For some people, however, it doesn’t stop there, and more thread veins can appear, until it becomes impossible to keep them under wraps. When this happens, it can cause real problems for those concerned.

Thread veins appear when tiny blood vessels beneath the skin remain dilated and full of blood; these show through the surface of the skin as spidery purple, red or blue lines. They can be terribly noticeable, and if you are using make-up to hide them, make sure you go for high concentrations of pigment so you don’t need too many layers for effective coverage.

Alternatively, you could also consider laser thread vein removal. This approach uses the heat from light energy to denature the cells lining the vessel walls, resulting in the collapse of the vein. As it disintegrates and the body removes the debris from the site, the spidery line will fade from view, allowing you to ditch those concealers!

Apparently, one in three young people in the U.K. now have a tattoo; of these, twenty five per cent will come to regret their decision. That makes an awful lot of unwanted tattoos…

Possibly, the problem is the essential incongruity of young and sometimes impulsive people making decisions that will have long-lasting effects. Fashions appear to have made tattoos an attractive adornment and yet sometimes they can still lead to prejudice and end up being an obstacle both in private and professional contexts.

So, what do you do with an unwanted tattoo? Angelina Joli has reportedly admitted to having a dragon tattoo on her hip that she very quickly realised was a big mistake. She opted to have the offending tat covered with another, and this has proved to be a popular solution.

For some, the first mistake will be enough to put them off tattoos completely. If this is the case for you, then it may be time to consider laser tattoo removal.

Unfortunately, however, this is the best way to make things worse… Spots that are inflamed or infected run the risk of scarring anyway, but squeezing them will only make the scarring even more likely.

When you squeeze or pick a spot, you risk doing further damage by breaking the skin. You may also put too much pressure on an inflamed follicle, causing it to rupture. As a result, infected tissue or waste matter can leak into the healthy surrounding skin making the problem worse.

And when tissue is destroyed, it can’t be replaced; the body will, of course, do its best to repair damage to the skin by producing scar tissue, but the added complication with acne scarring is the likelihood of developing pitted scars.

Make sure you avoid those depressed, reddened marks that can take months to disappear by making sure you learn to resist that temptation and leave your spots alone!

When facial hair growth becomes problematic, however, traditional methods of hair removal are simply not effective enough. Either they cause skin irritation or ingrowing hairs, or they are messy, time-consuming and regrowth needs to be removed frequently.

So, what can you do to tackle the problem of excess facial hair? Ideally, you will want to achieve permanent hair removal quickly, and Intense Pulsed Light treatment can offer just that. Like electrolysis, the treatment is designed to destroy the hair at the root as well as the follicle itself, making regrowth highly unlikely.

Unlike electrolysis, I.P.L. can treat larger areas more quickly as it is not limited to treating hairs individually. When the light is applied to the skin, the darker hairs absorb the light energy which travels down the hair shaft to the root causing instant elimination.

Abnormal hair growth can have various causes: it can be an inherited feature or can be caused by hormonal changes or imbalances. It is a common symptom of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and can worsen with increases in body weight.

So, what can you do about it? Shaving can cause rashes and ingrowing hairs, as can waxing; creams are messy and time-consuming; electrolysis offers great results but can only treat one hair at a time, making treatment lengthy and expensive.

Often, the best option for dealing with excessive hair growth is removal using Intense Pulsed Light Treatment. This approach uses light energy to destroy the hairs at their roots as well as the follicle itself, allowing fast and permanent hair reduction.

If you are struggling to cope with excessive hair growth and are looking for the best laser hair removal London can provide, contact The Laser Treatment Clinic.

Opinions appear to be evolving, however, and it is now thought that certain foods could be having an adverse effect on spots and blemishes.

So, what does this mean for those of us who suffer from acne?

• New opinion concerns what is known as High Glycaemic Index foods such as chocolate, white bread and cereal. Basically, they are processed foods high in refined sugar (check the labels, you may be surprised). Apples are the obvious example of a Low Glycaemic Index food.

• It is thought that if you eat High GI foods, your insulin levels rise, stimulating sebum production (sometimes by as much as 60%). And we all know that more sebum is bad news for acne-prone skin…

• Diets high in refined sugar can also cause levels of proteins that regulate androgen production to fall, resulting in higher androgen levels. If this happens, then (you’ve guessed it) sebum production is boosted.

If you know you have a tendency to eat these types of foods, then why not try substituting them with healthier, low GI alternatives for a few weeks and see what happens?

Acne often causes tissue damage that results in scarring; when inflamed follicles rupture, infection can spread and some skin tissue can be permanently lost. This explains the depressed appearance often associated with acne scarring, while the redness is due to the inflammation caused by infection.

Foundations and concealers can help to hide the scars from view, but for many people this does not offer a satisfactory solution. If this is the case, then it may be worth exploring the other options that are available:

• Microdermabrasion is used to provide a deep exfoliation for the skin using a pressurised stream of tiny medical-grade crystals. The damaged superficial layers are gently and uniformly removed in order to reveal the new, undamaged cells beneath. Skin texture becomes more even, and the appearance of pores and red patches are reduced.

• A laser is then applied in order to stimulate collagen production and the healing process to boost skin renewal.

Before
• Avoid the factors that can cause stretch marks where possible: rapid weight gain or loss, excessive use of corticosteroid skin creams etc. It has to be said that nearly all pregnant women develop stretch marks at some point, so remember to keep it in perspective – you are not alone!

• Moisturise your skin as much as four times a day! A good moisturiser will help to maintain the skin’s moisture levels and keep it supple, while the act of massaging it in will also help to condition your skin.

During
• If they have started to appear already, treating your stretch marks early will provide better results. Try our Rose E Oil for intense hydration and nourishment as well as active ingredients renowned for their impressive healing properties.

After
• Stretch mark removal treatment can help if, despite your best efforts, they are still causing you problems. Removing the upper layers of skin through deep exfoliation can reduce the appearance of the line and improve the skin’s texture.

The current Miss Ireland could now find her hopes of competing in this year’s Miss World competition scuppered because she has a tattoo of a cross-chain on her ankle. Competition rules apparently state that tattoos are not accepted, even if they are small and discreet, or even if they are camouflaged using make-up.

Anyone who finds their ambitions or hopes compromised by a tattoo will be in a difficult position. Tattoos are designed to last a lifetime, but things change and what seemed like a good idea at the time of inkling may later prove to be a significant obstacle, both socially and professionally.

Luckily, laser tattoo removal can offer an effective solution. This type of treatment uses light energy to cause the ink particles contained in the layers of skin to fragment and break down into tiny particles the body is able to remove.

Results are accumulative and also depend on the type of tattoo (professional or amateur) as well as the colours used.

Of course, the easiest way to get around the problem is to adapt the style of swimsuit to the problem. For example, vintage-style swimwear will be popular this year, and many shops will be stocking bikini shorts that are high-waisted and low-legged – the perfect solution if your stretch marks affect your hips and lower stomach.

If you are looking for a longer-term solution then you should consider stretchmark removal. While it may not erase them completely, the treatment can significantly improve their appearance, making them much less noticeable.

The Laser Treatment Clinic uses a combination of microdermabrasion and laser therapy to remove the damaged superficial layers of skin and stimulate skin renewal. The laser also boosts collagen production, ensuring that the new skin has the support and elasticity that was lacking in the stretch marked skin.

Start now, and you’ll be wearing your swimwear with pride this summer!