1. What is permanent make-up? Permanent make-up is a cosmetic technique where pigments of mineral or vegetable origin are inserted into the superficial layers of the skin using a vibrating needle [much like what is done during a tattoo]. To give a subtle appearance, the pigment is tattooed superficially in the reticular layer [second layer] of the dermis.
2. What are the treatments done with this procedure? Eye-brows, eye-liner, lip liner and beauty spot are the areas which are usually addressed with permanent make-up.
3. Who is the correct person to administer it? The correct people to administer permanent make-up include dermatologists, cosmetologists, aestheticians or tattooists.
4. How much does it cost in India? The cost of the treatment can vary for the area being treated ranging from INR 5000 – 8000.
5. Is it truly permanent? Though it is termed as permanent, the make-up actually doesn’t remain the way it is forever. With time, the make-up does start to fade or become light with the natural shedding of the skin cells. So, it is actually semi-permanent make-up. It requires periodic maintenance with re-colouring.
6. Does it look natural? Yes, if done under the hands of a qualified and experienced cosmetic physician, the results are such that one wouldn’t be able to make out that it is artificial.In the few weeks following the procedure, the make-up does appear dark, but it soon fades to appear natural over time. However, if you want to retain the dramatic [conspicuous] appearance, that too, is possible.
7. Does the make-up require special care to maintain? No, it does not require special care or specific products to maintain the results. You can continue using the products that you use otherwise.
8. Who shouldn’t opt for permanent make-up? Those who have a tendency of developing keloids [raised pinkish scar tissue at the site of an injury] should ideally not go for these procedures. Apart from them, it is safe for all, including diabetics.
9. How safe is permanent make-up? It’s natural to get concerned about safety since the procedure involves inserting a needle under the skin. However, if done following hygiene and thorough safety measures, the procedure is absolutely safe. That’s why it’s important that you get it done from a skilled person because s/he is likely to follow safe practices.
10. Do any of the procedures hurt? You may experience mild pain, which can be minimised with the help of a topical anaesthetic cream. You can even expect slight swelling in the treated region soon after the procedure, which disappears eventually.
11. Is there a healing/recovery period? The skin is just punctured to inject the pigment and hence heals soon. Moreover, the powdering fades in 4 – 5 days. All this is not visible to the naked eye. Healing time is different for each individual and each procedure. Antiseptic cream should be applied to hasten healing and shorten the recovery time.
12. What are the advantages and disadvantages? The key advantages include: No need for make-up touch ups; good for sports people, especially swimmers, [no worries about ‘sweating-off’ the make-up]; a big relief for those who have motor impairments like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and find it difficult to apply make-up on a day-to-day basis.The disadvantages: Since it is permanent, the procedure is not reversible. So getting it done from someone who is experienced is important. In rare cases, people can develop allergy to the pigment
13. What if I am unhappy with the results? As the colour is implanted in the dermal layer of the skin, it cannot be totally reversible. If you are unhappy with the outcome, do revisit your physician. These procedures have flexibility to allow changing colour and shape to some extent, depending on the expertise of your physician. But once done, it cannot be changed or washed off, unless a laser technique is used. It may take several sessions before the ink begins to visibly dissipate. It is also possible that the darkening of ink can be permanent, especially on the lips. Also, it’s not possible to reverse eye make-up as it is not advisable to use lasers around the eyes, making permanent eyeliner removal a huge risk.

This was first published in the May 2012 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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These help fight against free radicals that build up in our bodies. These free radicals are imbalanced oxygen molecules that seek healthy cells to regain their balance, thus destroying them in the bargain. These free radicals are responsible for premature ageing as well as diseases [as deadly as cancer].

Meet the culprits

Our true skin or dermis is made up of elastin and collagen mainly; elastin providing the flexibility and collagen, the ‘volume or body’ to the skin. The free radicals damage the elastin thus making the skin lose its elasticity and suppleness. Damage to collagen bands make the skin dented, thin and prone to fine lines and wrinkles. It is therefore extremely important to start a crusade against these free radicals thereby increasing our immunity against them.

The other main reason of ageing is when the skin loses its volume and begins to droop and sag, making you look tired and older. Due to loss of volume, you get hollows around the eyes, the apples in the cheeks slide to the jowls [a fold of fatty flesh under the chin], lips get crinkled and inverted, and hands get bony with dry, thin skin and a lot of ropy veins.

Other factors that make you look more wrinkled are being too thin [the body consumes the facial collagen, which makes you look older].

Our lifestyle ultimately determines our health and the degree to which our body ages. Individuals under stress, who lack proper nutrition and who live sedentary lifestyles are unfit, unhealthy and are susceptible to premature ageing and disease. This results in suboptimal appearance and functioning. The body becomes biologically older than its chronological age.

Understand the changes

Some changes that our skin undergoes with with age are:

• Skin becomes rougher.
• Skin develops lesions such as benign tumours.
• The loss of the elastic tissue [elastin and collagen] in the skin with age causes the skin to hang loosely.
• Skin becomes more transparent due to the thinning of the epidermis [surface layer of the skin].
• Skin becomes more fragile. This is caused by a flattening of the area where the epidermis and dermis [layer of skin under the epidermis] come together.
• Skin becomes more easily bruised due to thinner blood vessel walls.

Subcutaneous [below the skin] changes

• Loss of fat below the skin in the cheeks, temples, chin, nose and eye area may result in loosening skin, sunken eyes giving you a ‘skeletal’ appearance.
• Bone loss, mostly around the mouth and chin, may become evident after age 60 and cause puckering of the skin around the mouth.
• Cartilage loss in the nose causes drooping of the nasal tip and accentuation of the bony structures in the nose.

Other changes

Gravity, facial movement and sleep position are the secondary factors that contribute to skin changes. When the skin loses its elasticity, gravity causes drooping of the eyebrows and eyelids, looseness and fullness under the cheeks and jaw [jowls and ‘double chin’], and longer ear lobes.

Facial movement lines become more visible after the skin starts losing its elasticity [usually as people reach their 30s and 40s]. Lines may appear horizontally on the forehead, vertically on the skin above the root of the nose [glabella], or as small curved lines on the temples, upper cheeks and around the mouth.

Sleep creases result from the way the head is positioned on the pillow and may become more visible after the skin starts losing its elasticity. Sleep creases are commonly located on the side of the forehead, starting above the eyebrows to the hairline near the temples, as well as on the middle of the cheeks. Changing sleep position may improve these sleep creases or prevent them from becoming worse.

Dry skin and itching is common as we age. About 85 per cent of older people develop ‘winter itch’, because indoor air is dry. The loss of sweat and oil glands as we age may also worsen dry skin. Anything that further dries the skin [such as overuse of soaps, anti-perspirants, perfumes, or hot baths] will make the condition worse. If your skin is dry and itchy, see a doctor because this condition can affect your sleep, cause irritability, or be a symptom of a disease.

Free the free radicals

Our efforts should be focused primarily in lowering the levels of the free radicals. This can be done by increasing our antioxidant levels. Antioxidants flush away these toxins from our body. They are found in deep coloured fruits and vegetables like spinach, broccoli, carrots, mangoes, papaya and oranges, in their natural form.

Fruits and vegetables containing lycopene such as tomatoes, watermelon, guava, papaya, and grapefruits are also ‘antioxidant-rich’. The richest source of these is wheat grass juice. Supplements of antioxidants are a combination of vitamin A, C, E and minerals such as selenium, manganese, magnesium zinc.

Reverse the process

Thanks to the advancement in medicine, science, technology and biogenetics, that reversing ageing or creating perfection through correction is no more only a dream.

The reversal of the ageing process can start if you:

• Use sunscreens at least 2 – 3 times a day regardless of the SPF.
• Moisturise daily depending on the skin type.
• Regularly apply a night cream that contains skin tightening, skin lightening and hydrating ingredients. It will impart suppleness, radiance and tautness to the skin.

The pattern of ageing differs physically and psychologically in men and women. Men get wrinkles more slowly than women, due to thicker facial skin, more oil glands and slower bone loss. Women start getting wrinkles at an earlier age because of thinner skin and also due to perimenopausal hormonal changes.

A youthful appearance at any age will reflect and reinforce our feelings of inner vitality.

Remember that appreciating the health and beauty of your skin will translate into feeling better about yourself, which in turn will enhance every area of your life. A youthful appearance begins with prevention.

So, enjoy what is bestowed upon you by nature, make the right choices, take proper guidance from experts and show off a healthy, glowing and young skin. After all, you deserve it!

This was first published in the December 2009 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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Listed below are few important ingredients that I recommend to be an integral part of an anti-ageing cream.

Retinyl palmitate

Retinyl plamitate is produced from retinol, which is found in animal fats, fish liver oil and plants that contain beta-carotene. It is actually a vitamin A compound and is best known for its anti-wrinkle effect on skin. Hence, it is commonly termed as ‘the skin vitamin’. Besides fighting the onset of wrinkles, retinyl palmitate disperses pigment, causes regeneration of collagen and is an excellent exfoliating agent. It also has antioxidant and moisturising properties. Due to these beneficial effects, it is a widely used ingredient in skin care and cosmetic products.

Phytic acid

It is a natural plant antioxidant found primarily in bran, cereal seeds, and fruit seeds. It acts as a melanin formation blocker and hence is used as a skin-lighting agent in skin care products. Its antioxidant properties also help reverse effects of ageing.

Ascorbic acid

Ascorbic acid is a form of vitamin C. It is a powerful antioxidant that helps damaged skin to recover and protects it from future damage.

Allantoin

Extracted from roots and leaves of the comfrey plant, allantoin promotes healing. It offers soothing, moisturising and skin softening benefits as well, thus promoting skin renewal. All of this makes it an ideal component of any age-defying night repair cream.

Kojic acid

Besides freckles and melasma, there are many types of pigmentation problems that can be treated and kept under control with kojic acid, a berry extract. It helps by attacking the source of pigmentation by inhibiting the production of melanin [that causes dark patches].

Alpha-arbutin

This ingredient is sourced from the leaves of berry shrubs. It can also be obtained from most types of pears. It is faster, safer and more efficient than hydroquinone, kojic acid or beta arbutin. It blocks epidermal melanin production leading to skin lightening and also reduces the degree of skin tanning after sun exposure. Over time, it smoothes the skin’s appearance.

Glycerine

It is a humectant that helps keep the skin hydrated by attracting water to it. It is found in vegetable and animal lipids. It maintains the water balance in the cells, helping regulate the skin’s homeostasis. This moisturising effect gives the skin a supple appearance.

Glyceryl stearate

It is a wax-like chemical product manufactured from glycerine and stearic acid. It forms a barrier on the skin and limits the amount of moisture loss. Moreover, it offers protection from free radicals that accelerate ageing.

Azelaic acid

It is used to treat acne, but is also known to be effective in skin discolouration. It reduces the growth of the keratin surface skin cells that can
block pores, thereby helping skin rejuvenation.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide protects the skin against pollutants and other irritants—the external culprits in ageing. Research has proved that niacinamide can reverse some visible signs of ageing. These include wrinkles, visible pores, dark spots, uneven texture, redness, loss of moisture, lines and hyper-pigmentation.

Tocopheryl acetate

A form of vitamin E, this ingredient protects your skin against damage from UV radiation. It is also said to encourage cell regeneration, wound healing and improve skin’s surface.

That said, apart from topical creams and anti-ageing treatments, it is important to follow a healthy exercise and diet routine. Supplement your diet with the correct nutraceuticals. Lifestyle choices make all the difference when it comes to looking and feeling your best.

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1. Thick creams hydrate better

Thick creams cause dead skin cells, make-up and other dirt and grime to gather and clog the pores. This prevents the cream from penetrating deeper into the layers of the skin and doing its job. Instead, you can try serums that contain active ingredients such as retinoic acid and kojic acid along with other useful ingredients. These help in collagen regeneration and skin lightening. Such serums can be used in combination with other hydrating agents to nourish the skin.

2. Oily skin doesn’t need a moisturiser

The winter weather doesn’t spare anyone and all skin types are subject to drying in this season. Those with oily skin types just need to know the type of creams to use. Rather than using rich creams that may further aggravate problems on an oily skin, use water-based gels or lotions.

3. Exfoliating in winter worsens dry patches

Exfoliation always regenerates the lower layers of the skin and helps hydrate the skin. The dry patches in fact, appear better after exfoliating the skin. Use hydrating agents like lotions or creams immediately after. This will help penetration of their active ingredients better.

4. Applying a lot of lip balm prevents chapped lips

Loading your lips won’t help if you use the wrong products. In particular, refrain from using petroleum jelly-based products; they create an artificial layer on the lips that causes the body to stop producing natural lipids that keep the lips hydrated. Similarly fragrant, flavoured and coloured lip balms may also be ineffective. Look for balms that contain cocoa butter or other such deep hydrating agents.

Also avoid licking your lips; it causes them to dry further. Each time the saliva dries up, it also takes some moisture from within the lips with it. To remove flaky skin from the lips, rub a wet toothbrush over the lips.

5. The steamier your bath water in winter, the more it will moisturise your skin

Hot showers may feel good, but they actually dry your skin. It causes the blood vessels under the skin to dilate, which results in loss of moisture. If you like to have hot showers during winter, limit the duration to about 3 – 5 minutes and don’t use harsh soap. Also, after your shower, gently pat your skin dry and don’t rub it with a towel. Then, apply moisturiser while the skin is still damp as the open pores allow for deeper penetration and hydration.

6. In winter, you don’t need either water or sun protection

Our body’s water needs remain the same, irrespective of the outside climate. And for the skin, just external hydration isn’t enough, drinking water is also essential. Just as the body needs water, our skin too needs to be protected from the sun. Irrespective of its SPF [Sun Protection Factor], make sure you re-apply the sunscreen every few hours as it can fade away with sweat. But for the winter months try finding a sunscreen with a moisturising effect for 2-in-1 action.

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