Yesterday, in her new programme “van den Elsen wacht op antwoord”, my namesake Jetske van Elsen went in search of the truth behind the anti-wrinkle cream. She also paid me a visit to ask a few questions.
I have already written about the difference between men’s and women’s skin. Because they have more sebaceous glands their skin is more oily than that of women’s. Alongside this men have more collagen, elastin and sebum/hair follicles which “support” the skin. This makes men’s skin also slightly thicker (as if we didn’t already know that…:-)). Because the framework of the man’s skin is stronger, wrinkles and sagging skin take longer to appear. Not fair but true!
A lovely cappuccino, cafe au lait or just a nice cup of coffee. It is the reason for me, instead of an extra 5 minutes in bed, to get up in the morning! And since I have read that caffeine contains many positive properties, that cup of coffee tastes even better…
New products with the most spectacular ingredients are continually being introduced onto the market. And “the more expensive the better” is what the cosmetic industry will have us believe.
Last week I told you about how I came back from my skiing holiday with an over brown face and two white sunglasses eyes. This illustrates again how difficult it is to protect yourself properly against the sun.
I’m a bit later than normal with the piece for the blog this time, because I’ve been away! Last week I attended the yearly congress of the American Association of Dermatology (AAD) in New Orleans.
It is not easy convincing people that creams cannot get rid of existing wrinkles. No matter how expensive a cream is, we can do no more than make fine lines (temporarily) less noticeable. As yet, there is only convincing evidence that vitamin A acid (available on prescription), after prolonged use, has a somewhat rejuvenating effect.
A lily white skin. You can find many stories in history books about this ‘ideal’. It was not only in the Georgian times, when wigs and white faces were fashionable, that people strived for a pale smooth face, but even long before this.
One in five consultations with the Cosmetic Dermatologist is about pigment spots. Pigment spots can be stubborn and can make you look (maybe even more so than wrinkles) older than you actually are. If you see all the “enlightening” products available on the shelves you ‘ll be fooled into thinking that these annoying spots are simple to get rid of.
Last week my husband went on an annual trip with his “old” student friends. On his return (because, of course, we missed him so much…) the kids were waiting by the door to greet him with their banners, drawings, practiced dance routines, etc. When he eventually arrived home the children didn’t gave all their usual screams of joy. It was only our eldest, after a few minutes of silence, who dared to make the remark: “Papa you’re so red”. It turned out he’d spent a day on a sailing boat and hadn’t noticed anything due to the cold wind. Seriously burnt! After some harsh remarks (I write about the dangers of the sun daily, and this happens…) I did give him a few tips.