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caption@P@ 1 39 gm0214facp39 - 38 2013-12-05T14:35:09+11:00

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caption@P@ 1 40 CHIN ACNE Could be polycystic ovarian syndrome Many women will break out on the chin and jaw area and it can be due to fluctuations in the hormones progesterone and testosterone, especially around your period. If your breakouts are severe, you might have undiagnosed polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). It affects about 12 to 21 per cent of women of reproductive age in Australia, and up to 70 per cent of them are believed to be undiagnosed. “PCOS is often under-diagnosed and one of the common symptoms is lower facial acne,” says consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Starritt. Hormonal acne such as this is caused because women with PCOS tend to have high levels of testosterone, which promotes oil production and pimples. Other symptoms, she explains, include having weight you can’t shift. “About 30 to 40 per cent of women with PCOS will be overweight and about 60 per cent of them will have facial acne,” she says. Irregular periods are another warning sign. ?WHAT YOU CAN DO... Talk to your doctor if you have any of the symptoms as he or she can do an ultrasound to spot ovarian abnormalities and also a blood test to check your hormone levels. Most doctors will prescribe progesterone-only contraceptive pills to help PCOS, says Dr Starritt. “It’s an important distinction as some Pills are ‘androgenic’, which means the hormones in them mimic testosterone and may make PCOS and its symptoms worse. The progesterone-only ones shouldn’t do this.” CRACKS AT THE CORNERS OF THE MOUTH Could be because you’re avoiding dairy Known as angular stomatitis, these mouth cracks can occur in people who are deficient in the B vitamins, says Dr Bilinski, in particular vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin). These vitamins have anti-inflammatory properties, and a deficiency can be linked to redness in the skin. Other symptoms might also include a thickened tongue. ?WHAT YOU CAN DO... Vitamin B deficiency

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caption@P@ 1 41 DARK PATCHES ON YOUR NECK Could be too much sugar in your diet Brown rings or patches on the neck can be a sign that you’re at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Some 1.7 million Australians have diabetes, but staggeringly up to half of the cases of type 2 diabetes remain undiagnosed. Known as acanthosis nigricans, the patches indicate that the body is becoming resistant to insulin, which we use to process sugar. This condition is a common precursor to diabetes, often brought on by obesity or a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. “It can also appear in the armpits as well as the neck,” says Dr Starritt. YELLOW DEPOSITS AROUND THE EYES, NOSE OR MOUTH Could be high cholesterol About 1.3 million Australians are believed to suffer with high cholesterol (defined as exceeding 5.5mmol/L). If it’s particularly high, some people find their clogged arteries are reflected in their skin as fatty deposits around the eyes, nose and mouth, a condition called xanthelasma. “It’s often associated not only with high cholesterol but also with irregularities in the way the body metabolises fats in the blood, which can run in families,” says Dr Starritt. ?WHAT YOU CAN DO... Once the lesions appear, lifestyle changes won’t get rid of them. So Dr Starritt recommends either a chemical peel such as a TCA skin peel or an ablative laser. “A TCA skin peel essentially burns away layers of the skin in a controlled way and one treatment is often enough to get rid of lesions,” she says. “After both treatments, xanthelasma may come back so people may need a maintenance treatment every couple of years.” Talk to your doctor and have your cholesterol checked if you haven’t already – if it is high you may need medication and lifestyle advice. However, Dr Starritt points out that while hormones may drive its development, it’s the combination of these hormones with unprotected sun exposure that leads to melasma. The P