Total Approach to Skin Health
PCOS – you’ve probably vaguely heard about it: something to do with ovaries and fertility. So what on earth is a dermatologist writing about it for?
Well, hormones and skin are a biggie and PCOS is one of the biggest culprits.
Considering that 1 in 10 women of childbearing age suffers from PCOS – the bigger question should be: why aren’t we talking MORE about it?
Moisturisation. Your skin is parched and flaky; add a moisturizer and voila – smooth, glowy skin with plumped-out wrinkles. Simple right? We’ve got this part of skincare waxed.
Nope. Quite the opposite of simple in fact. While at its most pared down, we need to feed water to the skin to hydrate it combined with something oily to prevent the water from evaporating back out, the ins and outs of moisturisers are pretty complex. Keep reading for the ultimate guide to affordable moisturisers for your skin type.
Are you struggling with acne and feel that you are throwing everything at your skin with no improvement?
Feeling overwhelmed when you look at the array of products promising clear skin?
Let’s take a look at a simplified approach to understanding the WHY and HOW of treating those pesky breakouts.
This month in celebration of World Vitiligo Day on 25 June, I would like to share with you a patient’s story who is very close to my heart. Not only was she the match which kindled my fascination into holistic integrative dermatology but she was the reason I spent two years studying the pigment cell condition of vitiligo and developing a test which would predict a patient’s response to treatment.
My mentor Prof Gail Todd always told me that my greatest teachers would be my patients. Mrs H – you were my first and greatest teacher and one of the reasons I became a dermatologist. Thank you for allowing me to share your story and for changing the trajectory of my life.
YES, vitiligo is a skin pigmentation problem where white patches develop on the skin.
South Africa is renowned for our beautiful climate, picture perfect beaches and bucket-list bushveld adventures. An active outdoor lifestyle together with one of the highest monitored global ultraviolet levels sets the stage for our South African population to have one of the highest skin cancer rates world-wide. Keep reading for your CHEAT SHEETS to skin cancer’s 3 main Big Bad Wolves. Learn how to identify them and how worried you should be about them!
Confused what ‘Clean Beauty’ means? Yup, that’s totally understandable. With no clear regulations around this term, it can be tricky to figure out, because “clean” and “natural” (the other word that’s become ubiquitous in beauty marketing) can mean a lot of different things. That’s because there’s still no standard definition.
Clean beauty is more than being paraben-free. It is skincare that is good for your skin, good for you and good for the environment.
Still confused? That’s why I prefer to talk about ‘Safe Beauty’ rather than ‘Clean beauty’. We want to be using skincare that is safe regardless of whether it is natural or synthetic.
Let’s clarify further by looking at my Safe Beauty ABCs
It’s not a myth that UV rays damage your skin: skin cancer aside, think wrinkling, broken capillaries and pigmentation.
So sunscreen is my no. 1 year-round skincare staple. Summer, winter, indoors and outdoors – but it is the skincare product most shrouded in controversy. Here are some of the most common statements I hear from my patients around this topic and the real truth based on scientific evidence. So hold on to your zinc oxide – we are about to do some myth-busting!
Will a sun-kissed glow protect your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays? Can you justify your tan because it will boost your Vitamin D production? Learn what is actually happening when you tan – spoiler: it is pretty astounding!
Sunscreen is something I get asked about every day, typically multiple times a day. And while it is quick to rattle off my sunscreen recommendations for a particular patient, it is not so quick to explain what ‘good’ sunscreen habits look like and why. Keep reading for the ultimate sunscreen lowdown.
Hyperpigmentation really just refers to brown marks on the face or body but before you can treat it, you need to know exactly what type you are dealing with. Because pigmentation is not pigmentation is not pigmentation. Let’s break it down.
Along with our beautiful climate comes a good dollop of UV exposure and fun in the sun can have some serious health risks such as skin cancer.
Most moles, brown spots and growths on the skin are harmless – but not always. Learn the Skin ABC’s which can alert you to red flags in moles that could signal melanoma.
Anything’s possible in life when you look and feel your best.
We can help you achieve clear, healthy skin – the rest is up to you.
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© 2020 Total Approach to Skin Health by Dr. Vanessa Lapiner. All rights reserved
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