I was delighted to go back to my old school, Manchester High School For Girls, last month to talk to the year 9 girls about skin health. The following article featured in The Hale, Altrincham & Sale Independent Newspaper and also The Sale & Altrincham Messenger.
It is never too early to start protecting your skin, that was the key message given by Hale-based skin expert Dr Sarah Norman to the girls in Year 9 at Manchester High School for Girls recently. “As a former pupil of MHSG, I was delighted to be invited to educate the girls on matters of skin health and skin protection,” said Sarah, who consults at the BMI Alexandra Hospital in Cheadle and her own BrightNewMe clinic in Altrincham.
A substantial part of Sarah’s talk focussed on the need to wear sun protection, in all weather conditions. “Exposure to the sun is the biggest cause of ageing of the skin, and over-exposure can also lead to cancers of the skin. I advised the girls to wear sun protection all year round, as sun damage can occur even on cloudy, wintery days”. Sarah’s talk also covered specific skin problems such as acne, with tips on how to prevent outbreaks, and what the treatment options are for when a breakout does occur. “We also addressed a number of common myths, such as acne being caused by poor hygiene, or poor diet, which is definitely not the case.”
Dr Sarah Norman, flanked by (L to R) Jayshwini Sanghani, Kate Gleave, Elizabeth Archer, Scarlett Daly and Aysher Nadeem
The session ended with a discussion on general skin matters, and the girls received the benefits of Sarah’s views on regular exfoliation, and the consequences of wearing too much makeup and over-moisturising. “Our skin has a natural cycle, whereby dead cells are replaced by healthier cells underneath, and this process is to be encouraged” advises Sarah.
Mrs Corinna Bennett, Head of Year 9 at Manchester High School for Girls, said; “We were delighted to welcome Dr Norman to talk to our students about skin health and skin protection. The girls found it really useful and interesting, and many went away truly inspired by her expertise.”