Treating Hormonal Acne

Hormonal acne is not anything like the acne that you got back when you were in high school. The next question is, how do you determine if it is hormonal? There are 2 key differences, hormonal acne breakouts are around the chin and jaw line also they are felt underneath the skin's surface before they are visible, and almost always sore to the touch. Never ever attempt to "pop" these, it will make it worse than it was to start with. This type of acne is not caused by dirt or bacteria on the skin's surface.  It is caused by a fluctuation of hormones approximately a week before menses dues to an increased level of testosterone or progesterone.

The main obstacle that women with hormonal acne face is that the traditional acne treatments will not work. Hormonal acne needs to be treated by oral medications prescribed by your Dermatologist. 

For skincare however, a common rule to follow in any skincare regiment, especially when dealing with hormonal acne is do not over wash your face! Make a habit out of washing at bedtime with a gentle cleanser (Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash or Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser).

In the morning before applying any product, rinse face with just water and pat dry. Many of us have a facial moisturizer, sunscreen and foundation... however many products on the cosmetics market now are becoming more hybrid and fusing all three.... into one daily use product (Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20). Using a product like Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer will suffice as a moisturizer, an SPF and also will give you light coverage all in one application. If you still feel like you need additional moisture or your skin feels dry you can apply moisturizer at bedtime after cleansing try a night moisturizer that is oil free. (VICHY Nutrilogie 2 night cream).

Hormonal acne is tough to treat. Oral medications are the best way to clear it so see your Dermatologist for a program best fit for you. Remember that skincare is also important for your overall complexion, under-doing it is better than over-doing it. Stay simple!

Immediate Relief for Under-Eye Circles and Darkness

There is one beauty problem that plagues many women... dark under-eye circles. Some try to solve it with getting plenty of beauty sleep and others might lean towards products to treat and conceal them, there are hundreds of eye "fixers" out on the market today and now you need to find what's right for you. What is the secret to making sure all your products appear flawless when you apply them? A clean slate.

1. Make sure to clean well!

At night wash away the day with a milky cleanser (Darphin Intral Cleansing Milk) and then follow up with a gel cleanser (La Roche-Posay Physiological Cleansing Gel) which will remove any oily residue left behind. 

2. If your skin is thin and dry, a liquid concealer would work best for you because it will not set into wrinkles (Smashbox High Definition Concealer).

3. If you have very dark under-eye circles and particularly with darker skin types, try a highlighting concealer because this will not only cover darkness but will actually brighten the eye area by reflecting light (YSL Touche Eclat Concealer). Always remember to purchase your concealer one to two shade(s) lighter, the skin around your eyes has different color and texture than the rest of your face. If you have darkness that looks bruised then using a yellow based concealer will cancel a lot of blue or purple from your eye. Redness and pink can be toned down with a green based concealer (Physicians Formula Correcting Concealer).

4. If you have oily skin you should be using a stick concealer or one with more of a "paste" consistency (MAC Studio Finish Concealer), as it will fully cover and will not require touch ups throughout the day.

Remember to always apply your foundation or tinted moisturizer over the concealer, this allows you to make sure the concealer stays precisely where you place it!

Tune in for next weeks blog about how to permanently get rid of under-eye circles!

You might be asking, "Who is Dr. Lily?"....

Lily Talakoub M.D. is a diplomat of the American Board of Dermatology and is a leading dermatologist with extensive experience as a clinician, clinical researcher, pharmaceutical industry consultant and founder of Global Skincare, a private skincare company.

Dr. Talakoub or “Dr. Lily” as many of her patients call her, received her B.Sc. from McGill University and both her M.D. and Master of Public Health degrees from Boston University School of Medicine where she was graduated cum laude and elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society.  She graduated in the top 10 percent of her class and won over 10 awards for excellence including excellence in dermatology, surgery and won the prestigious American Medical Association award for her excellence in leadership.  She completed her internal medicine residency at Stanford University followed by completion of a dermatology residency at University of California San Francisco. 

Dr. Talakoub is founder and medical director of McLean Dermatology and Skincare Center, just outside the nation’s capitol in Washington D.C.  The mission of her practice is to deliver customized skin care to her patients.  She is a local expert in the diagnosis, treatment, and investigation of diseases in individuals with skin of color, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers. Her teaching responsibilities have included lecturing medical students and dermatology residents.

As a leader in the field of dermatology, Dr. Talakoub has served as an investigator, consultant and advisory member for both pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies. Dr. Talakoub participated as a medical writer for ABC news and served in the Office of the US Surgeon General. With extensive media experience, Dr. Talakoub has also served as a medical expert on local television and radio programs and is co-writer of the skin of color blog for Skin and Allergy news. Dr. Talakoub is one of the founders and the co-creator of Global skincare a skincare company who develops skincare with the dermatologic expertise and research she has done. She is affiliated with numerous professional societies including Women's Dermatologic Society, American Academy of Dermatology, American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, and the American Medical Association. She has published articles in the field of cosmeceuticals, ethnic skin, and cosmetic dermatology. 

Lily Talakoub M.D. M.P.H. FAAD