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5 Hot Skin-Care Trends to Avoid Like Fire

In this era of social media, the latest trends in skin care can get hot fast. In some cases, their rapidly spreading popularity can outpace sound medical advice. Here are five hot skin-care trends that you should avoid if you care about the health of your skin.

1. Peel-Off Face Masks Can Damage Your Skin

They seem like a great idea, and their marketing can make them sound miraculous. You apply the mask and when you peel it off it lifts out the impurities in your skin. In fact, the masks often remove the top layer of your skin, which can injure it, especially with repeated use. And they often leave the dirt in your pores that you are hoping to get rid of. Some even introduce muddy particles into your pores, making clogging worse.

Our advice? Avoid peel-off masks. There are better ways to clean your skin without damaging it. 

2. Natural Oils Aren’t the Best Moisturizers

With the trend toward using natural versions of everything, many people have taken to using the oils they have in their kitchen as facial moisturizers. It’s not a good idea. Many oils can clog pores and aggravate acne. Some can irritate sensitive skin. So save your natural oils for cooking, and use a facial moisturizer — a cream or a lotion — to hydrate your skin.

3. Toners Can Dry and Irritate Your Skin

Toners can make your skin feel fresh and clean. Unfortunately, that cool sensation is often the result of the alcohol in the toner evaporating from your skin, and taking moisture with it that your skin needs to be healthy. Instead of helping your skin, toners tend to dry it out.

When used to treat acne, where removing excess oil seems like a good outcome, toners are often counter-productive. In response to the toner treatment, the skin may increase oil production. If you are looking for an effective treatment for acne, skip the toner and get recommendations from a dermatologist. 

4. Do-It-Yourself Skin Care Can Be Dangerous

It’s easy to find do-it-yourself skin-care treatments on the internet these days, and more and more people are trying them. A quick search will turn up everything from home-made masks and moisturizers to serums that are supposed to help your skin. The result? Doctors are treating more and more people with chemical burns and other skin damage from home-made treatments. 

Don’t believe everything you read or watch on the internet. Talk to a dermatologist for guidance on skin-care treatments that work, and buy products that have been shown to be safe and effective.

5. Get Cosmetic Treatments from Qualified Professionals

Chemical peels and even injectable skin treatments are sometimes administered by people without the medical training to use them safely. Mishaps by beauticians and other non-medical practitioners can result in injury and other unpleasant outcomes. If you are considering a cosmetic procedure, go to a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon. In the hands of a skilled doctor, the right cosmetic procedure can make you look wonderful.  

Dr. Malena Amato, M.D., is a board-certified eyelid and facial plastic surgeon in Austin, TX. Contact her office today for a consultation to find out how medically tested and approved cosmetic treatments can enhance your appearance.