Compared to the sun-drenched days of summer, cold weather means more clothing and less skin exposure. People often think skin rejuvenation facial techniques should be put on hold until the return of beach trips and pool parties. But the opposite is actually true. Cooler months give your body the time it needs to heal, especially after skin resurfacing. At Restore Center for Aesthetics in Munster, IN, we’re ready to get you prepped for next season.
Why Fall and Winter Are the Best Times for Skin Rejuvenation Treatments
After most skin rejuvenation techniques, you need to avoid sun exposure. The reasons for this are simple: UV rays damage skin cells, interfere with the therapy’s efficacy, and may complicate or prevent your healing process. Additionally, the skin is more sensitive to sun exposure after a deep clean and/or exfoliation, meaning burning or scarring can happen much more quickly than usual.
While the need for sunscreen has been drilled into most of us, summer generally comes with a more lax attitude. We don’t re-apply while boating or gardening. But it’s easier to avoid the sun and care for skin by scheduling cosmetic treatments during cooler weather. Clothing keeps skin covered, and UV rays are less powerful (although you still need to wear sunscreen).
Slough Away Dull Skin
Because we spend less time outside in the fall and winter months, our complexions can quickly turn dull. This is a clear sign that vitamin D is lacking, a nutrient we get from the sun’s rays. Skin can start to look grey, less plump, and more brittle. Dark circles may even develop under the eyes – all because skin cells need vitamin D for healthy maintenance and regeneration.
Skin resurfacing can brighten the complexion and restore volume by igniting the body’s collagen production. It sweeps away debris and dead skin cells to improve cellular turnover and give skin the chance to breathe.
Repair Sun Damage
If you spent a little too much time outside during the summer, you may have sun damage. This makes itself visible with spots, redness, and fine lines that likely weren’t present six months ago. Skin resurfacing – again – will correct this damage just in time for the holidays so you can present a fresh and youthful face to friends and family.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
The skin is assaulted year-round thanks to weather fluctuations and environmental toxins. During winter months, the skin is subject to damage from cold, wind, low humidity, and precipitation. Indoor temperatures, and our attempts to stay warm with steamy showers, further suck the moisture from the skin. This leads to flaking, cracking, and peeling.
Treatments like a Hydrafacial, which can be repeated every month throughout the year, restore crucial hydration to the face. This keeps your face looking plump; without it, the skin will suffer throughout the season and be unprepared for the onslaught of heat and sunshine when summer returns.
Prepare for Summer
Speaking of heat, now is the time to get your skin in shape for summer. If your goal is to show-off a radiant glow as soon as the grass turns green, you’ll need a couple of months to go through treatment, especially skin resurfacing, recover, and then wait for results to develop.
Keep in mind that most therapies work best after multiple sessions, and they need to be properly spaced to allow proper healing time. Preparing for summer, therefore, starts in the winter.
Treatments to Consider
Among the many skin rejuvenation treatments available, we strongly recommend intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy during cooler months. This non-invasive modality targets multiple skin concerns at once, including:
- Brown spots
- Broken capillaries
- Facial lines
- Enlarged pores
- Rosacea
- Dullness
- Spider veins
Benefits of IPL
These treatments, also known as photofacials, can eliminate up to 90 percent of visible sun damage. They work akin to laser treatments but are slightly more gentle, heating tissues that lie beneath the skin’s surface with pulses of multiple light wavelengths. The body, perceiving the heated cells as damaged, ramps up collagen production to repair/replace those cells.
In effect, this treatment works with the body to induce stronger and healthier skin. Collagen brings a host of benefits, including improved elasticity, greater volume, a more consistent tone, and a renewed glow. And while IPL can be performed anytime, fall and winter help eliminate sun exposure that can cause complications. We generally recommend that after treatment, patients avoid heat as well. This, too, is more easily achieved during cooler months.
Cooler Is Better
Cooler weather provides another benefit with this treatment. Skin can reflect summer color even if you don’t intentionally sunbathe. But in the winter, the skin returns to its regular color. IPL works best at this time, when you are free of tan or burn.
Skin Resurfacing With Venus Versa
We can change the texture and appearance of your skin with Venus Versa, a resurfacing treatment that safely targets damaged skin cells deep below the surface. It works to rejuvenate at the molecular level, delivering radio-frequency waves to treat:
- Large pores
- Wrinkles
- Stretch marks
- Acne scars
- Uneven pigmentation
- Acne
This treatment stimulates collagen and elastin production that helps skin look and feel smoother. As these proteins continue to multiply, they correct sun damage and provide a tighter, more youthful appearance.
Reasons to Have This Treatment
The Venus Versa works quickly, with sessions as short as 20 minutes. Improvements can show after just one treatment, although the sessions you need will ultimately depend on the severity of your skin concern. A built-in cooling system protects the skin from heat exposure, eliminating the need for numbing creams, and keeps you comfortable throughout your session.
Winter Appointments Are Smart
By starting this therapy in the winter, you can be assured treatments will wrap-up in time for summer. This is because, as stated earlier, you’ll likely need more than one session – four or five are the recommended protocol for most patients. These appointments must be spaced three weeks apart to give skin a chance to adequately recover between each.
You can therefore expect treatment to take an average of 12 weeks. Starting now means your skin will be vibrantly fresh for the start of warm weather.
Injectables
During the summer months, when the sun is boring down and you’re outside, it’s human nature to respond by squinting. This can lead to a series of lines between the eyebrows – commonly known as the 11 lines – and on the outside corners of eyes – referred to as crow’s feet. Now that you’re back indoors and scrutinizing your appearance a little more closely, you may see these lines and wonder what to do about them.
Fall and winter are ideal times to start a regimen of injectables. First, they’ll clear up skin imperfections that developed during warmer months. Second, they’ll smooth lines and restore a more youthful appearance just in time for holiday gatherings.
Botox
Known widely as a neuromodulator, this therapy works by reducing muscle activity. We inject it into very targeted sites to prevent dynamic wrinkles from showing while allowing the rest of your facial muscles – and you have plenty of them – to emote as normal. Dynamic wrinkles are those that develop from repeated movements, such as smiling, squinting, and laughing.
Botox results typically show within three to five days of treatment. They last for three to four months, and regularly-scheduled sessions thereafter can help maintain the desired effects. Botox is safe, effective, and quick – sessions usually require 30 minutes or less.
Start Treatment Now
An added bonus to starting treatment in the cooler months is this: Botox can help prevent additional wrinkles from forming. This means you can get ahead of the aging process now before another summer is upon us. Bear in mind that anytime you squint at the sun, you inadvertently cause more wrinkles. But inhibiting muscle movement in key areas can stop this process and keep you looking younger for longer.
Juvederm
Fillers under this family umbrella are each designed to address a specific concern in the face, including:
- Loss of volume in the cheeks and temples
- Thinning lips
- Chin dimpling
- Sagging skin
- Jowls
- Nasolabial folds
Watch the Weather
You already know that choosing certain cosmetic therapies in the fall and winter can be beneficial. Juvederm, like Botox, can be repeated for lasting results, meaning it’s a year-round treatment. Starting treatment now will allow you to avoid sunlight, which is associated with:
- Increased lines and wrinkles
- Leathery texture in the skin
- Dehydration
- Changes in blood pressure
Juvederm relies on your body staying hydrated to keep skin cells strong. It also relies on healthy blood flow to deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the skin. With reduced sun exposure, you can easily accomplish both tasks. Additionally, it’s always better to start treatment sooner rather than later because each session builds upon the last; with time, you can potentially spread out your sessions over longer periods.
HydraFacial
We discussed this treatment earlier with regard to keeping skin hydrated, but it’s worth circling back to. Hydration is a key factor in skin health. The HydraFacial hones in on this concept and, using a hand-held wand powered by vortex technology, treats skin with three steps:
- Cleans and peel
- Extract and hydrate
- Fuse and protect
Skin is usually at its dryest during the winter, which is the ideal time to focus on hydration. Starting a HydraFacial regimen now will therefore keep skin glowing so that in the summer, you’re ready to bare all.
Care for Your Skin
Once you’ve chosen the skin rejuvenation treatment(s) right for you, some simple at-home steps can help extend your results and keep skin fresh and dewy. Start by switching the products you use; fall and winter necessitate different skincare than spring and summer. The foaming cleanser you’ve been using on your face probably is too harsh for cold weather. Switch to a cream or oil-based cleanser to keep skin hydrated.
Similarly, a rich moisturizer will likely need to replace the lightweight serum or lotion you’ve been using. Moisturizer is essential year-round to protect the skin’s natural barrier; harsh winds and freezing temperatures, however, require that barrier be stronger so the skin doesn’t fall victim to the elements.
Slather on Sunscreen
We can’t say this enough: winter weather does not mean you’re automatically protected from the sun. It’s critical you wear protective sunscreen year-round. If you’ve been opting for SPF 50 in the summer, don’t go below SPF 30 in the winter. Remember, even office lighting can be harsh enough to damage the skin. Your sunscreen provides universal protection against even these rays.
The Best Time for Skin Rejuvenation Treatment Is Now
Don’t assume that because you’re hidden beneath a few clothing layers skin doesn’t need attention. The fall and winter may be more critical than any other time because, in addition to repairing sun damage, you must also navigate the cold. Call the experts at Restore Center for Aesthetics in Munster, IN, today, and schedule your natural skin rejuvenation appointment.
