Tag Archives: Skin

3 Unexpected Ways That Menopause Impacts Your Skin

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According to Menopause Support UK, there are approximately 13 million peri or post menopausal women in the UK.

Despite it being so common, and something that all women will go through eventually, there is so much we still don’t know about menopause. It’s not all hot flushes and mood swings.

In fact, according to Rebecca Elsdon, advanced skin specialist and owner of the re/skin clinic, “It’s important to shift the conversation from ‘fighting’ ageing to embracing skin health at every stage. After all, ageing is a privilege, and the focus should be on feeling confident in one’s skin, regardless of age.”

Elsdon partnered with global beauty and wellness brand Fresha, to discuss three skin issues you may not know are linked to menopause – and how to tackle them with the right skincare regime…

Sensitive to bruising and infections

Elsdon revealed that, as oestrogen levels drop, so does the skin’s ability to repair itself. Meaning that your skin may become more prone to infections and super sensitive to the environment. Suddenly, redness, irritation, and even conditions like rosacea can appear out of nowhere, with delayed wound healing also affecting the skin.

What to do: Strengthen your skin’s defences with antioxidant-rich products. Look for formulas with vitamin C and E to help your skin stand up to environmental stressors.

Visible dark spots

Hormonal shifts often make hyperpigmentation, like melasma or sunspots, more visible. These stubborn spots can linger and feel impossible to shift. However, according to Elsdon, the solution is quite simple.

What to do: Brightening ingredients like tranexamic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin C can help even out your skin tone. For tougher pigmentation, professional treatments like chemical peels or laser therapy might be the answer!

Yeast overgrowth

Finally, Elsdon revealed that a drop in oestrogen can mess with your skin’s natural microbiome, leading to yeast infections, especially in areas like skin folds. It’s an issue many women face but don’t often talk about.

What to do: Keep the area clean, use breathable fabrics like cotton, and if necessary, apply an anti-fungal cream. For extra protection, probiotic skincare can help restore your skin’s balance.

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I Just Learned What The White Bits On Used Pimple Patches Really Are, And No, It’s Not Pus

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My first experience with a hydrocolloid patch ― the generic name for the various pimple patches people apply to their faces ― actually had nothing to do with a spot.

That’s because the same technology, and a lot of the same ingredients, are used on those blister patches you place on your ailing heel (fellow Docs lovers will know the pain).

But if I’m being totally honest, I had no idea why they shrunk my spots or healed my post-run bubble ― until I saw a TikTok from board-certified dermatologist Dr. Witney Bowe.

And yes, she did clarify what that white gunk is.

How do they work?

Speaking to the American Chemical Society (ACS), Hadley King, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist, said that the patches work by drawing moisture out of your skin.

That way, they shrink the spot while covering it so it has room to heal. The barrier means you can’t touch your spots, either.

“As the hydrocolloid gel adheres to the skin, it absorbs excess oil and dirt away from pimples,” Dr. King told ACS.

So it makes sense that, as Dr. Bowe explained in her Tiktok, the white spots you see after wearing patches overnight are not pus.

“They’re actually the hydrocolloid material absorbing fluid, extra moisture, extra water, which thickens the hydrocolloid material and just makes it look a little bit whiter in those spots,” the doctor said.

Should I use pimple patches for serious acne?

It’s not that you can’t use them in addition to an existing routine ― but they’re better for one-off “spot treatments,” Dr. Bowe shared.

That’s because, aside from being a bit wasteful if you’re using them on the daily, they don’t tackle the real root of the issue ― they just help to speed up the recovery of a certain type of existing zits.

ACS writes that patches are best for spots that are raised and have visible pus (basically, those you’d be tempted to squeeze otherwise).

Longer-term treatments may include salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, niacinamide, tea tree oil, or, in more serious cases, retinoids.

If you’re just looking to cover the odd spot, though, at least you can be rest assured your patch won’t be stuffed with its unspeakable contents…

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Noticing This Pattern On Your Skin Could Reveal Heart Issues

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To a trained medical eye, something like a spot or a bruise can reveal a lot more about a person’s health than they might realise.

So too can a “net-like pattern” on your skin, the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) writes.

A lot of the time, the web on the surface of your skin reveals nothing more than the fact that you’re cold, their site reads. It mostly shows up on the legs.

The NHS says that the “net” they’re talking about shows up as “red or blue coloured blotches on white skin, and dark or brownish coloured blotches on black and brown skin”

It may go away when you warm up or can be caused by your medication (another trigger for the condition that the AADA says you don’t usually need to worry about).

But “this netlike pattern can also be a sign of a disease” ― specifically cardiovascular disease, they add.

What disease?

If you’ve ruled out being cold and/or your medicine’s side effects, the “net-like pattern” may also belie something called cholesterol embolization syndrome.

The NHS describes cholesterol emboli as follows: “In people with severe atherosclerosis (narrowed arteries caused by a build-up of cholesterol), small pieces of cholesterol can sometimes break away from the side of a blood vessel, resulting in an embolism.”

It’s a bit like the deep vein thrombosis people who take long flights are at risk for, except instead of introducing a blood clot into the bloodstream, cholesterol embolization syndrome puts chunks of cholesterol plaque into your veins instead.

The skin condition the AADA described, livedo reticularis, can happen when small arteries get blocked.

If plaque enters your bloodstream, it can affect your blood’s ability to circulate ― cholesterol emboli most often affect blood flow to your kidneys.

What happens if I notice it?

Again, especially if you’ve ruled out cold or medications, “it’s important to see a doctor to find out whether you have an undiagnosed disease,” the AADA says.

That’s because “The blockage can lead to damaged tissues and organs” if left untreated.

The Mayo Clinic says that you should see a doctor if:

  • The discoloured, mottled skin doesn’t go away with warming
  • You have discoloured, mottled skin along with other symptoms that concern you
  • Painful lumps develop in the affected skin
  • Sores develop in the affected skin
  • You also have a condition that affects the blood flow in your limbs
  • Your skin symptoms are new and you have a connective tissue disease

“Usually, cholesterol emboli occur as complications of angiograms or other procedures involving your blood vessels,” Cleveland Clinic writes.

“The condition mostly affects adults over age 60 with atherosclerosis and other forms of cardiovascular disease,” they add, stating that men, smokers, and those with high blood pressure and/or cholesterol are especially at risk.

Though “researchers estimate a 63% mortality rate,” your odds change according to the patient, and the condition is thankfully rare (it may affect up to 3% of adults).

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Ouch – These New Sunburn Stats Will Have You Reaching For Your SPF

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Be honest, how seriously do you take sun protection? Do you reapply sunscreen throughout the day, even on cloudy days?

According to collaborative research from LifeJacket Skin Protection and Melanoma UK, people in the UK are putting themselves in what the researchers have described as “grave danger” by not protecting their skin effectively with SPF.

The research has been launched in time for Skin Cancer Awareness Month and highlights how our neglectful approach to SPF is putting our bodies at risk.

Five Or More Sunburns Puts You At A Higher Risk Of Melanoma

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, five or more sunburns can put you at a higher risk of melanoma – the third most common skin cancer in the UK. This is especially concerning given that the LifeJacket Skin Protection and Melanoma UK research found that, on average, UK adults have burnt themselves 15 times in a lifetime. Additionally, 20% of adults say that they never use SPF.

Ultraviolet light (UV) is a form of non-ionising radiation that is emitted by the sun and artificial sources, such as tanning beds and is responsible for 80% of premature skin ageing and 90% of melanoma skin cancers. This is strong enough to affect you even on grey, cloudy days and it’s recommended by Melanoma UK that sun protection is applied on a daily basis.

Of the UK adults who shared that they don’t use SPF every day:

  • 21% said this was because they rarely burn and just tan
  • 1 in 5 said they only use it when they feel like they’re burning
  • 20% of people only remember when prompted by a friend or family member
  • 16% will only use it abroad
  • 10% only when the dial goes over 40 degrees celsius

However, according to the NHS, there is no healthy or safe way to tan.

Speaking on the data, Professor Christian Aldridge, a dermatologist who specialises in skin cancer said, “This new data correlates with what I’m seeing every day in my surgery… In many cases, it’s causing skin cancer which is almost totally preventable. We need a sharp change in attitudes to tanning and protection in order to slow down the rise in skin cancer cases.”

How To Effectively Protect Your Skin From Sun Damage

To effectively protect your skin, Professor Aldridge recommends:

  • Daily use of SPF of at least 30, especially between April to September
  • Wear Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) clothing, especially if you have fair skin. Skin Cancer Foundation created a guide on UPF clothing if you’re unsure of what it includes
  • Monitor your skin and if you have lesions that aren’t healing or are newly-pigmented for more than six weeks, especially in sun-exposed areas, keep an eye on them. He recommends monitoring for crusting, bleeding, and re-forming again or not improving with time. If this occurs, seek medical attention.

Additionally, the NHS recommends:

  • Spend time in the shade between 11am to 3pm
  • Apply sunscreen lotion 30 minutes before going out and then again just before leaving
  • Reapply every two hours
  • Reapply after being in water even if your sunscreen says it is “water resistant” as towel-drying and sweating can still remove it
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