Hi, doctor. I recently turned 25 and I’ve heard that the body undergoes a lot of changes after 25. I wanted to know how my age would affect my skin now and how can I prevent early signs of aging, wrinkles and fine lines.

Aging is a physiological process so one should welcome it with grace and also on the right time. Yes, 25 years is a great age to start to invest in your skin care products. A good sunblock in the morning and a vitamin C based serum twice a day will do. If you have any specific issues one must cater to those timely. Your skin cells become sluggish at this age. We can also recommend you certain procedures like microneedling, chemical peels and dermabrasions as per your skin’s requirements. We at The Skin Clin customise our clients’ regimes according to their skin type and needs.

My face gets red in the sun, and nothing seems to suit my sensitive skin. What causes sensitive skin and how can I stop this redness? Please note that I do apply sunblock regularly and reapply it too several times. I also keep my skin moisturised and always avoid using harsh products on my face.

There are many factors for the skin to be sensitive. Two main causes are disturbed skin barrier and altered pH. Sometimes it can be caused by rosacea. Look into your skin care regime there must be some problem with that. Some people experience the same after using steroid containing whitening creams for a longer period of time, which happens to be the most common reason in our part of the world. Daily use items like soaps, cleansers, serums and scrubs tend to alter skin’s normal pH, strips off natural oil and moisture from it and damages the epidermal barrier of skin. You must look for fragrance free gentle products which help to maintain your skin’s pH to normal. I would recommend you to try Sebamed range. Also use Be Ceuticals Absolute Moist Serum twice a day. If redness persists try using Rosakalm Anti-redness cream by ACM laboratories.

My hair get oily really soon. I can’t wash them every day as I’ve heard it’s only ideal to wash your hair thrice a week. Please suggest something to prevent my hair getting oily every other day. Also, I wanted to know your opinion on dry shampoos. TIA.

I personally don't believe in washing hair three times a week. Please wash your hair as per need. You can try using Novophane Sebo-Regulating Shampoo. This will cater to your oily scalp by regulating your sebum production. If your hair gets dry, you can apply Fast Conditioner after that to counter the dryness and retain moisture in your hair. As far as dry shampoos are concerned you can use them once in a while, not regularly.

I've been waxing my underarms for years now, but they still tend to get slightly darker in colour (which makes it seem as if I still have hair). I also have tiny bumps that make my underarms skin bumpy. I consulted a dermatologist and he just brushed it off. I really want a smooth and normal skin coloured underarms. Please help me out.

This is a very common complaint I come across after frequent waxing and other modes of depilation. The hair becomes sharper and tough and the skin becomes damaged and dark due to repeated insult and trauma because of waxing and shaving regularly. The best recommendation for you is laser hair removal which also happens to be an ultimate solution. It not only makes your hair thinner with every subsequent session but also rejuvenates and treats your skins pigmentation and eventually very few, fine hair remain after four to five sessions. We will soon be announcing our faboulous discount deals for laser hair removal in December at The Skin Clin. Stay tuned. •