4 questions you've always had about your skin, answered by a dermatologist.

You know when you go to see a dermatologist or skin expert and you end up walking out asking approximately none of the questions you wanted to ask? SAME.

Sometimes you might feel a little embarrassed. Intimidated. Not sure if it's a silly question (it's not). 

Then you go home, chastise yourself, and just panic-search your way into finding answers. Right?

Well, hold off for a minute, friend.

Watch: Wanna know what's actually happening to your skin when you tan? Hint: It's not... good. Story continues below.

Because as we were trawling the interwebs the other day, we came across a super bloody informative video from Melbourne dermatologist Dr Shammi Theesan - who goes by Dr Shammi.

In the clip, the skin expert and founder of ODE Dermatology, answered some really common questions from her followers - and she delivered some massive golden nuggets we need to share with you, like, right now.

Because chances are, you've Google-searched all of these skincare questions once or twice before.

So! Here are 4 common skincare questions answered by a dermatologist.

1. Does sugar do permanent damage to skin/collagen?

Please say no, please say no, please say no.

"The answer is yes! And that's been proven."

Dammit.

"Sugar actually promotes something called A.G.E - advanced glycation end products. It makes your collagen a bit more sticky - so then you don't have beautiful curly collagen or lines. You get crumpled up, wrinkly collagen. So yes, it does matter."

"Cut down the sugar, and overall it's going to make your good gut bacteria happier."

2. Can perioral dermatitis be fixed? 

Perioral dermatitis. It's one of those fickle conditions that can seem impossible to treat. And oftentimes you'll be left feeling like all the stuff you're trying to do (special skincare! different treatments!) to make it better is just... making it worse.

So, will it ever actually go away? Or is it a forever thing?

Dr Shammi said, "[It's] not quite eczema, not quite acne - but it annoys all of us. Yes, it will go away - but you've got to work out what's triggering it."

Phew!

In terms of what these specific triggers could be, Dr Shammi said, "It can be the wrong type of skincare - is it too heavy? Are you over washing? Are you over micellar watering your face?"

She also said you might be using topical steroids thinking that it's eczema - which will only cause perioral dermatitis to flare-up even more. Eeep!

"Is your gut health right? Work on your stress. Get an emollient moisturiser, look into your vitamin B3," she suggests.

"So, yes it can be cured in the right hands, at the right dose, and with the right change in your skincare routine."

3. What can you do for your skin health before you hit 40?

Whether you're creeping up to your 40s or you're already in 'em, you might be wondering what you can be doing for your skin and how to keep it in the best shape it can be.

According to our friend Dr Shammi, there are a lot of different things you can do.  

"I would look into a combination of BBL, which uses pulses of light energy, together with a deeper laser like 1064. When [used] in the right setting and in the right mode, it can actually truly anti-age your skin at a cellular level."

"Research has shown that it anti-ages your skin cells - why wouldn't we want that?!"

"The other thing I like is the combination of growth factor infusion together with non-crossed linked hyaluronic acid." 

Cool! Sounds confusing. What does all that mean?

"It's like putting moisturiser or hyaluronic acid on your skin - but it's actually injected into your face."

Meaning? It delivers hydration deep underneath the skin for plumper, smoother and brighter skin.

Dr Shammi said she also likes ultrasound energy treatments like Ultraformer to help with early signs of ageing such as sagging and "jowling".

"There's lots you can do," she adds. "And skincare, get in early. Use a vitamin B3 serum, get a vitamin C, a retinol. You want to get in early with your skin rejuvenation."

4. Is Halo good for acne scarring?

If you're someone who struggles with acne scarring, chances are you've come across many, many different lasers and treatments that promise to rejuvenate and smooth your skin.

But according to Dr Shammi, there's one specific treatment that trumps the others. It's called Halo, and it's a laser treatment that can be used to improve the texture and clarity of your skin.

So, what's so good about it?

"Firstly, it's a hybrid laser," said Dr Shammi. "It uses two wavelengths of energy at every pulse... it's been years in the making."

The reason there's so much of a buzz around the dual wavelengths (ablative and non-ablative) is because this means that this specific laser can target skin concerns on multiple levels of the skin.

Meaning? It can tackle different types of acne scars. Because yes, there's more than one! 

"I like the fact that with acne scars, we can treat different types of acne scars in the one treatment."

"That combination works so much better than having laser treatments separately - sequentially versus synergistically and simultaneously is very different."

The different wavelengths can also be used at different depths to target things like fine lines, wrinkles, and sun damage.

What a show-off!

Wanna hear more from Dr Shammi? Check out her Skin Summit interview on the best non-injectable options for your face. You can also find her on Instagram.

Did you miss The Skin Summit presented by Mamamia? Get on-demand access to the best skin experts in the world. Whether you love nerding out over a 12-step skincare routine or still use a bar of soap, the summit is the secret to the best skin of your life. Streaming directly to your couch. Catch up on-demand  here →

Have you tried any of the above treatments before? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Feature Image: Instagram; @drshammitheesan