'I was banned from going on holiday after terrible thing always happened'
NHS England reports that half of UK adults experience a skin condition each year, meaning around 35 million are currently affected. And around 27 million (76%) of people with a skin condition say they feel more anxious about it as the weather gets warmer as more of our skin is often on display.
In addition, 77% say that social media beauty trends, such as Korean 'glass skin', increase pressure to achieve a flawless complexion, with millennials reporting the highest levels of insecurity. Miriam Martinez Callejas, co-founder and superintendent pharmacist at Roseway Labs, believes that social media skin trends can have a damaging effect on mental health.
'The impact of social media on its users can be hugely underestimated,' she says. 'More research is needed into its psychological effects, but our research indicates it is having a notable influence on how people see themselves – especially young women. A quarter of UK adults with a skin condition said they compare themselves to people they see online.'
Around 79% of those with a skin condition say GP-prescribed or over-the-counter treatments haven't worked for them, leading desperate Brits to spend a fortune on off-the-shelf options, which may have nasty side effects. A study by Roseway Labs, which has partnered with dermatologists to provide customised skincare for a variety of skin conditions including acne and psoriasis, found that each summer, a growing number of people are turning to alternative methods to treat long-standing skin conditions.
Kirsty Robertson, 49, a social worker from Glasgow, shares how having DSAP has affected her confidence and affected travelling abroad.
'I've lived with DSAP for 12 years. It's a skin condition that heightens sensitivity to UV light and can give me multiple dry, scaly rings, mostly on my arms and legs. I have one or two on my face and chest. It's a progressive condition that worsens with even the mildest sun exposure.
'What began as a small circular mark on my wrist gradually spread to patches on my arms and legs within a few years. The only advice I was given from doctors was to completely avoid sun exposure.
'DSAP has impacted my life and mental health. As well as avoiding the sun and covering up, I would avoid going on sunny holidays.
'Social media often portrays images of perfect skin, so it has influenced what I wish I could have – flawless skin. But I found a DSAP patient support group on Facebook and some were talking about a compounding pharmacy that had helped them.
'I discovered a treatment for my DSAP called 2/2 cream – a combination of 2% of two medical ingredients. It's the only product that has really helped me. It's nota cure, but my skin does clear up.
'Most importantly, it has improved my emotional wellbeing. I feel confident about doing things I wouldn't have wanted to before – I now wear a bikini on the beach.
'My advice would be, don't give up if you haven't found something that works. Look for treatments not readily available from your GP. And join support groups with others that know what you're going through.'
For more info on personalised medicine from Roseway Labs, visit rosewaylabs.com or speak to your healthcare professional.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I've been pulling my own teeth out for 8 years due to NHS dental crisis'
Patients tell how they 'don't smile out of embarrassment' and live in constant pain because they can't get an NHS dentist People are living in constant pain and too embarrassed to smile because of the collapse in access to NHS dentistry, the Mirror can reveal. Today we outline harrowing patient stories from around the country caused by the collapse in NHS access as part of our Dentists for All campaign. More than 260,000 people signed the Mirror's petition calling for NHS dentistry to be rescued and many of them have written to their local MP with their own personal stories including surviving on painkillers, struggling to eat and pulling out their own remaining teeth. They tell of calling around every NHS dentist in their area to be told they are not taking on new patients, and being quoted up to £14,000 to be treated privately. Sally Brudenell told of problems getting a dentist in North Dorset, writing: 'I am in considerable and constant pain from my teeth and dental work that is decades old. I have always taken great care and pride in my teeth but now I don't smile from embarrassment. Please help me and so many other financially poor pensioners' Lizzie Savage, from Durham, wrote: 'Please can the government invest more in dentistry for the NHS. I have been removing my own teeth over the last eight years. Eating meals is a real challenge as I then have to get my small dental kit to remove lodged food inside my gums. I am not a qualified dentist but a disabled NHS nurse.' Monica Finlay wrote to James Asser MP, her local MP for West Ham and Beckton. She said: 'I am 68 years old and retired and cannot find a dentist to carry out work on my teeth. I am a pensioner so cannot afford private dental work. I have one remaining chewing tooth which is now loose. "I find it extremely difficult to eat and will only be able to eat soft food once the tooth falls out. I think it's outrageous that dentistry is now out of the reach of most working class people who either cannot find a dentist or cannot afford dental treatment.' Mother-of-five Marquita Church, 65, from Cornwall, said: 'I alongside hundreds, maybe thousands of people over 65 who can not afford private dental treatment am losing all of my teeth. With no hope of getting dentures or any kind of help at all. Pulling teeth out yourself is a very painful experience. Not being able to smile is another level. We need NHS dental treatment now, not in five or ten years. Please, please help.' Lack of funding and the outdated payment system means most dental practices are no longer accepting new adult patients. The overall NHS dentistry budget for England has remained at around £3 billion for 15 years. This has meant a £1 billion real terms cut over this period due to inflation. It means 13 million Brits are living with an 'unmet need' for dental care according to official data. Recent polling suggested that among those who could not get an NHS dental appointment, 26% performed DIY dentistry such as yanking out their own teeth and 19% went abroad for treatment. The Mirror's petition was set up in conjunction with the British Dental Association and campaigning platform 38 Degrees. Signatories received an email notifying them of a debate on the crisis which took place in the House of Commons last month. In response, many signatories then emailed their MP to ask them to attend. Their correspondence reveal the desperation of people calling around all dental practices in their area to no avail. One such signatory was Jack Nkala who wrote to his local MP for Cambridge Daniel Zeichner MP, saying the city remains a 'dental desert'. He added: 'There are never any spaces for NHS patients like myself. I literally reduced to using one part of my jaw to chew, due to rotten teeth and infected gums.' Sandra Keeling, a 78-year-old widow from Lancashire, wrote that 'the health service is overwhelmed and requires fixing', adding: 'I'm on a very tight budget but have recently had to book an appointment with a local dentist, the earliest date is Friday, 11th July and I have had to pay £124 up front!' READ MORE: 'I pulled my own tooth out with a pipe wrench because of the unbearable toothache' David Beacham, from Derbyshire, said: 'I recently had a root and crown job done at a Matlock dentist and this cost me £320 - not a small amount. They are now private only and in future that would cost £1,750. There is no way on earth I can afford that. I currently have another tooth problem, what are we supposed to do? Grin and bear it or pull my own teeth out?' Julian Hughes, 65, from Somerset, has been a full-time carer to his wife since 2008. He said: 'I have had reason to search yet again for an NHS dentist just this week as I have a tooth that needs to be removed and is extremely painful, but to no avail. am constantly phoning practices only to be told we do not take NHS patients. They do give me a rough quote for the extraction which on top of the consultancy fee amount to over £300. I cannot afford this being a carer, what on earth am I expected to do?' One signatory was a dental practice manager from a surgery in Durham. He said: 'Every day we get between 10 and 20 calls from patients in pain who cannot find an NHS dentist. It was policy under the last government to demolish NHS dentistry to save money in the NHS however nothing has changed with the new government. "We have been contacted by patients who cannot start their cancer treatments because they need a dentist to sign them off as dentally fit before starting chemo and radiotherapy. Or consider the worsening state of children's oral health. Or consider the oral cancers being missed because patients can't get a regular exam. Not to mention life threatening swellings turning up at A&E. 'We kept our books open as long as we possibly could but eventually had to stop taking new patients. We are now in the situation that existing patients can't get appointments for weeks or even months and have no diary space for new patients. Please make a difference, please help.' READ MORE: NHS dental crisis forces desperate patients to queue down street for treatment Jacqueline Keerie, from Derbyshire, said: 'Having been a dental nurse for over 15 years and now in my 70's I never thought in my lifetime that NHS dentistry would cease to exist. I know many people who have resorted to painful extractions by themselves. I feel thoroughly ashamed that a profession I loved is in this sorry state.' Roland Randall wrote to his local MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, Ian Sollom. He said: 'I had polymyalgia a few years ago and my GP put me on large doses of steroids for two years. As a result I lost many of my teeth and I was quoted £14,000 for dental treatment - way beyond my budget. I know many people like me, who cannot get on a NHS list or afford treatment. Something must be done.' Dentists for All campaign Save NHS Dentistry petition Sign our petition to save NHS dentistry and make it fit for the 21st century Our 3 demands Everyone should have access to an NHS dentist More than 12 million people were unable to access NHS dental care last year – more than 1 in 4 adults in England. At the same time 90% of dental practices are no longer accepting new NHS adult patients. Data from the House of Commons Library showed 40% of children didn't have their recommended annual check-up last year. Restore funding for dental services and recruit more NHS dentists The UK spends the smallest proportion of its heath budget on dental care of any European nation. Government spending on dental services in England was cut by a quarter in real terms between 2010 and 2020. The number of NHS dentists is down by more than 500 to 24,151 since the pandemic. Change the contracts A Parliamentary report by the Health Select Committee has branded the current NHS dentists' contracts as 'not fit for purpose' and described the state of the service as "unacceptable in the 21st century". The system effectively sets quotas on the maximum number of NHS patients a dentist can see as it caps the number of procedures they can perform each year. Dentists also get paid the same for delivering three or 20 fillings, often leaving them out of pocket. The system should be changed so it enables dentists to treat on the basis of patient need. Have you had to resort to drastic measures because you couldn't access an NHS dentist? Are you a parent struggling to get an appointment for a child? Email or call 0800 282591 Matthew McGregor, chief executive at 38 Degrees, said: 'In every single constituency across the country, adults and children are living with the consequences of the dentistry crisis: pain, worry, and deteriorating dental health. So it's no wonder that more than a quarter of a million people - including many Mirror readers - have signed our petition to save NHS dentistry and demand urgent action from the Government. "Last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer was elected on a promise to tackle the NHS dentistry crisis and reform the broken system - voters expect him to make good on that commitment. Now it's time they deliver.' A 'flawed' NHS payment contract sees dentists make a loss on some procedures and has caused an exodus to the private sector. The incoming Labour government last year promised to reform the dental contract but negotiations have been held up by the Treasury which has been reluctant to commit to a substantial funding boost. Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, said: 'Each of these horror stories is the direct result of choices made in Westminster. Rachel Reeves can consign 'DIY' dentistry to the dustbin of history but without a change in tack that's exactly where NHS dentistry is heading.' A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: 'This government inherited a broken NHS dental sector after years of neglect, but we are getting on with fixing it through our Plan for Change. We've already begun the rollout of 700,000 extra urgent dental appointments, and a 'golden hello' scheme is underway to recruit dentists to areas with most need – with hundreds of posts advertised. 'We will also reform the dental contract to make NHS work more appealing to dentists, and we've announced a national supervised toothbrushing programme to prevent tooth decay in young children.'
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
More than half of Brits are skipping their lunch breaks for two major reasons
A study of 2,000 full-time employees found only 36% take their lunch break every day, with 13% admitting it is often as little as once a week Over half of Britain's workforce are skipping their lunch breaks, with many opting to munch 'al-desko' due to heavy workloads or feeling too guilty to take a pause. A survey of 2,000 full-time workers revealed that a mere 36% manage to take their lunch break daily, and 13% confess to doing so only about once a week. Nearly half of those who forgo a proper break end up eating at their desks, and a staggering 59% claim they're simply too swamped with work to take time out. Additionally, 12% feel guilty about resting, and 24% point the finger at chatty colleagues as the reason for missing their midday respite. Consequently, 59% find themselves battling the dreaded afternoon slump, which tends to hit hardest around 3pm. Caroline Hughes, marketing director at plant-based food company Gosh!, which sponsored the study, emphasised: "Lunch is a crucial opportunity to nourish your body and set you up for the afternoon". A recent study has shed light on the lunchtime habits of Brits, revealing that taste and convenience are the main drivers behind our midday meal choices, with 59% favouring flavour and 50% opting for ease. The research also highlighted a worrying gap between what we know is good for us and what we actually do - although 80% understand the benefits of fibre, a mere 23% manage to eat their recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day. According to the findings from a whopping 79% of people consider clean ingredients when pondering their lunch options. The study further revealed that nearly half of the respondents (49%) prepare plant-based lunches, while 60% aim for low-carb options. An impressive 67% of those surveyed acknowledged the impact of their lunch choices on their productivity levels in the afternoon. Moreover, 42% identified a lack of concentration as a major sign of the dreaded afternoon slump. Nutritionist Laura Tilt, collaborating with Gosh!, emphasises the need for a proper lunch break, suggesting it takes 37 minutes to enjoy a well-rounded one. They stated: "Brits are not great at taking lunch breaks, but a proper pause in the day can help restore energy, improve focus and reduce stress. "As a nutritionist, I will always preach about the importance of eating a well-balanced nutritional lunch to make sure you are prepared for a productive afternoon. "That's why we are encouraging workers to set aside 37 minutes and reclaim their lunch to fuel their mind and body the right way." HOW TO TAKE THE 37-MINUTE LUNCH BREAK: 20 mins to eat As food reaches your gut and nutrients begin to be absorbed, hormones that signal fullness to your brain starts to be released. But this takes time - up to 20 minutes. So if you eat in a rush or while distracted (we see you, inbox), it's easy to miss those signals. 10 minutes to move Adding 10 minutes of low-intensity movement like a full body stretch or a walk can lift your focus and mood for the afternoon ahead. Short activity breaks are also a great way to reduce muscular tension and counteract some of the negative health effects that are linked with sitting at a desk for long periods. Seven minutes for a mental reset / restorative activity Engaging in 5-10 minutes of a mentally restorative activity can help you and give you a mental reset before the afternoon.
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Urgent warning to UK drivers over everyday items that can kill in heatwave
Day-to-day items that might seem harmless on the surface could actually pose major health risks if you leave them in your vehicle which can, in a heatwave, reach high temperatures Each and every day, after a long day at work, exhausted Brits park up their cars and turn off the engine - and unthinkingly leave many things scattered around their vehicle. From plastic water bottles in the side pockets of the doors, to a deodorant can hastily chucked on the back seat, and all manner of items tucked out of sight in the glove compartment - quite a few of the day to day items we unquestioningly leave in our cars can have actually have some potentially dangerous consequences once the temperatures start to ramp up. For weeks, parts of the UK have seen seriously hot weather, with heat health alerts being repeatedly issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) during the heatwaves. Everyone knows the feeling of getting into your car on a hot day, only to find that inside the vehicle, it has become even more unbearably hot. Whilst most of us will flick on the air conditioning as quickly as possible, sweating and waiting for it to work its magic, daily items left inside the vehicle as temperatures rise so high - many people don't think about what the impact these increased temperatures could have on the things left inside their car. Some of these common items can even, in some circumstances, become fatally dangerous, so it is crucial to be cautious about what you leave inside your car during a heatwave, and well worth taking the time to remove things and take them indoors with you - where hopefully things won't get quite as sweltering. Aerosol cans, like those used for many deodorants - something many people are turning to more than often at the moment - and air fresheners, can explode in high temperatures. This is because of their pressurised mechanism, and if the internal pressure becomes too great due to the extreme heat inside your car, then even if it does not explode, you may find yourself dealing with a leak and the heat having degraded the contents. Vapes have also been known to explode in high temperatures, and have multiple components that can become degraded in hot weather, which can at best leave you with gross sticky mess of leaked vape juice to heat up, and at worst cause a car fire, which could be seriously dangerous, and likely wouldn't be covered by your insurance policy - meaning it would cost you thousands. The risk simply isn't worth it, Markus Lindblad, Director from vape company Haypp explains to the Mirror. "It's always best to take a vape out of the car. If this is not possible, then it's advised to either park in a shady spot, or place it in the glove box out of direct sunlight. Vapes should be kept at room temperature, so any fluctuations or sudden temperature changes can damage the battery, causing a fire hazard." The expert adds that if you do realise you have left your vape inside the car on a hot day, "If you leave your vape in a hot car for a long period of time, then it's important to cool the vape down safely by placing it in a cool dark place. "Alternatively, wipe it down with a cold damp cloth and let it air dry. If your vape has overheated, do not, under any circumstances, place the vape in water to cool it down, as this could increase the risk of the battery exploding." Other items containing batteries like power banks, laptops, and mobile phones, also shouldn't be left in the car. These electronic devices can become damaged in the heat, but also pose a fire risk, so make sure you have gathered up all your electronics before heading inside, and locking up your car behind you. Medications should also never be left in a hot vehicle - most medicines need to be stored in a cool place, and the efficacy of the treatment could be impacted if they overheat, making it dangerous to take them. Plastic bottles can also pose health risks in high temperatures. This is because they "can leach chemicals like BPA into the water when exposed to high temperatures. Even BPA-free plastics aren't ideal in extreme heat. Experts recommend using stainless steel or glass bottles and taking them with you when you leave the car." Finally, never leave your suncream in the car during a heatwave. The active ingredients in the cream that protect you from harmful UV rays break down in extremely high temperatures, rendering it useless. The next time you slather it on, you might believe yourself to be safe from a nasty sunburn, but in fact you would be seriously vulnerable to damaging your skin.
