Zoom Face: that feeling you get when you see yourself on video camera and start to notice all the slight imperfections in your appearance.
Prior to COVID, neither you nor anyone else would have noticed these things, but now they are really bugging you and you have to look at them all the time. What can you do? The answer is that you can do plenty and we have some suggestions.
Blemishes
Blemishes caused by spots or even acne are often magnified under a camera lens and our favourite ingredient for sorting these out is tretinoin, a form of vitamin A. Tretinoin works to remove the dead skin cells that block pores and cause spots. It also promotes skin cell growth to produce beautiful, new skin. We like to use tretinoin alongside niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3, which helps to minimise any irritation caused by tretinoin and tighten pores.
Redness
Another Zoom Face worry you may have is that of rosacea, when the skin is prone to flushing and blood vessels may become visible. Not to worry, there are treatments available! Ivermectin is used in the licensed medication Soolantra to treat skin lesions due to rosacea. For cases where redness is the main problem, azelaic acid can be used, such as the gel Finacea. It is possible to compound a customised dose of ivermectin and azelaic acid to treat the specific symptoms of rosacea that present in an individual patient.
Pigmentation
Areas of pigmentation can become more noticeable on Zoom (unless you’ve found the ‘touch up my appearance’ setting!) and our favourite ingredients for treating these include tranexamic acid and vitamin C. In combination, they work to maximise the skin brightening effect and fade out areas of uneven skin tone and discolouration. Tranexamic acid works in a number of different but beneficial ways, such as interfering with the interaction between pigment-producing skin cells and regular skin cells and decreasing pigment production after exposure of the skin to sunlight. Vitamin C is a fabulous antioxidant that helps to prevent melanin production and therefore reducing dark spots. Together, they are completely synergistic.
Kojic acid and hydroquinone are also a great combination for hyperpigmentation. Both ingredients work to control the enzyme that synthesises the skin pigment, melanin and hydroquinone also works to destroy those cells that produce the melanin in the first place. Kojic acid tends to be less irritating than hydroquinone but studies have shown that they work much better in combination that when just taking one on its own.
Fine Lines
Fine lines on your forehead, crinkles by your eyes and mouth, a slight furrow in your brow? These are all early signs of skin ageing. Luckily, there are many options available to halt these in their tracks and restore your skin to its youthful beauty. Prescription-level skincare is by definition more potent than anything you can buy off the shelf and tends to work more quickly. Finding the right dermatologist is key but once you do, talk to them about the range of vitamins, acids, peptides, hormones and collagen that could be combined to create a truly personalised medication by a compounding pharmacy, such as Roseway Labs.