WHAT IS DULL SKIN?

Dull skin looks greyish and tired and is lacking a healthy glow.

WHAT CAUSES IT?

There are many causes of dull skin:

• Age - Blood capillaries become fewer in number and cellular renewal occurs at a slower rate
• The environment – Pollution causes dull skin, as does a change in climate and season (i.e. skin becomes more dull looking in winter)
• Make up - Removal or failure to do so can lead to a build up in dead skin cells in the outer skin layer
• Sleeping – If you sleep in an overheated room, the body and the skin become dehydrated
• Food – The foods we consume will have an effect on our skin; we should opt for foods that contain Vitamin C, iron and calcium amongst other things

TREATMENT

In order to avoid dull looking skin,

• Drink plenty of water
• Eat healthily
• Always remove your make-up
• Use a daily sun protector – each morning apply Supercharged SPF15 Day Cream
• Use Dr Lowe Night Repair Cream and
Brightening Radiance Cream
• Once weekly use an exfoliator to remove the build up of dead skin cells on your skin such as Dr Lowe Cell Renew Dermabrasion Peel

WHAT IS SKIN DISCOLOURATION AND WHAT CAUSES IT?

Age spots, dark pigmentation, fine lines and uneven skin all make us look older and our skin duller. They are due to patchy increased melanin pigmentation.

As the skin ages and sunlight damages the skin, sunspots (known medically as solar lentigo), which are flat, brown, darker type of freckles, will appear on sun exposed skin such as the face, neck, chest and the backs of the hands. These are caused by patchy irregular increase in melanin production.

It is therefore vital to always protect from the sun and wear sunscreen. When skin is exposed to the sun, it defends itself by making pigment to help protect the skin, which may become patchy and blotchy.

In addition people with darker skin colours may develop increased and irregular pigmentation on their face particularly if they are women.

Skin discolouration may be associated with pregnancy or the oral contraceptive pill when it is known as melasma and affects the cheeks and upper lip frequently. Other problems that lead to pigmentation include healing following acne or scars.

Skin lightening programmes are frequently required for these often disfiguring problems.
There is a quest in many people with olive and darker skin types to lighten their skin. This has to be a personal decision and may be frowned upon by some and not by others.

TREATMENT

Treatment programmes for skin lightening should always include selected topical creams; this would combine a daily protective cream that contains at least an SPF15 sunscreen with a broad spectrum UVA four-star rating. In addition this cream would ideally contain active combinations of antioxidants as well as retinoids to increase cell turnover providing protection and lightening.

The optimum skin lightening products contain a combination of ingredients that will have an enhanced effect on skin lightening. Some of these ingredients work by increasing the shedding of the darker skin, e.g. retinoid ingredients such as Retinyl Palmitate, and others reduce the formation of the pigmentation; e.g. Licorice extract, Niacin.

The long-term control of skin discolouration requires a combination of protection with sunscreens, repair with skin lightening products (that can be either non-prescription or prescription) and the use of lasers and lights such as Fraxel laser, intense pulse lights and pigment specific laser such as the Q-switched Ruby laser.

Age spots can be treated by ‘bleaching’ them using hydroquinone, this chemical will literally bleach away the spots (and any other area of skin it touches). This is only available on prescription and generally difficult to obtain in the UK.

PREVENT AND REPAIR

For a gentler everyday solution to age spots and dull skin use Supercharged SPF15 Day Cream every morning, apply AFTER Brightening Radiance Cream, which contains ingredients that help to brighten the skin and even out the skins tone. It also contains Ferulic Acid, which protects against UV damage.

Brightening Radiance Cream uses targeted skin lighteners to help fade age spots and dark skin pigmentation whilst also effectively replenishing and revitalising the skin. Skin will become more radiant, youthful and even with regular use morning and evening.

Night Recovery Cream will add more skin restoration; apply after the Brightening Radiance Cream.