What Facials Can Do For Your Skin After a Hot Summer

Summer may be officially over, but its effects on your skin may linger throughout the fall. Most of us spend more time outdoors in the summer, leaving our skin vulnerable to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, free radicals in the air, and other pollutants and environmental threats. By this time, your skin might be in need of some TLC, and undergoing a facial treatment can help in more ways than one.

How Facials Clear Your Skin

Even Out Skin Tone

Spending enough time in the summer sun can result in an uneven skin tone especially if you weren’t vigilant in your sunscreen regimen. The sun’s UV radiation affects the body’s melanocytes, the skin cells responsible for pigmentation. In addition to damaging these cells’ DNA and increasing one’s risk of skin cancer, this reaction can result in uneven pigmentation across the face and anywhere else the skin was exposed. Facials help even out your skin tone by removing dead skin cells and stimulating new growth. This process also reduces fine lines and wrinkles which are also exacerbated by the sun.

Remove Facial Impurities

There’s no doubt that spending time outdoors can be great for your mind and body. That said, in addition to undergoing sun damaged skin, any time you’re outside you’re exposing your skin to bacteria, irritants, and other particles that can enter your pores and cause problems. Fortunately, facials (as well as pore strips and facemasks) help remove these impurities by opening up your pores and exfoliating your skin.

Unclog Pores

During the summer, your skin is more likely to become dehydrated. To make up for this loss of moisture, your skin might produce more oils, which in turn may clog your pores. Just as facials help get rid of impurities, they also aid in clearing up acne and preventing new breakouts.

Restore Moisture to Skin

With summer sun damage comes dehydration. In addition to drinking plenty of water, applying quality moisturizer at least once a day, and wearing sunscreen to protect your skin from UV radiation, receiving a facial will help replace your skin’s lost moisture.

End-of-Summer Facials to Consider

There are various facial/exfoliation treatments to consider this summer’s end. Classic facials involve steaming, exfoliation, extraction, massaging, and moisturizer application; a chemical peel facial treatment uses acids to eliminate dead skin cells and stimulate new growth; microdermabrasion “sands” the top layers of your skin and vacuums the debris, promoting cell turnover; laser resurfacing superficially wounds portions of the skin to trigger a healing response that leads to new skin cell growth and collagen production; the list goes on. Talk to your dermatologist to see which type(s) of facial treatments are best for your skin.

Getting the Most Out of Your Facial

If you want the effects of your facial to last as long as possible, be sure to follow these steps after your treatment:

• Avoid wearing makeup directly after your facial
• Relax for several hours afterward — take a nap, let your skin breathe, drink some tea, keep your face still, etc.
• If you take a bath or shower, keep the water lukewarm
• Stay hydrated
• Stay away from crowds and polluted areas

Save Your Skin Post-Summer

Even if you took great care of your skin this summer, getting a facial is a great way to ring in a new season and improve your skin’s appearance at the same time. The experts at Premier Dermatology Partners can help you find the right procedure for you. To learn more about our providers and all the services we offer, contact us today.