That Radiant Glow
by Amrita Simon

OK ladies, you may not be able to change your skin type but that youthful radiance is not out of your reach if you do treat your face right. So how do you get that bright sheen that gleams on faces staring back at you from glossy magazines??

Dr Nina Madnani, one of the best Dermatologists in Mumbai busts a lot of skin myths and tells you super skin secrets, that no one else will.

So how does one get their skin to look bright and beautiful? What can we slap on? or eat?

Dr Nina says,“Glowing skin is a combination of a healthy lifestyle and having a skin which is smooth with no pigmentation anomalies. A diet rich in nutrients, especially iron, vitamins and proteins is a must. Fruit and vegetable juices are good though overweight people should avoid fruit juices because they can be high in sugar.”

On the topic of our nutty obsession with getting fairer, she has this to say-

“Many ad agencies have driven the public into a frenzy by their visuals, promising a rapid reduction of skin color resulting in a more 'Beautiful' face which is misleading.

Your skin color is determined by your genes and the extent of exposure to ultraviolet rays. Fairness creams temporarily reduce the skin shade by a fraction but the moment you stop application, your skin will revert to your original color.”

To all those young boys and girls who think smoking is cool, listen up......

Dr Nina specifies that a smoker's skin is 12.5 years older than that of a non-smoker. Get it?? Time to stub that cigarette butt out!!

About wrinkles, she says that anti-wrinkle and skin plumping creams work 'very minimally' and there are two types of lines that appear on our faces –

One are the expression lines caused by facial movements (crows feet, laugh lines, frown lines etc).

The other are very fine lines that are caused by sun damage. Sunscreens containing Anti-oxidant vitamins and Retinoids are mildly helpful in reducing the fine lines.

She recommends the use of sunscreen every day with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 for normal use and 50 for prolonged sun exposure.

For dry skin, her mantra is to 'Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize!' and says that creams with Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), are useful in rejuvenation of the skin.

Is exfoliation of the face good for removing dead cells ?

Here comes the warning- “Exfoliation does remove the superficial cells but face scrubs with large particles can cause redness and irritation in sensitive skins.”

Women go in for regular facials and some are being advised Chemical peels by beauticians.

What are her thoughts?

“Chemical peels do help in rejuvenation of the face and making skin smoother and more uniform in appearance"she says

"Various peels exist for various reasons but complications can occur if they are performed for the wrong reasons and by unqualified personnel " she warns.

Well, what about facials? Just how important are they in the 'beauty regimen'?

"Facials give that 'feel good' factor and are useful only for those with dry skin” she points out.

Another hurdle in the path to good looking skin is, facial hair. It is a source of annoyance to most women and foxes the best of us on how to deal with it.....to bleach or pluck, to wax or thread, to shave or zap it to death with lasers.....

Dr Madnani clarifies, “Laser hair removal is recommended for permanent hair reduction and cannot achieve permanent hair removal.”

(Wow,we certainly weren't aware of that!)

Well, most women use bleaching,threading or even waxing for unwanted facial hair. How safe are these methods?

According to the Doctor, bleaching has no side effects on the skin, if done properly. Threading is OK and contrary to popular thinking, does not cause the skin to darken. And though waxing the face may cause Follicutlitis in some people, here comes the real shocker.....

Shaving your face does NOT make you sprout hair like a man.

So here it is, girls....

The secrets behind that radiant skin that's been eluding you for so long.

Happy Glowin!