF50
Thread Veins can be either caused by trauma or are generally passed down genetically. Other influences which can cause the symptoms are smoking, stress, alcohol, and environmental factors.
Treating spider veins has become a high-street treatment in most laser practices and is treated either by laser, IPL, or injection. The laser or IPL treatment works by red blood cells in the vessels absorbing the laser/IPL light, which causes the cells to coagulate. This then causes the vessels to collapse and shrink over a period and the collapsed vessels are then absorbed by the body.
If you suffer from facial flushing your skin’s natural protective barrier, your ‘acid mantle’ maybe compromised. Using a skincare range which is gentle and includes an SPF, can assist in protecting your skin and giving it time to repair itself.
If you are experiencing redness, but also other symptoms, such as spots, visible blood vessels and dry and thickened skin, you could be suffering from a skin condition called Rosacea. For more information on Rosacea, please refer to the rosacea page.
Sun damage and pigmentation can leave areas of your skin appearing lighter or darker, causing an uneven skin tone.
Description:
What determines the colour of your skin, eyes and hair is a pigment called melanin. The more melanin the darker the hair, skin, and eyes, than those with less melanin.
Unfortunately, there are skin disorders and imbalances, sometimes hormonal, which lead to inconsistent colouration, patterning and ‘blotches’.
Only when your skin cells are damaged or due to ill health, an increased level of melanin is produced to protect your skin, e.g. sunbathing creates a tan, the melanin is increased to reduce sunburn.
On the other hand, the cells that produce pigment can also be damaged, which prevents or reduces melanin production. This causes your skin to either turn darker (hyperpigmentation) or lighter (hypopigmentation), both of which are classed as skin conditions.
Treatments Recommended
Laser Pigmentation Treatment
Heliocare SPF50
Hydrating Facial
Products Recommended
Cleansing Gel or Cleansing Milk
Conditioner
Hydrating Day Mosituriser
Hydrating Night Mosituriser
Exfoliating Enzyme
Anti-Ageing Eye Cream
Anti-Ageing Hand Cream
Active Serum
SPF50 or Tinted SPF50
Several different factors can cause pigmentation, or hyperpigmentation as it is also known. The older we become the more visible the effects.
The most common cause of hyperpigmentation is sun over-exposure, but genetics, hormonal changes, medical conditions and trauma to the skin, e.g. acne, scars, burns, are also influencers.
The most exposed areas of our body, which are more predisposed to pigmentation and ageing, include the face, chest, and hands.
Below are the most common types of hyperpigmentation:
Melasma
A chronic skin condition which causes brown patches to appear on the face. It is more prevalent in women and those with darker skin types. It is believed to be linked to sun exposure and hormonal changes such as pregnancy.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
This is darkening of the skin caused by inflammation (e.g. acne, eczema, psoriasis) or trauma to the skin (e.g burns, aesthetic procedures such as laser, chemical peels).
Freckles
Freckles appear as multiple, small, brown flecks on the skin, often present from a young age. Common in lighter skin types
Lentigo/lentigines (age spots)
These are very common over the age of 40, presenting as flat, brown, well-defined patches on areas of sun-exposed skin, such as the hands, face and chest.
Hypopigmentation is the loss of skin colour due to a disease or trauma. It can affect people from birth or develop later in life.
Ageing and premature ageing can be caused by genetics and environmental factors.
Description:
Your skin is your largest organ, it covers the entire body, and is a protective barrier to your environment. Ageing is a part of natural life and genetics, sleep, skin type, gravity, hydration, and daily facial movement will influence the condition of your skin daily. Premature aging can be reduced by the way you live your life and lifestyle. The main environmental impacts on your skin and overall health are diet, sun exposure, toiletries and cosmetics, and free radical damage. Over exposure to sun and UV is one of the main factors to premature ageing, along with skin products which contain high volumes of chemicals.
Environmental factors are responsible for up to 80% of premature skin aging and unhealthy skin. This is known as Photo ageing.
Natural, genetic ageing (also known as chronological ageing) makes up to ±20% of ageing.
Treatments Recommended
Laser Pigmentation Treatment
Dermapen for Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Heliocare SPF50
Hydrating Facial
Products Recommended
Cleansing Gel or Cleansing Milk
Hydrating Day Mosituriser
Hydrating Night Mosituriser
Exfoliating Enzyme
Anti-Ageing Eye Cream
Anti-Ageing Hand Cream
Active Serum
Heliocare SPF50 or Tinted SPF50
As we age, exposure to the sun and the use of cosmetics and toiletries which include chemicals that can irritate the skin, and cause the skin to have:
Rough texture
Small capillary blood vessels
Uneven pigmentation
Lines and wrinkles
Dryness / oiliness
Thinning and transparency
Skin becomes more easily bruised
When collagen and elastin breakdown over areas of muscle, creating wrinkles, fine lines and skin laxity.
Description:
Collagen is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix, offering tensile strength, structure and elasticity to the skin and found in the body's various connective tissues and dermis. As the main component of connective tissue, it is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up from 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content.
As you age your collagen depletes and contributes to the ageing process and appearance via wrinkles, fine lines, and skin laxity.
As early as your late 20’s collagen starts to deplete and over time you notice the changes in your skin, this can include fine lines, sagging, repair slow and enlarged pores.
Collagen depletion is accelerated as you age, and dependent on your lifestyle, environmental pollutants and sun damage this can increase your natural ageing process.
The body ceases to produce collagen from the age of 40. That famous saying, ‘It all goes South in your 40’s’. This is when you start to notice your skin’s elasticity and plumpness decreasing and further lack of natural support and structure.
Treatments Recommended
Dermapen Treatment
Heliocare SPF50
Hydrating Facial
Products Recommended
Cleansing Gel or Cleansing Milk
Conditioner
Hydrating Day Mosituriser
Hydrating Night Mosituriser
Exfoliating Enzyme
Anti-Ageing Eye Cream
Anti-Ageing Hand Cream
Active Serum
Heliocare SPF50 or Tinted SPF50
Any type of acne spot can lead to scarring, mild discolouration or thickened skin, uneven texture and pitting.
Description:
Acne scarring can sometimes develop as a complication of acne. It's more common when the most serious types of spots (nodules and cysts) burst and damage nearby skin. Some people are left with pigmentation (darker or lighter patches of skin) after their blemishes have healed, and some may be left with pitted facial scarring, where the skin appears uneven and dimpled.
Inflamed blemishes or acne such as cysts, papules and pustules can result in pitted acne scarring. This is because the cysts form on the bottom layers of the skin and when the cyst has healed it leaves behind a gap between the skin’s layers. The upper layers of skin above ‘sink’ to fill the gap, causing a pitted, dimpled appearance.
Treatments Recommended
Dermapen Rejuvenation Treatment (Microneedling)
Products Recommended
Cleansing Gel
Cleansing Milk
Cleansing Gel
Active Day Moisturiser
Exfoliating Enzyme
Vitamin C Serum
Heliocare SPF50 or Tinted SPF50
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or dark marks (also known as macular scars) left behind after acne has healed are caused by a build-up of melanin in the skin. They aren’t strictly ‘scars’ as they aren’t usually permanent, however, they may take months or even years to disappear altogether without treatment. People with dark skin tones are more susceptible to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Scarring can also occur if you pick or squeeze your spots, so it's important not to do this.
There are 3 main types of acne scars:
Ice pick scars – small, deep holes in the surface of your skin that look like the skin has been punctured with a sharp object.
Rolling scars – caused by bands of scar tissue that form under the skin, giving the surface of the skin a rolling and uneven appearance.
Box scars – round or oval depressions, or craters, in the skin.
Excess hair refers to unwanted body and facial hair. Some people develop more hair in areas of their bodies than others, and this can be difficult to manage and cause embarrassment for both men and women.
Description:
Excess hair may be caused by increased production of a group of hormones called androgens. They are produced by both men and women - men just have more of them. These chemicals play a role in the development of male traits including male-pattern hair growth and loss.
Hirsutism is where women often have thicker, darker, and coarser hair on their upper lip, chin, neck, chest, tummy, lower back, buttocks or thighs. It’s typically seen on areas where you would expect to see it on a man.
Treatments Recommended
Laser Hair Removal
Waxing
Products Recommended
Heliocare SPF 50
Possible causes of Hirsutism:
Polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition which causes irregular periods, cysts on the ovaries and can cause hair growth on the face, neck, chest and back
Side effects to medications
Hormonal changes
Obesity
Pre and post-menopausal women can develop whiskers on chins which leads to plucking
When there is no identifiable cause, it can be due to:
Some skin types are more prone to excessive hair, and these can be more common of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and South Asian backgrounds
It can also be hereditary
If you suspect that your hair growth is abnormal, it is best to consult your doctor as it may be a symptom of another problem.
Rosacea is a long-term common facial skin condition that causes blushing or flushing and visible blood vessels in your face. It may also produce small, pus-filled bumps. These signs and symptoms may flare up for weeks to months and then go away for a while. It's more common in women and people with lighter skin, but is often worse in men.
Description:
Rosacea is a chronic, episodic inflammatory vascular disorder predominantly affecting the central face and most often starts between the ages of 30–60 years and effects approximately 10% of adults.
Rosacea is characterised by facial redness of cheeks, chin, nose and forehead and flushing. This can be temporary at first but becomes persistent and more permanent with blemishes and pustules developing.
There is no known cure, it typically has a relapsing and remitting course, with symptoms controlled by lifestyle measures, general skin care, medications, and procedural interventions.
Rosacea can cause the nose skin to thicken and excess tissue can form which is called Rhinophyma. Rhinophyma is a skin disorder that causes the nose to enlarge and become red, bumpy, and bulbous and can give people the mistaken impression that sufferers are alcoholics. This can affect sufferers psychologically as well as physically.
Treatments Recommended
Dermapen Treatment
Vascular Laser Treatment
Products Recommended
Cleansing Gel
Tinted Day Moisturiser
Pre & Post Serum
Gentle Exfoliating Enzyme
Heliocare Tinted SPF50
Following years of research Rosacea:
is highest among fair-skinned individuals, particularly those of Celtic and northern European descent.
begins between the ages of 20 and 50 years old
females are more prone to suffer with the common symptoms on the cheeks and chin
for males it normally is more severe with the possible development of Rhinophyma
similarity in papules and pustules, but acne and rosacea are different skin conditions as there are no blocked pores with rosacea and the skin is more often dry and doesn’t leave acne scarring
Couperose
Couperose-prone skin (also known as Couperosa) is also a sensitised vascular skin condition that affects both large and small blood vessels, so it too includes unpleasant sensations such as stinging and burning and is typified by redness, dryness and sensitivity in specific areas.
The redness is a result of dilated blood vessels which, due to the skin's weakened elasticity, expand when there is a rush of blood to the skin but do not contract afterwards as would happen in normal skin.
Couperose-prone skin can come and go in its early stages but, as it progresses to more advanced stages the redness can become permanently visible on the skin.
Red skin from hypersensitivity differs from everyday blushing as it lasts considerably longer (hours, days or even months) and the redness may not improve until the skin is treated.
Like Rosacea, Couperose-prone skin can be caused by a number of factors including age, genetics and diet, and both conditions are made worse by certain triggers, which can vary from person to person.
To minimise symptoms as much as possible is to avoid documented triggers. The most common include:
Psychological factors such as:
anger or stress
stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline trigger inflammatory processes in skin
Environmental factors such as:
exposure to hot and cold temperatures
wind, sun and humidity
pollution, e.g. car emissions and cigarette smoke
pollen
External factors such as:
fragrances, detergents and topical medicines (incl. cortisone creams)
hot baths
strenuous exercise
alcohol and spicy foods
skin-irritating clothing dyes and chemicals permeated into clothing
synthetic and non-iron materials containing chemicals e.g. formaldehyde, which can cause skin irritation and allergies
Mechanical factors such as:
pressure or abrasion on the skin
Rosacea - long-term common facial skin condition that causes blushing or flushing and visible blood vessels in your cheeks, nose, chin and forehead.
Severe Rosacea - Can lead to rhinophyma, a thickening of the skin on the nose.
Couperose - Is a permanently pink complexion with diffused redness across the cheeks, nose and neck.
The term 'open pores' refers to enlarged skin pores that have become more noticeable over time and can effect any skin type. The pores on the skin allow it to 'breathe' by releasing the sebum or natural oil onto the surface, which acts as a protective barrier. Open pores look like a dimpled appearance similar to pits on an orange peel but can age the look of your face.
Description:
Open pores on your nose, cheeks and forehead can appear larger when they are blocked and as you age. If they are clogged with dirt, bacteria, oil, or dead skin cells, this may also give your skin a dull appearance.
You cannot physically open or close your pores but by receiving a deep cleansing treatment to remove excess dirt, bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells, this will look like they have reduced and shrunk.
Treatments Recommended
Deep Steam Cleansing Facial
Dermapen Treatment (Microneedling)
Products Recommended
Cleansing Gel or Cream
Day Moisturiser
Exfoliating Enzyme
Heliocare SPF50
A daily skin care routine to keep your skin clean adds benefit to reducing blocked pores. Pores are in your skin for a reason. The saying, ‘let your skin breath’ is not factually true, it’s the function of your pores which allows you to sweat and oil to escape through your skin, keeping you cool, your skin healthy and pushes old dead skin cells out and allowing for new skin cell growth. Pores are also the openings for hair follicles. Also, by avoiding the sun can reduce the appearance of open pores.
There are treatments available that can give the appearance that your pores look smaller, providing a healthier and more vibrant skin.
Treatments such as steaming, exfoliating, masks, and newer treatments like chemical peels work well at removing oil, dead skin cells, and debris from the open pores. Laser or Dermapen treatments work best at collagen rejuvenation, sun damage and ageing which may have contributed to open pores.
