Q&A about Skincare for anti-ageing with Harley Street dermatologist, Dr Sam Bunting - ANSWERS BACK

[ShadeMumsnet]

We're running a Q&A this week about skincare and anti-ageing with Dr Sam Bunting and beauty blogger Lila B (Glamplusforty).

As a cosmetic dermatologist with a busy private practice in Harley Street, Dr Sam Bunting's patients who are aged between 25 and 64, come to her with a variety of concerns from rosacea to pigmentation, but the overwhelming majority are seeking to combat the signs of ageing (45%) or acne (40%).

The Q&A is sponsored by Philips RéAura, the UK's first laser skin rejuvenation device for women to use in their own homes. It is based on Fraxel® technology and is the first time that women are able to achieve professional level results in the comfort of their own home.

ReAura is aimed at women experiencing signs of ageing and wishing to have a rejuvenated appearance. Dr Sam Bunting would recommend women of all ages from late twenties upwards wishing to reduce visible pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles and an uneven skin tone to use Philips ReAura. Lila B (beauty blogger) has trialled ReAura so can answer your questions on her personal experience with it.

Send your questions before the end of Friday 26 Oct, and you will be entered into a draw to win a Philips ReAura worth £800. We'll link to Dr Sam's answers on Thursday 8 Nov.

*subject to skin assessment

Are more expensive product ranges better than cheaper ones? Should you always buy products from within the same range or does mix and matching ever work? What ranges would you recommend for 30 year old sensitive skin on a budget/if money were no object?

A thorough skincare regimen must surely be about more than lotions and potions and cleansing. What are the other key factors, such as nutrition etc....which can help boost positive skincare outcomes?

I have a reall deep numbe 1 between the eyebrows, is Botox the only way to go or is ther anything else I can do?

Sorry my the ipad is trying to re write everything!

I'm 54. I have had psoriasis but only the occasional patch on my face. I have fine lines, heavier lines, wrinkles. I have a greasy t zone with large pores and dry cheekbones. I have the skin of a fourteen year old adolescent. When I was a fourteeen year old, I had great skin. It drives me mad, any suggestions for a woman aging fast with a much younger dh!

I have suffered with hyperpigmentation since pregnancy with DD2. It comes and goes, seemingly randomly. The area is my forehead and it is quite large. I use good quality foundation, which helps, but does not hide it altogether. It can be really dark for a week and then fade out again.
I have been investigated for hormone issues and have hyperthyroidism (controlled well now with carbimazole).
I have yet to find a topical treatment which makes a difference, despite dermarollering and using vitamin C (fresh) to pretreat.
What else can I do to make this less prominent?

I'm 42 and have had a lot of stress over the last couple of months...as a consequence I feel that I suddenly appear to have aged quite noticeably, my skin has certainly suffered. What would be the best way to help repair my stressed skin? It looks so dull, with dry patches and all of a sudden lots of fine lines, whereas before I looked fairly fresh and really didn't look my age.

Hello Dr Bunting,

I'm 43 and suddenly the tramlines from my nose down to my mouth are very visible. Are fillers the best way to deal with these and if so how natural do these appear? Thank you.

BLACKHEADS! Why am I still getting them in my 30's despite cleansing religiously (have tried face washes, hot cloth cleansers and cold cream cleansers)? What can I do to remove and prevent them?

Hi
As ageing is an irreversible process that everyone goes through and nothing has ever ever been proven to halt the process, slow it down or reverse it (as it's mainly to do with genetics anyway) why are creams still allowed to be described as "anti-wrinkle" and "anti-ageing"?

Do you not think that these creams, with their miraculous claims, are merely designed to rip women off and that most women can do no better than to keep skin clean, eat a healthy diet and use suncream?

And what's more, many of these processes may temporarily make skin look plumper but this effect wears off as nothing can permanently get rid of or reduce wrinkles so women have to keep using them which results in more money for the manufacturers.

And I am including this skin rejuvenating device in this. No doubt it has a temporary effect (probably by swelling skin slightly so that wrinkles are less noticeable which is why "skin appears plumper!") but unless it is used regularly the effect will simply wear off. Regular usage = stacks of cash.

Do you not think that such ludicrous claims to halt the signs of ageing should be stopped?

I have super dry skin and no matter how much water I drink or moisturisers I use, it doesn't improve - what can I do?

I have very dry skin and also what I think is a bit of rosacea on my cheeks (nose not affected). Does dry skin and rosacea often occur together? I've been using Evening Primrose Oil for the last couple of months with a little improvement to the rosacea - is it worth carrying on as I know EPO can take some time to work?

I am 31 and have always taken very good care of my skin. I do not have many fine lines yet, but have started ageing around the mouth. When I smile it is not noticeable as the smile 'lifts' my face, but when not smiling the laughter lines from nose to corners of mouth are forming. It seems more a case of sagging rather than wrinkles/fine lines though. What, if anything, would help to improve this? Would starting facial exercises help, e.g. Carole Maggio 'Facercise'? Or using a Clarisonic to massage and improve blood flow?

I have suffered pigmentation and found that the only thing that works is hydroquinone. Do you know any compounding chemists in London that could make up a script that also has kojic acid included in the ingredients? Also, do you believe this product to be unsafe, and if so why?

Also, I am a fan of tretinoin, but it does make my skin a little red. Do you think that retinols, particularly those found in Environ products to be as effective?

Thank you.

I will be 40 next year and after looking relatively younger than my age for the past 10 years, life is catching up with my skin! I have very thin skin around my eyes, leading to under eye dark circles and saggy eyelids. I also have milia above my cheekbones and in this area. What can I use that is sensitive yet does the job? I'd love to have glowing healthy looking younger looking skin without spending a fortune on lotions and potions that do not work.

My problem is the usual one with ageing skin-small blemishes and tiny thread veins. I know there is no miracle cure!but will anything fade them,even a little?

Another one here with a shiny red nose that gets hidden under a bit of foundation. Is there anything that can reduce it? Also during my pregnancy I got lots of very tiny spot like skin tags on my neck (which I still have several years later). Generally, as they're tiny, they don't bother me too much but is there any way to get rid of them easily?

I've recently developed excema on my eyelids. Can you rec anything that isn't REALLY heavy and is also hypo-allergenic to use as an eyecream.

Also is there a brand of mascara + remover you'd rec? (occasionally I'd prefer not go totally barefaced for a special occasion, though I accept it's a necessity day to day).

Hi! My fingers and thumbs keep splitting open. I have tried all sorts of moisturizers and sleeping with gloves over creams. My thumbs in particular tend to be very painful and the skin around the ends flakes off in quite large pieces, as well as splitting open and bleeding at the tips and joints. It seems to go through a cycle of a few weeks where its's fine and then it breaks down again, and that does not appear to relate to any specific chemicals or chores (I look after someone who uses nebulized antibiotics daily and wash up the handsets, I do my best to avoid contact with my skin). I find using waterproof gloves makes no real difference, just stops me bleeding on things at its worst. Have I done some long term damage to the natural bacteria on my skin or anything? Is there anything I can do to improve this? Could it be diet? HELP!

Hello, I am 45 and I now swim 3 or 4 times a week. This is fine for my fitness/health but are the chemicals in the water bad for my skin? I moisturise everywhere after my swim however my skin still feels dry. Do I need to do something else.

Thanks.

Hello. I have pigmentation from pregnancy but also sensitive, rosacea-prone skin. Are there any products that can reduce pigmentation without antagonising sensitive skin? Thanks.

Hi,
I'm only 22 but have severe rosacea on my cheeks and T-Zone. I've spoken to various dermatologists, only to be told that 'there's nothing to be done' due to my age. I don't just want to sit back and let things get worse- I used to have beautiful skin throughout my teens and something along the lines has gone horribly wrong. Is there anything you can suggest to lessen the redness and the raised spot-like patches please? Thanks a lot :)

How do you get rid of Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation? I have had it for years on my calves. Is there any treatment for dark skin?