SkinDNA: PART 2 Cutting Edge Scientific Approach To Skin Care

SkinDNA: PART 2 Cutting Edge Scientific Approach To Skin Care

Tall, dark, and handsome is a tick-box for many…  In our industry however, it unfortunately resembles a tick-box list of cautions when it comes to analyzing the skin and creating a results-driven skin plan. You might not think it, but when it comes to skin, the incredibly beautiful darker skin types should always be treated with extra precaution and care. I might not be the image of tall, dark, and handsome that pops to mind, but I have the typical characteristics linked to this profile. Dark hair, dark eyes, and an olive undertone. When we consult with patients, there will always be red flags associated with the darker skins, even those not visible to the naked eye:

 

Factors To Consider When Analyzing Darker Skins:
  1. Gut Health – the more acidic your body is, the more inflamed you will be. Any external inflammatory aggressors will lead you body to protect itself by causing more inflammation. This is like a snowball effect…
  2. Stress & medication – this is such a broad spectrum, but in the lifestyle many of us follow, we do have heightened cortisol levels (even if it is underlying) and it causes inflammation… again…
  3. The food we eat – in South Africa (most of us) love our braaivleisie, crispy bacon and chicken. These link to cells in our body and leads to heightened inflammation in the skin (pre-mature ageing)
  4. Your Fitzpatrick skin type – this is your genetic skin type as we cannot always tell with people who don’t have their natural hair colour, we will therefor always continue to ask questions to make sure we are choosing the correct treatments that is safe for darker skin types

 

As promised in my previous blog, we can now view my SkinDNA results linking back to my original reason for doing the test: to see if my melasma (hormonal pigmentation) was self-inflicted and could have been prevented or whether it is simply in my genes…

 

The SkinDNA Test Report focuses on different outcomes:
  1. High-low risk outcomes to different skin concerns
  2. Average – this number represents what the average person scored compared to you score
  3. Similarity – the number of people in the database that has the same outcome

The SkinDNA Test Report is very self-explanatory, but in today’s lifestyle there are so many external factors that can lead to your skin reacting in different ways.

To see full report please pick here: SkinDNA Test Results

These include:
  1. Sun damage/ pigmentationmy results showed a deficiency meaning that my skin tends to respond with irregular pigment deposits, resulting in hyper/hypo pigmentation. When looking at this skin concern alone, treating the skin with aggressive lasers and deep peels will give amazing results, but taking into account my body’s response to inflammation – it will only make matters worse.

 

  1. Glycation: here I am a high risk, which means my body has a reduced ability to efficiently break down glucose (sugar). Glycation is one of the biggest contributors to wrinkles and loss of volume and because of this we need more aggressive modalities to stimulate collagen production. Too much inflammation will treat my aging well but will cause the production of more pigment… in my case – a catch 22. I will always need to focus on internally calming down my body’s inflammation so that it can respond in a positive way to the required treatments.

 

In conclusion – it would have been life changing to have had this information before I started my skin journey. My approach to treating my skin would have been very different and could have also had much more control over the outcome.

I often felt disheartened when thinking about the future of my skin, but have now found hope again, and this time it is hope backed by science! One thing you must know is that no matter your skincare concern, there is always a solution. So, focus on what you can control and let go of the things you cannot.

If you have ever felt disheartened about the future of your skin, here are a few guidelines to help get your skincare results back on track:

 

  • ALWAYS consult an experienced skincare specialist before jumping into any skin treatment
  • Be educated about your skin and pay attention to how treatments make your skin feel and respond
  • What goes in will always go out… The skin is the mirror of what is happing inside your body so make sure you make healthy food choices (this does not mean giving up on all your favourites, but moderation is key)
  • Skin supplements are important, such as omegas and probiotics (I like RAW BIOTICS)
  • SPF application and brushing your teeth twice daily is NON-NEGOTIABLE

 

It is time to take the guess work out of skincare and start designing your future skin by consulting your body’s own DNA. For faster, more accurate results and a more exciting experience in getting there, come and see us for your SkinDNA test – your fabulous future skin awaits!