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New diets purporting to improve your skin seem to crop up on an almost weekly basis, and here at SkinGenesis we have always believed the effect diet had on your acne was a myth. However, we were interested to read new research proving that, although the lifestyle we lead might not prevent acne altogether, it can certainly help reduce the scarring and therefore the effects it can have in later life.

Not all types of acne cause scarring, and if the inflammation is reduced quickly then scarring is unlikely to occur. Recent research carried put by Naweko San-Joyz, the founder of a US based self-service image makeover company, uncovered some ways to reduce the inflammation and therefore the long term effects of acne. Not only are the suggestions easy to follow, but they can also have very positive effects on your general health.

Increasing the anti-oxidants in your diet, with foods containing vitamins A, C and E, will help decrease inflammation and free radical damage, therefore drastically reducing the risk of acne scarring. And not only will this change in your diet help inflammation of the skin, it will also improve your overall diet. Anti-oxidants slow the chemical process of oxidation which causes cholesterol deposits and narrowing of the arteries and can lead to various heart-related problems. Recent research has also shown that increasing the anti-oxidant foods in your diet may reduce your risk of cancer. Anti-oxidants mop up free radicals which are created when the iron in your blood oxidizes, and if these free radicals aren’t removed they can cause cancer. Free radicals also cause aging so making sure your diet is full of anti-oxidants will ensure your skin remains fresh and young looking.

Foods that are rich in these anti-oxidants include sweet potatoes, spinach, apricots, peppers, broccoli, sunflower seeds, nuts and oil.

However, with all the benefits that a diet high in anti-oxidants will bring, a change of diet alone is not guaranteed to reduce acne scarring. Try not to touch the lesion as this can cause it to burst, spreading the infection to other pores. And touching your skin will also bring it into contact with bacteria, which will increase inflammation of the skin even more. If possible, also remove oil from the skin with a clay mask to reduce the presence of fatty acids on the skin.

Acne can be extremely traumatic and can greatly affect your confidence. If you’re suffering from the effects of acne, the team at SkinGenesis can help with an acne treatment to deal with varying degrees of severity of the condition.

With celebrity treatments becoming increasingly accessible to the general public, teeth whitening is no exception and the market for cosmetic dentistry in Britain has grown over a decade to be worth a reputed £1 billion. But as with all treatments that ultimately diffuse down to high street levels, the number of “rogue traders” increase. Here at SkinGenesis, we were not at all surprised to read about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s recent warnings about teeth whitening kits.

Their research has concluded that some chemical kits available on the Net or abroad could be up to 250 times stronger than Britain’s legal limit and users could be putting themselves at serious risk. There are stringent laws in Britain dictating a hydrogen peroxide concentration of only 0.1%, but some countries with no laws could see dangerous levels as much as 25%.

Do-it-yourself teeth-whitening kits, available for as little as £10, are obviously a popular alternative to more expensive treatments available in dentists or registered clinics. However by choosing to opt for over the counter treatments which may contain high levels of peroxide dye, you may exacerbate gum disease and could make teeth and gums painfully sensitive.

The risk of permanent gum irritation is significant. If the tooth has a small cavity, it can become permanently sensitive and users should be aware of chemical burns and painful mouth ulcers. With such high stakes, we advise anyone thinking about teeth whitening to look for professional treatments, either at their dentist or a healthcare commission registered clinic like SkinGenesis, where your gums are properly protected allowing high concentrations to be used safely.

** We are getting such good feedback on our professional laser teeth whitening service that we have decided to extend the current £275 special offer.  If you are thinking about having your teeth whitened before Christmas please book early as appointments are limited. **

With the current public debate over celebrities raging, and with models deemed too skinny banned from Madrid Fashion Week, we’re pleased to see the tide turning and people beginning to recognise the negative effects the media’s portrayal of women can have on our body image. At SkinGenesis, we’ve always been aware of the negative effects that crash dieting can have on the body in later life and so we’re pleased to see that people are starting to see the risks associated with extreme dieting

Celebrities rely on looking good, and tiny celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Nicole Richie seem to have based their careers on their low bodyweights. They may look perfectly groomed, but have these celebrities taken into account the effects their slimming could have on their appearances in later life? The nutritional deficiencies associated with extreme forms of slimming may mean other areas of the body will suffer, and the skin is often the first to display signs of malnutrition. No matter how many anti-aging or rejuvenating creams these celebrities use, there is no substitute for ensuring your skin is properly nourished from the inside out.

Essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids that help nurture the skin must come from within, and no amount of external skincare products can simulate their effects. Anti-oxidant food types, for example broccoli, spinach, seeds and nuts, help neutralise free radicals which can cause aging and the unbalanced, crash diets many celebrities favour often cut out these foods altogether. Not only will an unbalanced diet encourage premature aging, but more seriously the lack of anti-oxidants in these drastic diets can lead to increased risks of heart disease and cancer.

And excessive dieting can damage the skin in the present as well as in the future. Those who diet frequently can be left with dry, blotchy skin often in an unhealthy grey or yellow shade, and as their immune systems can often be weakened they are more susceptible to suffering acne or coldsores. So, although these celebrities may look great on the red carpet when the flashbulbs are popping, the effects of their crash dieting and nutritional deprivation are very real threats waiting to catch up with them in later life.  See our skin treatment nutritional advice.

As the debate on anti-social smoking continues, it is interesting that opinion polls indicate more and more people are in favour of a smoking ban in public places. This is good news for all of us as a lab report by leading skin experts at Clinique Laboratories have revealed that passive smoking can seriously damage your looks.

Most non smokers dislike the lingering smell of smoke on your clothes and hair after spending time in a smoky atmosphere, not to mention the risks to your health. But would you continue to tolerate these unpleasant effects if you knew that you could actually end up with 'smoker's skin’ - dry, coarsened skin with a grey or yellowish, wrinkled look? My guess is that you would not.

According to the in-depth research carried out earlier this year, smoke triggers oxidisation - a deadly process for your skin cells. The toxic mix of over 3000 chemicals in cigarette smoke that come into contact with the skin's surface will penetrate the outer barrier and unleash oxygen-based free-radicals which attack skin cells. Consequently the damaged cells lose their ability to repair DNA and connective collagen fibres, leading to a reduction in skin's elastin and collagen. This leads to wrinkles, lines, discolouration and other unattractive skin complaints.

So is the damage already done or can you take action now to prevent further damage caused by exhaled smoke? With our non-surgical skin treatment we treat many types of skin damage and do see “smokers skin”, usually as a result of someone smoking.

According to Clinique Laboratories, reducing stressors and protecting the skin's barrier from further damage could be an answer.

1) Reduce oxidative stressors by:

2) Protect the skin's barrier by:

• Using a moisturiser with ingredients that can help skin to repair its surface, such as shea butter, ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol

3) Protect the skin from further damage by: