Dr. Shilpa Sharath Kumar

What you see here is photoaging !
Why is there a difference between the left and right side ? Because this person is a truck driver, he has accumulated a LOT of UVA rays through the window of the truck. This proves that the suns rays does pe*****te the glass window and hence sunscreen is mandatory even if you are indoors but have glass windows.
So please wear your sunscreen at all time !

How to slow down ageing ?

The term anti-ageing has kind of become obsolete, as we cannot really reverse ageing. What we can definitely do is slow down the process of ageing by following simple steps.
Home care: 1. Sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen- the single most important product to include in your skin care routine
2. Using antioxidants like Vitamin C
3. Retinol night creams (from mid or late 20s)
Supplements: 1. Collagen
2. Omega 3 or fish oil
3. Glutathione
4. CoQ10
5. Astaxanthin
In-clinic treatments: 1. Chemical peels
2. Laser toning
3. Ulthera, Forma - collagen boosting non invasive therapies
4. Morpheus, In mode skin tight - mildly invasive collagen boosting therapies
5. Botox, threads - as per requirement

Consult your friendly neighbourhood dermatologist to know where you stand in your ‘skin’ ageing situation. 🤓

Start your journey towards youthful skin NOW !

Treating melasma is a challenge on its own !
Here is a young patient of just 26yrs, struggling with melasma since 3yrs. The first pic is before the start of treatment and the second pic is after just one session of combination peel.
DM for more info.

SKIN CYCLING

It’s a term coined by Dr. Whitney Bowe which involves cyclically using an exfoliator and retinoids with recovery days in between. This is the most hyped trend of 2022, but I also feel it’s the most unnecessary skincare trend.
The reason I personally find it unnecessary is because:
1. Skin care requires consistency to see results
2. The recovery days may lead to relapse of the skin condition we are trying to treat with retinol (like acne/comedones)
3. It can only be useful for those who are introducing retinol into their routine but not veterans
4. Change is routine can cause confusion if products to be used
I prefer to give my patients a good fool-proof routine which is simple and easy to stick to.

These are some of the products you can purchase online during this sale season. All of them are tried and tested products, but be sure to consult your Dermat to find out which will suit your skin type.
Happy holidays 🎄🎅🎂

MILIA
Milia are small cysts that contain keratin. They appear as tiny pearly-white bumps under the skin which don’t seem to go away. Predominantly seen on the eyelids and cheeks. It can appear on the neck and other parts of the body as well. They may stay on for months or disappear within weeks on their own.
Milia are harmless and one may seek medical help only for the cosmetic reasons.
Chemical peels and dermabrasion help only to an extent whereas de-roofing and removing the contents manually, cryotherapy and curettage offer permanent solution. Using topical retinoids may help prevent recurrence.

Melasma

Often called “mask of pregnancy” (due to high oestrogen and progesterone) but it is also usually seen in peri-menopausal women. But now a days early onset melasma (age group 20-30) is a common finding. Stress, usage of OCPs, use of retinoids and increased exposure to UV rays could be a few of the offending agents.
Early onset melasma is somewhat easier to treat but unfortunately recurrence is unavoidable. One will have to maintain with sunscreen and skin lightening agents, so a constant follow up with a dermatologist is must.
For the above client we have done a combination of medium dept peel and Q-switch laser to achieve the results. Pics have been taken 2months apart.

SCAR MANAGEMENT

This young girl came with a scar post dog bite near her mouth. Wound healing was managed for 25days and post which a clean scar was left behind as you can see in the first pic.
A combination of medium depth and deep peel was done for a total of 3 sessions with one session of micro-needling to achieve a more even skin tone and texture.

Supplements to take during winter ❄️ to maintain skin and hair health:

1. Collagen: it is a major component of the skin and plays a role in strengthening, hydrating and maintaining elasticity of the skin. Oral collagen supplements boosts skin hydration and hence combats dryness during winter.
2. Fish oil and Omega3: both these help maintain skin hydration by improving skin barrier and hence preventing water loss. They also reduce skin inflammation.
3. Vit D3: to maintain overall skin and hair health.
4. Vit C: the anti-oxidant property decreases cell damage and helps heal skin. It plays a role in collagen synthesis and hence improves skin hydration as well.

Try to incorporate foods rich in the above ingredients to maintain good skin and hair during the colder months. Do not forget to apply sunscreen !

Another day..another eyebrow

Microblading of eyebrows
Many of us fill our brows with pencil or shadow to give it a shape we desire, but it often looks artificial and odd. Eyebrows give a shape to our face and also tells the age of the person. Microblading gives a very natural appearance and we choose the shape, thickness and colour to suit you.
Pic (top to bottom): 1. Eyebrows filled with pencil
2. Natural eyebrows
3. Immediately after microblading

My personal fav serums:
Serums offer a more powerful dose of active ingredients than cleansers and creams. Some of them are beneficial when used in the morning while some others are to be used at night. Serums need to be applied after cleansing the face and patting dry.
Morning:- Vit-C serums are beneficial when applied in the mornings before applying sunscreen, it can be used in the night as well (I personally use it only during the day). It’s a potent antioxidant, it boosts collagen production and evens out pigmentation.
Night:- Vit-K serum for under eyes (can be used in the morning as well but I personally use it at night), it’s a very potent ingredient for combating dark circles and puffy eyes.
Azelaic acid: It is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. Due is it versatility it helps reduce acne and promotes skin lightening. It is meant to be used at night, all over the face and neck.
Make sure to buy serums from reputed brands, with good sturdy packaging and with appropriate ingredients. The image above shows some of my favourite brands of serums.

Actives in Acne
Acne is a multi factorial condition which needs a spectrum of treatments. But a good skin care routine using active ingredients will help in management. Here are some compounds which will help:
Benzoyl Peroxide: it helps by destroying acne bacteria and also helps to exfoliate the skin
Salicylic acid: it acts as an exfoliant and also prevents clogging of pores
AHA (Glycolic acid and Lactic acid): helps recuse inflammation and facilitates skin turn over
Vitamin A derivatives: unclogs pores and reduces oil production
Azelaic acid: it is antibacterial and also anti inflammatory
Vitamin C: it has anti-oxidant property and also helps in management of post-acne pigmentation
Niacinamide: decreases inflammation and redness, it also reduces oil production
You can look out for these ingredients while buying products OTC to combat acne. But please do remember that it might take up to 4wks before you see results. Some of the above mentioned ingredients are unstable and photosensitive, so consult a dermatologist to know how and when exactly to use products containing the above ingredients to the best of their ability.

DARK CIRCLES
This is one of the most common condition people experience, both young and old. It gives a fatigue appearance making the face look dull and lifeless. There are different types of dark circles depending on what is the underlying problem.
1. Hypertrophic: The hypertrophy of the muscle underneath (palpebral part of Orbicularis Oculi muscle) will form a bag under the eye casting a shadow.
2. Pigmented type: Increased melanin pigment with or without prominent vessels under the skin.
3. Sunken: The area appears dark due to the shadow effect because of fat and collagen loss. Some may even genetically have sunken eye socket.
4. Combination: Where two or more reasons precipitate the dark circles.
The treatment will depend on the cause and severity of the dark circles. The options rage from serums and creams to fillers and fat transfer. This will be discussed in the next post…

5. Do we need to wear sunscreen to bed ?
NO. Although there is a new trend going on called ‘moon screen’ and we can see YouTubers and Instagrammers wearing sunscreen as a part of their night time routine, it is absolutely not necessary to do so. It would just clog your pores and probably lead to white heads/ black heads and even acne. So as your night skin care routine use a good cleanser (double cleansing is preferred) to get rid of all the dirt and creams, and use god skin care products meant for over-night use.

4. Do we need to wear sunscreen when indoors ?
YES. 75% of the UV-A rays can actually come inside through the window glass. These rays pe*****te deeper into the skin and it can lead to skin ageing by destroying collagen. Indoor lighting (halogen bulbs emits both UBA and UVB) also can produce free radical damage to the skin cells over time. So wearing sunscreen indoors can help prevent photo-ageing.

3. How to reapply sunscreen over makeup ?
The best way to start off is by using a very good base sunscreen (double layer) with high protection. Your makeup (with added SPF) can go on top of this. Throughout the day you can touch this up with a BB or CC cream with sunscreen or use a powder with SPF or even a spray on sunscreen will be beneficial. This would be when you are primarily indoors all day, but if you are outdoors you would need to reapply a full layer of sunscreen.

2. How much and how often ?
The above pic is self explanatory. Another tip would be to layer the sunscreen (the same sunscreen). Apply 1/2 to 3/4th the quantity first and after 5-10mins go over the area with the remaining amount. This doesn’t double up the protection but it will prevent skip areas.
If you are outdoors reapplying is a must every 2-2.5hrs. While playing a sport you might have to reapply every 1.5-2hrs. This rule applies to water proof sunscreen as well. But if you are indoors you can reapply every 3-4hrs.

1. Does sunscreen make your face sweat more?
NO. Sunscreens don’t make u sweat more than usual. On the other hand the film it forms on your skin might prevent/delay the drying off of the sweat on your face, so you might ‘feel’ sweatier. Which in turn can make u feel hot because it’s the evaporation of sweat which actually cools your skin. This is most often seen with physical/mineral sunscreens and less in chemical sunscreen.
So what you can do is switch to more gel like formulas, and if you still do sweat just dap it off with a tissue. But do not forget your sunscreen !! ☂

SUNSCREEN SERIES
Will be answering FAQs in this series relating to sunscreen. If you have any more questions please drop a DM or comment below :) ☀️

Eyebrow Microblading

All cosmetic procedures need not end up looking artificial/made-up. Cosmetic procedures help you ‘enhance’ your beauty to make you feel more confident.
Eyebrows frame your face, complete your look and also help u express 😉

To know more about eyebrow-microblading drop a DM.