The Face of the Future - First talks to Dr Tamara Griffiths

5th December 2006

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FemaleFirst were able to have a chat with Dr Tamara Griffiths, a leading Consultant Dermatologist from Manchester.

Dr Griffiths has developed a specialist interest in cosmetic dermatology and acts as spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation on this subject. She is founding member and Honorary Treasurer of the British Cosmetic Dermatology Group and has lectured internationally on aesthetic issues. She is also a regular contributor to broadcast and print media and in 2006 Tatler magazine named her as one of the top 225 doctors in Britain.

Here’s what she had to say when we asked her about the anti-wrinkle creams, the firming creams, the day creams, the night creams and the mid-afternoon whilst having a coffee creams.

Can you reveal the findings of the latest report carried out by Restylane to us then? Does it shed any more light on how we want to look ourselves?

Yes, there’s been a survey done looking at how people feel – their approach to cosmetic surgery and how important their looks are. It was done by region.

For instance, in the Northwest, 50% of people felt under pressure to look younger in today’s society.

75% said their looks were important to them. Nearly 73% said they would not have cosmetic surgery but 42%, over a third, said that they would consider having minimal invasive cosmetic treatment.

Do you think the new research reinforces the fact that many women are taken advantage of in their search for the “body beautiful” now and feel under pressure to look good? As long as you have cash you can buy things and have procedures done and if you’re not a size zero clone and without flaws – you feel worthless.

Yeah. Of course. Certainly in today’s society there is a lot of pressure for us to seek this ideal concept of beauty. This is due to media and celebrity association etc. But really the concept of looking beautiful is very intrinsic and fundamental. So even in ancient times, with the Romans, for instance, they used to put vermillion on their lips and put kohl around their eyes to enhance their facial features. Cleopatra bathed in Asses milk to try to look more youthful and beautiful and in Victorian times, women would have ribs removed to create a more appealing, youthful figure. So the concept of seeking beauty and wanting to look better is not a modern phenomenon, but it has been more highlighted in modern times I feel because of media pressure.

In addition we are an influent society – we have more disposable income and access to the media, which does pressurize us. But the concept of seeking beauty definitely dates back to ancient times. It is a fundamental part of our makeup. Babies as young as three months of age will prefer gazing at a conventionally beautiful face. There’s obviously something very intrinsic about this idea of beauty. I think that’s why this industry is so huge and it does play off this fundamental drive within us.

We should also celebrate individuality!

Why does our skin actually age then – what are the myths and the truths behind it?

When we talk about facial aging there are numerous interactions occurring at multiple different levels. Some people mistakenly believe it’s just down to wrinkles in the skin. When we’re talking about what makes our skin look old – it’s not actually the passage of time; it’s actually cumulative sun damage or “photo” damage. So the course wrinkles, the leathery texture, the sallow ness, the red and brown blotches are actually more due to cumulative sun damage as opposed to intrinsic aging or time passing by.

People who are fairer in complexion - red haired people, blonde haired people with very light eyes - are more susceptible to it because they have less natural protection in the form of skin pigment. There is of course some genetic predisposition to that. That’s the skin.

Skin is only part of the story when we talk about facial aging. Another important factor is loss of facial volume. As we get older, the fat in our face tends to diminish. You can think about it in terms of an inflated balloon. In a young person, if you look at a teenager person their face is full and evenly balanced, smooth and un-puckered.

As we get older, the fat tends to diminish – in other words, the balloon loses air.(Laughs) So our fat is lost and the fat patterns that are left tend to shift downwards. So our facial shape is also very important.

I do liken it to the balloon. The balloon is covered with Lycra – that’s the skin. At first it’s very elastic. As we get older the balloon shrinks and diminishes and air is lost and then the Lycra is less elastic. It doesn’t spring back well and that’s due to photo damage. So the combination of those two interactions can result in a very gaunt, saggy, haggard appearance.

There are treatments that can address the issues related to the skin and treatments that can address the issues related to the subcutaneous fat. Even further down we have the expression lines – lines that occur with movement and there are treatments that can also affect the muscles. Skin, fat, muscles, they’re all very important.

What’s your opinion about the increase in TV shows like Extreme Makeover and Channel 4’s Ten Years Younger?

Well I think those programmes are very extreme. The surveys recently done and certainly my personal experience in my practice where I see patients - most would prefer a natural look. They don’t necessarily want to look drastically different. They don’t want to be morphed into something completely unrecognisable. What they want is to look good for their age. They want to look well – they want people to ask, “Oh you look well, have you been on holiday?” They want to look fresher and more youthful but not necessarily different.

Do you have any advice for ladies with cellulite?

Cellulite is a really difficult issue. There’s not even a medical definition for it. Everybody knows what it is (Laughs) and nobody likes it, but really from a physiological and medical standpoint there’s nothing wrong with it. We just don’t like the way it looks. But I think cellulite is an area where there’s a lot more research that needs to be done.

What about somebody with acne? What recommendations would you like to give to someone suffering with it?

I would say acne is not a life threatening disease, but it can have a significant impact on psycho – social well being. It can be very disruptive to patients’ lives. People avoid certain social situations, and they really be effected very negatively by acne, particularly if it is severe and occurring in a very vulnerable time of life. There are a lot of terrific treatments for acne that are very effective. No treatment has zero risk, particularly the stronger ones, but the benefits might greatly outweigh the risks. Any person, who’s struggling with it, can initially see their GP. If they can’t help or the acne is more severe then they will need to see a consultant dermatologist, who hopefully will be able to. People really shouldn’t suffer in silence.

Does makeup do more harm than good to skin? Everybody’s heard the skin sin of not taking your make up off before you go to bed…..

It depends on your skin type. If you have sensitive skin or acne prone skin then there might be certain make-ups, which may be better or worse for you. It’s a very individual approach. There are lots of great products.

It’s better to take your make up off for hygiene reasons – you might development an irritation to the makeup. (Laughs) It might make yourself more susceptible to acne if you leave it on. I wouldn’t specifically say that leaving your makeup on ages your skin though.

There’s a great psychological effect with anti-aging creams now isn’t there– there’s a multitude of pots, lotions and potions out there that cost a lot and are nicely packaged. It makes you think they’re going to be successful – but how well do they actually work. How do you know what’s right for you?

A lot of the creams are marketed very well and people want to buy into that lifestyle – the celeb association and the pampering and luxury product. But even the best anti – aging cream, which doesn’t really target aged skin – it targets photo damaged skin -will approve superficial changes. It won’t address some of the deeper changes associated with facial aging which can be much more of a priority and can have a much greater impact on the overall look and age of the face.

Any winter tips then for our readers to defend our skin against the cold and repair it?

Any kind of photo protection (sun screen) will be beneficial, even in winter in terms of maintaining a youthful complexion and a less damaged skin. But we have to balance that with getting enough Vitamin D. Although, there are many sources of Vitamin D that can be found in our diet.

‘Facelifts seem no longer in fashion now.’ You’re obviously an expert in the various non-invasive treatments - like fillers and face peels etc. Could you advise some of our readers who might be considering such options?

It is a really exciting time for these minimal invasive procedures such as instrumental fillers, restylane, and Botox. These are treatments that are extremely safe and effective, if they’re used by the appropriate practitioner.

If somebody is interested in or maybe thinking about using these procedures, a common sense approach is best. You’ve got to have realistic expectations and be aware of the potential pitfalls of any treatment. These treatments are very low risk, but no treatment is zero risk. So you really need to check the credentials of the person injecting you – are they a consultant plastic surgeon, a consultant dermatologist, a cosmetic doctor, a cosmetic nurse. Also if complications do arise, will that individual be able to handle the complications, even though they’re very rare.

The other issue is that you shouldn’t feel pressurized – maybe you should have a cooling off period. The natural look is what people really want, so often less is more.

FemaleFirst were able to have a chat with Dr Tamara Griffiths, a leading Consultant Dermatologist from Manchester.

Here’s what she had to say when we asked her about the anti-wrinkle creams, the firming creams, the day creams, the night creams and the mid-afternoon whilst having a coffee creams.

Can you reveal the findings of the latest report carried out by Restylane to us then? Does it shed any more light on how we want to look ourselves?