Beauty Tips

This Is the First Thing Derms Notice About Your Skin

Top dermatologists reveal what they notice the moment you walk into their office

by Lindsay Tigar | COMMENT

PHOTO 2/7

How you wear your makeup Though you may manage to wrangle an appointment first thing in the morning, most of the time you're squeezing in a visit to your derm whenever an opening is available. This means you might come in with a full face of makeup, which you hope will cover up your imperfections. Even if you have flawless coverage, cosmetic dermatologist Jeanette M. Black, MD says the way you apply your makeup reveals a lot about both your skin issues and your skin goals.

Specifically, she pays attention to contouring and highlighting, as well as any heavy foundation. "This helps me see what things they are looking to improve upon, especially when I am evaluating patients for cosmetic procedures. Patients will use makeup to hide redness, pigment irregularities or scarring, and it is important for me to notice how much makeup the patient is wearing so I can better evaluate their skin," she says. There's never any judgment in her examination, but makeup gives her a starting point to help patients make improvements in their skin so they are wearing less makeup with each follow-up visit.

Image via Imaxtree

SEE NEXT PAGE: If anything seems out of balance

EDITORS' BEST OF

12 Best Acne Products for Your Clearest Skin Yet

11 Best Tinted Moisturizers for Easy, On-the-Go Coverage