At this time of year, as we start looking ahead to summer, there are three skin concerns we see on repeat.
First, dehydrated skin and an impaired skin barrier after winter, often caused by wild weather and constant changes between being outdoors and indoors with the heat on.
Second, patients looking to address redness in the skin ahead of going makeup free over summer.
Third, patients looking to treat skin texture irregularities and scarring, again in pursuit of a smoother, more flawless makeup free finish.
These are all common concerns, but they are also concerns that need time. Skin repair does not happen overnight. If you are hoping to feel more confident in your skin by the time summer comes around, now is the right time to start thinking about treatment.
Why Patients Are Treating Now
Firstly, there are no quick fixes with skin repair and treating concerns. We need to allow time for biology to do its work with a lot of these treatments, especially anything targeting the likes of redness, pigment, skin texture and plumpness.
For the concerns we are seeing a lot at the moment, such as redness, pigment and texture issues, some treatments become a bit harder once the sun shows up. Getting ahead of it now allows for a consistent treatment plan without holidays or sunny weekends getting in the way of progress, leaving patients ready to enjoy summer feeling their very best.
Some treatments also come with downtime and, as we all know well by now, with the warmer weather comes wedding season. No one wants to be experiencing peeling, redness or mild swelling at a wedding.
Starting now gives the skin time to respond, while also allowing enough space between appointments, events and any plans in the diary.
What Can Help with the Concerns We Are Seeing Most at This Time?
The right treatment will always depend on the skin concern, the condition of the skin barrier and the patient’s overall goals. However, these are some of the options we often discuss with patients who want to get their skin summer ready.
Dehydration
For dehydrated skin, facials can be a great place to start.
HydraFacial can help clear out any congestion build up and supercharge the skin with the hydration it needs. After winter, this can be especially helpful for skin that feels tight, dull, dry or generally a little out of balance.
This can then be continued at home with products such as SkinCeuticals HA Intensifier Multi Glycan. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, which means it draws moisture from the environment and locks it into the skin, making it an ideal product for all day moisture boosting.
SkinCeuticals Soothing Cleanser Foam is another useful option. This soothing cleanser does not strip the skin, which is key. Often, people are unknowingly stripping their skin in an attempt to clean it, so checking in on the cleanser you are using is important when trying to maintain or restore barrier health and boost hydration in the skin.
If in doubt, opt for a gentle, soothing cleanser or a cream-based cleanser to support skin hydration.
Redness in the Skin
When the barrier is impaired, inflammation is often at play and can be a cause of underlying redness in the skin. There are many other causes of redness too, and most of us look to tackle this ahead of summer so we can enjoy warmer days hiking, swimming and soaking up the sun without makeup on.
Treatments designed around calming redness include Laser Genesis and IPL. A course of either, based on individual skin needs, can help kick off clearer, calmer looking skin with enough time before summer.
This is one of the reasons timing matters. Redness treatments are often planned over a course, rather than as a single appointment, so starting early gives the skin more time to settle and improve.
Texture Irregularities
For a lot of us, makeup comes into play when we are trying to create an even and flawless looking finish to the skin. Textural irregularities, scars and enlarged pores are a concern for many people, but they are not something anyone needs to simply live with.
Treatments like SkinPen and Secret RF are based around microneedling, a treatment designed to create tiny micro wounds in the skin in a controlled manner.
Once these micro wounds are created, they trigger the body’s natural healing process. This can help reduce the appearance of rough texture, enlarged pores and scarring, and it is especially popular with those tackling acne scarring.
A way we can best explain this is through something we have all experienced at some stage. When you cut your hand, collagen and elastin work to create new skin and heal the cut. As the new skin forms, it is often smoother and more even than the rest of the skin. Microneedling works on the same principle.
This treatment comes with a few days of downtime by way of redness and mild swelling, so it is good to get it done in between events.
For patients looking to supercharge these results, we have just launched a new treatment that combines Secret RF with an Erbium laser. More to come on this, but in short, if you have heard us talking about glass skin, this is the treatment we are referring to.
Give Your Skin Time to Get Summer Ready
Summer skin starts before summer. If the goal is calmer, smoother, more hydrated skin, the best thing you can do is give yourself time. That time allows treatments to work properly, lets the skin repair and gives you room to plan around weddings, holidays, sunny weekends and everything else that tends to fill the calendar once the warmer weather arrives.
Whether you are dealing with dehydration, redness, pigment, texture issues or scarring, getting ahead of it now can make all the difference.
By starting early, patients can move into summer feeling fresher, more comfortable and more confident in their skin, with or without makeup.
