What can you say about a doctor who looks spectacular always, has beautiful alabaster skin, her hair looks impossibly healthy and you run out of adjectives because she definitely hit the genetic jackpot !

Well, the last time I heard , you don’t have to always blame your genes, there is a lot you can do – make changes in your lifestyle , eat right, exercise bla bla, yeah we know the rant ! Or just read this interview , and get some great tips from a sound medically qualified lady who knows exactly what you need to know.

Dr. Nidhi. S. Tandon is a board certified dermatologist based in Lucknow , the Medical Director & Founder of the The Skin Art Clinic and Wholistic Dermatology.

Her passion for health and fitness has inspired her to create wholistic dermatology that works on all the aspects of physical and mental health and creating a platform that can transform skin and treat skin problems from within.

1. Dr. Nidhi , as a trained dermatologist, but totally unprepared for this Covid state, what kind of skin/ hair issues do you see arising amongst your patients?

A lot of people have been experiencing acne and hairfall during this lockdown due to stress. The fear and uncertainity of the situation has built considerable amount of stress causing high levels of cortisol in our bodies. so ,lot of people who have never experienced acne before are getting breakouts. Many have complained of hairfall or worsening of hairfall during the lockdown.
Along with stress ,lack of exercise and binging on unhealthy food is making people vulnerable to these conditions.
To treat these at home many are resorting to home remedies which is causing irritant contact dermatitis and I have been getting many online consultations for skin rashes post these DIYS home remedies.
Undereye dark circles , puffiness is another common issue that I get queries about which is again due to irregular sleeping patterns and too much of screen time .
My advice would be to encourage people to eat healthy ,cut down on processed ,high glycemic food and exercise regularly to balance the cortisol levels.
Sleeping on time and restful sleep for 7 hours is important as our body releases hormones and repairs itself during night .

2. All of us are curious, what does a dermatologist do to take care of herself? Please give us an insight into –

AM routine–

1. For me day time routine is all about protecting myself from the sun and environmental skin stressors. I start my day with a gentle cleanser that does not strip my skin of its natural oils at the same time cleans my skin effectively – Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser

2 After this I use a serum that has niacinamide in it . Niacinamide is vit B3 and its excellent for people with acne prone skin , uneven skin tone and open pores. It regulates the oil , retains moisture ,prevents sun damage and minimizes fine lines and wrinkles. Its neutral and can be used with almost all other skin care ingredients- Zinc and Niacinamide by the Ordinary.

3. After waiting for a minute I use a thin water based hydrating moisturiser.
Moisturising your skin is crucial no matter your skin type. It helps maintain the integrity of skin thus strengthening the epidermal barrier- Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Serum by Peter Thomas Roth.

4. Last step during the day is my sunblock. This is the most important step as it protects our skin from sundamage and photoaging.- Isdin Fusion Water Fotoprotector Sunblock spf 50.

PM routine –

Night time is to repair and rejuvenate my skin .

1. I cleanse my face using the same cleanser.
2. This is followed by a moisturiser , I like the Water Cream by Oceglow .
3. I follow this up with a retinol cream .Retinol is a powerful anti-aging ingredient that works on increasing the cell turnover and stimulates the collagen ,thickens your dermis over time ,making your skin more plump and youthful .I like to use retinol four times a week , I’m using the A Passioni by Drunk Elephant or the A+ High Dose Retinoid Serum by Sunday Riley .

Twice a week I use alpha hydroxyl acids to gently exfoliate my skin, it brightens the skin ,improves the tone and texture and is great for those struggling with congested skin. For this I love the Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment or the Exfoliation Accelerator by Obagi.

I like to give a break to my skin so once a week , that day I do not apply any active ingredients on to my skin.

Hair care –
I use hot tools twice a week sometimes once a week after I use the heat protectant sprays. I do not go for any hair treatments or spas as I feel I don’t want to add unnecessary chemicals , and I color my hair once in two years .

My top products for hair care are-

Kerastase sulfate free shampoos and conditioner
Aveda damage remedy
OUAI hair oil for heat protection and frizz.
Cold pressed virgin coconut oil

3. As a dermatologist you must be constantly bombarded with new products and innovations in skincare, which are the ones that impressed you most in 2019/20 ?

MULTITASKING SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
2019 was all about the K BEAUTY with multiple time consuming steps, let’s be real who has the time to do all the steps every single day ? Most of us are juggling between household, work and kids so 2020 is all about the multitasking skin care products.
Products that have sunscreen + moisturiser + antioxidants in it , bb creams with anti-acne ingredients , products with essence, toners and moisturisers all in one.

BIO RETINOIDS – 2019 also saw discovery of bio retinoids like bakuchiol . Bakuchiol is a natural retinoid derived from babchi seeds that has similar effects like a retinol.2020 will see more of the skin care products with bakuchiol.

PROBIOTIC SKIN CARE – This trend that has originated in 2019 and made its way into 2020 is the use of prebiotics in skincare products. We all know how important microbiome are for diseases like eczemas ,acne and allergies. Pre and probiotics maintain healthy gut flora that is also beneficial to skin and hence the new trend is to add prebiotics in skin care.

CBD SKIN CARE– Another skin care buzz is skin care products with CBD (cannabidiol) which is an extract of hemp plant, a close cousin of marijuana . Research suggests that CBD is anti inflammatory and may play a role in reducing sebum and treating acne. There was an increase in popularity of these products over the last year which means this year could see more skin care companies coming up with CBD containing products.

BESPOKE OR PERSONALISED SKIN CARE – A lot of brands are creating skin care products with personalised formulations, that track your hormonal changes through personal biometric data. This trend could be big in near future.
At present this is done on basis of skin care quiz but in near future skin care may be based on the microbiome and DNA expressions of genes from the samples taken from your mouth. It’s quite a possibility and future of skin care.

RISE IN NON INVASIVE OR MINIMALLY INVASIVE AESTHETIC PROCEDURES– Earlier BOTOX and fillers were thought to be only for rich ,affluent or celebrities but now they have become household name as more and more people are opting for these non surgical and non invasive procedures .Jawline, lip fillers , cheek augmentation and hand fillers have gained immense popularity.
Body sculpting procedures like Emsculpt are the latest offering in the body contouring treatments. It helps build muscle and burn fat without working out. It uses high intensity focused electromagnetic energy to trigger supramaximal contractions(the kind that cannot be achieved by voluntary muscle contractions) giving you a toned abdomen and toning and firming buttocks without any downtime.

4. What kind of supplements do you take internally for general health and head to toe care ? And what would you recommend to women who are in the above 30 age group ?

I take calcium and vitamin D supplements
Folic acid and vitamin B complex
Zinc supplements

Supplementation again like skin care is not “one size fits all” depending on your needs one should add supplements after consulting a doctor.
So, what ever is deficient you must try to replace it through food first and if the deficiency is severe, then think about supplementation as an adjuvant to a healthy balanced diet.

Since we are in the midst of a pandemic adding Vit C and zinc supplements will help boost immunity and if you are known to have low Vit D levels make sure you include calcium and Vit D supplements too.

5. You are quite visible in the social media, and always well turned out , what is your general make up routine ?

My make up routine is pretty simple-  Nars Concealor ,Mac Blacktrack Fluid gel liner , Stilla One Step Correct ,Sisley Blush in Papaya, See Sheer by Mac and Pinch Me Matt by Smashbox are my most favourite at the moment.
If I need to use a foundation- Estee Lauder, Bobby Brown and Dior are my top choices.

Q6. What products can we find in your travel kit, things you can absolutely not do without ?

That would be my lip balm by Fresh, sunblock , moisturiser and cleanser.
I usually take all my skin care products with me including my night care.
Hair ties, cotton rounds to clean my face and my micellar water is something I cannot live without. I am obsessed with cleansing my skin thoroughly before using any skin care.
I also keep my eye drops in my travel bag .

7. Which products or treatments did you find were a total waste when it came to delivering quality ?

a) I feel spray sunscreens because nobody sprays on heavy enough to reach the stated SPF level on the bottle.
b) Moisturisers combined with sunscreen-
sunscreen is just not an ingredient to be added to a moisturiser. The SPF needs to be atleast 30 or more to be effective. although it may have SPF 15 or 30 but it may get diluted by the moisturiser providing just SPF 10 or less to your skin.
The best way is to apply moisturiser first followed by a sunscreen and then on top of this you can put your makeup.

8. Please tell us what your food diary on a basic day is like ?

My food rule is 80-20 that means 80% healthy and 20% not so healthy.
I don’t like eating food outside but I love street food so whatever unhealthy I eat is also home made and a healthier version of street food.

* On waking up- lemon and honey in warm water followed by my tea.
* Breakfast is usually fruits, smoothie or an omlette .
* Mid day—I munch on a handful of nuts .
* Lunch – Varies between dal-chawal ( I prefer brown rice) or sabzi roti or quinoa along with a salad.
* Post lunch sometimes I eat an apple or pomegranate
* Evening tea (around 6pm)with daal chilla or omlette or boiled eggs / daal vada/gluten free snacks and home made mostly.
* Dinner is usually light with soup and a salad.

9. What has this year taught you? And once this period gets over, what advice do you have for women to take care of themselves mentally and physically?

One thing that I have always advocated is the importance of self care and self love.This lockdown has reinforced this belief . we all need to nourish ourselves physically and mentally and slow down to enjoy the small things in life.
To all the women out there , multitasking should not be a way of life. It can have serious and irrepairable side effects on our mental and physical health so slow down and give yourself a break.

For consultations, also available online now contact-

theskinart.com
Instagram –  Dr.nidhi_singh_tandon_m.d
Email theskinart@gmail.com
17/1 Amren house
Ashok marg
Lucknow 226001
9838090007
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