Recently we were asked for skin treatments by one of our business contacts in Leeds.  Andrew was getting quite irritated by a non-specific skin condition which was leaving his skin inflamed.

Lynn carried out an Expert Skin Analysis which revealed  a poor balance and a lack of knowledge on Andrew's part on how best to care for his skin.  Armed with the right rebalancing DermaQuest products Andrew went away to 'prep' his skin before coming for skin treatment.

Since then he has been in for chemical peels and IPL (Intense pulsed light) and is very pleased how the skin treatments have calmed the skin's inflammation.  He's very pleased he overcame his initial scepticism and sought help at the skin clinic

He feels his skin is much improved (despite suffering an insect bite at the time of the video!) and recorded his thoughts here:

The Dermamelan pigmentation treatment scores another hit!  Alka recorded these comments when she came in for a review a few weeks after receiving her Dermamelan treatment.

In the video Alka describes how her skin has a beautifully even skin tone and how pleased she is with the results. She also talks about the experience of coming to the SkinGenesis skin clinic for treatment.

Before having her microdermabrasion, Gillian recorded a short video clip which you can see here.  Gillian won the Bare Skin Award at Top Model UK 2010 but is seeking to improve her skin further - particularly skin tone and skin texture.

You may know that the microdermabrasion treatment takes about 10 - 15 minutes and so you'll appreciate that we had to do a bit of editing to make the video watchable! 

Anyway, the video below shows Top Model UK winner Gillian having her first ever microdermabrasion at a skin clinic. She discusses with Deborah the benefits of skin treatment.

Don't forget, if, like Gillian, you've never had a microdermabrasion before you can call any of the SkinGenesis skin clinics and arrange a time to come in for a trial microdermabrasion for just £35.

A skin clinic visit was one of the prizes at the Top Model UK awards in London in March.  In fact the winners of the Bare Skin Awards, sponsored by SkinGenesis, have been invited to try any of our skin treatments to maintain and improve their skin tone and skin texture.

For Classic Category winner Gillian a trip to the skin clinic in Chester was a 'must do' and on arrival she recorded this short video clip:

You can see that Gillian is excited about her first visit to the SkinGenesis Skin Clinic in Chester.  When we met her at the Top Model UK competition she said she was interested in anti-ageing treatments and would like a more even skin tone and skin texture.  

We will be recording some of the treatments she has - and her comments after-  over the coming weeks. 

She went on to win her category, and the Bare Skin Award, and has now come to the skin clinic to improve her skin further.

We are often asked for an acne cure but, unfortunately, there is no such thing. 

Any acne sufferer who has taken advantage of our expert skin health analysis will know that we always take great care to explain the various triggers that cause acne.  Once they understand that a cure for acne does not exist, they are eager to learn how to control the triggers and how to relieve the symptoms.

If you'd like to read more, go to acne cure.

Thanks.

Those of you who have been following the fortunes of our Chester client, Naomi Heap, will know that she won an award at the Top Model UK finals in London and is going on to greater things. 

Part of her plan is to have skin treatment to achieve superior skin texture and skin tone, and she is now well into her acne treatment programme.  She has just recorded this short clip for us.

(click to view Naomi's 'before acne treatment' pix)

One of our Leeds clients has recorded a short clip of her experience and delight with the SkinGenesis Thread Vein Removal programme.  Many of you will know that we use Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) to target the thread veins and redness and achieve impressive results that boost confidence.

This is what Kirsty had to say:

This reader's question is a common one we get in the clinics.  Roaccutane had been withdrawn by its makers in the US because of public disquiet about its undesirable side effects.  The good news there are healthy and natural alternative acne treatments!

Reader's question

I have moderate active acne and I wondered what acne treatments you would recommend instead of Roaccutane?

Peter's answer:

Roaccutane is a type of isotretinoin which is a treatment for severe acne. It is associated with a few undesirable side effects and I would strongly advise exhausting the alternatives before considering this treatment.

You must have an expert skin analysis prior to deciding on a course of  treatments for acne.

If your skin is too alkaline you should adopt a home care regime that brings the pH to 5.5 or lower. A slightly acid skin allows the skin’s natural flora to flourish which will suppress the acne bacteria and the severity of the acne will decline.

Chemical peels that incorporate salicylic (such as jesnner ) can be very effective at controlling and reducing acne. They are quick to perform and depending on their strength  are not too uncomfortable. They also require very little downtime and have  little impact on your day to day activities.

Unfortunately acne is still not completely understood and there is not a single treatment that will be effective on all types of acne. Because of this you may have to try several types of treatment before you find one that works for you. It is however better to do this before you consider isotretinoin (e.g. Roaccutane). Most acne will respond to a low pH skincare regime and salicylic based chemical peels so I would always try these options first.

Regular readers will know that Peter answers readers' questions for a Cosmetic Surgery magazine.  Here is a recent one about adult acne.

Question:

I am 35 and have started to see the signs of ageing with tired skin, open pores and lines and wrinkles, but I’m still being plagued by breakouts every month which I’ve had since a teenager.  What  adult acne treatment plan would you suggest ? Is there one procedure that will deal with these very different problems?

Peter's answer:

The first thing you should do is have a skin analysis and checked for sun damage, pH levels and moisture content. 

Once the condition of your skin is determined it will be possible to chose which treatments will be necessary to achieve the skin you desire.

If your skin is too alkaline you are likely to notice an improvement just by adjusting your skin care regime to more acidic (pH 5.5 or lower) products.  This improvement would be aided further by having a course of salicylic skin peels which will help clear the acne and at the same time rejuvenate the skin.

There are a few other treatments such as microdermabrasion which may help with acne breakouts as well as rejuvenate the skin. These treatments are relatively non invasive and require very little recovery or down time, but the most appropriate treatment can only be ascertained after the skin analysis.

Both ageing skin and acne can respond significantly to changes in lifestyle and I would recommend seeing a nutritionist who specialises in skin conditions. A good diet and the correct skin care will enable you to reduce the number of treatments you require as well as get the maximum benefit from them.

Digging further into the survey of leading cosmetic doctors recently published in Cosmetic News magazine, it seems clear that the trend is for a more natural look from non-surgical skin treatment - which is very much in line with the SkinGenesis philosophy. 

Many of the doctors have made their names providing invasive procedures and surgery, but now even they recognise the benefits of the collagen stimulating non-surgical treatments we have always advocated.  

Some of you may have seen on TV leading cosmetic doctor Dr Patrick Bowler, and he now says:

"Non surgical treatments are the most popular and fastest growing area in aesthetics. This survey shows no real surprises but it is pleasing to note the trend for natural looks rather than the overdone, overcooked appearances of the last decade."