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Journalism of Courage
Why creams that promise to zap acne or make dark circles disappear may not be of much help
Every minute or so there is an advertisement on television that promises to make your dark circles disappear, make acne vanish or make you look younger. These non-prescription cosmetic products that are just as glamorously packaged as the celebrities that endorse them are easily available at every drug store. However,they may not be the best thing for your skin doctors say.
Considering the amount of skin products that are available in the market today,not one person would suffer from skin problems if these ads were true, says Dr Rajiv Sekhri,consultant,dermatology,Fortis,Noida. While these cosmetics divide the human skin into three typesoily,dry,combinationdoctors say that no two skin-types are the same. For instance,your skin may be oily but an acne product made for oily skin may not suit your skin type.
The creams that a dermatologist would prescribe are always marked fragrance-free or without perfume to indicate nothing has been added to make it smell good. This means that they will not have an allergic reaction, says Dr Sekhri.
Another popular product on sale is the under-eye creams that promise to erase dark circles and fine lines. But the fact is there is no sure shot way to get rid of dark circles. Dr Nina Madnani,senior dermatologist,P. D Hinduja Hospital,Mumbai says,There are several reasons that can cause dark circles. You should identify the cause before you look for the specific treatment. They can be caused due to the persons constitution where there is darkening around the mouth and eyes. The other causes can be allergies,scrubbing the skin and causing pigment deposit,lack of sleep,hormonal cycles or ageing which causes thinning of the skin and the blood vessels below the skin can be seen.
The same holds true for acne too. You have to make sure the formulation works for you. It depends on the cause of acne. Most pimple zapping creams have low concentrations of salicylic acid etc. which may reduce the intensity of the inflammation. The treatment depends on the cause of the acne,in most cases it is hormonal, says Madnani. So,if you want to get rid of those dark circles or wrinkles,the best thing to do is to visit a dermatologist. Skin conditions are very sensitive and should be dealt with a lot of care. One bad product and you could end up with a worse skin, says Dr Sekhri.
