Latest

Leeds Team Walk for Skin

This month, Amanda, Sophie and Clare from the Leeds team got their walking shoes on to raise money for the British Skin Foundation.

The team joined 200 others taking part in the in the 4-mile walk around Temple Newsam park in Leeds to help raise over £100 for the charity.

The British Skin Foundation is the only UK charity dedicated to skin disease research. It aims to help the eight million people in the United Kingdom with a serious skin condition, and works closely with many of the country's leading dermatology departments and patient support groups.

Here at SkinGenesis, we feel this is a charity that is very close to the work we do, and so we are very keen to help fund research to help eradicate skin disease.

More information of Semi-Permanent Make-Up

Professional semi permanent make-up therapist, Caroline Dent, who runs London based Permanent Cosmetic Enhancement, has returned to her northern roots, bringing her business with her. (n.b. also know as micropigmentation)

Caroline will be able to give you beautifully sculpted brows, enchantingly enhanced eyes and soft full lips for that ultimate anti-ageing effect at all three SkinGenesis clinics.

Caroline has a number of years experience in aesthetic beauty, and her philosophy is to keep the make-up as soft and natural as possible.

She says "Over the years I have become increasingly aware that it is the little, subtle changes that can really add confidence and promote a greater sense of wellbeing. The soft natural results produced by permanent make-up can achieve these results."

As well as cosmetic procedures, permanent make-up can help with the results of trauma from surgery, for example helping to restore the confidence and sense of femininity for those women who have had a mastectomy due to breast cancer. Similarly it can help those who have had an augmentation and have been left with scars or discolouration. All medical procedures are treated in the strictest of confidence and a consultation must be carried out prior to treatment.

Go Deep with our New Expert Analysis

Buying skin care products can be confusing, and without knowing how they'll affect your skin it can be a real gamble. We've introduced a new service which will help us provide an in-depth analysis of your skin and so you can learn how to take better care of our skin in the future, potentially saving hundreds of pounds on unsuitable or ineffective products.

The Expert Skin Analysis Includes:

UV (Ultra Violet) Computerised Imaging and Diagnostics - the only way to see the deep condition of your skin

* Learn about potential problem areas that may lead to early ageing and other skin problems
* Catch underlying sun damage before it becomes fully visible

pH Balance Measurement - because your skin needs to have the correct acid balance (pH) to be healthy

* Learn how to avoid soaps and skin care products that are too alkaline. Getting the balance right will:

1. Improve the performance of your skin barrier to help your skin retain its natural moisture
2. Reduce the risk of spots
3. Calm inflamed skin, including eczema

Moisture Content Measurement - because optimum hydration should be one of your goals

* Check your hydration levels at several sites across your face
* Learn how healthy skin cells attract and retain moisture - and what to do to ensure optimum hydration

Regulation for our Industry? You said Yes

Last month we asked you whether you thought non-surgical treatments should be regulated, and the response was an overwhelming "yes".

Currently, the majority of non-surgical treatments, including Microdermabrasion and the most popular chemical peels, can be delivered by anyone. However, providers of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatments, like SkinGenesis, are required to be audited and inspected by the Healthcare Commission. To satisfy their requirements we have developed stringent protocols and procedures to ensure you safety and wellbeing, and a spin-off benefit to you is that we apply the same stringent approach to the unregulated treatments as well.

The Government in the UK seems to be moving away from greater regulation and there is even a proposal to remove the existing requirement for Intense Pulse Light (IPL) clinics (like SkinGenesis) to be audited and inspected by the Healthcare Commission. This will leave non-surgical clinics to regulate themselves - something we feel confident we can do at SkinGenesis but what will this mean for the industry at large?

In contrast, European regulations are moving the other way, by ensuring tighter controls are placed on the delivery of these treatments.

For the time-being, it looks as though the industry will remain unregulated, but with the UK' s policies often following Europe , only time will tell whether there will be a U turn in the future.

To be or not to UVB..

We know you've heard it all before, and are probably well stocked with sunscreen by now, but with summer holidays for many of us just around the corner, we want to take this opportunity to remind you of the importance of choosing the right sunscreen.

Choosing a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or above is vital to protecting your skin, but this alone isn't always enough. Try and avoid sitting in the sun during the hottest hours, and always protect the skin with a hat or a t-shirt when possible.

It is also important to check your sunscreen has a total block, which protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Some sunscreens only protect from UVB rays, but UVAs are more likely to cause malignant melanoma, so it is important you choose a cream which protects the skin against both. While UVB protection can be achieved by a chemical barrier, UVA protection needs a physical barrier,which helps reflect the sun's rays, giving you the best protection against the sun's dangerous rays. The only way to be sure a product protects into the UVA range is by checking to see if one or more of the UVA-protective ingredients (avobenzone, oxybenzone, mexoryl, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) is listed among its active ingredients.

We stock, and recommend, total sunblock products Solar Protection SPF15 and ZinClear SPF30, both of which contain zinc oxide, from the DermaQuest Skin Therapy range.