5 Bridal Beauty Rules a Celebrity Dermatologist Wishes More People Knew About

It may get a tad confusing with the host of useful skincare information on the world wide web. From DIY hacks to Holy Grail products that your favourite blogger swears by, if you are not sure about how to begin your skincare regime, here's help. Celebrity cosmetic dermatologist Dr Chytra V Anand, beauty guru at Kosmoderma Clinics and chief formulator at Skin Q, drops some truth bombs about common beauty misconceptions:

Myth number 1: "I'm not in the sun, so I don't need sunscreen."  

As a dermatologist, I always say if there's only one thing that you can apply to your skin, let it be sunscreen. This is because we live in a world full of pollution with a depleting ozone layer which makes the UV radiation from the sunlight even more harmful to our skin. This causes pigmentation spots on your skin which are very difficult to treat.  

Myth number 2: "It's okay to go to bed with makeup once in a while."  

When you sleep, your skin gets to breathe. The pores, lymphatic system... everything works in tandem to make sure your skin is at its healthiest best. So, if there is a layer of makeup sitting on your skin, it forms a blanket and smothers your skin. If you don't remove your makeup at bedtime more often, over time this will lead to stasis in your skin, leading to sluggish circulation and a dull, tired appearance of the skin as well as breakouts. 

Myth number 3: "It's okay to get tanned in the sun, your body gets vitamin D."  

Tanning means that your skin is damaged. When the sun rays hit your exposed skin, it triggers inflammation or swelling as a reaction, which causes the overproduction of melanin. This leads to a tanned or darkened look on the exposed areas of your body and face. Apart from this damage, the UV radiation also breaks your skin's protein leading to signs of premature ageing such as pigmentation, dry, flaky skin, wrinkling and sagging. It is good to get a dose of sunlight for Vitamin D and other hormone ecosystems in your body but make sure to protect your skin with sunscreen. 

Myth number 4: "Acne is a part of growing up and will go away on its own."  

Acne, pimples or whiteheads is commonly caused due to a  bacterial infection in your oil glands or because of hormonal imbalance in the body. It is relatively normal that 70 per cent of teenagers will get acne at some point or the other.

However, if the acne involves your face, chest, shoulders and back, it may point towards a severe grade of acne that needs the intervention of a dermatologist. Acne needs to be treated as early as possible so that it does not cause scarring. Acne and scars can be prevented and treated with professional treatments in under 3 months. So, if you get more than 2 to 3 pimples on your face regularly, seek medical help and don't try to pop that pimple at home! 

Myth number 5: "I drink a lot of water, so I don't need any hydration for my skin."  

Drinking water is a good thing, you usually need between 1.5 to 2 litres of water depending on your body height and weight. Did you know that the skin stores around 70 per cent of the water in your body? So, if your body has sufficient water, it's stored in the skin. This water is continuously being used by your body for its essential processes and sometimes, may not be enough for the skin. Apart from drinking enough water, it always helps to hydrate your skin topically as well as internally.