Looking After Your Skin This Year

Rule 1: Recognise the limitations of beauty counters in leading department stores.

Sales assistants in beauty counters can offer some practical device when recommending particular shades of foundation that best match your skin. However at Skin Medical we continually come across patients who have been told their skin is dehydrated and should use the latest and most expensive moisturiser to combat their skin condition by these same sales assistants when in fact the product is actually compounding the patient’s skin issues. At Skin Medical, we are obligated by duty of care to provide the most appropriate advice for our patients and not incentivised to recommend any particular product range. We only stock skin range of products that are clinically proven to work because they have active ingredients. All of our products are only supplied after a full consultation by clinicians and nurses, with many of these products actually requirining a medical prescription.

So next time you are tempted to take advice from a sales assistant ask them to explain what is the active ingredient that your skin needs, and where is the clinical evidence to support the fact that they are recommended product that actually works. Whether you chose to come to Skin Medical or any other reputable skin clinic registered with the Care Quality Commission, remember that if it can be sold over the counter without proper medical consultation or prescription then it will not have ‘active ingredients’ with clinical trials as the UK legislation prevents this.

Rule 2: Beware of clinics that only sell their own brand of skin products.

There is no such thing as a ‘one size fits all product range’ that provides optimum results for all patients. If a clinic does not stock a meaningful but limited range of products then they are probably restricting patient’s choice based on the individual’s needs in favour of trying to maximise their own profit.

Rule 3: Only use named practitioners who are a) Qualified to Prescribe b) Qualified to treat. c) Trained and experienced, and select a clinic that is Care Quality Registered by searching www.CQC.org.uk website then read their latest inspection report.

Rule 4: Beware of clinics offering free consultations as these are likely to be with ‘patient advisors’ and/or clinicians who have chosen to be employed on a commission basis, who may not be offering impartial advice.

Rule 5: Do not feel obligated or pressurised to make a quick decision about product or treatment. The best decisions are often reached after reflecting on what has been said and reading written information provided at time of consultation.