• People can be more genetically predisposed to getting stretch marks;
• They can also be caused by the changes to hormone levels during pregnancy, which can have an effect on collagen production and the elastic capacities of the skin;
• Weight gain is inevitable during pregnancy, and this change in volume is the reason why the skin is put under so much pressure. Excessive weight gain should be avoided, while making sure that nutrition is sufficient for both mother and baby’s needs;
• It is very difficult to prove whether skin products can prevent stretch marks, although there is some argument that ensuring skin is well-nourished and sufficiently hydrated can help it to remain supple. The creams and oils can also help to minimise the itchy sensations caused by stretch marks.
• If stretch marks do appear despite your best efforts, then stretch mark removal can produce great results. A combination of microdermabrasion and laser therapy can remove damaged layers of skin and encourage the production of collagen and new skin cells.

There are those who have a rather cynical view of this lack of research, claiming that the pharmaceuticals that fund a lot of medical research have no real interest to determine a link between the two, as a healthy diet cannot be sold as a pill.

People in this camp often believe that our processed foods and bad eating habits can have an adverse effect on our skin. Too much refined sugar is thought to result in increased insulin production, which, in turn can result in higher levels of male hormones.

In response to these, the body can produce more sebum, which can result in pores becoming blocked and the appearance of more spots and blemishes. It is thought that foods high in anti-oxidants could have a beneficial effect on active acne, while others such as cows’ milk could aggravate the condition.

Any changes to diet should be thoroughly researched and you should consult your doctor. A healthy diet certainly can’t do your skin any harm, but you must ensure you are getting enough nutrients.

• The texture of the skin can change as it becomes thinner and fine wrinkles begin to appear. Bruising and even tearing can be more commonplace.
• Blood vessels can be affected and remain dilated, which makes them visible through the surface of the skin.
• Pigmentation can become uneven, with either darker or lighter patches of skin appearing.
• Moles can also develop on areas of skin that are often exposed to the sun.

While many of these changes may not be dangerous, they can make the skin look considerably older. Sun damaged skin can be treated using microdermabrasion, Intense Pulsed Light or laser treatment to reduce the visible signs of damage and improve the general texture and tone of the skin.

And, as always, prevention is the best approach when it comes to your skin. A sun block will prevent the harmful UV rays from penetrating the skin and causing further damage.

As the light is pulsed, the skin is only exposed to it for very short periods of time, making it safe for the skin tissue surrounding the area to be treated.

Intense Pulsed Light can be used for a variety of treatments:

• Permanent hair reduction
• Rosacea
• Broken capillaries and thread veins
• Birthmark removal – both vascular and pigmented
• Hyper pigmentation – age spots etc.
• Sun damage

It uses the pigmentation of the lesion or hair for a highly focussed form of treatment. Hair and hyper pigmented areas of skin contain more melanin than the surrounding skin, which absorbs the intense light more quickly and heats up. In thread veins, the haemoglobin absorbs the light and causes the blood to increase in temperature.

Once temperatures reach a certain level, pigmentation begins to break down, while cells lining blood vessels or hair follicles are denatured, causing the veins or follicles to collapse. The principle is simple but effective, and can produce excellent results quickly and safely.

Active acne is not always the direct cause of scarring. Picking a scab or spot can actually result in more serious damage to the skin, as it can introduce bacteria to the lesion as well as forcing infection deeper into the skin.

Acne scars are difficult to get rid of. The redness may fade over time, and raised scars may shrink gradually, but tissue loss is permanent. This can make it difficult to conceal scarring caused by acne.

Scar treatment can help to reduce the appearance of acne scars, although it cannot take place until the active acne has been treated and has subsided. The Laser Treatment Clinic offers a combination of treatments to obtain superior results.

Microdermabrasion propels medical grade crystals onto the skin, removing superficial dead skin cells in the process. The new and healthy skin underneath is revealed, with improved texture and tone. A laser is then applied to stimulate the production of collagen and the renewal process.

They are associated with various conditions including pregnancy, rosacea and sun damage. They can also be caused by the long-term use of both oral and topical corticosteroids. As the blood vessels remain dilated, the blood-filled veins can be seen through the surface of the skin as red, blue or purple tiny lines.

Thread veins are generally completely harmless although they may cause problems if you find them cosmetically unattractive. Depending on how extensive they are, cosmetic concealers can be very effective at covering spider veins.

If, however, you are looking for a more permanent approach, then IPL can offer effective thread vein removal. The intense light produced by the IPL device is applied to the affected skin, where it penetrates the superficial layers of skin to be absorbed by the blood in the vessels.

The blood heats up causing the vessel walls to collapse and disintegrate and the thread veins disappear from view.

As the hair root reaches somewhere between 60 and 70°C, it and its follicle are vaporised. Hair growth is permanently reduced by IPL, as the destroyed follicles are unable to generate new hairs. It produces results that are considered to be roughly equivalent to laser hair removal (which tends to be more expensive) and is often referred to as laser hair removal.

The efficacy of any treatment depends greatly on the practitioners carrying it out, so it is of the utmost importance to choose a clinic that boasts experienced and well-trained employees. If you are considering laser hair removal London has plenty of clinics to offer, but you need to make sure that the one you choose is reputable and competent before you trust them with your skin!

These nodules can be painful or itchy as well as unsightly, and they can cause great embarrassment or distress to those who develop them. Anyone can develop keloid scars, although people with darker skin may be at greater risk.

If you are prone to keloid scars it is important to avoid any damage to the skin, and this includes the piercing of ears or other body parts. It can also make surgical scar removal difficult, as surgical intervention can simply serve to provoke the appearance of further keloid scarring.

The Laser Treatment Clinic uses a combination of microdermabrasion, laser and ultra sound treatment to provide effective scar removal treatment. The microdermabrasion propels ultra fine medical grade crystals onto the skin, removing the cells of the superficial layers.

The laser then encourages the skin renewal process and collagen production, ensuring that the healthy new skin growing in the place of the old damaged skin is supple and elastic, with imporved texture.

Both of these ideas are, in fact, not true. Active acne is caused when the skin pores produce excess sebum. As the sebum moves towards the surface of the skin in order to hydrate and protect it, it can pick up dead skin cells and eventually form a plug and block the pore. As sebum production continues, and bacteria on the surface of the skin can proliferate, infection and inflammation can result.

While effective cleansing can keep active acne under control, the skin could be irritated by washing it too frequently. Essential sebum and oils are stripped from the skin, stimulating the production of more, thus increasing the chances of new spots forming. It is preferable to simply wash the face morning and night, making as little contact with the skin as possible, and avoiding friction caused by either a face cloth or towel.