Après Summer What Happens to your Skin?

Sun exposure causes changes the skin in so many ways. One of the most common is in texture. UV exposure causes thickening and thinning of the skin, and often you will find both depending on the area. Blood vessel changes also occur because of the sun. The walls of the blood vessels become thinner, leading to possible bruising with only minor trauma in sun exposed areas. The sun also causes the appearance of telangiectasias, tiny blood vessels, in the skin - especially on the face. Which makes the skin look much redder. Sadly even if a dark rich red is a MUST this fall, I don’t recommend it on your whole face.

For some the most noticeable sun-induced change is pigment from a freckle, solar lentigo, and even an increased number of mules to sun-exposed areas. Light skinned people tend to freckle in a more noticeable way. Oh yes the pigment dilemma!

Après summer exfoliation is necessary to remove dead skin cells that cause skin to look tired, dry and aged, and uneven. It also betters the functionality and look of skin. Chemical PEELS are best for acne-prone, discoloration, fine lines and wrinkles and dullness. They improve skin texture by using a chemical solution that causes dead skin to peel off. With a handful of different peeling agents to choose from, betahydroxy acid peels are becoming more and more popular. *I would not recommend at-home peels.

I highly recommend a series of professional treatments. Here are some examples of what is in this Fall:

The LED light facial – Turning on the lights is best when used in a facial to help improve results because of its capability of working directly with the cells and helping the skin heal itself while enabling its own innate ability. It can offer an all over healthy glow, reduce breakouts, kill PP9 acne causing bacteria, reduce redness, reduce inflammation and best of all stimulate collagen production. The popularity of LED light therapy is booming. LEDS (Light Emitting Diodes) were first introduced by the NASA in the 1980’s. LED light facials are a very natural approach to maintaining healthy skin. It is also an instant pick-me up especially for dry skin. Leaves the skin gleaming, soft and hydrated.

The oxygen facial (best for blemished skin and dehydrated complexions) is a quick fix. It revives aged and tired looking skin. However it’s the serums that work deep within the skin via pressurized oxygen. A huge favourite and must for Madonna. Even though it is ultra trendy right now treating the skin with oxygen dates back to the 1930’s.

Micro needling: Everywhere you turn you can’t help but hear about micro-needling. But is it too good to be true? Dr. Setterfield located in British Columbia is researching the effects of dermal rolling of the epidermis (cosmetic needling) and dermis (medical needling) combined with pharmaceutical and homeopathic medications, plant extracts, vitamins, and other ingredients.

The majority of modalities used for skin rejuvenation incorporate the wound healing process. Conventional wisdom has leaned towards “more is best”. The biggest challenge is finding the balance between the degrees of injury (acceptable downtime) and effectiveness (best outcome). Which fits perfectly into this “soft era”.

Darker skin types limit aggressive treatments. Ablative treatments, e.g. laser resurfacing and deep peeling, while aesthetically effective, may cause undesired results. Medical needling does exactly the opposite, which is ideal. Preservation of the epidermis maintains environmental protection and minimizes downtime.

With all the exciting new Fall trends please don’t forget to treat your skin to a Fall treat. Just a little TLC will bring you closer to a younger, clearer, more even complexion. Beautiful healthy skin awaits you! The good news is that healthy skin is always - IN STYLE.

It’s all about saving one skin at a time.