Madeeha Syed

Layering skin care products enables active products to penetrate your skin and fix skin issues. Learn the order of applying skincare at Meri Sehat.

How To Layer Skincare?

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Everything You Need To Know About Getting (And Removing) A Tattoo!

Overview

Tattooing is the process of etching designs on your body via the insertion of pigments, inks and dyes. This practice is as old as civilisation itself and actually dates back to 6,000BCE. Some reasons people get tattoos are artistic expression, religious or cultural reasons, sentimental reasons. Nowadays, however, it&rsquo;s mostly a matter of self-expression.

The first modern tattoo machine was modelled after Thomas Edison&rsquo;s engraving machine. Nowadays, the most commonly used tool is an electric tattoo gun that has a single or multiple needles that deliver the pigment inside the skin.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Tattooing

Our skin has three layers, epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. The pigment or ink is inserted into all three layers. Why doesn&rsquo;t the skin try to expel it? Surprisingly, this works because of our <a href="https://merisehat.pk/article/how-an-over-prescription-of-antibiotics-affects-your-immune-system" target="_blank">immune system</a>.&nbsp;

During the process of tattooing, the tattoo needle punctures our skin somewhere from 50 to 3,000 times. This is obviously traumatic along with the fact that it deposits a foreign substance within the layers of the skin. This elicits an immune response which sends macrophages &mdash; white blood cells that work to eat up any foreign substances or pathogens that might enter the body. Once ingested, these substances will be broken down.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

What happens with tattoo ink however is that it&rsquo;s not biodegradable so even though the macrophages pick it up, they can&rsquo;t destroy it, they just pack it in tiny little bags and that&rsquo;s how the inked structure stays intact on our skin.&nbsp;

What happens when these cells reach the end of their life? They release the ink and new macrophages come and engulf it to keep it going. This happens so fast that to the naked human eye it all looks permanent. Some of the ink also gets suspended in the <a href="https://merisehat.pk/article/collagen-the-secret-to-healthy-skin-hair-and-bones">collagen </a>network while some is eaten up my fibroblasts.&nbsp;

It takes two to four weeks for the skin to completely heal from this process during which the damaged outer layers flake away and new cells come up. These fade overtime owing to the fact that some of the released ink upon cell death ends up in lymphatic vessels (lymph node biopsies on tattooed people have shown ink particles). Ultraviolet light also breaks it down.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>The pain experienced during the process of tattooing depends on your own tolerance. The process can either be mildly discomforting or excruciatingly painful.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Getting a tattoo may result into an infection or an allergic reaction (blue, red dyes especially) or a scar (keloids). However, when strict safety and health precautions are followed this risk can be eradicated. Red Cross and OSHA even provide blood-borne pathogen training to tattoo artists.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Some tattoo inks have trace amounts of nickel in it, this might trigger a metal allergy.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The rapid insertion of needle might rupture tiny blood vessels in the skin leading to the formation of a bruise.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>If your artist doesn&rsquo;t make sure the needle is clean you can end up with viral infections. So always go to a certified tattoo parlor where all rules and guidelines are followed.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Ensure good hygiene is being maintained by your tattoo artist, aprons, protective equipment for eyes and gloves are being worn.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Some artist will make you sign a consent form that highlights any complications and methods of aftercare.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Sun protection becomes even more important than it normally is once you get a tattoo. So, make sure you wear an SPF 50+ daily.</li>
	<li>Certain colours might be more harmful, such as red, pink purple and orange. Try not to go for lighter colours and opt for the classic black tattoo.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Last, but not the least, excess weight gain or weight loss will cause your tattoo to change shape as well.&nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

This begins as soon as your tattoo artist finishes your tattoo. They will apply an antibiotic ointment and a bandage on top which you need to keep on for a few hours to ensure absorption of both the ink and the antibiotic.&nbsp;

Once a few hours have passed, you can wash the area with soap and warm water and moisturise it. It&rsquo;s normal for the skin to be a little red and sore at this point. During the healing stage make sure you cover it up with sunscreen and light clothing. Wear light clothes over the area and avoid scratching it or going swimming. If there are any symptoms of an infection get it checked immediately.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

As the area heals you will notice thin scabs forming over it, it&rsquo;s important to not disturb this natural healing process and just make sure you keep it clean and continue to normally wash the skin. You can apply moisturiser to relieve the itching and these scabs will eventually fall off on their own within two weeks or so while the redness will also go away.&nbsp;

If this doesn&rsquo;t happen then you might need to get it checked. Some people use coconut oil as well and some prefer to dry heal, but it&rsquo;s important that you do what you can to ensure there&rsquo;s no scratching or infection.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Bottom Line

Let&rsquo;s say for some reason, you change your mind about your tattoo, there are methods by which you can get rid of it. Older tattoos, tattoos on the upper body and tattoos with black ink are the easiest to remove. Lower extremity and new tattoos made with bright colours are harder to remove.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Laser Removal :&nbsp;This is the new gold standard for tattoo removal. It&rsquo;s also the most common method and has replaced all previous methods of tattoo removal. It&rsquo;s easier to perform with darker colours like black or blue and the results depend on skin colour and depth at which the ink was inserted.&nbsp; 
	It will require multiple sittings and will take around seven weeks or more to complete. It rarely results in scarring but if you&rsquo;re someone with a history of keloids or get scarred easily then you might benefit from more spaced out sessions.&nbsp; 
	 
	Laser fractions the tattoo particles stored in the macrophages into smaller pieces over time and they are then eventually washed away by the body. This process is called Selective Photo-thermolysis &mdash; which translates to using light to heat up ink in order to break it down. The process might be uncomfortable but is fairly tolerable since numbing cream, local anaesthesia with lidocaine or cooling agents are used beforehand and the process is fast. One doctor even came up with the method of firing laser through a microscopic glass slide instead of directly at the skin in order to effectively reduce the pain/discomfort. 
	Some redness swelling, change in skin pigmentation, texture, paradoxical darkening (with lighter colours) and pinpoint bleeding is common. There&rsquo;s no need for any creams or antibiotic ointments since the process is completely sterile. 
	&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Removal By Replacement:&nbsp;This is still very commonly used where an older unwanted tattoo is &lsquo;covered up&rsquo; or modified into a new one. It&rsquo;s important to note that it will require a darker colour to be used.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Some older methods of tattoo removal were mostly mechanical and came with increased risk of irritation and scarring. These included:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Trichloroacetic acid (burns the skin off)</li>
	<li>Sal-abrasion (scrubbing the skin with salt)</li>
	<li>Cryosurgery</li>
	<li>Excision</li>
	<li>Tannic acid&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Garlic&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Lemon juice</li>
</ul>

And believe it or not, some tattoos, especially those on the hands, fade by themselves over time.&nbsp;

Dr. Safia Mehmood

A Basic Skincare Guide For Men

Basic skincare is gender neutral: cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturise. But since men have more testosterone in their bodies, male skin tends to be thicker and oilier. This texture slows down the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, which means that men have a reduced need to apply <a href="https://merisehat.pk/article/collagen-the-secret-to-healthy-skin-hair-and-bones">collagen synthesisers</a>, such as retinol, but an increased need to exfoliate and cleanse. 
&nbsp;

Skincare Guide for Men

The primary form of skincare for men is actually hygiene maintenance.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>A good quality cleanser will clean up the top layer of the skin;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>An exfoliator will scoop out dead skin cells, excess oil, and dirt from the pores;&nbsp;</li>
	<li>A moisturiser will restore any essential oil that&rsquo;s been accidentally washed down the drain.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>But since the under-eye area is thinner in texture, men notice the first signs of aging here. This makes under-eye creams and serums a good investment.&nbsp; 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

<h5>What About The Beard?</h5>

Another important aspect of male skincare is the presence or absence of facial hair. People who shave typically use an antiseptic substance, known as aftershave, immediately after. This closes up the pores and kills off any harmful bacteria that might invade the exposed epidermis (top layer of the skin).&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, experts believe that there&rsquo;s actually no real need to apply an aftershave because the same germ and bacteria can be killed with a good splash of soapy water. The same experts also believe that alcohol-based aftershaves are detrimental in the long-term, not to mention painful to use, as they will strip the skin of essential oils.&nbsp;

If needed, natural bactericides, such as coconut and jojoba oil, can be a good alternative to the infamous sting.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<h5>Beard Dandruff (Seborrheic Dermatitis)</h5>

If you don&rsquo;t shave at all, you&rsquo;d want to work harder at cleaning out dead skin and dirt from underneath the beard. Otherwise, you&rsquo;d end up with seborrheic dermatitis, which sounds like a terrible disease, but is actually just another name for pesky beard dandruff. One way to prevent this is to apply steam (through a hot shower or a warm, wet washcloth); it softens the skin underneath the beard and makes it easier to exfoliate and cleanse 
&nbsp;

<h5>Gender Neutrality And The Essential Difference</h5>

At the end of the day, basic skincare is extremely gender neutral and revolves around maintaining a good hygiene and delaying premature aging due to UV rays. The idea that skincare is a feminine enterprise is dated and was rooted simply in the aforementioned texture.&nbsp;

The perennial &ldquo;lesser effort&rdquo; in maintaining male skin exists only in one direction - moisturizing and inducing collagen production-, and the other one (keeping it clean) requires twice as much work, especially with the presence of facial hair.&nbsp;

Additionally, since male skin has larger pores, due to the aforementioned sebaceous glands, men who prefer to reduce their appearance can and should use serums for enlarged pores. Everyone has a right to optimise their physical appearance without being shamed for it, especially with something as basic as this. The best way to do it, however, is to understand the science &mdash; or inner workings &mdash; of our respective skin types and address whatever problem naturally occurs.

Zuha Malik

The Trinity Of Skincare

Skincare is an important part of my daily routine. I like to think about it as a sacred practice: It takes care of myself, my skin &mdash; the largest organ of our body &mdash; brings me some peace and makes me feel good. I&rsquo;m not alone in this feeling, many people treat their skin like a temple.&nbsp;

But delving into the nitty gritties of skincare can be very confusing. To make it simple, we&rsquo;ll elaborate on the three ingredients most commonly found and talked about in skincare products: <a href="https://merisehat.pk/article/vitamin-c-lemonade-for-skin">Vitamin C</a>, hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid. 
&nbsp;

Trinity Of Skincare

<h5>What Is Vitamin C?</h5>

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant in the body. It&rsquo;s most commonly known for its role in collagen production &mdash; collagen makes up the infrastructure of the skin. Vitamin C can help keep your skin looking younger by reducing wrinkles and hyperpigmentation while protecting against free radicals that cause damage to cells and DNA. 
&nbsp;

<h5>How To Get Vitamin C Naturally</h5>

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. This means that your body does not have the ability to store it like fats and carbs, so you need to keep taking in new amounts every day. Vitamin C can be found in many fruits and vegetables as well as some animal sources. Unfortunately, your body can&rsquo;t make its own Vitamin C, so you need to get it from food or supplements.

One of the main components of collagen (the substance that makes up skin) is lysine, which is also an amino acid (a building block of protein). Foods high in lysine include meat, fish and dairy products. However, most plant proteins don&rsquo;t contain much lysine at all. That&rsquo;s why this particular ingredient can often be difficult for vegetarians or vegans to get enough of &mdash; it doesn&rsquo;t occur naturally within plants on its own&mdash; so supplementing with a vegan source may be necessary if your diet doesn&rsquo;t include enough animal products.

The go-to source for vitamin C are citrus foods but while it is good to consume them and allow your body to nourish itself from within, it is not recommended to put citrus juices directly on your face. 
&nbsp;

<h5>Guide On Vitamin C Skincare</h5>

There are several Vitamin C serums available in the market made by both local skincare companies and foreign brands. One thing to note is that Vitamin C serum should be stored in a cool, dark place. Storing in direct light or heat will result in the Vitamin C reacting inside the vial. The fridge is a good option.&nbsp;

Apply a few drops after cleaning and toning your skin and do remember to apply sunblock before stepping out. Vitamin C is good for your skin but it will make it a little more sensitive to the sun.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<h5>What Is Hyaluronic Acid?</h5>

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a polysaccharide (a large sugar molecule) that&rsquo;s naturally found in the skin as well as other places in the body, such as connective tissue.

HA has two main jobs: it helps to retain water and keep skin hydrated, supple, and smooth. It also contributes to collagen production &mdash; the glue that holds your skin together. 
&nbsp;

<h5>How To Get Hyaluronic Acid, Naturally</h5>

Hyaluronic acid is a natural part of the skin, but it&rsquo;s also found in connective tissue and cartilage throughout the body. It plays an important role in keeping joints healthy and lubricated. In addition to its role as a lubricant, HA also helps keep the skin hydrated by binding water molecules to the surface of the skin. If your diet is low in hyaluronan, that may be why you&rsquo;re not getting enough moisture from your diet alone.

The best food sources of hyaluronic acid include chicken breast (25g per 100g serving) and beef (18g/100g).&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<h5>Guide On Hyaluronic Acid Skincare</h5>

While there are now hyaluronic acid serums designed for topical application, they should be approached with a lot of care. It&rsquo;s safer to use creams that have hyaluronic acid added to it as an ingredient.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<h5>What Is Salicylic Acid?</h5>

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA). It&rsquo;s derived from willow bark, and is used to treat acne and skin discoloration. Salicylic acid also has keratolytic properties (meaning it exfoliates the skin), making it useful for preventing clogged pores, reducing acne breakouts, and helping with hyperpigmentation.

One of the reasons salicylic acid is so effective at clearing up breakouts is that it can penetrate deep into your pores to help dissolve dead skin cells that have clogged them up. This keeps blackheads from forming as well as prevents new ones from popping up in their place. 
&nbsp;

<h5>How To Get Salicylic Acid, Naturally</h5>

There are the usual suspects like grapes, apples and pears but there&rsquo;s also watermelon! So yes, eating foods with high amounts of salicylic acid can help you to get an extra dose of what your skin needs. 
&nbsp;

<h5>Guide On Salicylic Acid Skincare</h5>

There are also facewashes that contain salicylic acid that are very effective in giving a deep cleanse to your skin without drying it. There are over-the-counter products that contains salicylic acid at night that you can use before bed &mdash; it will be absorbed into your system while you sleep so that when you wake up in the morning your skin will be hydrated and clear.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

I hope we&rsquo;ve helped you feel more confident about making skincare decisions that are right for your skin. It&rsquo;s an exciting time to be a beauty nerd, with so many new (and sometimes weird) products coming out all the time. Whether or not you use these three ingredients in your routine, I think it&rsquo;s important to understand what they are and how they work together. This knowledge can help keep your skin healthy and glowing over time as technology progresses even further &mdash; and maybe one day, whatever secret ingredient is next will make its way into our bathroom cabinets too.

Umna Salah

Skincare layering is the process of applying multiple skincare products to your face at once, in order to get the best results. The idea behind it is that each layer of product works together in order to provide your skin with everything it needs to be healthy and glowing. Skincare layering can be intimidating, but that&rsquo;s because everyone has different skin types and wants different things from their products. That&rsquo;s why I created this guide, so you can learn how to layer skincare like a pro.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Layer Skincare

Ideally, every product should get their 15 minutes skin-time before something else goes on top of it especially when it comes to serums. If we are being realistic, no one has that amount of time, which is why layering comes in handy. We will be honest, your skin is not a sponge, it will not absorb all the products and most of them won&rsquo;t even make it pass the upper layers. This is why we need to hack our methods and allow for some products to be the carrier of others. A great example of that are the chemical exfoliants.

Exfoliants tend to get rid of the dead cells on your skin, making room for the serums to absorb into the skin. When you have applied your serums, you need a layer to lock it all in along with hydration. Your moisturiser does that for you and then another layer of protection is provided by your SPF during day time. 
&nbsp;

If you&rsquo;re wondering how to layer your skincare, here&rsquo;s the order I recommend:

<ul>
	<li>Step 1: Cleanser</li>
	<li>Step 2: Toner&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Step 3: Serum or moisturiser&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Step 4: Retinol or Vitamin C product (if applicable)&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Step 5: Eye Cream (if applicable)</li>
	<li>Step 6: Face Oil/Balm (if applicable)&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Step 7: <a href="https://merisehat.pk/article/retinoids-and-sunscreen-a-love-affair">Sunscreen</a> 
	&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

It is important to note that retinol and Vitamin C do not go together and the most ideal approach with them is that they should be used in different times i.e., either in the morning or the evening. Prioritise the products that should stay on your skin the longest and use them during the nighttime.&nbsp;

Hydrating sleep masks are an ideal way to finish off your night time routine. It is the ideal protective layer for all of your serums. 
&nbsp;

Still confused? Here Is A Simple Rule of Thumb:

The lightweight products go first and you can gradually build up the consistency by going with heavier and creamier products. Another way to do this is to go with water-based products first and lock in that hydrating factor with oils or cream-based products. This is ideal because water won&rsquo;t penetrate the creams or oils if put on top and since water is easily absorbed onto the skin, it allows for other products to gradually work themselves into the skin one by one.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Sun protection is important, whether you&rsquo;re a morning jogger or a night owl. The sun&rsquo;s rays can cause premature ageing and skin damage &mdash; but it doesn&rsquo;t have to if you&rsquo;re vigilant about keeping your skin safe.

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and it refers to the amount of time it takes for your skin to get burned when exposed to the UVB spectrum of sunlight, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). SPF works by absorbing UVB rays before they penetrate your skin and cause damage. This makes SPF an excellent tool in the fight against ageing, wrinkles, redness and more harmful effects from too much exposure to the sun&#39;s rays.

The most important thing about sunscreen is that you should use it every single day &mdash; no exceptions! It should be applied liberally all over your body (including around all parts of your face) at least 30 minutes before going outside so that it has time to absorb completely into your outermost layer of skin cells called stratum corneum.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

If you&rsquo;re still confused about how to layer skincare and which order to use, don&rsquo;t worry. The key is to start with the least number of products, understand what goes onto your skin and what needs to be left on the skin the longest.&nbsp;