We have all heard the phrase “summer bodies are made in winter”, here at the Dr Nerina Wilkinson + Associates skin clinic we love winter for a different type of ‘shedding’. It is the time of the year we get to treat the skin on a more intensive level. But what makes winter so great for advanced in-clinic skincare treatments?
First and foremost, during winter, the sun’s rays are less powerful and the drop in temperature keeps most of us tucked away indoors or covered up with jackets and scarves when we do venture out into the cold. This gives us the perfect opportunity to start doing stronger treatments that have longer downtime and work on the deeper layers of the skin.
Skin conditions targeted with “winter wonderland” treatments include:
- Sun damage
- Age spots
- Freckles
- Broken blood vessels
- Rosacea
- Surface wrinkles
- Rough texture
Let’s have a look at some of our favourite treatments for winter and how they work to target our skin concerns.
LUMECCA IPL TREATMENTS
IPL, or intense pulsed light therapy, it is a non-surgical treatment that improves skin colour and texture by exposing the skin to a spectrum of different light wavelengths. The treatment itself is like a rapid series of intense camera flashes aimed at a particular area of your skin. Lumecca IPL penetrates through to the second layer of the skin, the dermis, without having an impact on the top layer (the epidermis). The treatment is performed using a handheld device that is calibrated to the necessary wavelengths that will best address the different skincare concerns at hand.
Lumecca IPL treatments are ideal for unwanted spots in the skin, such as sunspots, freckles, moles, areas of skin pigmentation and coloration as well as broken capillaries. IPL uses unique wavelengths of light energy to target and destroy these cells that have become darkened and aesthetically unpleasing. When the skin is exposed to the intense flashes of light from IPL, pigments in the dermis absorb the light energy in the form of heat. This heat, when applied in exact doses, can precisely target, and destroy these pigmented cells, leaving the surrounding cells undamaged.
How does it work you ask? The light beam passes through the skin and is absorbed by either haemoglobin (the red blood cells in the blood vessels) or melanin (the brown pigment in freckles and age spots) resulting in damage to the vessel wall or fragmenting of melanin pigment. These tiny vessels and the melanin pigment are then absorbed by the body, rendering them less visible.
Is there any downtime involved? You might experience redness for 24 hours after the treatment and it will feel like sunburn. All pigmented lesions might start appearing a shade darker and carry a redness around it for about 4 days. Thereafter the lesions will start to become significantly lighter. While the face takes about 7 days to recover, the neck and chest takes at least 14 days to recover fully.
SKIN TECH ETCA PEELS TREATMENTS
If you struggle with severe sun damage (sunspots & freckles), acne & acne scarring, fine lines and wrinkles and uneven skin colour or tone – this might be your new best friend. Medium depths peels can take a week or two of healing before your skin returns to normal. These peel types cause some redness and irritation, which you may not want to show off to others. But in just a few weeks, your new skin appears much healthier and vibrant, and you will be ready for anything.
Skin Tech ETCA Peels coagulates the top surface and dead skin cells and cause it to peel and flake off in the days post treatment. Therefore, you need to be indoors and wear sunscreen and a hat whenever going outdoors. These peels are much safer to perform during colder months due to the heat and discomfort during the summer months have in stall.
Downtime expected after a Skin Tech ETCA peel:
The skin will be feeling very dry and tight for 2 days post treatment. Then the skin will start to peel around the mouth first, followed by peeling of the cheeks and forehead. This generally takes 4 days to completely peel. Top tip – applying too much moisturiser during this time, it will only prolong the peeling effect. The neck and chest will take slightly longer to shed all the skin; approximately 7 – 14 days. The skin will feel and look more youthful, with softer features and brightened pigmented lesions.
OUR SIGNATURE I-PEEL-L BESPOKE TREATMENTS
By combining Lumecca IPL and Skin Tech Easy TCA Pain Control Peels, we can achieve faster and more dramatic results, after just one treatment. It might seem uncommon to combine laser treatments and chemical peels in one session as one would normally wait 4 weeks between each treatment modality. However, thanks to its unique features, Skin Tech Easy TCA® Pain Control Peel (Trichloroacetic and Phenol) may be applied directly after any other procedure, yielding safe, effective, and predictable results. This combination therapy is ideal for someone who has severe sun damage.
What is the downtime after a bespoke I-Peel-L treatment?
With the combination of IPL and TCA peel you will have both effects at the same time. The IPL has the sunburn feeling afterward and lifts all pigmented lesions and make them appear darker for 5-7 days post treatment. With the TCA peel you have the tight feeling post treatment and the shedding of skin within 7 days. The neck and chest area take at least 14 days to recover but can take up to 3 weeks. This sought-after treatment results in significant changes in skin colour and pigmentation, tightening of skin and improvement in skin texture.
SKIN NEEDLING TREATMENTS
Also known as collagen induction therapy, skin needling improves skin texture by triggering natural rejuvenation. The Dermapen device creates hundreds of microscopic channels in the skin which activates dormant dermal fibroblasts (a type of biological cell). These fibroblasts then generate collagen to heal the micro-punctures, leading to a dramatic overall improvement in skin tone and elasticity.
Collagen is one of the body’s most essential building blocks. This protein gives skin and connective tissue the strength it needs to stay supple and elastic. Unfortunately, collagen production slowly declines after age 30, gradually weakening the skin. This degenerative process is responsible for the formation of loose, lined skin, as well as an overall loss of skin volume and hydration. Abnormalities in collagen distribution, such as with acne scars, can also negatively affect the appearance of the skin.
The healing response triggered by microneedling speeds up cellular renewal (the rate at which old skin cells are replaced by new cells), which further smooths the skin. The damaged cells in acne scars, rough patches, and fine lines are naturally shed as the skin heals, and healthy cells take their place. New networks of blood vessels also develop during wound healing, improving circulation to the skin.
What is the downtime for microneedling? The skin appears red for 2 days post treatment and it feels like sunburn for a day. Some swelling might occur under the eyes. Skin will feel tight and peeling will start on day 3. Firstly, around the mouth moving upwards onto the cheeks and forehead. Within 7 days skin will return back to normal. The skin will appear pink and feel sensitive as soon as an area has peeled, this however helps to soften the texture of the skin as well as refine the pores.
PIXEL PEEL TREATMENTS
We love combining modalities! By combining TCA peels with microneedling we can achieve faster more effective results after one treatment. With the TCA Peel we can peel to a deeper level in the skin which allows for the improvement of deeper lines, sun damage and uneven texture. The TCA Peel is designed to penetrate the epidermal layers to stimulate the skin at a dermal level, it does this via a chemical reaction and the depth to which it has an effect, will depend on the layering that is achieved in treatment. As needling creates microchannels in the skin, it allows the TCA Peel to penetrate deeper, resulting in more skin tightening and refining. These micro channels induce a wound healing response which means more collagen stimulation, resulting in improved structure, better circulation, and nourishment to the skin.
Downtime after a Pixel Peel: Skin will feel like it has been sunburnt straight after the treatment and will feel dry and tight for 2 days post treatment. The skin will start to peel around the mouth, moving upwards to the forehead each day shedding more and more. Skin will appear and feel much smoother in texture and the appearance of wrinkles will be softened – this is a deep anti- aging treatment!
Now being clued up on our winter wonderland favourites – are you ready to take your hibernation rejuvenation seriously?
