The Cosmetic Clinic Now this should be catching your attention! Skin resurfacing treatments are mostly responsible for achieving the desired radiant, smooth, soft, and youthful skin we all desire to have.
This article, written by our wonderful Newmarket team, is designed to walk you through some of those popular treatment options available for skin treatments, and to remove the overwhelming pumped up jargon we read of, and instead, educate you on what each treatment is about to assist you in finding the right treatment option for you.
In part one, we’ll look at the process of desquamation (natural skin turnover cycle). Our Skin & Laser technician, Jemma, gives us the run down.
So, you’re curious about your skin? Let me help you along your journey.
Skin is the biggest organ in our body and acts as the first layer of defence in keeping us
healthy. Maintaining and strengthening your skin’s protective barrier is crucial because it can reduce dehydration, sensitivity, and signs of ageing to achieve well- nourished, healthy, and radiant looking skin.
The epidermis (in its entirety) is the outermost structure of the skin, and it has the important role of protecting your skin from external irritants, disease, bacteria, and viruses.
Let’s look primarily at the most superficial layer of the epidermis; the stratum corneum. This layer is made up of dead keratinocytes (skin cells) at the end of their maturation cycle and is the layer that varies most in thickness. The thicker this layer, the more build up of dead skin cells are sitting there and the more you need skin resurfacing treatments to keep this skin layer in balance. If you don’t manage a healthy cell turnover cycle, then you can compromise your skin barrier (protective shield) or not be achieving optimum skin health.
Desquamation (cellular turnover of skin cells) is a natural process that occurs and is responsible for the ‘shedding’ of dead skin cells (keratinocytes) from the surface of your skin. This process is happening every second of the day without you even knowing. Sounds rather gross having dead skin cells sitting on the surface of your skin, doesn’t it?
Well not to worry, these cells weren’t always like that. They used to be plump juicy cells sitting in the Stratum basale layer of your epidermis (lowest layer). As these cells move up throughout the layers of the epidermis, they start to form as keratin cells- the tough, fibrous proteins that make up the main structure of the skin. Once the cells reach the surface (stratum corneum) they are very flat and tightly packed. These flat, dead cells continuously fall away (slough off) as newer cells push their way to the surface. In this way, your skin is constantly renewing itself and protecting itself.
The entire desquamation process, from cell birth to sloughing away, takes approximately 28-40 days (and sometimes longer in a non-functioning optimal skin). So, our resurfacing skin treatments need to align with this process.
Vitamin A, a topical homecare ingredient is highly recommended and one of my favourites! Vitamin A has an abundance of benefits, including helping with cellular turnover. In conjunction with other skin resurfacing treatment options, it surely is a power treatment combo. Our Favourite vitamin A product is the Balense Retinol Renewal Serum Concentrate, which you can find at your local clinic.
Laser & Skin Technician, Abi, talks us through the importance of homecare in achieving skin resurfacing. – “Exfoliation and active ingredients are key.”
Exfoliating your skin will aid in the process of removing excess dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. Doing this, we boost circulation within the skin and create stimulation to activate multiple processors within the skin, which can help with many concerns such as ageing, acne, even skin tone and addressing pigmentation.
There are various ways we can exfoliate the skin such as the regular use of vitamin A, enzyme ingredients, physical exfoliants, alpha and beta hydroxy acids for example. These ingredients all work differently on the skin, and it is imperative you understand the differences of these and incorporate multiple forms of exfoliation as they each undertake a different action. Physical exfoliants are mechanical in texture and �?buff away’ at your excess dead skin cells as you massage into the skin. Enzymatic or acid-based exfoliators slowly and gently eat away at the skin’s surface and stimulate the natural desquamation cycle within the skin.
Balense products are our favourite at-home skincare products to use and they have two great skin resurfacing products:
To find out which is right for you, the best thing to do is see an experienced skincare professional for advice so we can determine what exfoliators you need to achieve the best skin outcome. Book in an Observ Skin Analysis (they’re FREE!) at any of our clinics for a deeper understand of your skin concerns and needs. Find your local clinic location here.