According to Dr Loo Keng Shien, our Aesthetic Physician's explanation in last week's Patient Mailbox series on dull skin, our skin does darken and become dull as we age.

This can be caused by sun exposure accumulated throughout the years or a lack of facial care at home.

This includes using wrong or unsuitable facial products, using inadequate moisturisers to protect our skin, and also not applying enough sunscreen or sunblock to protect our skin from the sun.

However, we are not always sure about what is right and what is wrong in taking care of our skin, and what to expect from any skin care steps that we take or practise.

In fact, there are some practices or misconceptions that may instead cause more harm than good to our complexion and our skin.

So today, we shall take a look at some of the misunderstood myths about skin care that are actually causing your dull skin instead of helping you take care of your skin!

MYTH #1: Sunblock can provide an "all-day" protection

Sunblocks or sunscreens are one of the must-haves if you spend your time outdoors especially in the afternoon. However, just applying it once in the morning when you're heading out for the whole day isn't enough.

Regardless of the SPF or strength of the sunblock, you need to reapply the sunblock on your skin from time to time, especially if you're outdoors during the peak sunlight hours of 11am to 4pm.

Most sunblocks don't last more than two hours, so when you're outdoors, make sure you carry your sunblock along and keep it handy for reapplication from time to time. Sunlight damage may not always be visible, and even if your skin doesn't turn red under sunlight exposure, it doesn't mean that your skin isn't damaged by the UV (ultraviolet) rays from the sun.

Sun damage accumulate over time and gets more apparent with age, causing skin conditions like wrinkles, sagging skin, and pigmentation.

MYTH #2: Scrubbing can get rid of dull skin

Although it may sound mundane, basic facial care is essential in keeping our skin healthy and preventing dull skin. Daily cleansing, moisturising, and complete sun protection are important in keeping our skin from turning dull.

However, scrubbing our facial skin may actually be detrimental if done excessively. While scrubbing the face occasionally can help to clean clogged pores and cleanse the face, scrubbing too often or excessively can cause overly sensitive skin due to the constant trauma. So it is not encouraged.

MYTH #3: Tanning our skin is safe

As long as it involves excessive sunlight exposure on our skin, our skin is bound to take damage. And this includes tanning as well. In fact, according to the FDA (Food and Drugs Administration), there is not such thing as a safe tan.

The main reason why our skin turns tan is because of an increase in melanin pigments beneath our skin. With this increase, the melanin pigments become more concentrated and cause the skin to darken.

However, overproduction of melanin pigmentation, or hyperpigmentation, is actually the main cause of skin conditions like pigmentation, uneven skin tone, and dull skin.

MYTH #4: Diet can cure/cause dull skin

It's pretty common here in Asia for us to hear people talking about how what we eat can affect our skin colour.

Some say that drinking milk can help brighten your skin; some say that eating dark, fried food can make your skin dull; some also say that eating spicy food can make your skin condition worse.

While it is true that some foods may trigger allergies or existing conditions, for example chillis or hot food can trigger rosacea or hot flushes, what you eat doesn't affect your complexion in terms of brightness, nor does it cause dull skin.

So no, there is no relationship between diet and having a dull skin.

MYTH #5: Dull skin is irreversible

Although skin damage is permanent, it is not incurable. There are a few treatments that can help make your dull skin glow again. 

Medical grade facial treatments like Silk Peel can exfoliate the dead skin on the surface of our skin, and at the same time infuse an appropriate amount of chemical solution targeted for different skin types.

Copper Bromide Laser treatment doesn't cause any pain, and is a pretty comfortable process, suitable especially for patients with darker skin tone looking to brighten the skin. Comparably, Q-switched Laser and Laser genesis may give you a treatment experience with a warmer sensation.

Carbon Peel is also another treatment that can help brighten up the skin, but only if it is done by good hands. It can cause hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation if it is wrongly set up! So always make sure you get your skin treatments done by verified aesthetic doctors or dermatologists!

Lastly, there's also the popular Chemical Peeling treatment which can brighten the skin, but it's not suitable for patients with sensitive skin because it can be a little harsh on the skin.

Read more about dull skin and its treatments as explained by Dr Loo here! Patient Mailbox: How to Make My Skin Glow Again

We'll be back with the Patient Mailbox series with Dr Peter Ch'ng next week, so stay tuned!

REVIEWED BY

Dr. Loo Keng Shien

Dr Loo Keng Shien is a consultant aesthetic physician who loves to listen to patients' problems and find medical solutions to help in their skin and aesthetics journey. Dr Loo practises evidence-based medicine, and with her experience, she has listened to and helped numerous patients solve their skin problems or achieve their aesthetic expectations safely and effectively.