Overview of advanced skin care treatments

Introduction

The aim of this article is to give you a deeper understanding of each of the treatments that we offer training in, their history and the key benefits of the treatment as well as how much you can expect to charge from them.

Mesotherapy

Mesotherapy treats the skin by using multiple superficial injections that break only the upper layer of the epidermis. They allow pharmaceutical products, homoeopathic remedies, vitamins, minerals and other products to penetrate further into the skin, enhancing their effectiveness.

Mesotherapy is fast becoming a staple in salons and advanced skin care clinics across not only the UK but also worldwide. Potential clientele are actively searching out this treatment as it becomes more popular. The search term ‘mesotherapy’ gets around 27,000 Google searches a month in the UK alone.

Mesotherapy is most commonly used in –

• Fat removal
• Reduction of cellulite
• Reduction of wrinkles and lines
• Loose skin
• lightening pigmented skin
• The treatment of pattern hair loss and alopecia

History of mesotherapy

Mesotherapy was first implemented by French doctor Michael Pistor back in the 1950’s. The name of it comes from the Greek for ‘middle’ as the microinjections permeate the middle layer of the skin. It was initially implemented as a means of injecting pain relief locally

How long does a mesotherapy treatment take?

Mesotherapy treatments are relatively quick, but of course, it will be dependent upon a variety of variables such as skin condition, what skin condition you are treating, size of the area being treated etc. But we can say that the treatments typically last somewhere between 20 and 40 minutes. We recommend a weekly treatment for optimum results.

No needle mesotherapy

No needle mesotherapy is a treatment that has gained more popularity over the past five years. This may seem contradictory in principle as mesotherapy was created as a needle-based treatment. The treatment uses a low-frequency electrical current and ultrasound to deliver nutrients and pharmaceutical products to the middle layer of the skin. The no-needle machine delivers a particular waveform ionises the ingredients used in the treatments and created small channels in the skin for ingredients to travel down. Our partner Skin Health Solutions stocks the M3 no needle mesotherapy machine. which can be found here. This is a great alternative treatment to offer clients that are more needle adverse but would still like the benefits of mesotherapy.

We offer a comprehensive training to enable you to deliver effective, safe and professional mesotherapy treatments to clients here.

Microneedling

Microneedling is a procedure that uses small needles to puncture the skin promoting the regeneration of collagen and elastin. This treatment results in a younger, fuller, firmer and more toned skin. Microneedling is either administered by a dermaroller which uses multiple needles at once or a microneedling pen device which uses fewer needles, around 16, to puncture the top level of the skin in rapid movements.

Microneedling is most commonly used in

• acne scarring
• age/sun spots
• fine lines and wrinkles
• large pores
• reduced skin elasticity

Microneedling pens

There are many microneedling pen devices on the market, but our preference is the South Korean made Dermafix pen. The Dermafix pen has multiple speed options which can move vertically between 1,000 and 6,000 times a minute, dependent upon the speed of the device.

Microneedling devices give you the option to treat multiple needling lengths in one device. These lengths can be from 0.25-2mm. Being able to adjust the length of the needle enables you to adapt the needle length during one treatment, i.e a shorter needle for more sensitive areas.

Dermaroller

A dermaroller is a cylindrical drum surrounded by small needles and attached to a handle that rolls over the skin creating multiple microchannels at once. Dermarollers vary in length from 0.05-0.5mm, the different lengths cause differing levels of trauma to the skin. Typically, the smaller needle length dermarollers can be used more frequently, whereas the longer length needles should be used less often.

Dermaroller can treat a multitude of different skin problems, from acne scarring to general tightening. For those wanting to treat acne scarring, a thicker, longer needle would be the preference so it can penetrate the skin further. This creates a wound healing response through collagen synthesis. The smaller needles, however, won’t necessarily encourage collagen production but will create channels for products to penetrate more easily.

Skin/chemical peels

According to the NHS website – ‘Skin Peels are liquids brushed on the face to remove dead skin cells and stimulate the growth of new skin cells’. Skin peels are used to improve the quality of the skin on someone’s face. Peels vary in strength and although you may be qualified to train in skin peels, you may not be qualified to administer the peels with higher acid content.

Typically, skin peels are administered with alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and is an effective treatment for blemishes wrinkles and uneven pigmentation of the skin.

Chemical peels work by exfoliating the upper layer of dead skin, revealing a fresh layer underneath that has better tone and texture. One of the main reasons peels are so popular for the consumer is because they achieve instant results.

Skin Peels can be used to treat

• Fine lines and wrinkles – most commonly around the eyes and mouth
• Sun damage
• Ageing
• Particular types of acne
• Improves the general look and feel of the skin

Light Peels

These peels are more superficial and only affect the very top layer of the skin. The solution will be left on the skin for only a few minutes, removing the very top layer of the skin. This peel treatment may result in the skin feeling tight for a few hours after and due to the lower concentration of acid, it will require more frequent treatments to maintain the results.

Medium Peels

Medium peels penetrate the top and middle layers of the skin and like the lighter peels, is only left on for a few minutes. Because this peel is stronger in acid concentration is may take up to 12 weeks for the skin to return to its normal colour. Treatments are recommended to be taken by patients every 6-12 months to maintain the results.

Deep peels

These peels take longer as a procedure and also have a longer recovery time, they penetrate the deeper layers of the skin and are used as a one-off treatment. It is Ideal patients for these deeper peels are people with blotches on their skin from sun damage or course wrinkles. It has also been suggested that it can aid in the removal of pre-cancerous growths, but we always recommend that clients seek the advice of a doctor first.

Medical advice for skin peels

We always advise the patients don’t smoke for a few weeks before and after procedures. Best results are achieved by those not taking acne medicine or are free from skin infections. Also be aware that patients with scar formations such as keloids will likely need to seek a doctors advice before going ahead with the procedure. As the skin heals it will also be more sensitive to the sun so always advise the use of high factor sunscreen to patients for at least a month after the treatment.

Dermaplaning

Dermaplaning is a treatment whereby the top layer of the skin is gently ‘shaved’ off using a sterilised scalpel. The procedure removes the top layer of dead skin and fine vellus hair, ore commonly known as ‘peach fuzz’. The procedure typically takes around 30 minutes and can be administered to clients once a month with no downtime after the treatment.

Dermaplaning can be used to treat

• dry or rough skin texture
• excessive vellus hair
• uneven skin tone
• build up of dead skin cells
• acne scarring

Benefits of Dermaplaning

Dermaplanining is a type of physical exfoliation treatment which triggers the cell regeneration process allowing products to better penetrate the skin. As mentioned, dermaplaning can be used in the removal of vellus hair, which can collect oil and dirt. With the removal of hair combined with exfoliation, the skin can be left looking brighter, younger and healthier looking skin with a smooth look and feel.

Who should you not treat?

With any treatment that you administer in your advanced skin care business, you need to treat each client with a unique approach. Potential clients with oily or active acne should avoid this procedure, there are better alternative treatments for acne such as microdermabrasion. Clients with thicker darker hair facial should also not be treated. If treated, those with this type of hair are likely to see stubbles as the hair grows back as well as shaving rash, which is spots under the skin caused by hairs growing back.

Facials

Facials are multiple skin treatments that are applied the face in one session. The treatments include steam, exfoliation, extraction, creams, lotions, facial peels and massage. Facials are often used just for general skin health, or even as a relaxation treatment at a spa. To become qualified to administer facials, you don’t need any pre-requisites, meaning its a fantastic treatment to get your beauty career going.

What do facials treat?

• mild acne
• dryness
• blackheads
• dull skin tone

What are the benefits of a facial?

Facials are fantastic as a seasonal treatment. For example, when winter comes your indoor heating can dry out the skin and facials can provide some much-needed moisture. Conversely, when summer approaches, the skin can become more oily causing breakouts on the skin. Facials can help with this alongside other skin issues.

Facials can result in smoother texture of the skin, fewer breakouts, rehydration and firmer skin. Regular treatments are often recommended as part of general skin health and it is recommended that estheticians advise their clients on a good skin care regime to implement at home.

Facial Mask

The facial mask is an integral part of this treatment, the mask that is used will be dependent upon the client’s skin type (dry, oily, sensitive, mature) and condition. These different masks will also treat different skin problems, such as acne scars or hyperpigmentation During the facial mask, it is advised that the esthetician stays in the room with the client and administers a scalp massage or another service.  How long a client has to wear their mask is dependent upon the type of mask and the manufacturer.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a non-chemical, minimally invasive skin care treatment used to improve skin tone and overall texture. The treatment is administered by a handheld device with a rough end to it that will ‘sand’ way the top layer of the skin, leaving rejuvenated layer below.

Microdermabrasion is most commonly used in the treatment of

• fine lines and wrinkles
• age spots
• sun damage
• uneven pigmentation
• clogged pores
• minor scars

How does microdermabrasion work?

Microdermabrasion is a longer treatment, it often takes around an hour for the full treatment. To perform the procedure you need to be a licensed skin therapist that is fully insured. As mentioned before the rough end of the handheld device will wear down the top layer of the skin, after which a moisturiser followed by sun cream is applied to the skin.

Diamond microdermabrasion

A diamond-tipped microdermabrasion device is designed no only to gently exfoliate the dead skin cells, but also to vacuum them off at the same time. The depth at which the device wears down the skin will be dependent upon the pressure put on it. This gives you the ability to be able to control around the more sensitive areas like the eyes.

Who would we not recommend for microdermabrasion?

We recommend not to treat those with deep scarring, undiagnosed lesions, active acne, herpes outbreaks, warts, unstable diabetes and auto-immune system disorder. There are also other skin issues that are outlined within our training, and if you ever feel unsure ask your client to consult with their doctor first.

We would also not recommend treating clients that have had recent skin peels or collagen injections in the weeks leading up to the treatment. FInally, anyone that has had a waxing or tanning treatment would not be advised to have a microdermabrasion treatment.

We created this page help our clients better understand the treatments we train in. If you require more information on any of the above procedures, please do not hesitate to get in contact with our incredibly friendly and knowledgeable team.