| Do you know? |
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What is pigmentation and how
do I prevent unbalanced pigmentation? |
Pigmentation disorders are caused by myriad of
factors, which sun damage, hormonal imbalance, and
skin trauma or disease. Of all these causes, sun
damage is both the most common and the most easily
prevented. Simply applying a sunscreen with a
minimum SPF15 every day, and avoiding peak sun times
around midday.
Hormonal imbalance, a cause of pigmentation mostly
affecting women, can occur during any time that the
body’s natural hormone balance is disturbed, these
triggers can include
Hormonal changes, such as those that happen during
the menstrual cycle, menopause, prolonged stress,
pregnancy or even when taking birth control pills.
Unlike pigmentation related to trauma or sun damage,
hormonally-induced hyper-pigmentation generally
disappears when balance is restored to the body, and
it can be treated during the interim
period with topical skin brighteners. |
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What is acne? |
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Acne is a genetically-inherited disease, which is
the result of several factors occurring in the skin.
Aside from excess oil secreted by the sebaceous
glands, there is proliferation of cells that clog
the pores, trapping oil in the follicle. Bacteria
inhabit the follicle and digest the oils, generating
waste products which then cause the irritation to
the skin. Oilier skin conditions tend to experience
more acne breakouts because they provide more food
for the bacteria. Teenagers’ hormonal changes
increase oil production, in turn increasing acne
breakouts. |
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What is sensitive
skin? |
No other skin condition is more misunderstood than
sensitive skin. In fact, almost 90% of the
population report having sensitive skin at one time
or another! To understand whether you have sensitive
skin, you first have to understand what causes it.
Sensitive skin is a genetically-inherited condition
that predominantly affects very fair-skinned
individuals, usually of Northern European ancestry.
Someone with truly sensitive skin is highly prone to
blushing, has a very fine complexion and may
experience bad hay fever, allergies or asthma.
What most people suffer from is in fact sensitized
skin. Rather than a result of genetics, sensitized
skin is a reflection of your environment, lifestyle
and physiology. Pollution, stress, hormonal
imbalance, cosmetic allergies, alcohol, a poor diet
and over-exfoliation can all trigger the sensitized
skin condition.
The good news is that sensitized skin can be
treated. The bad news is that, left untreated, the
skin’s response can actually result in permanent
cellular damage, which can lead to premature aging. |
