Which age group comes to your mind first when we talk of acne? Teens? Adults? Acne may first appear during the puberty period but do you know that there’s also such a thing as adult acne? I don’t get a lot of cases of it in my practice but it has a big impact in the quality of life of adults, may lower their self-esteem and/or may cause depression or anxiety.

Acne or pimple patches have been one of the skincare trends that have gained momentum since it was introduced by Korean beauty brands. I myself have used them during a certain time of the month because of hormonal acne. In fact, I have a small stash of them set aside when the need arises. But have you ever wondered how they work?

I’ve mentioned several times now how our skin changes over time and that we need to be aware of it to adapt to their needs. Today, I’ll be discussing a sort of skincare guide for every generation from teens to adults, what skin changes usually happens as we grow older and what are some of the skincare ingredients best suited for our skin at particular times in our life.

Sometimes I have patients who will come in for consult for another matter but would segue into skincare because they have no idea on where to start with their routines or what to apply. After asking some questions, I would then learn what skincare mistakes they’re committing without knowing it like cleansing their faces only once a day, using products not suitable for their skin type or not putting on any sunscreen. So, to avoid any mistakes with starting your own skincare routine, here are some steps for you to follow.

Trends come and go and when we remember the trends we used to follow in the past, we would cringe and recall how ridiculous they were. As much as we dermatologists would like to just cringe at skincare trends and laugh them off, we would rather you know why they need to be stopped because of the real danger they pose to the skin.

Do you know what your skin type is? It’s a key piece of information that will have you choose the right products for you. It will help you avoid common mistakes I’ve seen in my practice, when some of my patients admit to buying/using popularized and hyped-up products that messed up their skin. These can cause or trigger breakouts, infections, contact dermatitis or flares of skin diseases. Remember: what can work for someone may not work for you! Even we have the same skin type, our skin reacts to certain ingredients differently.

Now when you have correctly figured out your skin type, it’ll be easier to pick which products you can use. The easiest way to determine what your skin type is after washing your face and observing your skin within the day. Here then are the 5 different skin types.

Are you ready for 2021? What about your skin? A new year is a good place as any to start some healthy skin habits. As a dermatologist, here are a few things I recommend to get better skin on 2021!

Wrinkles are a normal part of skin aging. Apart from wrinkles, when the collagen and elastin in the dermal layer of the skin gets broken down, the skin will look less supple and plump, and will eventually sag due to gravity. The areas where wrinkles and sagging appear the earliest are the areas frequently exposed to the sun like the face, neck, arms, back of the hands, and the upper part of the chest. Today, I’ll focus on the neck because it’s a direct extension of the face.

When we talk of retinoids, we mean the big group of vitamin A derivatives which includes the non-potent forms like retinol, retinaldehyde, and retinyl palmitate found in skincare and the medical-grade forms like tretinoin, adapalene, tazarotene and the oral isotretinoin. These are typically prescribed for acne. Scientifically speaking, they work by binding to the retinoic acid receptors in the skin cells which will increase skin cell turnover, increase production of dermal collagen, minimize pores, and brighten hyperpigmentation.

Do any of you take supplements with supposed skin benefits? Like maybe some oral collagen sachets and glutathione capsules? Have you ever wondered if they are really effective or did you just buy into the hype and hope for the best? Fret not, for today I collectively summarized the scientific researches I’ve read on the different skin, hair and nail supplements for you. You’ve read and heard about the brands’ marketing ads and claims on them but what does science really say?

You might be thinking, “Oh great another lecture on common skincare mistakes.” Excessive cleansing, overexfoliating, not wearing sunscreen, blah, blah, blah - you might know all those already, but are you aware that taking care of your skin is more than just doing each skincare step properly? Here are some skincare mistakes you might want to correct.

Hi everyone, today I’ll be discussing some skincare myths I’ve come across my practice or from people I know. There’s a great deal of misinformation being spread from one person to another about skin and skincare thru either word of mouth or from skincare forums. There are a lot of myths out there but here the ones I’ve read and heard recently.

As a dermatologist, I come across patients seeking consult for brighter and smoother skin. More often than not, they would ask me what I think of rejuvenating sets and which one I can recommend them. If you’re not familiar with these, rejuvenating sets are skincare products that are grouped together as a set, usually containing a cleanser, toner, bleaching/whitening cream, and sunblock gel/cream. Here’s my take on them - they’re not meant for every skin type, for every skin concern, and for long-term use.

Since I became a dermatologist, there have only been two topics that strangers consistently ask me when they find out what I do for a living. The first one is all about achieving that smooth and younger-looking skin, and the second one is about warts. For today, let me discuss the latter!

Warts are mostly skin- or dark-colored growths on the skin caused by a virus, the Human Papillomavirus. And just like the flu, this virus has several strains.

Part of the new normal now includes proper hand hygiene and stringent disinfection rules around the home and work area. That means frequent hand washing, use of alcohol, and cleaning – all of which will have your skin in contact with either a detergent, soap, or other irritating solvents. Some can tolerate these harsh chemicals and not have any reaction to them. On the other hand, some with sensitive and dry skin can develop a scaly, itchy and red reaction as a consequence which leads to me to today’s topic, eczemas.

I’ve talked about acne last time but now let me discuss one of the two dreaded consequences from having a breakout – post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH. This happens because any inflammation to the skin (e.g. acne, eczema, irritant/allergic reaction, trauma, etc.) will have inflammatory cells causing a cascade of events that will lead to melanocytes (pigment-producing cells of the skin) to produce more melanin – what’s causing the skin pigmentation.

Q: My maskne is out of control! I didn’t have pimples before on my chin and jawline area, but since I started wearing a mask, I’ve started to get these pimples that just won’t seem to go away. What can I do to get rid of these? - Kristina

A: Hi Kristina! That’s a question that’s been frequently asked of me and a big percent of my patients now come in for consult for that reason. What’s being called “maskne” is actually a kind of acne we identify as Acne Mechanica, caused by friction from repetitive rubbing of masks against the skin and obstruction of the pilosebaceous unit, leading to congested pores.