Professional skin care from a cosmetologist: what should it be like?

Yulia Borzykh, dermatologist, cosmetologist

The article was first published in Makeup&YOU Professional magazine.

“I’ve never been to a cosmetologist,” these words begin the acquaintance with dozens of my patients. – A friend said that it’s time for me to get “beauty injections.” But if you pay attention to the complaints of such a patient (dry or oily skin, wide pores, fine wrinkles and a “stale” appearance), then the first thing I do is tell her how to properly care for her skin at home. I recommend professional procedures with which it is advisable to start working with the skin. And it’s a lifelong job. And, as well-known beauty industry scientist Danne Montague-King says, I help patients “build confidence from the outside in.” Yes, I was not mistaken: all my life! Of course, you will not go to a cosmetology office every week for many years, but after receiving from 6 to 12 professional procedures, get ready to visit a cosmetologist once every 1.5–2 months. Where to start? From the surface of the skin, on which people have been working for several centuries: peelings are mentioned in ancient Egyptian papyri, the primitive use of dermabrasion began with the discovery of pumice by man. Nowadays microdermabrasion is carried out using a special sandblasting machine, when many sterile corundum microcrystals are thrown into the skin under pressure, which gently remove dead cells. The procedure is performed without anesthesia and is absolutely safe if performed by the skilled hands of a specialist. What effects do we expect from its use? Cleansing, stimulating blood circulation, strengthening tissue, improving nutrition, leveling and smoothing the surface of the skin, improving its protective function, improving collagen formation and, as a result, increasing turgor. If patients have severe skin defects and deep wrinkles, 10 or more procedures are required per course of treatment. If there are no visible skin problems, you can perform this procedure once a month, combining it with enzyme therapy and moisturizing masks.

Types of facial peels

Peels are another favorite topic for many. We often get too carried away with so-called deep peels and expect supernatural results, but can they happen? Again referring to the words of Dr. Danne Montague-King, I note that “the skin is not an onion that needs to be constantly peeled.” Many patients and, surprisingly, doctors are completely misled, claiming that the deeper the peeling, the better the result. Many mistakes were made based on this statement, which led to complications or unsatisfactory results, and a terrible memory of this procedure settled in the minds of patients. What types of peelings exist in cosmetology? There are superficial, medium and deep peels, but you need to be aware that under the influence of any type of deep trauma, the skin tries to protect itself. There are enzymatic, acidic, alkaline, and retinol types of facial peels - their choice for the patient rests solely with the cosmetologist. Only a specialist can determine the appropriateness of a particular procedure, knowing the patient’s wishes and having fundamental knowledge about the skin. Proper preparation of the skin for peeling will lead to good tolerance of the procedure and the stated results. To prepare for medium and deep peels, enzyme therapy and the use of disinfectants are necessary - this stage is especially important for oily skin prone to rashes. Such preparatory procedures will strengthen the skin, it will be able to better maintain its integrity while exposed to the active ingredients of the peel. The same applies to preparing the skin for laser treatments. In the procedure of chemical peeling for the face, not only the moment of its application and the peeling process are important, but the procedures for removing the patient from the procedure are more significant - moisturizing masks, serums, creams, massages. After medium or deep peelings, the skin is absolutely vulnerable. After such active procedures, it is very important what the patient uses at home. Cosmetics in post-peeling care should contain beta-glucans, vitamin C, aloe vera, panthenol, allantoin. During this period, it is important to have the right attitude towards the sun - it is imperative to use sunscreen with SPF 30. Illiterate behavior after peeling leads to the risk of complications, such as persistent redness of the skin, the appearance of pigmentation and others. It is no coincidence that cosmetologists advise starting professional skin care with superficial peels - the safest and least traumatic. Such procedures will remove excessive thickening of the stratum corneum of the epidermis, lighten the skin, smooth out the surface relief and reduce the appearance of pores.

Enzyme therapy

A fundamentally new and promising approach to the prevention and treatment of various cosmetic imperfections and dermatological problems is enzyme therapy. There are more than 3,000 enzymes in the human body, each of which stimulates one or another process in tissues and organs and ensures the vital activity of cells. The main functions of enzymes are stimulation, acceleration of skin metabolic processes and regeneration mechanisms at the cellular level, and transport of nutrients. In cosmetology, protein-dissolving plant enzymes are used - bromelain and papain. Bromelain removes dead cells from the surface of the skin and has a powerful immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and healing effect. Papain accelerates the breakdown of proteins into amino acids, has an antimicrobial effect and removes dead cells from the surface layer of the skin. Also extremely necessary is the metalloenzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), which has become a necessary component of many cosmetics. It not only destroys potentially dangerous oxygen molecules in cells, but also has anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects. By using enzyme preparations in the form of peelings, masks, creams, we restore health to the skin, using exclusively what the skin “recognizes and recognizes.” And only then, when the skin has reached the peak of health, can we talk about whether you need injections.