And here’s what you can do about it. Parksville’s medical skin care solutions to sun damage, oily skin, acne breakouts, hyperpigmentation and melasma.
The summer can really divide us when it comes to how we feel about our skin—some people claim their complexion is never better than it is during the hotter months, while others say it is never worse. Despite that, there is no doubt that the majority of sun damage occurs during the summer months—approximately only 20 percent of UV exposure happens in fall, spring and winter.
With more time spent outside, change in diet and routine and often increased physical activity, your skin changes in the summer. For those experiencing any of these four skin care concerns (or a combination of the four), here’s what you can do:
Oily Skin & Acne Breakouts
We wait all year for the warm weather, but when it finally comes we are somehow shocked with the amount of sweat and oil that comes along with it. When the temperatures and humidity levels rise, the sebaceous glands are encouraged to produce more sebum. What does this mean? Oily skin that can clog pores and often lead to pimples and breakouts.
Your Solution:
If you haven’t already, develop your summer skin care routine. You should NOT be using the exact same line-up of products in the summer as you did last winter. This may differ depending on the individual but products like moisturizers should be switched in the summer to a lighter option to compensate for the additional oil production.
When it comes to clogged pores, we feel we have solved the mystery at Elegance Sculpting: HydraFacials. Where traditional facials focus on adding things to your skin, HydraFacials focus on taking stuff out. If you have ever looked in the jar after your HydraFacial you’ll know what we mean. Dry skin, bacteria and so much gunk will come out of your pores in this efficient 30-minute treatment.
Chemical peels are a more aggressive option for treating both active acne and acne scars over a series of a minimum of three treatments spaced approximately 8 weeks apart. There are different grades of chemical peels (light, medium and deep), which cause the skin resurfacing to be more or less extreme. Along with acne, chemical peels can treat wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. Post-treatment, you do need to stay out of the sun and be extremely diligent with 50 SPF as the skin heals. Just as it sounds, chemical peels involve the peeling of skin to reveal the younger skin—this means you’ll want to allow for 3 to 5 days of no-makeup downtime. Often we will recommend our clients to wait until the summer events have ended and do a series of chemical peels both in the fall and in the spring.
If you have already been experiencing acne and acne scars, microneedling and Sublative skin rejuvenation are extremely effective options with results lasting upwards to half of a year. Skin resurfacing, much like chemical peels, requires some downtime and therefore, treatments should be planned around social events.
Dry Irritated Skin
If you are lucky enough to be in and out of chlorine and salt water this summer, you might be unlucky enough to be dealing with dry skin. Even if your time by the water is limited this summer, the additional exposure to sunlight or air conditioning blasting can absorb the moisture from the skin leaving it to become dry or flaky.
Your Solution:
One of the best ways to combat summertime dryness of the skin is by staying hydrated. While this is your asesthecian’s rule all year around, your daily recommended water intake is likely to increase in the summer due to the increased perspiration. Keep a water bottle on you all day and all night. If you are doing any strenuous activities or drinking alcohol, increase your water intake to avoid dryness.
Upping your water consumption alone is often not enough to quench the thirst of your summer skin. For that, we turn to our favourite hydrating combo: mesotherapy with hyaluronic acid and the HydraFacial. Mesotherapy delivers Redensity® 1, a patented combination of Hyaluronic Acid (HA), amino acids, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins through an advanced nine-point injection device. The hydrating formula injected directly in the skin allows for intense benefits not possible from topical treatments and products. Since mesotherapy is recommended bi-annually, HydraFacials are the perfect seasonal treatment to maintain your skin’s hydration in between treatments.
Sunburn
Let’s preference this entire next skin concern with the following: this is NOT a tip JUST for the summer. Even on cloudy or cold days, your skin is susceptible to sunburns. Sun damage is the leading cause of premature aging skin.
Your Solution:
If you haven’t already, it’s time to invest in a quality SPF to prevent any further sun damage. We trust and carry Jan Marini SPFs here at the spa and can provide you a complementary skin care consultation if you are unsure which option is best for you.
If you find yourself already with a sunburn from not wearing or reapplying an SPF properly, we highly recommend cryotherapy to help reduce inflammation. Our cryotherapy treatments have many different benefits but over the summer months, we find a lot of our clients coming in to cool and calm inflammation caused by the heat. After your cryotherapy session, apply an aloe and stay in shaded, cool areas until the skin heals. Any severity of sunburn will likely result in some sun damage, which we will talk about next.
Hyperpigmentation & Melasma
Even with the strongest of SPF, hyperpigmentation can be common during the warmest months of the year. Similar to freckles, sunspots seem to come to the surface with the first day on the patio. I
Your Solution:
If you’re looking for a quick and effective treatment for sun spots but can’t afford much downtime, dermaplaning is a fantastic option. This exfoliating treatment removes 2-3 weeks of dead skin cells, exposing the bright and unblemished skin underneath. Be aware that this skin will be sensitive to the direct sunlight so extra precautions are needed in regards to your SPF application and being in direct sunlight for extended periods of time. As we head into the cooler months when less time is spent outside, we recommend those with sun damage to try laser skin rejuvenation treatments. These advanced, non-invasive treatments help target and eliminate unwanted pigment through the body’s natural processes. We do not recommend any laser treatments for those spending extended time outside.
Parksville Summer Skin Care
In order for our team of aestheticians and Parksville skin care experts to provide the most effective treatment plan for you, it is best to book an in-person consultation. Any of the laser skin care treatments mentioned, along with chemical peels and microneedling, require you to stay out of the direct sunlight and wear a SPF 50 (or greater) for 2 to 4 weeks post-treatment. If your summer plans do not allow for this precaution, our team is happy to work with you to determine an option that works for the immediate and then a strategy to address your skin concerns for the fall and winter.
