177 Percy Road, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2JN

Top

SkinFit Face and Body Clinic | Hampton | London

Well, we are so pleased to be back and working with our clients again doing what we love best- faces! This year we have all faced some pretty serious challenges , to our physical health, to our mental health and to our lifestyle. This has perhaps been a time of great change.

We have certainly noticed some interesting changes with our clients skincare concerns. ‘Post lock down skin‘ has been a phrase often heard in the industry.

So what does this mean?

Possibly owing to the amazingly good weather we experienced from March onwards we are seeing a fair amount of pigmentation on our clients skins.

What is pigmentation?

The term ‘pigment’ refers to colour. So skin pigment is the colour in our skins defined by genetics, geography, and ethnicity as well as UV radiation. We produce a pigment called Melanin which is designed to protect the skin on our bodies from damage by the suns harmful rays by darkening the skin and protecting it against Ultra Violet rays that are proved to be harmful to our cell DNA. Over our lifetime we can over expose our skin to the suns harmful rays and the result is permanent visible sun damage in the form of patchy areas of uneven pigment into the layers of the dermis. Hormones play a big part in the susceptibility of the skins reaction to sun damage so the most vulnerable times are puberty, pregnancy and menopause. At these times some people can see definitive patterns of pigment occurring The melanocytes (cells that produce melanin pigment) become permanently damaged and lose the ability to regulate the production of pigment into the skin.

When someone experiences this patchy pigmentation on their face the first question we get asked is “How can I get rid of this?”……

The simple answer is that you can’t.

The cells have been permanently damaged and we cannot reverse that. However, all is not lost- there are some things you can do to help with the general appearance of this condition:

Your therapist Or medical practitioner should assess your skin so they can ascertain what has caused the pigmentation and how intense it is or how deep it is. Once this has been done you may have a few options.

  1. use a medical grade skin lightener with a tyrosinase inhibitor (melanin suppressant) usually prescribed topically and should be a course of up to 12 months. This is highly effective but will mean you MUST stay out of the sun and you cannot use other treatments in conjunction with this owing to the more aggressive nature of the active ingredients.
  2. Have a Skin Chemical peel to dehydrate and remove the surface dead skin cells , this would usually work more deeply than a lighter peel and can take with it some of the pigmented cells. There is some ’ down time’ with this treatment as the skin will dry and flake over a few days. This will have the effect of fading the pigment. But will need to be repeated every 4-6 months for maximum effect and maintenance.
  3. Gentle regular skin peels. Will have the same or similar outcome as above but is much more gentle and can be done every 4 weeks. These will also condition the skin beautifully. You will be advised to use a dedicated skin care routine along with this.
  4. ipl light treatment. This is a light based therapy that smashes the pigment and accelerates it to the surface. The dry skin and pigment will the temporarily darken and shed from the surface of the skin. A course of treatment will be advised.

With ALL of the above options it is essential to remember that they will only temporarily control the pigmentation spots and if you are serious about going down this road you must stay out of the sun, wear a high spf and use the directed skin care religiously and daily in order to see the results you will be expecting.

As skin therapists we will always advise that you use a high grade physical sunscreen on a daily basis even under or instead of make up and most good ranges will have one. Our favourites here at Skinfit are :

Alumier MD Sheer Hydration spf 40 ( tinted or non tinted) £37.50

Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery spf 50. £66.50

Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defence spf 30 £49.00

call us or book online for your complimentary skin care consultation and find out what we offer for your skin concerns

www.skinfitclinic.co.uk

0208 9410516

Post a Comment