Emer O'Callaghan: Your beauty queries answered 

I recently attended a Blue Demons basketball match at the Parochial Hall in Cork city with my friends.

The super league is always a good watch, and I just love visiting the north side. My blood there runs deep, and even though I grew up in Bishopstown, my grandparents stayed in the north side. Every Sunday, we would be up there visiting.

I always laugh at people who seem surprised to see me in the north side, like I’m some rare gazelle that never crosses the North Gate Bridge.

I love how normal people are in the north side, everyone is just sound by nature, and the sense of community is as strong today as it ever has been.

I really do feel the south side could learn a lot from north side people and their sound nature.

I’m not a materialistic person, I couldn’t care less how big your house is, what you drive, or how wealthy you are, I’m more interested in people who have good hearts and no big ego.

Regardless of what side or part of Cork you were born in, I truly believe, as a passionate Cork lady, we have so much to be proud of here on Leeside, and it’s us, the people, that make Cork so great.

We have a giddy, witty humour that is so unique, I’d love if we could bottle it and sell it, instead of all the constant bad news we hear today.

As a beauty doctor and skin specialist, I meet people, male and female, of all ages and I truly feel everyone just wants to look and feel as good as they can for their age.

If I can give them any tips and advice to help them, that’s what I always aim to do. I believe my job is to be of service to others, that’s what we do as beauticians, we provide various services that help people look and feel their best - and as the age old saying goes, when we look good, we feel good.

It’s the change of season, with brighter, sunnier days ahead - we hope anyway. The days are getting longer too, and this week I want to share with my readers some very commonly asked questions I get at this time of year at Emerald Beauty Clinic - and my answers to them.

Q: IT’S MY DAUGHTER’S CONFIRMATION THIS MONTH AND ALL SHE WANTS IS NAIL EXTENSIONS, BUT SHE IS ONLY 12. IS IT OK?

A: No. In my opinion, there is no way any child of that age or under 18 should be getting nail extensions, shellac, or long- wearing polish, due to the possible damage to their young, growing nail.

I understand the pressure parents feel when saying no for big life events like this, and sadly, parts of the beauty industry have been targeting this age group.

I’d suggest a fair compromise of a full manicure of her nails, and for her to choose the nail polish colour - but not extensions or other long- wearing nail polish as the acetone to remove these more advanced treatments can be harmful to such a young nail bed. I did one of my popular beauty videos on this recently and you can watch it on the Emerald Beauty Clinic Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages now.

Q: MY HUSBAND IS IN HIS 50S AND IN THE PAST YEAR HIS HAIR IS THINNING A LOT - HE ALWAYS HAD FINE, THICK HAIR. ANY TIPS?

A: Male baldness and thinning of hair is very common and lots of factors contribute to it - ageing, stress, lifestyle, and the chemicals many wash their hair in daily.

I’d recommend he starts taking a zinc tablet daily. It is a mineral many lack in their diet and is fantastic for helping hair growth, nails and skin.

I take zinc every winter myself and look at all the hair I have!

Zinc also strengthens the immune system. He needs to be on it a good 6-8 weeks to start seeing a difference. Do check with your pharmacist or GP that it’s OK for him to take zinc if he is taking any other medications.

Lastly, I suggest only washing his hair in Johnson’s baby shampoo, its paraben- and chemical-free and if it’s safe enough for baby, it’s safe enough for us! I’d also ask him to avoid gels and extra hair products.

Q: I HAVE THREE TEENAGE BOYS, ALL SPORTY GYM FANATICS, AND I’M NOTICING OF LATE THEY ARE GETTING BREAK-OUTS ON THEIR CHEST, BACK AND FACE. ANY TIPS?

A: Lots of factors here to take into account with young males, such as testosterone and sweat.

Tell them to shower straight from the gym or training, as sweaty clothes and tops push oil and dirt back into the skin. Medicated shower gels are good, as is Sanex 0%. Beware of high fragrance products as these can clog pores.

Next, I’d look at diet, whey protein has been proven to cause spots and break-outs of the face and body. I treat lads of all ages daily and when I hear them say they have 2-4 shakes a day, that’s a lot.

A professional grade cleanser, toner, and moisturiser used every morning and evening will clear their skin up fast.

Q: I KEEP GETTING SPOTS ON MY CHIN, I’M 45, FEMALE, AND VERY SELF-CONSCIOUS ABOUT IT, ANY TIPS?

Spots are a pain, regardless of your age, and at your age, a break-out on the chin and jawline is a huge sign of hormonal disruption.

I’d suggest a good Emerald Beauty Clinic Deep Cleanse Facial, then I would do up a basic skincare programme for you using my professional grade skincare, with products designed to target hormonal breakouts. Use these products every AM and PM, and have a facial every six weeks. This will stop the spots forming as the skin will be getting cleaned correctly with targeted products.

I’d also suggest starting a multi-vitamin which is designed to help your body deal with this stage of life. Please consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting any course if you are on other medications also.

Q: SINCE MY FATHER TURNED 65, HE HAS STARTÉD WEARING SPF AS HIS DOCTOR TOLD HIM HE NEEDS TO, BUT HE SAYS HE FINDS IT SO HARD TO FIND ONE THAT’S NOT GREASY AND SHINY ON HIM.

Fair play to your dad for listening, it can be very hard to educate some people on SPF, and to be fair, this generation did not grow up using SPF.

It’s worrying, as someone who works with skin all day, when I hear someone say they don’t use their SPF at all, because that’s not optional any more. We now know that we all should be wearing an spf with UVA and UVB filters in it, these are key things you need to be looking out for when buying an spf.

Lots of men say they find SPF greasy or it runs into their eyes, many others don’t like if they are too chalky or white. It’s hard to please them all, I know, but I find my male clients of all ages really like my Guinot SPF 50 as it is not as thick and greasy and suitable for daily use as a moisturiser.

UV rays are out 365 days year, it’s daylight, not sun, that we must be mindful of. I will be covering this topic a lot more in the coming weeks, because this much I do know, we really do need a lot more education and information given to the general public of every age on why SPF is a daily requirement in all our lives for all our skin health.

Emer O’Callaghan is a multi award winning beauty doctor and skin specialist who won Irish Beauty Therapist of the Year and works at Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. A Gold Standard Centre of Excellence, 2008-2026, www.emeraldbeautyclinic.ie - follow us on Facebook/Instagram/Tik Tok now.

SPECIAL OFFER

All this month, our Guinot Detoxygen Facial, 90 minutes, is reduced from €115 to €95, and includes full skin analysis, eyebrow shape, samples and treats. To book, call Emerald Beauty Clinic 021 4365949. Free parking for clients.