Welcome to the official website of Dr Terry Loong (often known as Dr Terry by her patients).
Dr Terry is a qualified doctor for more than 18 years, having graduated from King’s College London in 2002. She first trained as a surgeon before specialising in Aesthetic Medicine in 2007. She started out her career, inspired by her late mother who suffered from hormonal acne and acne scars which led to her first book “The Hormonal Acne Solution”.
When Dr Terry was 30 years old, she was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer which led her down the path of nutrition, lifestyle medicine and hormonal balance. Her philosophy as an Integrative Aesthetic and Hormone Doctor is to help her patients look and feel their best, with each passing year, naturally and holistically.
FG, 49 years old, Director Film & Television
I have been treated by Dr Terry since 2010 she is an excellent Doctor who takes a real interest in her patients and any concerns that they have. Dr Terry is incredibly skilled at making you look as natural as possible , people know that you look good and an improved version of yourself – but they have no idea why. I like to see it as maintenance ! Over the years I have recommended Dr Terry to various friends of mine who like me have had excellent results. Dr Terry has the combination of being both technically skilled with what I call in the design world ” a good eye ” I cannot recommend her highly enough and I would not go anywhere else.
SC, 52 years old, Teacher
Dr Terry is an outstanding skin doctor. I have been a patient of hers for over 10 years and her perfectionism and accuracy of every treatment I’ve been given has been excellent, with each result being extremely natural and with hardly any downtime. This shows the first class skill and knowledge she has about all aesthetic and non aesthetic procedures.
I would not hesitate to recommend Dr Terry to anyone who wishes to look after their skin and maintain a youthful natural look regardless of their age.
I have also been following a recommended skin plan from Dr Terry and I can wholeheartedly say the products I’ve been using have made a remarkable difference to my skin.
As featured in
Accreditations
Treatment Summary
Menopause
Hormone Replacement Therapy and alternatives
Hormonal Acne
Skin treatments
Botox
Mesotherapy
Dermal Filler
Under eye dark circles treatment
Jaw Slimming and defining
Silhouette Soft Thread Lift
Collagen Stimulation
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
Fat dissolving treatment
Mesotherapy
Lip rejuvenation
Hand rejuvenation
This hormone led to my grandmother’s death. I don’t want to sound dramatic but it’s that important! I’m talking about insulin
✨
After you eat or drink, the body turns carbs into glucose. Once it’s in your blood stream, insulin causes cells to absorb & use it for energy.
The problem is when you have too much sugar or there is a problem with the receptors not responding to the insulin (known as insulin resistance). Certain cells stop taking in the sugar & energy is depleted. Your cravings increase & yvery affected when you skip a meal (eg brain fog, irritability or fatigue)
The excess sugar in the blood still needs to go somewhere so it overspills into fat cells, causing weight gain even if you are not eating that much.
This leads to inflammation & “cellular glycation” causing damage eg to the kidneys & skin.
Persistent high insulin/ insulin resistance unchecked can lead to metabolic syndrome, PCOS & Type II diabetes. My grandmother died of the complications of Type II diabetes due to her poor lifestyle in her early 60s. She used to feed us bottles of Milo & Condensed Milk when she looked after us. My underwear used to attract ants due to the sugar in my urine 😱
✨
You might think this does not apply to normal folks but it can slowly build up. And yes I’m painting the worst case scenario but the common trio of symptoms for metabolic syndrome is weight gain, acne & excess hair on the face.
Insulin activates insulin-like growth factor (IGF) receptors located in skin cells - increasing proliferation resulting in skin tags, pigmentation & rough skin.
It also increases ovarian androgens & reducing SHBG (a binding protein) increasing free testosterone & DHT (5x more potent) which increases oily skin/scalp, loss of hair on the scalp & irregular period often seen in PCOS
✨
Although majority of women I see with acne may not in the extreme spectrum, I still help them balance their sugar levels through nutritious food, mindful eating and targeted supplements to reduce insulin resistance, cravings and inflammation
✨
I will share next how to test for it and how to manage it. Do you think your acne could be due to high insulin? #hormonalacne #adultacne
This week I’m covering hormonal imbalances that can lead to acne. Yesterday I shared the most common one I see - High Cortisol (see previous post if you’ve missed it). Today I’m covering:-
🔹What causes high cortisol
🔹How to test it
🔹How to manage it
✨
WHAT CAUSES HIGH CORTISOL? Basically anything that puts a stress on the body, mind & soul. Could be:-
~ underlying inflammation
~ food triggers
~ toxic environment or people
~ stress of any kind
~ low stress resilience
~ poor stress management
~ sugar imbalance
~ lack of sleep
~ poor gut health
~ unexpressed or suppressed emotions/trauma
You get the jist. Some people’s skin are more sensitive to stress (whether consciously or unconsciously) and they show their emotions on their skin
✨
HOW TO TEST IT? A few options:-
🔹blood first thing in the morning cortisol and DHEA-S (this gives a snap shot picture)
🔹4x saliva samples through the day (to pick up the daily rhythm)
🔹urine eg DUTCH test taken at specific times of the day (to look at how it’s being produced, it’s reserves, how its being activated or deactivated - this is my favourite)
✨
HOW TO TREAT IT? Big question. Here’s what I often turn to:-
🔹 Reduce inflammation (remove inflammatory/toxic triggers. Treat if need to)
🔹 Balance your sugars - more protein, healthy fats and fibre
🔹 Wean off caffeine and alcohol
🔹 Improve your sleep, learn to rest, slow down, meditate, breathe deeply
🔹 Review your life, relationships, work, thoughts and emotions - does it bring you joy? If not, ask why and seek help sooner than later
🔹 Pet an animal, hug a friend, laugh
🔹 Get outside in nature, get the morning sun, move your body, do what makes you happy
🔹 Consider Omega 3 supplement, magnesium, ashwaganda & rhodiola
✨
It’s a big topic but an important one. Start with what you can do and slowly build on it. Your skin and hormones will thank you for it. Any questions on high cortisol and skin, let me know below. Artwork by @theawkwardyeti (love his work 💕)
Sharing my go-to ingredients to help clear acne
✨
The aim of topical products for acne is:-
~ reduce inflammation
~ repair epidermal barrier
~ maintain moisture so oil is balanced
Simple and nourishing at any age. We want to provide the right environment for the skin to heal.
See my previous post on common acne products that could worsen acne
✨
Would you agree on this list?
.
.
.
.
#acneproducts #acneskincare #adultacnesolutions #hormonalacnesolution #hormonalacne #perimenopauseskin #acneawarenessmonth #acneawareness #gentleskincare #sensitiveskincare #acneproneskin
I know this is going against common acne advice but if you’re still struggling with acne even after using these common acne products, it may be the ingredients making it worst or how you’re using it
✨
In no particular order, these may be the culprits:-
~ exfoliating scrubs
~ mattifying toner
~ acids
~ benzoyl peroxide
~ retinol
✨
I explain my reasons in the post (swipe right). All these products can leave the skin dry, irritated and inflamed which are not good conditions for healing skin
✨
When I work with my patients with acne, one of the things we do is skincare planning. I emphasise the importance of:-
🔸 reducing inflammation as the first step so think calming the skin. This will reduce redness, sensitivity, irritation and size of the spots
🔸 repairing epidermal barrier and maintaining moisture so the skin is resilient, oils are balanced and the natural skin microbe ecology is maintained which is integral to the skin’s defence system
🔸 finally, we can then encourage healthy regeneration to improve scars , pigmentation and “anti-age”
✨
What’s your experience with these products? Has it helped or hinder your acne recovery?
.
.
.
.
#acneproducts #acneskincare #acneawarenessmonth #acneawareness #treatingacne #hormonalacnesolution #hormonalacne #adultacne #perimenopauseskin #menopauseskin #rosaceaacne
Is your acne breakout “true acne”?
🧐
Conventional acne treatment eg topical/oral antibiotics, birth control pill, topical Tretinoin or oral roaccutane aim to:-
🔸reduce excess oil production by sebaceous glands
🔸encourage healthy turnover of skin cells so it doesn’t clog up the pores
🔸reduce high androgens (testosterone)
🔸treat infection by P.Acne bacteria
However did you know there are skin conditions that LOOK LIKE ACNE BUT ISN’T ACNE so it doesn’t respond to the conventional treatment or is MADE WORST by it?
✨
Personally and professionally, I do not prescribe any of the conventional acne treatments which I will explain in later post. My approach is to look at the source of the acne and create an inside out plan for short term gain (better skin) and long term benefit (balanced hormones, feeling stronger, healthier and more in tune with your skin)
✨
In this post, I share the 6 skin conditions that can mimic acne but is not. They can reoccur or be made worst with conventional acne treatments so if you’re in doubt, ask yourself if you have any of these
🔹 Perioral dermatitis
🔹 Rosacea
🔹 Folliculitis
🔹 Sebaceous Hyperplasia
🔹 Steatocystoma Multiplex
🔹 Basal Cell Carcinoma
✨
The first 3 can be improved or cleared by my holistic approach. The last 3 will need clinical intervention. Have you experienced breakouts that just won’t go away or made worst with conventional acne treatments? What has been your experience?
.
.
.
.
#acneawarenessmonth #acnetreatment #causesofacne #perioraldermatitis #sebaceoushyperplasia #skinconditions #rosacea #skincyst #acneproneskin
Chinese Medicine for healthy skin and balanced hormones. Excited for this week’s IG Live with Ervina Wu, CEO and co-founder of @yina.co , a beauty company based on the wisdom of Chinese medicine
✨
We will be discussing the role of Chinese medicine in modern day life particularly how it can help with:-
~ hormonal acne
~ Perimenopause
~ Menopause
~ PMS
~ Energy
plus covering Chinese beauty and the inspiration of @yina.co
✨
Ervina Wu had breast cancer in her 30’s and healed herself with Chinese Medicine during her cancer treatments. She received a scholarship from the Chinese government for her PhD in TCM and clinical training in autoimmune disease. She’s also a registered TCM dermatologist. Her passion for medicine and art made her a collaborator in formulations, design, and business development for @yina.co
✨
Join us live to have your questions answered. If you can’t make it but have questions, please let me know below so I will be sure to cover it
.
.
.
.
#chinesemedicineforskin #tcm #womenwellness #chinesebeauty #orientalbeauty #easternbeauty #eastmeetswest #hormonalacne #adultacne #perimenopause #menopause #pmsproblems #guashamassage
Let’s start Acne Awareness Month by defining the types of Acne there are because once you know how to describe it, it’s easier to find the cause and solutions for it
👩🏻⚕️
As we know the cause of acne is multi-factorial. Hormones definitely play a big role but there’s also:-
~ genetic
~ cosmetics
~ medication (including birth control)
~ fungal infection
~ and many more
👩🏻⚕️
We will cover the causes and solutions throughout the month but today, I’m covering the 6 types of acne.
Depending on what you have, we can distinguish the severity.
Of course saying that, how it affects each individual is so variable and subjective so take this as merely a way to categories the severity from purely a visual perspective
👩🏻⚕️
You have MILD ACNE if you have:
~ fewer than 20 whiteheads or blackheads
~ fewer than 15 inflamed bumps or
~ fewer than 30 total lesions
*Mild acne is usually treated with topical products and can easily be treated at home with food and lifestyle changes
You have MODERATE ACNE if you have:-
~ 20-100 whiteheads or blackheads
~ 15-50 inflamed bumps
~ 30-125 total lesions
*Moderate acne MAY need working alongside a skin specialist
You have SEVERE ACNE if you have:-
~ multiple inflamed cysts and nodules
~ acne lesions turning deep red or purple, often leaving scars
*Severe acne OFTEN require partnering with a skin specialist to prevent scarring or pigmentation and finding long term solution
👩🏻⚕️
What acne type do you mainly have? What has worked and what hasn’t in clearing it?
.
.
.
.
#hormonalacne #hormonalacnesolution #adultacne #acnetreatment #acnetype #acneawarenessmonth #acneawareness #blackheadremoval #blackheads #cysticacne
“You are very holistic for a medical doctor” said a functional nutritionist in a female health accountability group that I belong to
✨
I reflected on what she said and to be honest, I’ve always been that way inclined. Funny being a medical doctor as I don’t like taking medicine 😂 Never had
✨
I took my education in holistic wellbeing more seriously after being diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer when I was 30 years old. I now know it was my body’s response to what was going on with my life at that time
✨
I went on to study nutrition, functional medicine and hormonal balancing.... and still learning as I incorporate what I learn to helping my patients clear hormonal acne or thriving through their Perimenopause/Menopause
✨
This month is Acne Awareness Month and I will be sharing my approach to clearing hormonal acne - without antibiotic, birth control pills and roaccutane.
This month, I will also be interviewing a TCM dermatologist (watch out for details) who will be sharing her experience, knowledge and wisdom on skin and Chinese medicine
✨
Excited for the month ahead. If you have specific questions on hormonal acne, please let me know below. 📸 Timeless picture taken by the talented @anniearmitage
.
.
.
.
#hormonalacne #hormonalacnesolution #adultacne #acneawareness #acneawarenessmonth #acnemonth #naturalacnesolutions #foodandacne #skinpsychology #perimenopauseskin