Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2006 | Page 59

HEALTH & BEAUTY

Throwing some light on
common skin problems
Each issue, we focus on some
of the most popular
treatments available at the
Orchard Cosmetic Skin Centre.
This month: using light to
improve skin conditions

Máire Rhatigan

It’s one of the worst nightmares of being a
teenager – but if there’s any consolation for
sufferers, it is that up to 80% of all teens
are afflicted with the dreaded acne at some
time.
The condition develops as the result of oversecretion of sebum, leading to blocked pores
and sometimes, secondary infections of the skin.
This results in the familiar red bumps that can
cause such embarrassment, especially to highly
self-conscious youngsters.
Máire Rhatigan, Consultant at The Orchard,
says: “Acne might seem like a minor issue but
it can be extremely distressing at that sensitive
teenage period of a person’s life”.
She points out that as well as affecting the face,
acne can also appear on the neck and the back.
And whilst the majority of sufferers are in their
teens, the condition also affects some adults –
possibly as a result of hormonal changes or as a
side-effect of using some medications.
The mainstay of treatment for moderate to
severe acne has been medicines taken in tablet
form, which include the antibiotic Tetracycline,
hormone therapy (the pill) or the powerful
drug Roacutane. These treatments can be very
effective, but in the case of Roacutane, can have
unwelcome side effects such as depression.
But now The Orchard is seeing an increase in
demand for its alternative approach – which
involves using intense pulsed light treatments
on the affected area, along with a course of home
care products for the skin.
“The problem with using a medication approach
is that you are treating the whole body with
something just for a condition of the face” says
Máire, who believes that this is one reason more
patients are seeking alternatives.
The light treatment works by killing the bacteria
and reducing sebum production, and when

administered in conjunction with the home care
products, some patients have noted remarkable
improvements in as little as two weeks.
The clinic usually finds that between one and
three light treatments are sufficient to manage
the condition. Light treatment prices start at
£80 depending on the area treated, with a starter
pack of the home care products costing £38.

patients who want to avoid the drug approach
have found relief in the light therapy
treatments, combined with the use of home
care products.
The intense pulsed light can provide
particularly fast results with this condition,
by heat-destruction of the tiny capillary walls
lying just under the surface of the skin.
“The condition arises when these tiny
capillaries become dilated and it’s particularly
distressing when this causes a red nose area”
says Máire.
“Happily, with this technology, it’s a problem
that can now be dealt with relatively quickly”
In addition to treating acne and rosacea,
Intense Pulsed Light is also highly effective
in treating excess body hair, sunspots and sundamaged skin.
You can contact Máire at The Orchard Cosmetic
Skin Centre on 01983 520022You can contact
Máire at The Orchard Cosmetic Skin Centre
on 01983 520022

Rosacea also
responds to light
Meanwhile, the intense pulsed light
treatment is also in increasing demand
for another embarrassing skin condition
– Rosacea (pronounced Rozaysha).
This condition causes intense flushing
of the complexion and the appearance
of thread veins, and sufferers report
that it can often be worse after taking
alcohol or spicy foods, or when they get
overheated.
“It certainly makes people feel very selfconscious and some have even said they
worry that others will think they are an
alcoholic,” says Máire, “which is quite
ironic as many of these people actually
tend to steer clear of alcohol because of
the way it exacerbates the problem”.
Again
there
are
conventional
pharmaceutical treatm