Facial Conditions
Age Spots
Resulting from sun damage, hormones or sometimes genetics, age spots (or to use one of their other names; brown spots, sun spots, liver spots or lentigos) are flat, oval patches of pigmented skin. UVA sunlight stimulates your pigment cells called, ‘melanocytes’ to manufacture this pigment called, ‘melanin’. This is not only responsible for a tan but also unwanted dark patches.
They’re completely harmless normally but as they are most prominent on the face, hands and neck many people, both men and women, choose to have them treated. Studies have shown that these patches are actually more ageing than lines and wrinkles.
Age spots usually occur in adults over 40, but younger people can also get them if they spend a lot of time in the sun or on sunbeds. Prevention is of course better than a cure! You can prevent age spots from developing by ensuring you wear SPF30 or higher when you’re outdoors, whether in the sun or not, as UVA light levels can cause damage throughout the year.
A consultation includes a skin scan with one of our Specialists, which looks 2mm under the skin. They can assess the age spots/pigmentation and decide the best course of treatment to help you.
Acne Scarring
If you have suffered acne, you may be left with acne scarring. Acne scarring is caused by the body effectively putting “too much effort” into healing the wounds caused by acne, meaning that there is an excess of collagen built up in the dermis leaving indents, redness and uneven skin. Acne scarring can be varying in depth so treatment is dependant on this.
In some cases the result is not a true scar, but simply an excess of pigmentation. This may fade away over a few months or years, but generally isn’t permanent as with other acne scars but can be helped to fade quicker with a TCA peel.
If the scarring is more superficial then skin resurfacers such as peels or microdermabrasion can really help by gradually reducing the damaged skin surface.
If scarring is deeper then skin needling (Microneedling or The ProDerma) can be really effective and/or a light dermal filler to help repair and rejuvenate by creating tighter, flatter bundles of collagen for a more even skin surface. This can be combined with resurfacing treatments to tackle the acne scarring from both inside and out.
See our individual treatments for prices or check out our treatment packages which can be very cost effective.
Acne
The sebaceous (oil-producing) glands of people who get acne are particularly sensitive to normal blood levels of certain hormones, which are present in both men and women. These cause the glands to produce an excess of oil. At the same time, the dead skin cells lining the pores are not shed properly and clog up the follicles. These two effects result in a build up of oil, producing blackheads (where a darkened plug of oil and dead skin is visible) and whiteheads.
The acne bacterium (known as Propionibacterium acnes) lives on everyone’s skin, usually causing no problems, but in those prone to acne, the build-up of oil creates an ideal environment in which these bacteria can multiply. This triggers inflammation and the formation of red or pus-filled spots.
Acne can be classified into different stages depending on severity. Your GP can help with medications such as the contraceptive pill, antibiotics and Roaccutane.
We offer advice, skin analysis and also treatments which are not available on the NHS that can really help. Consultation are free of charge to help us find out a little more about your skin and any medications you may be on.
Lines and Wrinkles
Wrinkles are an inevitable sign of ageing. Laughing, concentrating, squinting or frowning; whenever you move your face, your muscles contract. After years of frequent contraction, combined with environmental and lifestyle factors – such as exposure to sunshine, smoking or pollution – lines and wrinkles begin to form. Collagen and elastin starts to break down and fine lines and wrinkles become deeper over time.
The wrinkles that concern most people are those on the upper part of the face caused by muscle movement when making facial expressions and those on the lower face such as nose to mouth and droopy mouth corners caused by volume loss in the mid face and sagging as collagen starts to diminish.
There is a solution to all of these types of wrinkles. Expression lines can be treated very effectively with Botulinum Toxin (Anti-wrinkle injections) and those on the mid and lower face by replacing lost volume with either fillers, Sculptra collagen stimulating injections, HIFU skin tightening or Thread lifts (Silhouette Soft). Treatment options will depend on the primary cause of the wrinkles, personal choice of treatment type and of course, budget. Our consultations are free to advise you on all the options and advise which might be the most effective for you.