Dermatologist says women should educate themselves on the facts

May 21, 2009 19:11 GMT  ·  By
Beauty myths still stand their ground and they’re actually doing us more harm than good, dermatologist says
   Beauty myths still stand their ground and they’re actually doing us more harm than good, dermatologist says

When it comes to beauty treatments, women still guide themselves by what they heard from their mothers and grandmothers or, even worse, from a friend of a friend. This, together with the many so-called facts they pick up here and there, contributes to keeping beauty myths alive – and doing much damage in the process, as dermatologist Heidi A. Waldorf tells Allure magazine.

With the help of the esteemed dermatologist and clinical professor, the magazine set out to establish the most longstanding beauty myths, whether they are true or false, and how much damage they actually do to the skin. Among them, they have found that the more expensive products are not necessarily the best, that face treatments that can do more things at once do exist, and that more is not necessarily better in terms of quantity. However, the bottom line is that the best way to see whether what we know is true or not is by the trial and error method.

One of the most widely held misconceptions of our time is that more expensive creams are better than cheaper versions. While this might hold true in the case of handbags, shoes or television sets, when it comes to creams, it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way, the magazine says. “Expensive products may have great packaging and marketing, but they do not necessarily have more science backing them up.” Waldorf explains. Expensive products seem better because of smart marketing strategies, she adds, but women should also stick only to the labels they have used before and know. “An obscure product might say it contains certain ingredients, but you can’t be sure of what you’re getting or how effective it will be.” the dermatologist adds.

Speaking of expenditure, another potentially harmful myth about anti-ageing products is that the more layers we apply, the better the results we’re to expect. Far from this being the case, Waldorf says, we might even end up with a bad case of irritation or infection and, to cap it all off, we won’t know what caused it. To be on the safe side and prevent accidents like this from happening, we should try and combat only one sign at a time, then move on to another with a different product. “The more treatments you use, the more likely you are to develop an allergy or irritation and have no idea which product caused it. Plus, the products won’t work as well. A balanced approach is best – focus on a couple products with the ingredients your skin needs most.” Waldorf explains.

Another myth that stands its ground firmly with most women is that nothing but a scalpel and a painful and complicated procedure can fix saggy skin. While an invasive procedure is, indeed, needed, Waldorf says ladies have other options as well before scheduling an appointment with the surgeon. “Once the skin really starts to lose elasticity, it needs fillers such as Restylane, Juvaderm, or Radiesse, or radio-frequency treatments such as Thermage, to reverse sagging.” Waldorf explains, adding that creams that stimulate collagen can only “help a bit.”

For more anti-ageing myths busted, see here.