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There’s so much going on “out there” on the internet, which makes it completely impossible to know what’s real and what’s just hype. We’ve decided to turn straight to the source to answer our burning questions directly. Ask Me Anything is giving us 1:1 access to credible experts across beauty, lifestyle, wellness—well, everything. Go ahead, ask away.
If scrolling on SkinTok has resulted in you breathing in a paper bag or silently screaming into a pillow, opening 1,000 tabs on your browser, you are not alone.
There is so much prescriptive chatter on the internet about skincare. From “silver bullet” routines promising to change your skin forever to new innovations that could be the “next big thing,” there is also something shiny dangling in front of our faces (and press-on nails tapping alongside a plastic tube).
It was time to go straight to the source.
We tapped Dr. Heather Rogers—a nationally acclaimed, double board-certified procedural dermatologist and co-founder of Modern Dermatology in Seattle—for our first-ever Ask Me Anything, where both of our communities were able to leverage her clinical expertise and years of real-world patient experience.
Her no-nonsense approach to skincare not only makes her a trusted voice in the beauty world, but it also has resulted in her very own line, Doctor Rogers Skin Care, which has been built on the principles she practices every day as a dermatologist: fewer products, scientifically grounded ingredients, and a relentless focus on safety and results.
Will my skin go back to normal after pregnancy? Melasma, skin tags etc.? If not, what treatments should I consider?
HR: I tell my patients it takes about two years for your skin to get back to normal after pregnancy. That can feel like a really long time, but a lot of the skin tags will resorb on their own. Some you might need to have snipped off by a dermatologist.
As for melasma, that can be particularly tricky — especially if you're on birth control or planning to have more children. In those cases, it becomes a chronic concern that you'll need to manage with sunscreen, cell turnover products that help lighten the skin, and possibly even a bleaching agent.
Any unfussy routine reccs for a late 30s guy? Gotta stay supple.
HR: Yes! Let's keep this really easy. In the morning, you need to put on sunscreen. At night, brush your teeth, wash your face, and apply a cell turnover product — something with glycolic acid or bakuchiol — to keep your skin looking good.
What can I do about large pores?
HR: Large pores are genetic — I can't make them go away, but there are some tricks to make them look less noticeable. One is using a toner with salicylic acid in it. You can use that in the morning to de-clog the pores. Then, once a week or once a month, use a mask that has clay or charcoal in it, and that will also unclog the pores.
I’m in my 40s and suddenly have acne on my back. Is this hormonal?
HR: Most likely it is hormonal, but it also can just be inflammatory from things that you're eating that aren't agreeing with you. So do try to pay attention if your back acne comes on depending on the cycle, or does it depend on what you're eating — and that will help you get a better idea of how to take care of it.
What are the best skin supplements/vitamins that have actually worked to improve skin? Any specific brand recs?
HR: There are so many supplements out there, and very few of them have data behind them. I can tell you the ones that I take. I take oral collagen that helps with fine lines and wrinkles. I take oral hyaluronic acid, which helps with the hydration of my skin. I take polypodium leucotomos because that helps protect your skin from the sun. And I will give you a list below of all the different actual brands that I use.
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“There’s a reason everyone raves about this LED mask. I use it several times per week for skin maintenance—mainly for glow, collagen support, and calming any irritation. The results are real, and I’ve noticed a big shift in my skin texture and tone, and it keeps my skin looking healthy and vibrant.
It is the kind of investment that pays you back every single time you use it.”
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How do you use red light masks/domes? Skin with products during or after? 15 or 30 mins?
HR: If you have dry, sensitive skin like I do, I moisturize my skin before I use my red light. I do not have sunscreen on, but I do have moisturizer on, because it prevents me from having my skin dry out from the red light. How often you should use your red light really depends on which product you have. Two of my favorites are Omnilux — it's a 10-minute treatment and you're supposed to do it three times a week — and Celluma. It's a 30-minute treatment and you do it twice a week.
Is ectoin worth using as an added hydration step? What would you suggest as an added step in your routine for hydration ?
HR: I think ectoin is something that can be beneficial when your skin barrier is injured and you're not using your actives. So you're not using your vitamin C and you're not using your cell turnover product at night. Then you can add it in. It's not something that I recommend people use day in and day out on their skin. If you have a good face moisturizer with glycerin, squalane, shea butter, you don't need that.
Is dairy actually breaking me out??
HR: Actually, it could be. It could be dairy. It could be palm oil. It could be chocolate. It could be yogurt that has a high sugar content in it. We are actually all different in what causes inflammation in our body, and you need to listen to your body and really try cutting out things and see if your skin looks and feels better. So much of our acne is caused by inflammation, and so pay attention to particularly high glycemic index foods, which includes dairy. Oftentimes whey protein can do it, and the sugar in yogurt can do it.
Do RLT masks actually do anything?
HR: Red light masks are an area of great debate. I'm in the camp that thinks that they work. I've reviewed a lot of data and we know that they help build collagen, they help wounds heal faster, and they help prevent radiation burns when you have radiation for breast cancer. I choose to use one, but you want to pick one that delivers the right amount of light over the right period of time. If they deliver too much too quickly, it can actually irritate and inflame your skin and activate your melasma. So it actually has to be a slow delivery — it has to be at least 10 minutes, up to 30 minutes and that way the energy is going into your cells slow enough so your cells can do something with it.
Thoughts on the peptide GHK-CU injections? Does it really improve skin? I’ve heard so many positive reviews!
HR: There has never been a study showing that peptides improve our skin. There are a lot of people pushing peptides, and there are a lot of people who are like, "Oh, for me it has helped," but I don't use any injectable peptides. I actually don't even use any topical peptides, and the data out there is incredibly lacking. If you want beautiful, healthy skin, you need to do the basics first.
You need to wear sunscreen, you need to use vitamin C, you need to use retinol. We know those work, and they work incredibly well when you use them day in and day out. Don't get distracted by all this new stuff.
