Why is aftercare important?
Aftercare is usually given after treatments in the form of instructions on paper or verbal advice. In the past when ‘traditional facials’ (these are facials where there are no active ingredients and the main focus was on using scented products to induce relaxation rather than actually treating the skin) were popular, I would not think anything of putting make-up on that evening and I wouldn’t have worried about heating my skin through exercise, saunas etc on the day of treatment. My attitude would have been ‘it’s only a spa facial!’
If you think that same principle applies to ALL skin treatments, think again. There been a shift in treatments in terms of invasiveness. The traditional facial has now been replaced by superficial chemical peels, the galvanic treatment has been replaced by microneedling and strong patented micro current machines. Products have also changed from luxury, thick, perfumed products to highly potent medical grade ingredients containing high grade, low molecular weight, active ingredients.
The shift in the beauty industry has resulted in better skincare, improved results but also an increase in ‘downtime’. With this downtime comes important aftercare, because the quality of the result from the more invasive treatments and potent home care regimes is in part influenced by the correct aftercare.
With the new wave of treatments , most of which are based on causing trauma to the skin. This allows the skin to repair itself and in the process form new tissue, capillaries and collagen. A tightening effect can also occur during the repair process (angiogenesis and granulation). During these processes post treatment the quality of how well the tissue repairs, the collagen realigns the type I collagen, the amount of capillaries that branch out to support the tissue repair providing the area with required oxygen and nutrients and the processes of respiration, providing the required energy to every cell so that all the chemical reactions can take place at full throttle depends on the environment it is given to repair.
‘OPTIMUM ENVIRONMENT, OPTIMUM RESULTS’
This is where the aftercare plays an important role providing your treated skin with all the essential ingredients, parameters and protection to be able to form new and more importantly younger tissue.
How do we help you with aftercare?
We provide a 24 hour aftercare hotline for those clients having plasma pen or their first microneedling/chemical peel. This allows you to send us a quick message or a photo out of salon opening hours for advice and reassurance which stops anyone reaching for that sudocream!
Aftercare instructions are given for each specific treatment and are given to clients at the end of their treatment and are also found on our website.
Aftercare products are given, following a chemical peel you are given three products in an aftercare pack after every treatment. Skinpen microneedling you are provided with a serum to use 24 hours post treatment and after plasma pen we provide you with a healing aftercare balm. All of these products provide your skin with protection and nutrients that support the important repair process of the days following treatment.
If you are already using AlumierMD home care this also supports your professional treatments due to the high grade ingredients and delivery systems used your skin will repair better post treatment.
Feedback is also important. During every visit we speak to our client about the last visit and the last repair process. Learning about skin and how to take care of it is a process for our clients and in doing so along with the knowledge of good aftercare we get great results and more importantly happy clients!