Skinrepublic

Dear Dr. Jen,

I am 52 years of age and I have wrinkled, sagging skin on my hands.  I have tried different kinds of lotions but it still didn't work.  A lot of friends have been asking me why I have old-woman's hands.  What can you recommend?  Is botox alright for this?

                                                                Elena

Dear Elena,

We are often diligent in using sunscreen and anti-ageing products on our faces but neglect attention to our hands.  This is why sometimes our hands can age faster than our face.  While fillers can help plump up the area between the bony surfaces, botox will not help you in this case. 

What may help is the use of radiofrequency or CACI for tightening.  You can also get rid of liver spots with the use of some lasers.  You may need to augment the procedures by using maintenance sunblock and moisturizers.  Moisturizers that may work for you are those that contain glycerin, alpha-hydroxy acids, retinol or vitamin C. 

Dear Dr. Jen,

I applied tea tree oil to a pimple and it became purplish-red in color.  How can I not make it worse?  Is it possible to be allergic to tea tree oil even though it is a natural product?

                                                                Mena

Dear Mena,

Technically, no matter how "natural" a product may occur, we can still develop allergies from it.  This is especially applicable to products that have not been tested for allergenicity.  That being said, it looks like tea tree oil may have caused an irritant contact dermatitis on your pimpled skin.   The tea tree oil concentration may have been too strong, or the vehicle of the tea tree oil may have caused the reaction.  The best home remedy you can use is application of ice compress on the area and cortisone cream.  Do not pop the pimple since this may cause scarring.  You can have it checked by your PDS dermatologist to be sure.

Dear Dr. Jen,

I picked on a pimple on my face that scabbed. I panicked when I saw a huge hole underneath the scab.  Will this cause a scar?

                                                                Josie

Dear Josie,

Forcing a scab to fall off by picking on it is one of the surest ways to get a scar.  You will either get a crater-like hole or a dark scar on that pimple, or worse you can get both.  There is little you can do at this point except to moisturize properly and use sunscreen to prevent darkening of the pimple.  If the area is still inflamed, you might be able to lessen the damage by getting a cortisone injection. 

To prevent it from happening again, if you have a new pimple and can't get to your dermatologist, you can do one or all of the following:  apply cold compress, drink aspirin, or apply benzoyl peroxide or retinol-based cream.  Lastly, stop staring at the pimple and just simply wait for it to subside on it's own.  If you apply every anti-acne cream in the market on that poor pimple, you can cause more harm than good.

If you have any questions or concerns please text, email or call (the Freeman or PSH): 0932 857 7070 or <[email protected]> or (032) 233 8620 or 232 5929. Your inquiries will be forwarded to Dr. Tan.

Dr Tan is a diplomate of Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS). She is affiliated with Perpetual Succour Hospital (PSH).  For other information on PDS, check http://www.pds.org.ph/.