fall winter skin care treatments
The fall is in full swing and winter is fast approaching. If you’re like me then you’re hating this cold front that is appearing and the darkness that falls upon us so early into the day. But, other than the holidays, hibernating indoors bingeing on Netflix shows and not having to stress about a bikini body, there is one other great perk about this time of year. It’s finally PEEL SEASON! Tis the season to have those deep chemical peels or try out a treatment like microneedling! For those of you that don’t understand why there is a specific time frame to do chemical peels let me explain.
Chemical peels, especially deep peels, are designed to help with a wide array of skin care concerns. The top concerns are normally fine lines, wrinkles and sun damage. Certain peels require downtime. Downtime can be anywhere from a few days up to a week or more. Downtime usually means that the peels will create the top layer of the skin to slough off and peel. Your skin could be very red, itchy, irritated or inflamed. Most people get chemical peels in the winter time because they can hide out in their homes while their face peels off. Also, there is less of a risk for you to be out in the heat or in the sun. If you do plan on getting peels, make sure you don’t plan them before going on vacation to a nice, warm, sunny place because that would defeat the entire purpose! Always make sure ahead of time what you should and should not do prior to getting a chemical peel. Some peels require you to not workout, because if you work out and work up a sweat, your skin underneath can become inflamed. Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is most likely what can occur if you tend to sweat after a chemical peel. The Australasian College of Dermatologists define Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) as, “Inflammation (such as after acne, eczema, lichen planus, allergic reactions) or trauma to the skin (such as surgery, incorrect use of microdermabrasion, lasers or chemical peels) causes the release of inflammatory cells that cause melanocytes (pigment cells) to produce more pigment in the skin. Severe inflammation or trauma can disrupt the bottom layer of the epidermis (first layer of the skin) causing the pigment to leak into and become trapped in the dermis (second layer of the skin). This results in a deeper and more treatment resistant pigmentation.” If PIH occurs, you will basically reverse everything you were trying to accomplish in the peel, which for most patients is removing their sun damage, melasma and hyperpigmentation. Also, if you are prone to cold sores we always want to make sure that you take an anti-viral medication 3 days prior to any facial treatment, that way the virus doesn’t spread.
Another fall/winter treatment is micro-needling. This facial treatment is a procedure that has about 10 teeny tiny needles, it almost looks like a pen with needles at the end of it. This procedure causes tiny damage to the skin that forces the collagen and elastin in the skin to speed up. The results are normally more youthful looking skin. It helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and anyone that suffers from acne scarring. When I do this procedure I love using Neocutis’s human growth factor serum, called BioSerum which helps increase hydration for enhanced skin smoothness and luminosity, while helping to redefine the look of facial contours for a more youthful appearance. Micro-needling tends to have less downtime than a deep chemical peel, but we still don’t recommend working out right away, and you can bruise, be red and you definitely have to be out of the sun after this procedure. But the results are incredible.
If you’re thinking of transforming your skin this winter, make sure to read up on your treatment facility’s services and most places require a consultation prior to the treatment. If you’re in the Morristown or Berkeley Heights, New Jersey area, feel free to set up an appointment with me and we can start your skin transformation now! If you have any questions, comments, or would like to show some before and after pictures of your peels or micro-needling procedures please share!