Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : December 27, 2023 9:01 AM IST
Photo: Freepik
While most people want their skin to look flawless all the time, it is seldom possible with all the chemicals and pollutants that they are exposed to every day. One of the many issues that they face is that of skin 'pilling'. It is not to be confused with skin 'peeling' even though the problem may appear to be the same. Wondering what we are talking about? Read on.
Skin pilling is not very common, and it happens when the skincare that you use does not get absorbed by the skin and sits on it, coming out in tiny flakes that can look alarming and weird. Dr (Major) Gurveen Waraich, a dermatologist, explained in a video posted on Instagram that skin pilling is not the same as your skin peeling off.
"Skin pilling is the balling up of a skincare product," said the expert. The most common cause, she said, is that there is a presence of silicone in a skincare or makeup product. "Silicones are what give the product that smooth buttery texture."
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The dermatologist said that one way to avoid skin pilling is to change the product. "Or, use this particular product as the last step in your skincare routine, which is easy because silicones are most frequently used in sunscreens." Sunscreen, as you are aware, is usually applied in the end before you step out to protect your skin from damage caused by the sun's UV rays.
According to Dr Gurveen, the second reason why you may experience pilling is when you are "not applying products in the right order". "[The correct way would be to] go from the thinnest [product] to the thickest [product]. So, your light-weight serums come first, creams last."
She added that if you are not giving enough gap between the application of various products and layering one product over the other, it can cause pilling.
"Lastly, excessive massaging or rubbing of product on the face [can cause the skin to pill]. There was an older concept that because of dead skin, products are not getting absorbed. So, you need to exfoliate more to avoid pilling. That is not true; pilling is not due to dead skin," the dermat concluded.
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