Dermatologists Wish You'd Stop Doing These Things
There are a ton of bad habits out there when it comes to skincare, but a group of dermatologists recently shared their thoughts with HuffPost about the bad habits they most wish we'd all break.
Stop Following Crazy Trends
"Every day I see patients who have attempted to replicate a skin routing they found through social media," said dermatologist Hysem Eldik. "It's tricky to think that one influencer's routine can work for someone else. Skin is unique, and no two patients are alike." Plastic surgery nurse Tara Adashev tends to agree: "It seems that if it's on TikTok, and it's a skincare trend, it's a 'must try.' Some of these trends are horrible for your skin or aren't individually based."
Dermatologist Naana Boakye recently had a patient tell her that they used deodorant on their face because they saw it on TikTok. "I shake my head and ask why, since the ingredients could possibly cause irritant-contact dermatitis. Just don't."
Stop Over-Exfoliating
"Many of my patients over-exfoliate their skin, either with manually abrasive scrubs or brushes, or with chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid," said dermatologist Courtney Rubin. "Many people incorrectly think that their breakouts and skin issues are due to the skin being 'dirty,' but over-exfoliation often makes things worse because it damages the skin barrier." So how often should you exfoliate? Rubin recommends once or twice a week for most people. "Doing it five to seven times a week can break down the skin barrier, leading to inflammation and redness, burning, stinging, flaking, dryness, and breakouts."
Start Cleaning Your Phone, Pillowcase, and Face Masks
Dermatologist Marisa Garshick implores us to think about cleanliness of things like our phones and pillowcases. "They can accumulate oil, bacteria, and residue from skin and hair products, which can all contribute to breakouts or irritation on the skin," she said. "When patients come in with a rash or breakouts only on one side of the face, it often turns out that's the side they use to speak on their phone, or that they sleep on. That buildup can have an impact on the skin."
Stop Taking Long Showers
Particularly if you suffer from dermatitis, those long, relaxing showers actually might be doing you more harm than good. "Water can cause the skin to be excessively dry," said dermatologist Michael Gold. "I recommend getting in and out of the shower or bath, patting dry, and then applying a dermatologist-recommended moisturizer."
Stop Using Expired Products
"The products are no longer effective, and, depending on the active ingredient, they could potentially cause irritation to the skin past its shelf life," said dermatologist DiAnne Davis. "If products don't have an expiration date, I recommend changing them each season."
Stop Sleeping on Your Side
"Side sleeping is harmful to your skin since it aggravates chest wrinkles and increases sagging on your face and décolleté," said dermatologist Luigi Polla, founder of Forever Institut and Alchimie Forever. "I can tell how a patient sleeps by looking at their facial wrinkles, because they're deeper on the side that's slept on."
Stop Tanning
For dermatologist Hadley King, it's surprising when patients think that tanning is fine as long as they're wearing sunscreen. "There's no such thing as a healthy tan," she said. "It's a defense mechanism that kicks in when the DNA of your skin cells is getting damaged by UV radiation, which leads to increased risk of skin cancer and premature aging of the skin."
Stop Skipping Sunscreen
"One of the most harmful habits I hear about from my patients is skipping sunscreen when it's cloudy," said dermatologist Reid Maclellan, founder and CEO of Cortina and adjunct faculty member at Harvard Medical School. "Sunscreen should be applied every day, rain or shine, because exposing your skin to UV rays can lead to sun damage and skin cancer."
As for dermatologist Rebecca Marcus, she noted another common sunscreen pitfall. "Combination makeup/sunscreen products usually don't have enough sunscreen," she said. "In order to get the full SPF effect that's listed on the label, you'd have to use a much larger amount of product than is typically used for makeup. So it's best to keep your makeup and sunscreen separate, or to use a tinted sunscreen instead."