Summer Skin Series: Summer Safe Facial Treatments
Summer is a time when we want our skin to be looking it’s best! It tends to be when we have important events such as weddings and holidays; when we want to be wearing minimal make-up and having naturally radiant, glowing skin! There is a bit of a misconception that during the summer months you must hit the pause button on facial treatments and limit the use of any actives within your daily skincare, however this isn’t the case and in fact due to the increased sun exposure your skin requires a little bit more TLC during this time.
Within this blog I will be discussing the safest and most effective facial treatments, as well as the facial treatments you may be best to avoid to ensure your skin is healthy and glowing all season long.
Why should our facial treatment plan change during summer?
The main concern with performing some facials, particularly advanced facial treatments is that with the higher levels of UV that the skin will be exposed to comes a higher risk of post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation (PIH).
When we perform any advanced treatment, the goal is to stimulate in order to rejuvenate. However, with stimulation comes inflammation, and as you will know if you have read my previous blog, when the skin is in an inflammatory state this can over excite our melanocytes. This can cause excessive deposits of melanin, with the end result being hyper-pigmentation.
The additional risk of performing advanced treatments when we have higher UV levels is that our protective barrier function may be temporarily disrupted therefore making the skin a lot more sensitive and susceptible to sunburn.
So, what treatments should I avoid?
The risk of an impaired barrier function and PIH are increased even more so when the treatment involves creating thermal damage within the skin, unfortunately this means treatments such as laser and IPL that generate heat and therefore a stronger inflammatory response should be avoided during summer.
High strength chemical peels that aim to target the dermal layer of skin should also be avoided as they will be more likely to over stimulate the melanocytes leading to PIH. High strength chemical peels will also remove a large proportion of the outer protective layer of skin cells, leaving immature skin cells exposed to damaging UV rays, these immature skin cells are highly sensitive and will easily burn.
Facial treatments to include in your summer plans
Want your skin to be healthy, nourished and glowing all summer long? Below are some recommendations for facial treatments to include within your summer plans.
Superficial peels- During the summer months, we often experience a buildup of dead skin cells, leading to an uneven and dull complexion. Superficial peels, which target only the upper epidermal layer, can effectively reduce this buildup. Enzyme treatments or gentle acids like lactic and mandelic acid are excellent options for maintaining a bright and even skin texture whilst also stimulating our skins cellular turnover. Superficial peels should be performed every 4-6 weeks, or if you are wanting glowing skin for a special occasion schedule your peel for around 5 days before your event.
Extractions - When our skin is in a warmer climate it can start to produce more sebum which then leads to more congestion. Regular extraction facials are an excellent way to remove the build-up of dead skin and oil within the pores, helping to improve the overall health of your skin and prevent congestion turning into inflammatory breakouts.
LED Light Therapy – Wanting to boost your skins cellular functions? Then LED is a perfect option. The light emitted converts into cellular energy, helping to stimulate cell turnover and production of collagen, speed up healing, and also kill bacteria. As LED is a completely non-invasive treatment, you can continue use throughout all seasons without worry.
SkinPen micro-needling – Also known as collagen induction therapy, micro-needling creates hundreds of micro-injuries to trigger the skins natural wound healing response, resulting in a surge of new collagen and elastin. This treatment does trigger an inflammatory response within your skin and so precautions do need to be taken both pre and post treatment, however for the right candidates this treatment can still be performed safely throughout the summer. Within a micro-needling procedure, the practitioner can set the depth that the needles penetrate to, and so in a sunnier climate the practitioner may choose to only set the needle depth to a maximum of 0.5mm, therefore only targeting the superficial epidermal layer of skin and reducing the risk of PIH. As mentioned, this treatment would only be suitable for specific candidates, and only to be carried out by an experienced practitioner who fully explains the correct pre and post care guidance.
Facial massage- Great for improving blood flow, stimulating lymphatic drainage, and toning and sculpting the facial muscles, massage lead facial treatments provide many benefits and can be performed all year round.
One product I always reach for during summer is the iS Clinical Foaming Enzyme mask, this superficial peel combines gentle glycolic acid with papain enzymes to exfoliate away dull, dead skin cells whilst brightening the skin and enhancing product absorption. This mask can be included within any facial treatment, including my pregnancy safe facials.
Pre & Post Facial Care
The results of any facial treatment, especially advanced ones, heavily depend on proper pre and post-care. Your facialist should provide detailed guidance on the correct practices to follow. Diligent use of SPF 30 or higher sunscreen is essential both before and after treatment. If your skin is prone to hyperpigmentation, use a product that inhibits melanin production for at least one month before any advanced treatment to prevent post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). If you are having an advanced facial treatment then it will mean having to be extra careful of sun exposure, if there are high levels of UV in the days before and after your treatment then you may be best staying indoors as much as possible to limit your exposure.
Throughout this blog, we've explored the safest and most effective facial treatments for the summer months, as well as those you should avoid. That being said, as we know summer in the UK doesn’t necessarily mean sun, and so if the weather isn’t playing ball then continue your treatment plan as normal! If you are planning on having advanced facial treatments plan ahead, looking at the weather forecast for the weeks around your treatment, you will also want to take into account any holidays you have planned. Discuss your summer treatment plan with your facialist as they should be able to best advise what treatments to have and when, to maximise benefits and reduce any risk.
Within my next blog I will be discussing the do’s and don’ts of summer skincare; the skincare that should be a staple part of your summer home care routine.
If you want to create a tailor made summer treatment plan, get in touch to schedule a consultation.
