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It's easy to forget to treat certain areas of your skin when most beauty campaigns promote a product as being for a specific zone, such as anti-ageing cream for the face, firming creams for the body etc. However, there is no reason why we shouldn't use, for example, a vitamin C moisturiser, that is advertised for the face, on our hands. It is anti-ageing, fights free radical damage, enhances skin health and is a vital ingredient for the production of collagen in the dermis! Many women notice that as we age, our hands can ‘age’ us quicker than our faces. This can be combated by something as simple as using our daily skin regime on our hands (and our décolleté - another area that is often forgotten), to help delay the ageing process and perhaps target treat a skin condition such as dry/oily skin. The hands are just as important!
Age spots and pigmentation occur more frequently on the hands as we age, and many advanced skin treatments can also be performed on the hands as well as the face to treat such damage. Mesotherapy, microneedling and chemical peels are some of the advanced skin treatments we train here at Facethetics and can all be performed on other areas of the body as well as the face. Pigmentation is one of the more difficult skin conditions to treat but by thoroughly consulting with your client and devising a skincare plan and course of treatments, it can be extremely effective and profoundly reduce any risk of further damage to the skin’s barrier function.
The ideal combination of skincare should include; cleansers which can be acidic or washes, hydrators especially hyaluronic acid, antioxidant care such as vitamin C or A, and sun protection factor no less than SPF 30. This can always be added to depending on the specific skin concerns the client may have but as a starting point, these products will help prepare the skin for treatment, improve overall skin health and dramatically reduce any impairment to the barrier function and natural pH.
Beginning with exfoliation, this will immediately aid removal of toxins, increase blood flow to bring about an improved appearance and smoother skin. Microdermabrasion is a highly sought-after clinical skin treatment to improve cellular renewal and of course can be used on the hands also. Manual scrubs or acidic cleansers/toners will also aid this process. For line smoothing or treatment of age spots, microneedling is a fantastic clinical treatment to offer. Thousands of micro-channels are created in the treatment area which breaks up dark pigment and induces the natural healing process. Firstly, inflammation occurs, leading to a rush of red and white blood cells in the treated area to begin healing, followed by proliferation occurring within 12-24 hours. Within 24 hours the stem cells in the basal layer begin the mitosis process to keratinise and reform the multi layers of the epidermis. During this active skin healing, the new collagen is synthesised and the fibres appear in a random way as if thrown together, which will be reorganised in the remodelling phase. Finally, remodelling occurs; the process of collagen regeneration can last up to 12 months. In healthy healing skins, the young collagen type III will be converted to collagen type I. These larger bundles of mature collagen fibres make up approximately 85%of healthy dermis and are mainly present in the reticular layer.
Chemical peels can be an effective exfoliation for the hands also to brighten and tighten the skin. Of course, using a daily SPF on the hands and reapplying will have a major effect in maintaining youthful looking hands!
All of the treatments mentioned above are available to train in with us here at Facethetics Training. We aim to not only train you in advanced skin treatments but can help personalise what you offer your clients.
By Shirley Walker, Skin Educator at Facethetics Training