Another in our series of q & a's, this time to do with diet and skin health.

Q: I’ve often heard people say that skin problems, such as acne, can be caused by eating too much junk food. Is this true or is it a myth?

A: Diet is often overlooked, but its effect on the skin is dramatic. While chocolate, crisps and takeaways won’t directly cause you to get spots, your skin is certainly as good as the nutrients you feed it. The dos and don'ts of a healthy skin are simple. Don't eat simple carbohydrates and transfats and do eat a diet rich in minerals, vitamins, proteins and essential fatty acids. As a guide eat a wide variety of vibrantly coloured fresh vegetables, fruits and salads together with oily fish such as sardines, mackerel and salmon and avoid processed foods, white bread and sugary sweets. The occasional treat is fine, but eating things in moderation should ensure your skin retains a healthy balance.

Read more about nutrition for skin.

We are often asked for an acne cure but, unfortunately, there is no such thing. 

Any acne sufferer who has taken advantage of our expert skin health analysis will know that we always take great care to explain the various triggers that cause acne.  Once they understand that a cure for acne does not exist, they are eager to learn how to control the triggers and how to relieve the symptoms.

If you'd like to read more, go to acne cure.

Thanks.

Those of you who have been following the fortunes of our Chester client, Naomi Heap, will know that she won an award at the Top Model UK finals in London and is going on to greater things. 

Part of her plan is to have skin treatment to achieve superior skin texture and skin tone, and she is now well into her acne treatment programme.  She has just recorded this short clip for us.

(click to view Naomi's 'before acne treatment' pix)

This reader's question is a common one we get in the clinics.  Roaccutane had been withdrawn by its makers in the US because of public disquiet about its undesirable side effects.  The good news there are healthy and natural alternative acne treatments!

Reader's question

I have moderate active acne and I wondered what acne treatments you would recommend instead of Roaccutane?

Peter's answer:

Roaccutane is a type of isotretinoin which is a treatment for severe acne. It is associated with a few undesirable side effects and I would strongly advise exhausting the alternatives before considering this treatment.

You must have an expert skin analysis prior to deciding on a course of  treatments for acne.

If your skin is too alkaline you should adopt a home care regime that brings the pH to 5.5 or lower. A slightly acid skin allows the skin’s natural flora to flourish which will suppress the acne bacteria and the severity of the acne will decline.

Chemical peels that incorporate salicylic (such as jesnner ) can be very effective at controlling and reducing acne. They are quick to perform and depending on their strength  are not too uncomfortable. They also require very little downtime and have  little impact on your day to day activities.

Unfortunately acne is still not completely understood and there is not a single treatment that will be effective on all types of acne. Because of this you may have to try several types of treatment before you find one that works for you. It is however better to do this before you consider isotretinoin (e.g. Roaccutane). Most acne will respond to a low pH skincare regime and salicylic based chemical peels so I would always try these options first.

Regular readers will know that Peter answers readers' questions for a Cosmetic Surgery magazine.  Here is a recent one about adult acne.

Question:

I am 35 and have started to see the signs of ageing with tired skin, open pores and lines and wrinkles, but I’m still being plagued by breakouts every month which I’ve had since a teenager.  What  adult acne treatment plan would you suggest ? Is there one procedure that will deal with these very different problems?

Peter's answer:

The first thing you should do is have a skin analysis and checked for sun damage, pH levels and moisture content. 

Once the condition of your skin is determined it will be possible to chose which treatments will be necessary to achieve the skin you desire.

If your skin is too alkaline you are likely to notice an improvement just by adjusting your skin care regime to more acidic (pH 5.5 or lower) products.  This improvement would be aided further by having a course of salicylic skin peels which will help clear the acne and at the same time rejuvenate the skin.

There are a few other treatments such as microdermabrasion which may help with acne breakouts as well as rejuvenate the skin. These treatments are relatively non invasive and require very little recovery or down time, but the most appropriate treatment can only be ascertained after the skin analysis.

Both ageing skin and acne can respond significantly to changes in lifestyle and I would recommend seeing a nutritionist who specialises in skin conditions. A good diet and the correct skin care will enable you to reduce the number of treatments you require as well as get the maximum benefit from them.

Wow what a weekend! Many many congratulations to our acne treatment client, Naomi Heap, for securing the 2nd runner up spot in her category at the Top Model UK finals in London.  Out of 30 finalists this is a fantastic achievement and we were there to see Naomi take the applause.  Pictures and video to follow.

On top of that we were delighted with the response to the inaugural Bare Skin Awards, sponsored by SkinGenesis.  These awards recognised the models in each of the 3 Top Model UK categories with the best natural skin tone, texture and clarity.

The 2010 Bare Skin Awards winners were Helen Macgregor in Runway & Editorial, Rachelle Mooney and Felicity Mason in Commercial (we couldn't choose between them so decided to make the award to both of them!), and Gillian Macpherson on the Classic Category.  Congratulations to all of them and we look forward to helping them prepare their skin perfectly for the many assignments and events coming up in 2010.  

We're very grateful to Andrew Collier Photography and Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics (now stocked at SkinGenesis, incidently) who added their weight to the Bare Skin Awards by donating generous prizes.  

And finally, thank you to all of you who joined in the text vote for Naomi.  While Naomi was pipped to the text vote award, the charity Children with Leukaemia will have benefitted hugely from your interest.  The presentations by the Children with Leukaemia representatives were very moving and it is a very worthwhile charity to have supported.

TOP MODEL UK 2010 is almost upon us! With the glamorous finals being held this weekend in London, we have everything crossed for our gorgeous acne treatment client, Naomi Heap, who, as you will know, is one of the contenders for the ultimate prize in British fashion modelling.

Naturally Naomi is very excited, and this definitely showed as she came to SkinGenesis in Chester for her final acne treatment before the competition. With a radiant glow and beaming smile, Naomi gave us her latest update before the final:

“The competition has come around so quickly and I have had a very busy couple of weeks preparing for it! We received the tickets for all my family to be there with me, to enjoy the show and provide that all important moral support.

“My mum and her partner will be coming along, as well as my two sisters and brother and we’ll be staying in the very swanky Hilton Metropole in London. My Dad will also be coming along with his partner, as well as my grandparents, aunty and cousin – so it’s a real family affair and I feel so lucky to have everyone behind me encouraging me.

“The event is black tie so we have hired the James Bond Tux for my brother and my mum’s partner, while us girls have spent hours shopping for our perfect dresses to ensure that we look a million dollars on the night! I will be wearing a navy blue fitted dress, accessorised with beautiful elegant peacock feathers, which contrast with the colour very well. I just want everything to be perfect!

“And speaking of perfect, I couldn’t be happier with the texture and clarity of my skin. Six months ago, my skin was covered with acne, and I really can’t believe how effective the acne treatments have been at SkinGenesis. When I look back at where I was then and compare it with where I am now, the difference is unbelievable. I am so much more confident and feel satisfied that my skin is clear enough to be able to compete with the other girls in the competition. There’s no reason why acne should hold you back, as there are acne treatments out there that can help. It’s just about taking the initial plunge, just liked I did, and I haven’t looked back.

“Deborah and the team at SkinGenesis are amazing, and I can’t thank them enough for what they have done for me and my career. I would recommend them to anyone.

“Anyway, I’m going to book in for my last few beauty treatments before the competition – wish me luck, and I will be back here next week to let you know how I got on in the big city!”

There’s still time to vote for Naomi in the text vote campaign and help contribute towards CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA, the official Top Model UK charity.

Simply text ‘Model 77’ to 88010.

Each text vote costs £1 per vote + standard network charges and ALL profits from the Text Vote campaign will go directly to the Top Model UK 2010 CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA fundraising. An award will be presented to the highest scoring recipient of votes in each of the three categories.

To find out how we can help you overcome your acne problems, call any of our friendly clinics and we’ll be happy to help.

Chester Clinic                 01244 853802

Leeds Clinic                   0113 244 8999

Manchester Clinic           0161 831 7007

Find out the results of Top Model UK here next week – including the winners of the Bare Skin Awards!

The countdown really has commenced for the UK’s biggest professional model search finals and with only three weeks to go, we find out what Chester’s top model, Naomi Heap, has been up to:

Naomi said: “This week I have been so busy with the preparations for TOP MODEL UK, I’ve barely had time to think! The pressure is really mounting now, but I find that the key is to keep calm and not get too stressed out! So that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

“I had a very enjoyable acne treatment this week with Deborah at SkinGenesis’ Chester clinic. I had another microdermabrasion treatment, which always really effectively settles all the dead skin cells and prevents the pores from becoming blocked. This prevents spots or blemishes developing on my face – not what I need with just three weeks to go. I have also been busy using the at-home skin care products that SkinGenesis gave me, which have really improved the texture and tone of my skin over the last few months.

“Since starting the skin treatments and looking at where I am now, my confidence has soared, which is obviously really important in the fashion industry.

“The organisers of TOP MODEL UK also set out quite stringent lifestyle plans for us in the run-up to the finals, so that by the time the judging takes place, we all give ourselves the best possible chances of winning.

“I’ve been paying very close attention to my beauty regime. I exfoliate and moisturise my body and face regularly to ensure that my skin remains radiant and glowing. And we were also advised to maintain a healthy diet because whatever is happening on the inside always shows on the outside. My meals for the last few months have involved lots of fresh fruit and vegetables to make sure that my skin and body are getting all the vital nutrients that are needed to look fabulous.

“I also enjoyed a bit of pampering this week by having a manicure with the girls at SkinGenesis. I had bio-sculpt gel nails applied and will maintain the manicure in the run up to the competition to keep them in tip-top condition.”

 See also:

Vote for Naomi - Please!

Fashion Model Skin Treatment Diaries: 5 Weeks to go

SkinGenesis Supports Chester Finalist In National Model Search - Feb 10

Read Naomi’s updates every Friday.

We're getting behind local girl, Naomi Heap, in her bid to win Top Model UK in London in March.  Naomi, from Blacon, is already something of a local celebrity as she won the title 'Miss Chester' at the end of last year.

Like most teenagers, Naomi hasn't been able to keep her skin clear of spots and she was told this could affect her chances at the Top Model UK finals.  We're delighted that she came to SkinGenesis for a free consultation, and skin analysis, to find out what could be done and we quickly had her started on one of our acne treatment programmes.

We also offered to help her market herself locally because a very worthwhile charity - Children with Leukaemia - will benefit if we can get lots of people involved.  All people need to do is to text 'MODEL 77' to 88010 before 13th March and that will record as a vote for Naomi.  The texts cost £1 + standard network charges, but remember that ALL profits from the text vote campaign will go the Children with Leukaemia fundraising.

Naomi is a lovely girl and deserves to do well in the competition.  I do hope you can help me 'spread the word' and encourage people to support local girl Naomi and a very worthwhile charity.

With 5 weeks to go until the glitzy grand finale of the much anticipated national Top Model UK competition in London, for which we are sponsoring the ‘Bare Skin Award’, we are following finalist and former Miss Chester, Naomi Heap, as she prepares for what could be her big break in the fashion industry.

Sitting waiting for her next skin treatment in our prestigious Chester clinic in Mollington, Naomi talked us through how she got involved in Top Model UK, and why she approached SkinGenesis to help her prepare for the big city:

“I can’t believe the competition is only five weeks away – there is so much to do before the final, but I’m really looking forward to the event.

“I got involved by signing up to audition in London, which I was really excited about. However as the audition got closer I became unwell, which temporarily caused my skin to breakout into spots quite badly. It really knocked my confidence and I even contemplated not going to the audition, as I couldn’t see how I would ever be considered for the final.

“With the encouragement of my Mum, I regained some courage and simply explained to the judges that my problem skin was due to a recent temporary illness and that some medication prescribed by my doctor was helping to clear up my skin. Fortunately I made it through on the condition that I sort my skin out.

“This is my dream, so that’s exactly what I set out to do.

“As you can imagine, in such a competitive industry, it’s vital that you have great skin. After searching on the internet for an affordable skin specialist, I approached SkinGenesis as they offered exactly what I was looking for – effective adult acne treatments. The medication I was on helped, but it didn’t achieve half as much I wanted it to, and progress was slow, so I booked in for a consultation with Deborah, the clinic manager in Chester.

“She put together a bespoke skin treatment package that would treat both my remaining active acne, as well as the existing scars caused from previous blemishes. We started off with an Expert Skin Analysis, which determined my skin type, moisture content, sun damage and pH, which have helped me choose the right products for my skin. I have since undergone several courses of Microdermabrasion to get rid of all the dead skin cells and avoid further breakouts, as well as one IPL treatment.

“I have also received a gentle vitamin C skin peel, which has benefitted my skin dramatically. I was a bit of a tan-fan in my younger years and used the sunbeds quite a lot!

“All in all I am very happy with the progress we’ve made. By the time the competition comes around, I’m very confident that my skin will be as perfect as it possibly could be.

“I’m really grateful of the help and support I am receiving from the team at SkinGenesis and I have been recommending them to all of my friends! I would definitely recommend it to anyone considering a career in modelling.

“I’m having a microdermabrasion treatment in a moment, but I will be back next week with an update on my competition preparations.”

We'll be keeping track of  Naomi’s progress. These first images were taken before her very first treatment.

Read Naomi’s updates every Friday.