Skin Republic

Dear Dr. Jen,

I am 30 years old and have oily skin. Most women I know are using moisturizer. Even all the beauty magazines say we cannot do without moisturizer. I have tried a couple of brands but I still find my skin with sweat drops after a couple of minutes. It feels really hot and uncomfortable underneath the moisturizer. Do I really need this and if so, can you recommend a brand of moisturizer that I can use?

Celia

Dear Celia,

I know I will get a lot of flak from beauty product industries, but you don't really need moisturizer during the day especially if you have oily skin. We live in the Philippines where humidity is awfully high. Sometimes, high humidity is a good thing. It means our skin doesn't become too dry, though we might find ourselves drenched in sweat in the middle of the day. This also explains why Filipino skin doesn't age as badly as Caucasian skin, most of the time.

Having oily skin, you can certainly get away without using moisturizer in the morning. If however, you are planning to fly abroad to a place where humidity is low, then you will have to include moisturizing in your morning regimen. 

If you do insist on using moisturizer in the mornings, you can search for products that incorporate moisturizer in the sunblock. Another good tip to look for is a "water-based" moisturizer so it will not be too thick.

At night, you can try putting on moisturizer on top of your regular anti-wrinkle or anti-acne creams. As always, it is best to choose non-comedogenic products. It will be worth your while to hop to your nearest PDS derma to have your skin evaluated on what type of skin you do have. You can also bring along a bag full of your usual products so your dermatologist can review which ones are actually essential and which ones you can do without. Hope this answers your question and lays to rest your eternal search for the "right" moisturizer.

Dear Dr. Jen,

I am 50 years old and have a balding spot on my head. I am worried because it is becoming very obvious. Can this still be remedied?

Lourdes

Dear Lourdes,

Female pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia usually comes before or after menopause. This can be easily treated by using minoxidil. However, there are a couple of conditions that may be confused with this. I strongly advise you to go to your nearest PDS dermatologist to have the diagnosis confirmed. Alopecia areata may also resemble female pattern baldness in its initial stage. Treatment of the two conditions are very different. The earlier you seek treatment, the sooner you can see good results.

If you have any questions or concerns please text 0922 845 5556or call (032) 232 5929 or email [email protected].

Dr Tan is a diplomate of Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS). She is affiliated with Perpetual Succour Hospital. For other information on PDS, check http://www.pds.org.ph/.