The skin is the largest organ in the human body. It is more or less sensitive and many factors have an influence on its appearance and health. Some of these factors are controllable, such as sun exposure. Others much less, like heredity or hormonal reactions. This is why it is important to know the steps to take to keep your skin healthy in all circumstances.
Invited this Thursday on the program Your Health, co-hosted by Elodie Poyade and Pascal Auclair on BFM TV, the Lyonnais dermatologist Clemmie Martin delivers the good reflexes to have at the dawn of this summer.
What are the tips to remember to prepare our skin for sun exposure?
You can take food supplements sold in pharmacies to help the skin prepare. But ideally, you shouldn’t look for a tan, it’s really not good. So preparing your skin for the sun is already almost a bad term.
What advice for taking no risks when exposing yourself to the sun?
For fair to very fair skin that easily gets sunburned, screen 50 is mandatory. It must be renewed every two hours. If we add clothing protection, such as anti-UV t-shirts or hats, it’s even better. You should also avoid very hot hours and try to swim before 11 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
For skin that tans a little more easily and gets less sunburn, you can switch to a 30 screen and be a little less stressed on clothes. But you still have to be careful, even on very matte phototypes.
Overexposure to the sun can be very dangerous for the skin!
What are the risks of excessive exposure?
There are two types of skin cancer. Rather, intermittent childhood sun exposures predispose to melanoma, which is the most serious skin cancer. Afterwards, we have chronic exposure over the course of life which is cumulative and more insidious. We go get our bread, we spend 15 minutes in the sun. Then we have a coffee on the terrace and another 15 minutes in the sun… It’s a counter that scrolls over the course of life. We are rather exposed to carcinomas over the second half of life, which can also be aggressive.
How to monitor moles?
We should all take a little time once a month in the shower. We look at ourselves in areas: inside and outside of the hands, forearms, arms, etc. You have to work on your visual memory and be able to notice changes at first glance. As soon as you have something evolving, you must consult your doctor and then your dermatologist if necessary.
Acne, the scourge of teenagers, but not only!
How does the acne process work?
Acne appears in adolescence due to hormonal changes. It’s a whole process that begins with oily skin, comedones, blackheads… Afterwards, all of this ignites, which gives rise to large red pimples. It’s a vicious cycle until the hormonal status is rebalanced. Even today, adults suffer a lot from acne. We have almost more requests for care from adults than from teenagers. It is probably related to exposures to endocrine disruptors that make these hormonal disorders persist into adulthood.
In principle, at what age does the acne attack appear?
They say you’re not a teenager anymore at 20, so normally acne should heal by then. But we have a lot of cases in adults. It is mainly women who are affected. Indeed, one in three women retains a tendency to acne in adulthood, sometimes significant. Some will keep it until the menopause, others will heal spontaneously.
Why are we unequal when it comes to acne?
It’s genetic, as usual. It’s a matter of hormone sensitivity. Some patients will have very sensitive hormone receptors and produce pimples, while others will maintain great skin.
Today there are many ways to treat acne
How to treat acne?
There are plenty of treatments for acne today. Patients should not stay with complexing acne because you always end up getting there. There are drugs, lasers, peels… Not all the methods are necessarily the best suited for everyone, but we always end up giving patients beautiful skin.
Do you have any tips for treating acne without going through the dermatologist’s box?
Already, trying to have a healthy lifestyle is silly but important. It is therefore necessary to avoid endocrine disruptors, that is to say processed and very sweet foods. It is better to eat organic and have a healthy diet. Then, you have to have good hygiene locally. We wash our face in the evening only with a suitable foaming gel that we can choose from a pharmacy. We can add to this a pharmaceutical product that we will advise for combination skin with acneic tendency. It can be applied morning and evening. By already doing all this and protecting yourself well from the sun, you improve a third of mild acne. Others will need to consult if this is not enough.
The sun, a false friend of acne?
Yes. The sun has an anti-inflammatory action on the skin. It therefore dries up pimples and calms acne breakouts during the summer. But, the skin thickens after sun exposure. The comedones are trapped again and we have a big rebound of acne after the summer. In addition, if you have small scars, the sun will fix them. So yes, he really is a fake friend.
Is the pill good or bad for acne?
There are pills that treat acne, so they are potentially good and will help cure it. But the vast majority of pills and contraceptives actually make acne worse. There are five or six references that treat acne, but no more.
Should you pop your acne pimples?
You can do it, but you have to be very careful. There are risks of very severe infections in the face. You can pierce a large white pimple gently, with your fingers in a handkerchief. We press gently without forcing, then we disinfect and we don’t touch anymore. It should not be done too often and for all buttons.
TO KNOW
L’Your Health program is to follow every Thursday live at 5:45 p.m. on BFM Lyon. The show is then broadcast on Thursday evenings as well as all weekend in multicast on the local channel.
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