FACE VALUE
Can your skin concern be treated over the counter or does it need more expert input? From hard-working topicals to tried and tested procedures, tweakments expert Alice Hart-Davis has the solutions
THE PROBLEM
SUNSPOTS
Also called age spots or liver spots, these are clusters of pigment that accumulate after years of exposure to ultraviolet light.
DARK CIRCLES
Under-eye shadows can be genetic, caused by hollowing beneath your eyes or by veins showing through thin skin. Whatever the cause, they worsen with age.
SKINCARE
Using a product with retinol or another retinoid will soften sunspots. Medik8 Crystal Retinal 1 (right, £42; visit medik8.com) is tolerable for most skins. A tougher, more effective option is the Obagi NuDerm system (tennis coach Judy Murray used it to help strip away sun damage), but this needs to be supervised by a clinic. Or look at online prescriptions via skinandme. com (from £20 a month).
Eye creams won’t get rid of the problem, but the best ones can hydrate and strengthen the skin. Dr Sabrina Shah-Desai, an ophthalmic plastic surgeon and leading aesthetic practitioner, is queen of eye-area tweakments and has launched Dr Sabrina Perfect 360 Eye Illuminate (below, £90; visit perfecteyesltd.com), an eye-area serum proven to brighten dark circles.