Answered questions
Skin
83 answered questions · 559 studies
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Does collagen help women over fifty?
For skin, collagen is reasonably well supported in women over fifty: 2.5 to 5 grams per day for 8 to 12 weeks measurably…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What are the benefits and risks of microneedling?
Microneedling is best supported by evidence for atrophic acne scars, with consistently positive results across multiple…
Which skincare actually works after forty?
A number of skincare ingredients have a proven effect after forty: tretinoin (on prescription) is the best-supported option,…
Moderate evidence
What is so-called 'Ozempic face' and how does it develop?
Rapid weight loss from semaglutide affects the face too: fat beneath the skin disappears, collagen decreases and the skin…
Does snail slime help reduce scars?
Snail slime shows promising properties for skin repair in the laboratory, but there is as yet no clinical evidence that it…
Preliminary evidence
Do tanning beds give you vitamin D?
A sunbed can raise your vitamin D level, but only if the light also contains UV-B, and most commercial beds emit very little…
Moderate evidence
How much collagen per day is worthwhile?
For the skin, 2.5 to 5 grams of hydrolysed collagen per day demonstrably works after at least 8 to 12 weeks: pay attention to…
Moderate evidence
Is retinol safe to use after microneedling?
Whether retinol is safe to use directly after microneedling has not been directly studied. Discuss the timing and dosage with…
Preliminary evidence
What do we know about berberine patches?
Berberine patches show interesting results in laboratory and animal research for wounds, eczema, psoriasis and joint…
What are the proven health benefits of snail mucus for the skin?
Snail mucus shows potential in small and preliminary studies for hydration, anti-ageing and wound healing, but large clinical…
Does omega-3 protect your skin from sunburn?
Omega-3 may offer some protection against sunburn reactions, but the evidence from good studies is too limited and no proven…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does slugging (smearing your skin with petroleum jelly) actually work?
Petroleum jelly genuinely works as a sealing layer that reduces moisture loss, but for structurally dry skin or barrier repair…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does skin cycling actually work better for your skin?
Skin cycling as a protocol has not been scientifically tested, so no proven benefit can be attributed to it. Some of the…
Preliminary evidence
Does a vampire facial (PRP) work against skin ageing?
PRP injections produce a modest, probably real improvement in skin texture and elasticity, but do not work for everything…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does castor oil work for your eyelashes and skin?
For eyelid inflammation and dark circles there are small positive studies, but the evidence is too thin for firm conclusions.…
Preliminary evidence
Does rosemary oil really work for hair growth?
Rosemary oil has a measurable effect on hormonal hair loss, comparable to minoxidil 2%, but less potent than conventional…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Is beef tallow good for your skin?
There is no evidence that beef tallow works for skin complaints such as acne or eczema. The ingredients are not without value,…
Preliminary evidence
Do gua sha and microcurrent devices work against skin ageing?
Gua sha and facial rollers show initial positive results, but the evidence is thin; microcurrent devices have somewhat more…
Preliminary evidence
Do copper peptides (GHK-Cu) work in skincare?
GHK-Cu shows positive effects on collagen in the lab, but clinical evidence in humans is lacking. Do not expect too much from…
Preliminary evidence
Does snail mucin actually work for your skin?
Snail mucin shows promising effects in laboratory and cell studies, but clinical evidence in humans is still largely absent.…
Preliminary evidence
Do exosomes in skincare really work?
There are preliminary indications that exosomes may do something for the skin, but the clinical evidence is very thin: one…
Preliminary evidence
Do polynucleotide or salmon DNA facial treatments actually work?
There are cautious indications that polynucleotide injections may improve the skin around the eyes, but well-controlled…
Preliminary evidence
Does Red Orange Complex help against pigmentation spots and skin ageing?
There is positive evidence from multiple small human studies that 100 mg of red orange extract per day reduces pigmentation…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does microneedling work for wrinkles and scars?
Microneedling demonstrably works for wrinkles and acne scars, with radiofrequency microneedling being the variant with the…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do chemical peels with fruit acids help against skin ageing?
Chemical peels demonstrably help against sun damage, wrinkles, and pigmentation spots, but for brown spots laser treatments…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does taking glutathione make sense, or is it broken down in your gut?
Oral glutathione measurably raises levels in blood and cells, so it is not entirely pointless. Whether that rise translates…
Moderate evidence
Does taking collagen supplements actually work against wrinkles?
Hydrolysed collagen reduces wrinkles and can improve hydration and elasticity. Take 2.5 to 5 grams per day for at least 8 to…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does your body odour change as you get older?
Yes, your body odour changes noticeably with age: from your forties onwards your skin produces a compound that adds a greasy,…
Can an unhealthy gut contribute to skin problems such as acne or eczema?
A disrupted gut microbiome is associated with acne and eczema, although that association has not yet been proven to be cause…
Does fasting or calorie restriction make the skin look younger?
Fasting and calorie restriction appear to protect the skin in animal research, but direct evidence in humans that your skin…
Preliminary evidence
Does smoking also age your skin from the inside?
Smoking does not only age the outside of your skin; it damages blood vessels, protective barriers and inflammation levels from…
Does astaxanthin help protect your skin from the sun?
Astaxanthin (4 mg per day, for at least 9 to 10 weeks) appears to give the skin some extra UV resistance, but should never…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do cold showers really make your skin tighter?
Cold showers do not make your skin tighter; frequent showering can actually damage the skin barrier and cause dry skin,…
No · Preliminary evidence
Can using too much retinol actually damage your skin?
Cosmetic retinol causes no demonstrable skin damage at normal use levels, though irritation can occur. Stronger prescription…
Moderate evidence
Does resveratrol in skin cream actually do anything?
Resveratrol in skin cream demonstrably reaches the skin and has antioxidant activity, but whether it produces any visible…
Preliminary evidence
Is mineral sunscreen better for your skin than chemical sunscreen?
Mineral sunscreen has a favourable safety profile and tinted varieties may offer additional protection, but it is not…
Moderate evidence
Does physical inactivity accelerate skin ageing?
Physical inactivity probably accelerates the biological ageing of the skin, but mainly through metabolism rather than as a…
Preliminary evidence
Does sunlight affect your hormones, and if so, how?
Sunlight affects multiple hormones simultaneously: it stimulates vitamin D and beta-endorphin, suppresses melatonin, and can…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does a healthy gut microbiome lead to better skin?
There are several indications that a healthy gut microbiome is beneficial for your skin, but how best to achieve that and…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does chronically poor air quality age your skin?
Chronic exposure to air pollution measurably accelerates skin ageing, and the evidence for this is reasonably consistent. If…
Does red light therapy really help against skin ageing?
Red light therapy shows improvement in skin texture and wrinkles across multiple studies, but the effects are modest and the…
Moderate evidence
Does dark skin age more slowly than light skin?
Dark skin ages visibly more slowly thanks to better UV protection, but is more prone to pigmentation. Sunscreen is the most…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does zinc help with acne and healthier skin?
Zinc demonstrably reduces inflamed pimples, but works less well than benzoyl peroxide or antibiotics. It is most useful if you…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does a cotton versus silk pillowcase really make a difference for wrinkles?
Based on the available study, nothing can be said about this. The source contains no information about pillowcases or…
Insufficient evidence
Does omega-3 from fish or flaxseed help give you better-looking skin?
Omega-3 from fish oil has the strongest evidence base for skin conditions involving inflammation, such as eczema or psoriasis,…
Moderate evidence
Does a low-fat diet slow skin ageing or make it worse?
A low-fat diet is not necessarily better for your skin: the type of fat counts more than the amount, and monounsaturated fats…
Preliminary evidence
Does coffee dry out your skin?
Drinking coffee does not demonstrably dry out the skin; the research points more in the opposite direction. If you are…
No · Moderate evidence
Do AHAs or BHAs really help against wrinkles and blemishes?
Both AHA (glycolic acid) and BHA (salicylic acid) demonstrably help with acne, blemishes and, to a lesser extent, wrinkles,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does resveratrol really help protect cells against ageing?
Resveratrol protects cells impressively in the lab, but whether that holds true in your body is uncertain: the body breaks the…
Preliminary evidence
Does screen time (blue light) age your skin?
Blue light demonstrably damages skin in the laboratory, but whether your screen emits enough blue light to cause that in real…
Preliminary evidence
What does chronic stress do to your DNA?
Chronic stress accelerates the wear on your DNA protectors (telomeres) in a way that corresponds to years of extra cellular…
Does a face mask really work, or is it mostly just a treat for yourself?
An LED mask or a mask containing active ingredients such as salicylic acid works measurably better than doing nothing, but the…
Moderate evidence
Does urban pollution accelerate the ageing of your skin?
Urban pollution probably accelerates skin ageing, primarily through increased pigmentation spots and a weakened skin barrier.…
Is an expensive face cream better than a cheap one?
A higher price does not make a face cream more effective or safer. It is better to pay attention to the ingredient list than…
No · Moderate evidence
Can your skin get used to retinol so that it stops working as well?
Your skin gets used to the side effects of retinol, such as flaking and redness, but not to the effect itself; the beneficial…
Do peptides in skincare actually do anything?
Peptides in creams have a plausible mechanism on paper, but clinical evidence for topical use is thin. If you want to do…
Preliminary evidence
Does menopause accelerate skin ageing?
Menopause noticeably accelerates the loss of collagen, moisture retention and skin thickness, but spots and skin cancer are…
Does your skin get thicker or thinner as you age?
Your skin thins at two levels with age: that is well established. Retinoid creams have the most support if you want to slow…
Does using a night face cream actually help?
A retinoid night cream has the best evidence base and can produce visible improvement after three months. For regular…
Yes · Preliminary evidence
Does your skin age faster than your organs?
It has not been proven that skin as an organ naturally ages faster than your internal organs, but it is more vulnerable to sun…
Does a high SPF really protect better than SPF 30?
SPF 100+ protects better than SPF 50+ in genuinely sunny conditions, but always check the UVA label on the packaging as well,…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Do making lots of facial expressions cause more wrinkles?
Repeated facial expressions probably contribute to wrinkle formation, but sunlight is the best-documented factor. Sun…
Does bakuchiol work as well as retinol but more gently?
In small studies, bakuchiol shows results comparable to retinol for wrinkles and dark spots while causing less irritation. For…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does sleep deprivation age your skin faster?
Sleep deprivation demonstrably worsens your hydration, elasticity, and wrinkles, after as little as one poor night. Aim for…
What does too much sun do to your DNA?
Too much sun damages your DNA in a way that can demonstrably lead to skin cancer; sun protection and monitoring medication use…
Does creatine cause hair loss?
Current research shows that creatine does not raise DHT and has no effect on hair follicle health. There is no need to avoid…
No · Moderate evidence
Can rapamycin reverse or prevent grey hair?
Rapamycin shows promising effects on grey hair in cell and animal studies, but it has not been tested in people. It is too…
Preliminary evidence
Does rapamycin improve skin aging?
Topical rapamycin showed promising signs for skin ageing in a small study, but the evidence is still too thin to justify…
Preliminary evidence
Does collagen help your joints and your skin?
For joint pain due to knee osteoarthritis and for active athletes, collagen is worth trying: 10 grams of collagen peptides per…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What causes age spots and can you prevent them?
Years of sun exposure is the clearest cause of age spots. Consistent sun protection is the smartest prevention; for existing…
Moderate evidence
Can you repair sun damage to your skin?
Sun damage can be partially repaired: prescription tretinoin cream has the strongest evidence base, but consistent sunscreen…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does niacinamide (vitamin B3) make a visible difference for your skin?
Niacinamide cream (5%) demonstrably improves ageing skin and uneven skin tone, and is safe to use. For people with a history…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does drinking lots of water really help against dry skin and wrinkles?
Drinking more water has no proven effect on wrinkles and does very little for dry skin. A moisturising cream is a better…
No · Preliminary evidence
How much sun is safe, and does the tanning bed really cause skin cancer?
Tanning beds genuinely cause skin cancer: the evidence is causal and strong. Short, regular sun exposure is beneficial for…
Strong evidence
Does sugar accelerate skin ageing through glycation?
The biological mechanism is rock solid: chronically high blood sugar levels accelerate the breakdown of collagen and elastin…
Does hyaluronic acid on your skin really help against dryness and wrinkles?
Hyaluronic acid on your skin genuinely helps against dryness. Injections work best against wrinkles. A pill or powder adds…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does a vitamin C serum help against pigmentation spots and ageing?
Vitamin C serums probably reduce pigmentation spots and early signs of ageing, but the studies are too small or lack control…
Yes · Moderate evidence
What do smoking and alcohol do to the ageing of your skin?
Smoking demonstrably accelerates skin ageing: it damages your skin cells from within and causes inflammation. For alcohol…
What is the best-proven remedy for wrinkles: retinol or vitamin C?
Tretinoin (prescription vitamin A) has the best evidence against sun-related wrinkles; a cream containing 5% vitamin C showed…
Strong evidence
What really helps against skin ageing?
Using sunscreen every day is the best-supported way to slow skin ageing, complemented by not smoking, drinking alcohol in…
Moderate evidence
Do collagen supplements work against skin ageing?
Studies show positive effects of collagen supplements on elasticity and wrinkles, although the funding behind the research…
Moderate evidence
Does retinol help against wrinkles?
Retinol demonstrably works against wrinkles and improves skin texture, although tretinoin is more powerful for those who can…
Yes · Moderate evidence
Does sunscreen also protect against skin ageing?
Using broad-spectrum sunscreen daily demonstrably slows sun-induced skin ageing; anyone with concerns about chemical filters…
Yes · Moderate evidence