3 things you should never do to your skin, according to a dermatologist

If you’re anything like us, you like to think you’re pretty well informed when it comes to the ol’ skin care game. You’re familiar with the common dos and don’ts, and you can proudly say you abide by the rules – you always take off your makeup before bed, you never skip your moisturiser and you always wear sunscreen. EVEN when it’s cloudy outside. Go you.

You also probably have myriad skin care products and treatments you use to help keep your skin smooth, healthy and youthful looking. Because as much as we want to not care about it, skin ageing sucks, and if you can, you’re probably going to do everything in your power to help keep your skin in tip-top condition.

When it comes to fighting the signs of ageing, we’ve been told ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C are *crucial* to ward off lines and wrinkles, while cosmetic treatments such as laser rejuvenation and anti-wrinkle injections can help turn back the clock. And we honestly thought we were pretty on track… until we spoke to medical physician and founder of Cosmedix and Osmosis Skincare, Dr Ben Johnson, who advised us of three things he thinks we absolutely shouldn’t be doing to our skin. And WOAH. Guys, you’re probably going to want to sit down for this one – ’cause it’s going to hurt a little. 

#1 / Anti-wrinkle injections

These days, ducking out for a quick cosmetic treatment is nearly as normal as getting an SNS manicure or eyelash extensions – and anti-wrinkle injections have become so insanely popular they are now one of the top two non-surgical procedures in Australia. And for good reason. By relaxing the facial muscles, anti-wrinkle injections work to prevent future lines from forming, and have thus been touted as an effective anti-ageing solution.

However, according to Dr Johnson, anti-wrinkle injections can have a variety of negative effects on your skin and overall health. “Beyond the clinical evidence that the brain stem is affected with each injection of this neurotoxin, the other danger is far more insidious,” he says. “The slow collapse of the face as the muscle girth and strength disappears permanently. One of the biggest challenges to ageing skin is lost volume holding the skin up and taut. The loss of fat and muscle accelerates the collapse from lost collagen,” says Dr Johnson.

#2 / Laser

Dr Johnson also gives a big red flag to skin treatments such as laser rejuvenation. He says inflaming the skin with harsh treatments such as laser actually increases the rate of skin ageing. “There is no long-term benefit to burning several layers of skin, as science has proven it never recovers 100 per cent from trauma and certainly does not have a 110 per cent recovery as implied,” says Dr Johnson. So how, then, are we meant to keep our skin looking glowing and healthy? Well, instead of using laser treatments, Dr Johnson says to focus on stimulating collagen without inflammation, and to focus on the delivery of key active ingredients deep within the skin for better results. But don’t reach for your retinol just yet…

#3 / Retinoic Acid

While we all know retinol as a powerhouse anti-ageing ingredient, Dr Johnson says we’ve all been gravely misinformed, and this common ingredient can actually have quite the opposite effect on the skin. “Somehow, regardless of the clinical evidence that it is incredibly toxic to the skin, Retin A became the gold standard for ageing and pigmentation in skin care,” he says. “It is clinically proven to thin the dermis by 18 per cent over one year’s use, and it causes tremendous damage to skin DNA and the epidermis itself.”

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What do you think of Dr Johnson’s advice? Will these tips change your skin care routine? Let us know in the comment section below.

Main image credit: Getty