No matter what you do, your skin will eventually start to look dull, lifeless and saggy. You might start to notice sun spots (also known as age spots) and more fine lines and wrinkles beginning to appear. If this scenario sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Most women around the age of 45 are likely to be searching for the answer to their woes too. It’s also likely they’re spending a small fortune on products that claim to help during the first signs of menopause.
It’s not uncommon for women nearing middle age or menopause to come into my clinic and feel as though there’s something… strange happening to their skin. Most think it’s down to ageing, but I know something else is responsible. It’s something we as women have had to contend with for most of our lives. Starting in our teens, it continues to cause havoc… the culprit is oestrogen!
We think that the symptoms of menopause start when we experience hot flushes, changes in our body composition, irregular periods, brain fog and much more. However, changes can be much more subtle and start way earlier than you might think.
Perimenopause is a word used to define the time just before we notice the signs of menopause. On average, it starts when a woman is around 45 years old. This is when oestrogen, the hormone that plays a huge part in the menstrual cycle, as well as maintaining bone health for both men and women, starts to become less prevalent in the body. Other hormone levels change during this time too, but it can be argued that oestrogen causes the most concerns.
Imagine you forget to have your regular caffeine fix one morning and as a result, you feel sluggish all day. Well, this is what your skin feels like without oestrogen, as it is dependent on this hormone. It allows it to function ‘normally’.
Lower oestrogen levels mean the cells in your body that produce and maintain collagen don’t function at their best, resulting in less dermal collagen overall. A huge amount of collagen is lost during both perimenopause and menopause itself, which impacts the way your skin looks and feels, as every structure in your skin depends on collagen to maintain its basic structure. When you lose this protein, your skin becomes thinner, more wrinkled and more susceptible to damage, including that which comes from the sun and pollutants in the air. These environmental stressors can quickly age your face and make you look not only older, but potentially more sullen and tired, too.
You don’t need to resign yourself to looking like a raisin just because you’re menopausal, there’s always a way to combat what’s happening to your skin. Boosting your collagen is the key to looking youthful. In order to do this, you must be aware of how to keep each layer of your skin in tip-top condition.
When it comes to the superficial layers of your skin, medical-grade skincare is a good place to start. I would advise using topical vitamin C, retinol (also known as vitamin A), SPF and selected peptide combinations. It’s incredibly important to only use a few products, and there’s no need to have a 15-step skincare routine both day and night, but steps must be taken to address your changing skin. The products you use during the day should protect your skin and those you use at night should stimulate cell turnover and help to refresh and renew.
If you don’t know where to start, you should consult a professional as opposed to turning to the internet. They will help you to find the products that are right for you. After all, your skin is an investment that will save you an awful lot of money in the long run!
For the deeper layers, superficial treatments just won’t cut it. You need to invest in collagen stimulation treatments that reach the deeper layers of your skin if you want to strengthen them and improve collagen production. Collagen stimulation treatments cause minor injuries to the skin in order to activate the cells that produce collagen. The good news is that these treatments are virtually pain-free, involve very little downtime and have become accessible for ordinary women like you and me in recent years!
It’s not about following the latest skincare trend! A single course of collagen stimulation treatment won’t keep your collagen levels topped up enough for you to see lasting results. You need regular treatments over a sustained period of time in order to enjoy significant improvements. You want to really fire up those cells so they break the habit of functioning at a lower level.
Everyone ages differently, because we have different bone densities, skin types, and have made various decisions over the course of our lives. However, you can combat the effects of ageing with a tailored skincare routine that suits your needs is important, which is why I have devised Nicci’s Skin Plan.
Nicci’s Skin Plan is designed to give a boost to women over 45 years who are suffering from the effects of a decline in their oestrogen levels. By subscribing to Nicci’s Skin Plan, I can help you maintain and promote skin health during this difficult time. The plan can be tailor-made for you but all plans will involve powerful collagen-boosting treatments alongside regular Botox and maintenance appointments.
Nicci’s Skin Plan is a combination of 12 treatments, administered over the course of 12 months. Both myself and Su will collaborate with you, prescribing treatments that will improve your skin and increase your collagen production so you can maintain the healthy glow of your dreams whilst reducing fine lines, wrinkles and sagging!
The following treatments feature in Nicci’s Skin Plan:
To book your very own appointment with me, or to sign up to Nicci’s Skin Plan, all you have to do is get in touch. You can do this by filling out a form on our website, or calling the clinic on 07595221484. You can even email us at [email protected].
Find out more on our website, or follow our Instagram and Facebook accounts to keep in touch!
We hope to see you soon!
Do you follow a religious skincare routine that involves using a cleanser for your skin? If you do, then you ought to know that it could be the worst thing you’ve ever done. Look at any skincare brand and you will find that they offer a variety of cleansers claiming to do all sorts. You have to ask, can using a cleanser for your skin really be that complicated? If the rest of your body is fine with soap, why should your face be any different?
Did you know that your skin is actually self-cleansing? Yep, your skin cells are constantly shedding and keeping your skin fresh and supple, but most of all, clean too. The structure of the skin consists of a base layer, above this are several layers of skin cells. As these cells die, they move to the surface, releasing a film-like substance that adds to the natural barrier to protect the skin and prevent it from being damaged by environmental stressors. This includes things such as bacteria, chemicals and UV rays, which all have the potential to damage the skin in some way.
The skin’s natural barrier is essentially the outermost layer of your skin, and is referred to as the stratum corneum. It is often described as a wall as it is notoriously hard for substances to penetrate. It consists of incredibly tough skin cells called corneocytes, which are connected by lipids.
Of course, you should clean your skin but you might want to reevaluate what touches it in the meantime. Modern life means we are surrounded by chemicals and we often come into contact with substances that need to be washed away. Take makeup, for example. Makeup can block pores and cause breakouts if it’s not removed properly. No one wants to wake up with makeup on their pillow in the morning, nor do they want to wake up to spots when they look in the mirror! I hate to say it, but if it’s so bad for your skin that you need to remove it at night, then why would you have it on all day?
Deep cleansing and scrubbing your face can have a negative impact on your skin’s natural defence system, its natural barrier, which is not to be confused with the microbiome. Your microbiome refers to the bacteria that live on the skin, whereas your natural barrier helps to keep potential irritants at bay. Stripping the skin of this protective layer can not only lead to dryness, but conditions such as eczema and rosacea will appear or flare up as a result of this aggravation.
For those who have sensitive or acne-prone skin, a compromised barrier can be an absolute nightmare. If you suffer from one of these conditions, you’ll know that even the smallest change in your diet, environment, or your skincare routine can cause huge problems. Why does this happen? Well, it’s because your skin has become over-sensitised and inflammation has set in. Should this happen to you, it’s incredibly difficult to get it under control again.
Ask any good dermatologist and they will say less is more. Most would prefer you to scale your skincare back, and this advice extends to ingredients too. Introducing too many new ingredients to your skin at one time might cause it to, you guessed it, become dry and irritated! This could lead you to try even more new ingredients or continue to cleanse even more… so the cycle will simply continue forever!
A dermatologist recently told me the same advice she gives her patients - you don’t need to use soap on your entire body in the shower or bath in order to clean yourself. Instead, focus on the areas where you sweat, and if possible, use cream soaps that are approved by dermatologists. It’s pretty radical advice, considering we’re constantly told the opposite by companies who are trying to sell us their products!
So, what if you want to catch the sun? Please, think again! Opt for a tinted sunscreen or a sunscreen and a foundation that’s kind to the skin, like Oxygenetix. It has been specifically designed for those with skin concerns, which means that if you really have to wear makeup, you can, just as long as you remove it with a gentle cleanser.
Remember, you don’t need to double cleanse! Instead, consider investing in advice from a professional, whose job it is to help you with your skin concerns.
Nowadays, there are a plethora of aesthetic doctors, nurses and skin therapists who really know their stuff. They can prescribe a medical skincare regime with the ability to transform your skin. You should avoid any individual who pushes one specific brand. Chances are, they probably have a lot to gain from this. Instead, look for someone who will give you generic advice. By generic, I mean that they should tell you what to look for in skincare and recommend a few basic active ingredients (also known as actives) to start you on your skin journey.
There are two words to watch out for - free consultation. As tempting as it is, this is a BIG red flag! You should expect to pay a consultation fee of anything from £50-£100 from a reputable practice, which ultimately isn’t expensive when you consider all the factors at play. Anyone who performs a thorough skin consultation has to take the time to find out what products you’re using before they look at the ingredients in them and what they are doing to your skin. Then, they will analyse your skin and medical history to determine if any of this information is relevant to your current concerns. They might even take a scan and then spend some time talking you through the next steps of your journey.
Of course, they can make recommendations but that’s a huge part of their job! You need to make sure that any professional you visit incorporates the products you’re using into their new recommendations, unless your current line-up is doing more harm than good.
If I have done my job properly, you might be feeling a bit unnerved about your current skincare routine, but I hope I’ve left you questioning the status quo! Whether you decide to agree with me or not, I hope that you will consider what I have said before you blindly reach for your purse and fork out a fortune for that so-called miracle cleanser for skin.
My name is Dr. Nichola Maasdorp and I’m a dentist with over 26 years of clinical experience, many of which I have spent specialising in medical aesthetics and skincare. My true passion is helping my patients feel amazing and confident by helping them solve their skin problems, especially those that go hand in hand with the inevitable ageing process.
You can visit me, or a member of my team, at my clinic by filling out a form on our website, calling us on 07595221484 or emailing [email protected] today.
To keep in touch with us, don’t forget to follow our Instagram and Facebook accounts.
See you soon!
It is defined as a community of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses) that work together in and on the human body. The human skin is literally crawling with creatures! There are over 1000 bacterial species that live on our skin and 80 different fungi types. That’s a lot of crawlies!
We know how important gut bacteria are to our digestion and overall well-being. Likewise, these crawlies on your skin play a huge role in skin health. So what can we do to look after our skin’s microbiome?
The crux is that there is a holistic association between the skin and the bugs on your skin. In other words, healthy skin means a healthy microbiome and a balanced microbiome means healthy skin. These micro-organisms derive their nutrients from our skin, and their survival depends on how hospitable our skin is to them. For you, it means that your skin needs to be functioning well to provide a good environment for balance. Skin function is dependent on many things, some of which are out of our control like genetics. Other factors like diet and hydration are solely down to us.
What’s interesting is that it’s only recently that we’ve come to know more about these passengers on our skin. Rapid advances in gene sequencing have made projects like the Human Microbiome Project, which collected keystone information on these bugs, possible. Information from these projects has made us aware of how much remains unknown about the bugs that live on us, especially when it comes to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, type 2 diabetes, and preterm birth, and the role these critters play in the development of conditions like these.
It’s important to note that the microbiome is widely variable depending on the area of the body we look at and is widely adaptable. Looking at skin we can safely say that we have the “BIG THREE” that form the core of the species that live there. They are Cutibacterium, Staphylococcus, and Corynebacterium, and they make up 40-80% of the overall bugs that live on our skin. On the face, the predominant of these BIG THREE thrives in an **oily** environment, Cutibacterium. Strip these oils away, change the Ph or hydration, and you will kill some of them off, creating an imbalance where bad bugs can breed.
Diversity in the subspecies of the BIG THREE (Beta diversity) is important. However, recent research indicates that the diversity of the other bugs (Alpha diversity) is important too. That means that fungi like Malassezia, higher organisms like Demodex folliculorum, and possibly viruses that live on our skin, play a part in maintaining healthy skin and cannot be dismissed. The diversity of the crawlies on our skin can be compared to a fingerprint, unique in its own way but not so unique, thankfully, to make clinical or epidemiological analysis impossible, and we are learning more and more about the bugs that keep our skin healthy. Maybe someday we’ll know enough to restore microbiome health; perhaps a vaccine might be the answer to treat certain skin conditions but until then…
A healthy diet, balanced hormones, good genes and most importantly maintaining skin function by preserving the acidity, hydration, and natural oils of the skin remains our best defence against skin problems. In other words, create the right environment for a diverse and balanced microbiome and you are more likely to keep your skin healthy and free of inflammation- inflammation being one of the main contributors to ageing skin and skin conditions.
In my practice, one of the main problems I face when treating skin ageing and skin problems is my patients using the wrong products for their skin. Take for example moisturisers containing essential oils. Not many of you may be aware but these essential oils are known allergens that can cause inflammation, dehydration, and disruption to our delicate microbiome. Another product that I see my patients using en mass are face cleansers bought in high street chemists and stores, containing strong detergents and acids that strip the skin of sebum, essential to Cutibacterium’s (one of the BIG THREE’s) diet.
What I would like to see is more of my patients using fewer products, but the ones that they use are right for them. Mindfulness when investing in skincare will make a huge difference to your skin, and investing in your future skin is kind to the creatures that live there!
I often ask my patients to bring their products along to their appointments and am usually shocked at how many products most people use. What’s even weirder is that most are hoping I might be able to advise them on what else they need to buy to improve their skincare regime! Anyone that knows me or has come to see me knows that I won’t always tell you what you want to hear. The reality is that there is no magic cream, lotion, or potion that’s going to work miracles. Nowadays, there are a plethora of aesthetic doctors, nurses, and skin therapists who really know their stuff and can prescribe you a better skincare regime than you can find on the high street.
Look for someone who will give you generic advice and isn’t pushing a specific brand. By generic, I mean that they should tell you the ingredients to look for in skincare and recommend a few basic actives to start you on your skin journey.
Every doctor will be different but in our practice, Su is the skin expert trained to the highest standards to give you good honest advice on what to use on your skin. Her skin consultations are made up of an in-depth skin scan and analysis of your skin, products you are using, lifestyle, and diet.
All this is then put together to give you a tailored skin improvement plan, along with a taster of one of our treatments, depending on what she thinks is best suited for your needs. What follows will be a plan for your skin that will keep it healthy, youthful, and glowing.
No short-term goals here; the focus is on long-term prevention and management. Needless to say, she won’t be recommending double cleansing!!
