Brown Skin Spots On The Face And The Sun

by wallacemcd | Apr 2, 2024 | Uncategorized

What Every Aesthetician Wants Their Clients to Stop Doing

by Lee Stapleton | Mar 11, 2024 | Uncategorized

Aesthetic practitioners are dedicated to enhancing your appearance and overall well-being through various treatments, home care products and recommendations. However, a few misconceptions and recurrent habits can impact the progress and efficacy of this close relationship. An honest collaboration between aesthetician and client will provide the best possible outcome for optimal skin health.

A survey in the medical aesthetic profession found a few of the most common areas where you, the client, can assist with a more positive outcome.

During the consultation, the aesthetician and the client must be completely transparent about what may be achieved and the desired outcome. We all see the social media before and after photos, and we all want a miracle in a jar, so to speak; this includes me. The results are ultimately determined by age, health, lifestyle and compliance with home care products and applications. Nothing lasts forever, even a facelift. Remember, our body is a continually aging machine, and “regular servicing” needs to be maintained.

After any treatment, please refrain from touching the skin immediately after. By doing so, the introduction of bacteria can disrupt the healing process. For injectable procedures, this can mean not touching the treated site (unless advised to, and only on clean skin with clean or gloved hands).

Do not expect immediate results, as improvement will vary depending on age, health and healing capacity. This applies to all injectables, laser procedures, skin needling and peels. The older we are, the slower the healing and rejuvenation time for the skin. Be patient and comply with your homecare instructions.

Do not overload on exfoliating procedures at home. Combining chemical exfoliants and mechanical exfoliants too often and aggressively can damage the protective skin barrier, leading to dehydration and eroding the youthful, plump appearance we all desire.

Just because your friend had the procedure and an excellent outcome does not mean the procedure is correct for you. While some treatments may be universal for most skin types, no two skins are identical. This is where the consultation process is required. While one person may require a fractional laser, another may be able to have an IPL for the treatment of colour irregularities and then may need a fractional laser or a course of skin needling to achieve their desired result.

When you arrive for a treatment where heat may be applied – possibly in the form of laser, radio frequency, RF skin needling or even a skin peel – and you have come straight from the gym, a run, hot yoga or even hot coffee – the skin will not be able to cope with the parameters the treatment requires for your desired outcome. If you are unsure of your pre and post-instructions, always call ahead and have them cemented in your thoughts so you and the clinic are aligned with achieving optimal results for your skin.

Always disclose any allergies and medical history, as there are often contraindications to ingredients and treatments. This also includes disclosing any injectable treatments, even if obtained at another clinic, as deep laser and RF treatments and deep massage can create a possible migration or dissolving of the ingredients. This also means if you have had prior treatments at another clinic in a close time frame. With this transparency, the outcome is always a more-than-desirable result.

Rapidly changing skin care products can irritate the skin and disrupt the healing process. Discuss with your aesthetician if you feel a product could improve your outcome.

Daily, we are preaching to use sunscreen, even on the cloudiest of days. Overexposure to the sun is the number 1 reason for skin ageing in this country.

When there is open and transparent communication between the aesthetician and the client, the desired result is so much easier to achieve.

Pore Blocking Ingredients – Comedogenicity

by Lee Stapleton | Feb 11, 2024 | Uncategorized

We have all used products where we end up with our skin blocked and spotty. These products can be anything from shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, makeup or self-tanning products when applied to the skin or hair. Ingredients creating blocked follicles are known to be comedogenic.

A comedogenic component means that it can clog the pores. This is done by accumulating follicular hyperkeratosis – increased keratin production in the hair follicles. Over time, this may lead to blackheads, milia, sebaceous hyperplasia and clogged follicles. These symptoms do not always transpire quickly; it may take months of using a comedogenic product before it becomes obvious. Each person’s skin chemistry can determine the degree of an ingredient’s comedogenicity; therefore, it is highly mutable between people. One person may not react, while another may have disproportionately clogged pores in just a few short weeks.

Even ingredients not typically comedogenic can create havoc depending on our exclusive skin enzymes. Human sebum is inherently comedogenic, so even if you are prone to clogging and try to avoid all comedogenic ingredients, it is not certain protection against blackheads.

Some ingredients that may be comedogenic are petroleum derivatives, cocoa butter, oleic acid, sodium lauryl sulphate, coconut oil, wheatgerm oil, palm oil, linseed oil, isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl isostearate, butyl stearate, myristyl myristate, decyl oleate, octyl stearate, octyl palmitate, Isocetyl Stearate, propylene glycol-2, lanolin and coal tar derivatives. It is important to be aware that a product containing a comedogenic ingredient may not be a bad product choice for someone who is not prone to acne and blocked pores.

Comedogenic list inconsistencies are based on numerous elements. First, depending upon the component strength of that ingredient within the formula is vital. A formulation is not only a sum of its parts – component combinations can make a comedogenic ingredient into a non-comedogenic ingredient and vice versa.

Secondly, the process in which a component is extracted and treated plays a role.

Third, the source of the raw material can affect its rating.

Although comedogenicity is not an exact science, there are points to be aware of to help reduce the adverse effects of a product.

1. Please read the ingredient index list on the back of the bottle or packaging and compare it with the comedogenic list
2. Ensure shampoo and conditioner are thoroughly rinsed from your hair and keep it tied back at night to help reduce the leave-in residue pressed into and against the skin.
3. Oil-free does not mean it is non-comedogenic
4. Do not leave makeup on the skin overnight. Instead, ensure cleansing and toning with gauze and toning lotion occurs. For optimal results, cleansing and toning is done morning and night followed by serums and treatment creams prescribed by your skincare professional.
5. Using either a retinol, mandelic, glycolic, lactic or BHA serum at night can assist with skin refinement and decongesting the skin

In-clinic treatments can help remove/reduce blockages in the skin. One of the most effective treatments is the Skin Classic, also known as Diathermy. It is an effective and affordable non-laser treatment for minor skin imperfections such as blackheads, milia and sebaceous hyperplasia. When related to skin blockages the Dyathermy will dehydrate the oil and reduce or remove the blockage completely. Treatments are relatively quick, with little discomfort, provide instantaneous results with no anaesthesia and healing times that vary from 5 to 10 days to a few weeks for larger skin conditions. Best results are achieved when used in conjunction with a prescribed skincare routine to ensure the blockages are not reoccurring.

Many factors can lead to comedones, milia and sebaceous hyperplasia, including the skin’s natural oils, dead skin, makeup or other products becoming lodged in the pore. Do your homework with the ingredient index and follow a prescribed skincare programme and the risk of blockages in the skin will be reduced.

What Treatment Do I Choose? Colour Correction, Skin Firming, Refinement and Radiance.

by Sue Carroll | Sep 3, 2023 | Uncategorized

Colour Correction, Skin Firming, Refinement and Radiance. What Treatment Do I Choose?

Texture, tone and colour all play a huge role in defining the appearance of healthy skin. There are many treatments available to improve the texture and complexion of your skin by reducing hyperpigmentation, and fine lines, clearing acne, improving pore size, reducing scarring and simply brightening the skin. But where to start, what to have and what to combine it all with, for the best possible result.

RF Skin Needling is a revolutionary skin tightening and firming treatment, which utilizes a combination of percutaneous needling and radio frequency to induce the tightening of elastin fibres and induce collagen production. A set of tiny needles creates controlled micro-injuries on the skin’s surface. These tiny needles also deliver radiofrequency energy to the deeper layers of the skin, promoting collagen production to firm the skin. By incorporating both the radio frequency and the use of the microneedles, the end result is a firming from the RF and a refinement of the skin texture. This treatment is also beneficial when treating stretch marks and scarring. If the skin is in a less than optimal condition it is a great choice to start with 2-3 skin needling treatments spaced about 7 days apart and then embark on the RF needling treatment which can be performed every month for 2-3 treatments with very minimal downtime.

Surface rejuvenation and toning with the Q switch laser is a gentle and non-invasive treatment that works by stimulating the deeper layers of the skin. A very short delivery system gently heats the skin, is able to shatter pigment, stimulate collagen production and assist with skin refinement all without downtime. The Q switch laser toning system is good for all skin types, particularly those who suffer from acne, blocked or enlarged pores, dull skin, pigmentation and simply those who wish to step up from their facial peels and treatments. The Q switch laser treatment may be added to a fractional laser treatment for a boost in results. It may also be used in the China Doll or Hollywood skin treatment for that special occasion.

Over time and then added stress in our lives, the underlying changes to the skin result in fine wrinkles, lines and sagging skin. HIFU is a treatment that works to lift and tighten the skin, and at the same time reduce fine lines. HIFU works by delivering ultrasound energy non-invasively to heat the skin tissue at numerous depths, from 1.5mm and up to 4.5mm for the face and up to 13mm for the body. This will trigger a natural regenerative reaction that promotes the development of new collagen and contracts the fibres for the firming effect. After the HIFU treatment, you can return to work the next day, with no visible downtime, occasionally a feeling of slight bruising may last for 2 weeks due to the depths the ultrasound has penetrated. It must be remembered nothing will replace a facelift but often when postponing this procedure, this might just be the next best thing when combined with IPL for colour correction, RF Needling for skin refinement and a little injectable here and there.

Fractional laser delivers multiple, microscopic columns of light energy into your skin to emulate micro-wounds which will in turn stimulate your skin’s natural healing and rejuvenation. Fractional laser is an effective treatment for pigmentation, fine lines created by the sun, scarring and general skin refinement. This treatment has a few days of minimal downtime and can be repeated every 4-6 until the desired results are achieved.

An old favourite and a great treatment to start with before all treatments is the IPL -Intense Pulsed Light. IPL uses multiple wavelengths and will treat both capillaries and pigmentation in the same treatment. Darkening of pigment is seen immediately post-treatment and can last 7-10 days and will then be sloughed off.

It is so easy to restore your confidence and natural beauty when you are guided by a professional aesthetician. Working with the inside and the outside, real beauty is much deeper and longer lasting and will radiate to the world. When you are not sure of what treatment is best for you, instead of guessing, simply book a consultation with your aesthetician and be guided by their expertise.

Trust Your Gut When it Comes to Your Skin

by Sue Carroll | Jan 1, 2023 | Uncategorized

Trust Your Gut When it Comes to Your Skin

In order for your skin to look good, it is dependent upon how you treat it from the outside and the inside. You may have heard the term gut-skin axis. Our skin is like a window to our gut, if you are suffering constipation, diarrhea, bloating or gas there is a good chance you may be experiencing facial dryness, rosacea, acne or other inflammatory skin conditions. These are some of the symptoms of poor gut health and research has shown by addressing your gut health through diet, lifestyle and supplemental support you will be glowing from the inside out.

The gut is often referred to as our second brain and has a definite link with both our well-being and skin health. While our gut is certainly not one of the most glamorous organs in our body, 1-2 kgs of microbes that live there, form each person’s unique microbiome. Our brain isn’t the only organ in control of our emotions – 95% of serotonin, the body’s happy hormone is created in the gut and also has a profound effect on our physical, mental and emotional balance. Without good gut health, we are unlikely to be absorbing efficiently the nutrients we are taking in and therefore our skin will reflect our poor health. Our gut bacteria are important to assist with producing micro-nutrients like vitamins and antioxidants from the food we ingest. Our gut will also support the breakdown of macro nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats to ease digestion and keep our colon healthy.

Some of the signs of poor gut health might be food allergies, poor memory, autoimmune disease, diabetes, anxiety, depression, hormonal imbalances, low energy, dark circles under the eyes, frequent infections, mood swings, interrupted sleep, acne, dry skin, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.

When the regulatory balance in the gut is evident this in turn creates an inflammatory response which will often show up in the skin with one or more of the above conditions. Remember our skin is our largest organ and is often the outside mirror for what is happening on the inside. If the skin is inflamed, it usually means our inside is screaming out to us for help on the inside. The gut microbiome and the skin are intrinsically connected, offering a defence against pathogens in the environment. This gut-skin axis has been linked to many inflammatory skin disorders. When there is dis-ease within the gut there is often inflammation in the skin.

So how can you keep your gut healthy? A good rule of thumb is to eat a wide variety of nutritious whole foods from all food groups, which will also contain a lot of plant foods that are beneficial for your gut bacteria. An easy way to think of good food compared to that which may not be so healthy is to limit drastically food which comes in a packet. One of the best kinds of food for good gut health is that which is fermented such as yoghurt, kimchi and apple cider vinegar as they are overflowing with good probiotics. These support our immune defences and can also help to break down foods we can find hard to digest. The second way to support good gut health is through prebiotics found in foods like barley, beans, garlic, onions, cabbage, asparagus and legumes. A good nutritionist or naturopath may assist with your gut health.

While you are working on your inside with a good health professional, the external inflammation can be reduced with in Clinic treatments such as the Jet Peel Exfoliation and Infusion. Often the skin will be experiencing dryness, flaking, acne and inflammation and when these are reduced through gentle but effective, cooling exfoliation techniques, hydrating and calming serums can be absorbed much more effectively assisting with topical results.

By making simple changes to your diet and correcting any underlying imbalances in your gut your skin will thank you for it with a radiant complexion.