Beauty Q&A: Acne & Eyebrows

Beauty advice from the experts…

Aisling Cleary is Registered General Nurse at River Medical and this issue she’s here to answer some of your skincare questions. Email: consult@rivermedical.ie or visit www.rivermedical.ie.

Question:
I’m going through a real break out period at the moment. I’ve tried all the usual products but can’t seem to get my skin under control. My cheeks seem to be the worst affected. Anon, by email
Answer:
Firstly, I totally empathise. Breakouts and acne are so common and I agree, it can be really difficult to get under control. I find a lot of my patients tend to exacerbate the problem, wearing too much make-up in an attempt to mask the problem, which is understandable. However, this just further blocks the pores and irritates the skin. Scrubbing your face or using unsuitable products, such as using a strong acne cleanser can actually strip away too much moisture from the skin and result in the oil glands over-producing to compensate. The thing is, it’s difficult to know just what to use on your skin. At River Medical, our nurses are happy to go through your current skincare regime and make some tweaks and recommendations. There’s an excellent product in the PCA Skin range, an Acne Gel which has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It’s excellent for speeding up the recovery and relieves pain.
While “dirty” skin doesn’t cause acne, it’s important to keep skin clean, and cleanse thoroughly, twice a day with a balanced cleanser. Don’t be tempted to skip moisturising either. This will actually cause excessive dryness and increase in oil production. Also, avoid over touching your skin and if you can at all – avoid squeezing! This only results in the spreading of infection, delaying your healing time and worst of all, can potentially cause scarring. Don’t forget to clean make-up brushes regularly and even your phone which can house hidden bacteria. In some cases it’s just not possible to get the problem under control by yourself. In some cases it is advisable to seek professional help. We offer free consultations with any of our Registered General Nurses who can in turn arrange for you to see our in-house Dermatologist, Dr Gursharan Bedi. You do not require a GP letter to attend and Dr Bedi will see young adults as young as 14 accompanied by a parent or guardian.