February 2015
An esthetic practice, especially in a medical facility, is able to offer a variety of clinical state of the art procedures to treat many common skin conditions. In addition to these treatments, a significant contribution must come from care of the skin at home. Our estheticians are able to provide guidance on choosing the right products for your skin type and the conditions which we are trying to resolve.
There is no such thing as perfect skin. Even people with gorgeous skin have trouble sometimes.
Skin is dynamic and changes from time to time, from season to season, and at various times can be dry, oily, combination, or sensitive.
The skin care provider in a professional setting will offer product lines that will:
- Help improve skin health and protect the barrier function of the skin
- Promote safe and effective exfoliation and rejuvenation to prevent chronic inflammation
- Ingredients that promote production of collagen and elastin and can help repair damaged cells
- Have higher concentrations of active ingredients in a more effective delivery system
- Products that are backed by true, scientific "gold standard" clinical testing for safety and efficacy
To review, professional products that are available only through skin care providers generally have higher concentrations of active/performance ingredients, have a more effective delivery system, and must be recommended after a thorough skin evaluation and consultation. Products sold over the counter must by necessity be generic and "safe" enough for the general population and therefore cannot as aggressively treat the skin.
A skin consultation will include:
- Determining skin type: oily, dry, combination, sensitive
- Determining skin conditions: mature/aging skin, sun damaged, acne prone, melasma, etc.
- Identifying personal preferences and products currently using
- Reviewing topical prescriptions: some must be discontinued for a period before resurfacing treatments
- Reviewing lifestyle: how simple or complex a home regimen will be
- Identifying climate and seasonal adjustments: skin has different needs depending on environmental factors
- Identifying current skin care needs: such as preparing for a surgical procedure or treatments
