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With the country in lockdown again, I wanted to share some practical tips to help you take care of your beautiful skin more effectively this Winter, whilst you can’t access the medical aesthetic skin treatments that you may want to! Here are my top tips for winter skincare:  

Exfoliate with caution! As we age, our skin becomes less efficient at shedding old skin cells, causing them to build up and give the appearance of a dull and lacklustre complexion. Gentle and light exfoliation can help to clear away some of this build-up to reveal the radiant skin beneath, but over-enthusiastic exfoliation can also cause skincare problems – especially if it is done too vigorously or using abrasive ingredients that are too harsh on the skin. Vigorous exfoliation can cause tears in the skin, which can become sore and infected, so exfoliate gently or speak to me about whether chemical exfoliation (using chemical peels) could be an appropriate option for you post-lockdown.

Turn down the temperature in your bath or shower: Hot water strips the skin of sebum, the healthy fats and oils necessary for skin health, and dehydrates the skin. So why not turn the temperature down a few degrees to help protect your skin during the cold winter months? Your skin will thank you for it!

Protect your skin from the elements: an effective moisturiser is essential to help replace lost moisture in the cold winter months, but if your skin is damaged and sore, a barrier cream could also be helpful as a barrier between your irritated skin and dirt, grime and harmful bacteria that could enter via breaks in the skin. Look for products containing barrier repairing ceramides to help rebuild and strengthen delicate skin and encourage faster healing.

Wear sunscreen! As you know, UVA and UVB (or long-wave and short-wave rays from the sun) can damage the skin, speeding up the natural ageing process and having a detrimental effect on overall skin health.  As a result, it’s important to wear a good quality, high factor sunscreen (that protects from both UVA and UVB rays) every day, even when it is cloudy or you are indoors, as UVA rays can penetrate glass!

Younger U Aesthetics will be re-opening as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so, in line with government regulations.  However, I can still provide information about skincare products and post-lockdown skincare treatments if you have any particular skincare questions or concerns – just get in touch! Take care everyone!

Have you noticed that as the weather changes, the needs of your skin change and your tried and trusted skincare products aren’t quite working for you in the same way as they did previously? This is perfectly natural.

During the warm weather of the summer months, there is an increase in oil production from the sebaceous glands in your skin, which deliver sebum to the surface of the skin through the pores.  Sebum helps to lock moisture into the skin, and also acts as a barrier from harmful bacteria and dirt.  However, if the skin produces too much sebum skin can feel oily, and without regular cleansing to lift away the dirt caught in the sebum, pores can become blocked.  As a result, in the summer, a good quality cleanser is one of your best skincare friends, along with all-important SPF to help protect your skin from the ageing effects of UVA and UVB rays.

Unlike the balmy days of summer, it’s harder for your skin to maintain adequate moisture levels in the autumn and winter.  Cold and windy days whip precious moisture away from the skin, leaving it dry (and in some cases, sore). Damage to the skin can cause redness and irritation, leaving skin feeling tight, dry and uncomfortable.  Central heating is another contributing factor to dry skin, so when the weather turns colder a fabulous moisturiser is an absolute necessity!

I stock a range of tried, tested and trusted skincare products in clinic, as I know how important good quality skincare products are, and the difference that they can make to the texture and condition of our skin.

I’ve currently got two fabulous new skincare products in clinic at the moment – SkinVital C E Ferulic and Retimitate A.C.E.   SkinVital is a high-strength Vitamin C serum which has been developed to target all 7 signs of ageing, including pigmentation. It contains 20% Vitamin C, B Vitamins to boost hydration, Ferulic Acid to calm and stabilise the skin, Vitamin E and hyaluronic acid.  Retimitate® is a brand-new, high-strength retinoid serum, giving you all the benefits of the most potent form of retinoid (Retinoic Acid) but without the well documented side effects, such as irritation, redness, skin flaking and photosensitivity.

If you’d like more information about SkinVital C E Ferulic or Retimitate A.C.E, or any of the other skincare products I stock in clinic, please get in touch – I’d love to help you find your next skin hero product!

After closing the Younger U Aesthetics clinic for a number of months as per government guidance during the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s been wonderful to see so many of my patients in the last few weeks! I know things look a little different in the clinic to ensure patient safety is prioritised, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the popularity of Profhilo, the skin bio-remodelling treatment from HA-Derma, which is used to treat skin laxity.

Profhilo injectable treatments were first available here in at Younger U Aesthetics in early 2018, and it’s been one of the most popular treatments ever since! Profhilo contains a high concentration of Hyaluronic Acid – a molecule that attracts and binds with water molecules in the skin – but isn’t a dermal filler.  Instead, the hyaluronic acid becomes integrated with the skin and stimulates the production of 4 different types of collagen and elastin, resulting in skin lifting and tightening, as well as increased hydration.

Profhilo isn’t just a great treatment for skin laxity on the face, but can also be used on the neck, décolletage, arms, and hands, and most patients report seeing increased firmness, elasticity and improved skin texture following treatment with Profhilo.

Generally, we recommend two sessions, spaced one month apart, for maximum results. Maintenance sessions are often required every 6-12 months to maintain the results of the procedure.

As with all injectable medical aesthetic treatments, there are a couple of potential side effects to be aware of. Generally, Profhilo is very well tolerated with a very low incidence of side-effects, but there may be some bruising, mild redness and swelling following post-treatment. Any swelling and any discomfort should resolve quickly but if it persists or worsens, or if the area treated becomes painful or hot or there is a change in colour, it is important to contact the clinic immediately to arrange a review appointment.

If you would like to find out more about Profhilo Skin Bio-remodelling treatments, please get in touch! Call 07702 581588 today and find out whether Profhilo could be an appropriate treatment option for you.

One of the most popular treatments here at Younger U Aesthetics is lip enhancement treatments. An article for the Aesthetics Edit (found here: https://aedit.com/procedure/lip-augmentation-and-injections) found that in the US, the use of soft tissue fillers (including Hyaluronic Acid based fillers) has increased by 312% since 2000, as non-surgical aesthetic ‘tweakments’ have become more mainstream and any lingering ‘stigma’ associated with these treatments has reduced.

Many people immediately associate Dermal Filler treatments with lip enhancement procedures, where lips that have lost their youthful volume and definition are gently enhanced via an injectable filler product.  As well as helping to restore lost volume and shape, lip enhancement treatments can also help to correct down turned lips, to hydrate the lips (as Hyaluronic Acid binds with water molecules to increase moisture levels in the skin), to fill in upper lip lines and to redefine the lip border.

But Dermal fillers can help with a lot more than just lip enhancement treatments! Dermal Fillers help to restore volume in the areas of your face affected by a reduction in the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid.  The filler plumps up the layers of skin immediately beneath the treatment area and the result is an instant ‘filling-out’ effect so that the skin looks smoother and appears less wrinkled.  Common skincare concerns that can be effectively tackled with dermal filler treatments include:

• Nose to mouth lines
• Cheek lines
• Frown lines
• “Smoker’s Lines”
• Tear troughs
• To redefine the jawline
• To add volume to the cheeks and temples

If you are looking to restore youthful volume and definition to your face and are considering a dermal filler treatment, please get in touch! Call 07702 581588 today and find out whether dermal fillers could be an appropriate treatment option for you.

Spring is on its way (apparently) and it’s not unusual to feel compelled to have a good sort out and spring clean in preparation for the long, sunny days ahead.

We spring clean our homes, our garages, our wardrobes, but when was the last time you spring cleaned your skincare regime? Here are some things to consider if your skincare regime needs a springtime refresh.

• Out of date cosmetics and skincare products – why not take a look at your skincare products and find the ‘Period after Opening’ symbol on them. This symbol looks like a little pot with the lid open, and has a number followed by the letter ‘M’, representing the maximum number of months that the manufacturer recommends that you keep the product for after opening. Some products really can ‘go off’ if left open too long thanks to bacterial contamination, and some products can actually irritate your skin if used after their effectiveness has worn off, so it’s worth keeping an eye on these dates and having a good clear out if you’ve got a number of products that are far past their ‘period after opening’ date.
• Clean those applicators! Mascara wands, powder applicators, brushes and sponges – these all need a good clean regularly to remove the build-up of dead skin cells and bacteria. Beauty blenders, if you use them, also need to be replaced every three months or so.
• Our skin changes as we age – products that we have used for years may have lost their usefulness based on the unique requirements of our skin today.  For example, the body’s ability to produce Hyaluronic Acid (a molecule that binds with water in the body) reduces as we get older, causing skin to become drier.  As a result, a more intensive moisturiser may be required than we have previously used.

New developments in skincare products – there are always new breakthroughs from skincare laboratories into formulations and ingredients that can tackle specific skincare concerns more successfully than ever before.  As a result, if you are thinking about upgrading your skincare regime this year, why not speak to me about the range of tried, tested and trusted skincare products I have available to purchase in clinic – there may be a product (or an entire range of products) that could be beneficial in tackling your unique skincare concerns, so get in touch!

Over the last few years, dermatologists and skincare laboratories have been developing new injectable skincare treatments that offer results beyond those we see from traditional (but still popular!) wrinkle relaxing treatments and dermal fillers.  It’s not to say that these treatments are losing popularity – they are still extremely effective – but there is now more choice for patients when it comes to finding non-surgical aesthetics treatments that are right for them.

Wrinkle Relaxing Injections, such as ‘Botox’, contain Botulinum Toxin, a substance that temporarily blocks the signal between the nerves and the muscles involved in dynamic facial movements. Most dermal fillers contain Hyaluronic Acid, a naturally occurring substance that binds with water to create volume in the skin. New injectable treatments like Profhilo are different.

Profhilo, for example, though it contains Hyaluronic Acid, has been developed not just to act as a dermal scaffold but to hydrate and stimulate the skin in order to lift and tighten sagging skin tissue. Viscoderm Hydrobooster is also a Hyaluronic Acid based product, but has been formulated to improve skin’s elasticity, radiance and smoothness.  It also has a unique stretching effect to help reduce superficial wrinkles.

The addition of these new tried, tested and trusted injectable skincare treatments has really made it easier for me to help my patients tackle a range of different visible symptoms of ageing in a way that is safe, effective and appropriate for them.

Of course, the skill and experience of the aesthetic clinicians administering these new injectables also has an impact on their safety and effectiveness, so make sure that you find a responsible, experienced and medically qualified clinician for advice (and treatment, if appropriate!).

If you have any questions about injectable aesthetics treatments, please get in touch!

Does your skin need a little lift? Perhaps it’s not quite looking its usual radiant best and you are considering a non-surgical aesthetic treatment to help you feel more comfortable and confident in your own beautiful skin? Don’t fret – it’s not just wrinkle relaxing treatments and dermal filler treatments that we offer in clinic, but also a range of injectable ‘tweakments’ that can help to boost skin’s radiance and youthful appearance in a gentle, gradual and more natural way.

One very popular treatment available in clinic is Profhilo – an injectable Hyaluronic acid-based treatment that helps to hydrate and boost the skin and also remodel areas of skin that are loose and lax. We recommend two treatments (spaced one month apart) to help you see increased firmness, elasticity and overall improved skin quality in the treatment area – improvements that look and feel (and are!) natural and can be maintained with short follow up sessions every 6- to 12- months.

Another popular treatment in clinic is Viscoderm Hydroboosters – also from the makers of Profhilo! Another injectable hyaluronic acid-based product, Viscoderm Hydroboosters offer deep hydration and work to stretch superficial wrinkles, smoothing their appearance so that skin looks more youthful and radiant. This treatment is particularly useful to tackle the fine lines and wrinkles that appear where our faces move the most – that is, around the eyes and mouth and on the forehead.

Dermal fillers can also be used in highly effective ‘tweakments’ – a far cry from the obvious and overly filled pouts of reality television celebrities. The lips can be gently enhanced to create a more youthful pout without being overfilled, and can be used to help add subtle and elegant definition to the jawline simply and effectively.

Like Dermal Fillers, Wrinkle Relaxing Injections can also be used to create subtle and natural looking results – it’s just important to speak to an experienced and medically qualified aesthetic practitioner before you agree to any injectable procedure so that you don’t end up with obvious ‘frozen’ features (or at greater risk of experiencing unwanted side effects from your treatment). To ensure that any non-surgical treatments you receive are as safe, appropriate and effective as possible, make sure that you talk to your practitioner about your medical history, your specific requirements and take the time to consider your options, and don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion if you’re not sure! We’re proud to be a Save Face Accredited clinic and happily point our patients to their website https://www.saveface.co.uk/ if you’re looking for impartial advice or an accredited practitioner or clinic in your area.

Here at Younger U Aesthetics, anyone looking for natural looking non-surgical treatments is welcome! Many of my patients are women, but I’m welcoming more and more men into the clinic for a range of treatments – from non-surgical rhinoplasty to wrinkle relaxing treatments and chemical peels.

There are some significant differences when it comes to treating male patients with non-surgical procedures, for example, men generally tend to have heavier and squarer chins than women, whereas women tend to have fuller cheeks and lips. Of course, every face has its own unique characteristics and inherent beauty, so it’s not only important to enhance the facial characteristics in a way that looks naturally ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’, but also that suits the specific facial structure of the patient.

Understanding the physiology of the face from a medical perspective, and having extensive experience of carrying out non-surgical aesthetic procedures safely and effectively can really help to ensure that the results from a treatment are appropriate, natural-looking and beautiful! Injectable treatments in particular (like Dermal Fillers and Wrinkle Relaxing Injections) need to be administered extremely carefully for both men and women as the results aren’t identical from one patient to the next! Thankfully, I have a lot of experience working with men and women and am happy to provide advice and guidance if you are considering a treatment to enhance your features but would like more information. Similarly, if you are in the process of transitioning and would like to discuss the potential of non-surgical facial treatments, please get in touch – I’d be happy to help.

Collagen is the scaffolding that provides structure and strength to bones, muscles, skin and tendons, and is the most abundant protein in the human body.  It’s a major contributing factor when it comes to giving skin youthful volume and definition, but the natural production of collagen by our bodies reduces as we age; after the age of 25, our bodies produce around 1% less collagen every year, meaning that skin becomes thinner and more fragile, and fine lines and wrinkles becomes more noticeable as we get older.

It’s not just the natural ageing process that reduces collagen production in the body – the sun’s Ultra-violet rays can degrade collagen in the body, as can smoking and eating too much sugar. However, it’s not all bad news! There are a number of things that can help to promote increased collagen production by the body, helping to restore some of the skin’s natural scaffolding!

1.) Non-surgical aesthetic treatments, like Dermal Needling, can help to promote increased collagen production by the body in specific areas.  In a Dermal Needling treatment, the skin is purposefully ‘damaged’ using a series of sterile and very fine micro needles.  This highly targeted damage helps to encourage skin cells to repair themselves as a result of the body’s natural healing processes and prompts the production of both collagen and elastin, helping to restore youthful definition and radiance to the treatment area.  Some injectable aesthetic treatments, like Profhilo, can also help to boost collagen production in highly targeted areas.

2.) Foods rich in sulphur (like beans, cabbage and garlic) help in the formation of collagen, as do foods high in Vitamin C (like Kiwi fruit, broccoli and spinach), so a varied and balanced diet can help skin to look better for longer!

3.) Topical application of skin creams containing retinoids (a form of vitamin A) can also help to promote collagen production by the body.  Look out for skincare products containing Retinol (like the Retriderm products I sell in clinic) if you’re looking for highly effective retinoids, but seek professional advice if you’d like to use these products safely and appropriately as they can cause some irritation when first used.

If you need help restoring volume, definition and radiance to your skin, please get in touch – telephone: 07702 581 588 or email: rachel@youngeruaesthetics.com today!

 

It’s sale season, and everywhere I look I see ‘prices slashed’ and ‘cheapest ever!’ – whether that’s in relation to furniture, clothing, or even some non-surgical aesthetic treatments!

I understand that for many people, the funds that they’ve got available to spend on life’s little luxuries can be tight, but although it’s great if you can get a bargain ex-display kitchen or a fabulous pair of shoes for a fraction of their original cost, the same doesn’t work in relation to non-surgical aesthetic treatments.

Here at Younger U Aesthetics, our treatments are priced at the level they are for several reasons:

1. The products I use are high quality, from tried and tested and reputable manufacturers who invest heavily in product development and training.  The other equipment that I use in-clinic is also top of the range – from syringe needles to my dermal needling machine – helping to deliver effective and consistent results to my patients’ every time!
2. I have undergone extensive medical training and continue to update my knowledge and skills with expert training days.  I am a member of a number of industry organisations, including Save Face, the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses, the Nursing Midwifery Council and the Royal College of Nursing – all of whom have strict codes of ethics and help to ensure a consistently high standard within the nursing profession.  These accreditation’s/memberships and continuing professional development, plus the extensive insurance that I hold, all help to ensure that patients receive the very highest levels of care and support from Younger U Aesthetics at all times, but they do add significant costs to running a professional non-surgical aesthetics clinic.
3. Non-surgical aesthetic treatments aren’t on the same level as a massage, a hair-cut, or a new pair of shoes… so they shouldn’t be priced as such.  Dermal fillers, wrinkle relaxing injections, etc. – although non-surgical, these treatments all involve injectable solutions or products being inserted into the skin.  There is an incredibly narrow margin for error, and ‘clinicians’ without extensive medical training, physiological knowledge and advanced technical experience can easily miss the optimal target area for a treatment by a mm or two, causing the treatment to be non-effective, have negative aesthetic results or even risk patient health and safety.  We’ve all seen the horror stories in the tabloids of individuals with hugely swollen and infected lips, or having been blinded by wrinkle relaxing injections that have gone terribly wrong – so why risk it? Invest in your skin and your treatment and seek out a qualified and insured medically practitioner who is highly regarded and trusted and uses the best products on the market for their treatments. Consider your options carefully and fully – don’t just rush into a treatment because of a limited time ‘special offer’ that sounds too good to be true, because that could well be the case…

Always trust an experienced medical professional for your non-surgical aesthetic treatments – your skin is far too precious to risk anything less than the highest quality treatments!

When we added Profhilo to our list of non-surgical aesthetic treatments a year ago, we didn’t realise how popular the treatment would be! We’d read all the documentation, watched the clinical demonstrations and attended all of the product masterclasses, and had added the treatment to our product range as it met our incredibly high standards for patient safety and effectiveness, but it’s been wonderful to see how positively the treatment has been received by our patients too.

Profhilo is an injectable skin bio-remodelling treatment that contains Hyaluronic Acid and was developed to treat skin laxity and help improve skin texture and radiance.  The results seen by patients in-clinic (following treatments to areas as diverse as their face, neck, décolletage, hands and knees!) have been incredibly positive.  Generally, we recommend two sessions, spaced one month apart, for maximum results and most patients report seeing increased firmness, elasticity and improved skin texture after the two treatments.  Maintenance sessions are often required every 6-12 months to maintain the results of the procedure.

I’ve been so pleased with the results of Profhilo treatments that I have decided to add some further products and treatments from the team behind Profhilo – IBSA Italia – to the range of products and services we offer here at Younger U Aesthetics.  The first of these is a new skincare product called ‘Profhilo Haenkenium’, which combines Hyaluronic Acid with an extract from a plant called Salvia Haenkei or ‘Prawn Sage’.  The product is designed to help protect the skin from premature ageing, improve hydration and protect the skin from free radicals, and will make a great addition to any skincare regime!

The next big launch from the IBSA Italia team that I’m proud to announce I’ll be offering is their Viscoderm Hydrobooster range of injectable skin booster products.  These skin boosters are designed to help restore the support structures of skin tissue to help improve skin tone, elasticity and firmness – particularly in areas where there is a lot of dynamic facial movement, like around the mouth, around the eyes and on the forehead – and promise to be another incredibly popular treatment.

If you’d like more information about Profhilo, Profhilo Haenkenium or Viscoderm Hydroboosters, please call us on 07702 581588. We’re sure you’ll love these new products as much as we do!

See more on the Younger U Aesthetis Profhilo page.

There are certain treatments I offer here at Younger U Aesthetics that, though they can be undertaken all year round, increase in popularity as the weather turns colder.  As a result, I thought I’d share some of our popular winter treatments with you this month!

Microsclerotherapy

Microsclerotherapy is an aesthetic treatment designed to reduce the appearance of visible thread veins, most commonly on the legs. A solution called a ‘sclerosant’ is injected into the problem blood vessel, binding the walls together and causing it to collapse, before it is absorbed by the body and becomes less noticeable or fades completely.  Some patients prefer to undergo this treatment in the cooler autumn and winter weather, as for optimal results the use of compression bandages/stockings are recommended for the weeks immediately post-procedure.  In the heat of the summer, these garments can be a little uncomfortable, so chilly weather is a compression-stocking wearers best friend!  It can also take between 8 to 12 weeks to see improvement following your treatment (and take 2-4 treatments for optimal results), so taking time over the autumn and winter to tackle the issue could mean that some of the problem blood vessels have been effectively treated in time for the next skirt and short season!

Injectable treatments – like Profhilo, Wrinkle Relaxing Injections

For many injectable aesthetic treatments, like Profhilo and wrinkle relaxing injections, we recommend that patients avoid sun exposure and high temperatures in the couple of weeks post treatment, something that becomes slightly more difficult when faced with a Summer like the one we’ve just had!  Here at Younger U Aesthetics, we pride ourselves on our expert patient care, our experience and our professionalism, so make sure that our pre- and post-treatment recommendations are clear and obvious for all patients.  Treatments are available all year round, and we make sure that aftercare advice is tailored not just to every patient, but also to the environmental factors that could have an impact on a treatment’s effectiveness and patient recovery time.

Chemical Skin Peels

Skin peels are an extremely effective way to treat lines and wrinkles as well as acne scarring, pigmentation and sun-damaged skin, and treatments involve the application of a chemical solution to the upper layers of the skin to chemically exfoliate the treatment area.  Our range of Enerpeel Chemical Peels are popular all year round, but some patients who are looking for more intensive and deeper exfoliation may prefer to undergo the treatment in the cooler weather of autumn and winter so that the post-treatment side effects of skin peeling, skin reddening, etc. can be experienced in relative comfort rather than heat and humidity, and so that they can avoid over-exposure to the sun in weeks straight after their treatment.

If you’re looking for a non-surgical aesthetic treatment this Autumn or Winter, please get in touch! A pre-treatment consultation is the perfect opportunity to evaluate your unique skincare concerns and determine how best to tackle them with the range of high quality treatments available at Younger U Aesthetics.

As we age, our skin changes; there is a reduction in the body’s production of collagen and elastin – the scaffolding that gives our skin volume and elasticity.  This reduction starts in our mid-twenties, and after the age of thirty the average person produces 1% less collagen every year.  Our skin’s ability to effectively shed old skin cells also reduces (a problem, given that skin cells are replaced around every 27 days), and repeated sun damage can result in the appearance of age spots (caused by the over-production of melanin) on skin that is frequently exposed to the sun’s UVA and UVB rays.

These physiological changes have a visible impact on our skin, resulting in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, dull and dry skin and pigmentation.  Over-exposure to the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays can speed up the ageing process of our skin, making it appear older than it actually is, but with care, attention and the right combination of aesthetic treatments, all of these physical symptoms can be addressed to help you reveal more radiant and youthful looking skin.

Fine lines and wrinkles a problem? Chemical Skin Peels (like the Enerpeel range we favour here at Younger U Aesthetics) can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as chemically exfoliate the skin to remove the build up of old skin cells.  They can also help to tackle pigmentation and scarring.

Here at Younger U Aesthetics, we are proud to offer a range of aesthetic treatments to help people restore the youthful characteristics of their skin, or enhance their features sensitively and naturally.  But to all those looking for a single ‘quick fix’ to slow down the skin’s natural ageing process, the answer is this – a good quality, broad spectrum SPF applied daily throughout the year.  It really can make all the difference when it comes to protecting your precious skin!

References:

• www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-skin-wrinkle-wit
• www.webmd.com/beauty/cosmetic-procedures-overview-skin#1

 

It’s been difficult to escape the sunshine this Summer so far, with Mediterranean-esque sun (and heat) bathing the UK in June and July.  However, though it’s so easy to lay back and relax in the glorious sunshine, it’s worth understanding the impact that sun damage can have on your skin so that you can evaluate how much sun is safe and right for you.

Vitamin D from the sun’s rays can help the body to absorb calcium and phosphate from our diets – minerals that are essential in building healthy bones, teeth and muscles.  However, excessive exposure to UVA and UVB rays from the sun can damage the skin, and not just in the form of sunburn from prolonged sun exposure.

Exposure to the sun’s UV rays can contribute to a degradation in skin’s elasticity and breakdown collagen structures in the skin – both of which contribute to premature skin ageing in terms of the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and ‘sagging skin’.  Hyperpigmentation is also a risk of overexposure to UV rays, as is an increased risk of Skin Cancer (with, for example, 15906 cases of Melanoma Skin Cancer in the UK in 2015, 86% of which were classed as ‘preventable’).

Although it’s been difficult to avoid the sun this Summer (and why would you want to?!), it’s worth knowing that you can easily protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays with some simple precautions:

• Wear long sleeved, lightweight and breathable clothing to help cover your delicate skin.
• Wear a good quality, broad spectrum SPF and regularly reapply – particularly if you are swimming or exercising. You need a shot glass full of lotion for each full body application of SPF, so don’t hold back with the application!
• Seek shade when the sun is at it’s strongest (between 11am and 3pm)
• Wear a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect your scalp and delicate eyes.
• Stay hydrated! It’s easy to get dehydrated in the hot weather, which can have a negative impact on your overall health – not just your skin!

Though it’s easier to remember the SPF in the summer, or when the weather is tropical, it’s important to build it into your daily skincare regime as UV damage can occur all year round, even if you are inside or under glass!  So take care of your delicate skin this summer – and all year round – it really can help to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer and delay some of the visible symptoms of ageing.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-get-vitamin-d-from-sunlight/

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/melanoma-skin-cancer

 

Here at Younger U Aesthetics, we are proud to offer sensitive and subtle procedures that reveal a natural, youthful and radiant appearance, delicately tackling any aesthetic concerns that a patient might have.  For example, if a patient has lost volume in their lips, a Dermal Filler lip enhancement treatment may be suggested; if a patient wants to address the profile of their nose without invasive surgery, I would provide information about our non-surgical rhinoplasty treatments.  I will only ever recommend treatments that are safe and appropriate for the unique needs of each patient, and make sure that I give everyone plenty of time to consider whether they want to undergo a specific treatment.

In this age of reality TV stars and Instagram celebrities, where ‘bigger is better’ when it comes to over-filled lips and extreme buttock implants, natural and unassuming aesthetic treatments aren’t often on the public’s radar – and that, for me, demonstrates the skill of the medically qualified aesthetic clinician.  Over-filled lips and frozen or swollen features are far more obvious, and don’t fit in with the Younger U Aesthetics mantra of ‘Helping you look your best’ – we want to enhance our patients’ natural beauty and unique facial characteristics, not distort them to resemble an unnatural ideal.

In the event that a patient does come to Younger U Aesthetics asking for a treatment that I feel is inappropriate – for example, if they ask for a larger dose of injectable Dermal Fillers in the lips than I feel is necessary – I will not carry out the procedure, and potentially will suggest that the patient seeks advice from another professional.

If you are considering a non-surgical aesthetic treatment, please make sure that you visit an experienced and qualified medical professional and listen to their recommendations – any responsible clinic will have your best interests at heart and give you honest feedback and recommendations based on their extensive experience.  If you are looking for an accredited clinician near you, I would strongly recommend visiting www.saveface.co.uk to view their register of approved practitioners, and find out more about specific non-surgical aesthetic treatments.