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Dermatologist reveals best skincare investments to make this year

In pre-Covid times, your average evening out with the girls would have set you back around , and a few nights on the tiles every month and suddenly you were spending almost £1,700 a year on cocktails and dancing. Oh, and don’t forget the a year you would typically spend on takeaway coffee. While this may very well have been money well spent, whilst we are living in lockdown, this is also money – and time – well saved.

So, let’s be smart about how this spare time and extra money is used – how about in our skincare routine?

Hectic schedules have typically meant our skincare routine has been a bit more slap dash than we wanted it to be. No judgement here – we’re all guilty of reaching for a face wipe to quickly remove make-up after a long day rather than the three, four, five, six step routine we should be indulging our skin in.

What’s more, the extra money we are saving from the halt to our commutes, midday coffees and eating out with friends could be the investment fund we need to discover true skin confidence.

Now we have a bit of extra time and spare cash on our hands, , dermatologist for sk:n clinics, shares her skin saviours and investment recommendations to help you combat wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and tired eyes to help us reap the benefits of an investment that will 100% pay off.

Wrinkles – we all get them, they are an unavoidable part of the ageing process (unless you have never moved a muscle in your face, that is). and fine lines exist whenever we move our face or , our muscles contract, and this repetition sets into the skin.

As we age, we naturally produce less elastin, collagen and hyaluronic acid, meaning the skin is more susceptible to damage and it loses its natural firmness, making wrinkles and fine lines more prominent. Wrinkles are often a sign of a life lived well, but they can make some of us feel self-conscious – and the good news is, there is plenty that can be done!

SKIN SAVIOURS

SKIN INVESTMENTS

This is a cutting edge anti-injectable hydration treatment which contains high levels of hyaluronic acid, a naturally compound which helps to the and in the skin. It can be administered at the top of the cheeks, sided of the face, area around the mouth, nasolabial folds and laughter lines as well as around the neck, chest and decolletage.

It is highly versatile and can treat a range of concerns, leaving your skin looking plumped and fresher with a lovely glow. A single treatment starts at £350.

If you aren’t keen on injectable treatments, then microneedling could be more your thing; it involves using small needles to cause tiny punctures to the skin which stimulates the healing process.

As the skin repairs, the production of collagen and elastin is triggered and your skin almost immediately looks and feels invigorated and plump, smoothing out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Treatment starts at £150.

The finances

Based on a saving of £2,000 a year, you could afford to invest in a course of Profhilo® and some lovely new skincare products to keep your skin looking and feeling fresh and at its best.

Described as blotches that are darker than your natural skin colour, can be caused by sun exposure, genetics, hormonal changes such as pregnancy and trauma to the skin, such as a burn or the result of picking spots.

This discolouration occurs because when your skin is damaged or unhealthy, it produces extra melanin, which is your natural pigment, to protect it. Our faces are most at risk of hyperpigmentation due to sun exposure which explains why we are more likely to experience these blotches as we age.

SKIN SAVIOURS

SKIN INVESTMENTS

This is often referred to as ablative laser treatment and uses targeted laser energy to remove a few millimetres of the top layer of the skin to reveal the new youthful skin underneath. It encourages the natural healing process whilst stimulating the production of collagen for fresher, more youthful looking skin.

In many cases, one treatment is all that is needed to rejuvenate the skin and reduce the visibility of hyperpigmentation. Three full face treatments are currently available from £770.

If you don’t feel quite ready for laser treatment, then skin peels are a good place to start as the benefits are vast. They harness the power of naturally occurring acids to exfoliate and brighten the skin, as well as stimulate new cell growth and target patches of hyperpigmentation.

There are a variety of different types of skin peels, and a sk:n dermatologist can advise on the right one for you. A course of three glycolic peels starts from £53 per treatment.

The finances

Based on a saving of £2,000 a year, you could afford to invest in a course of CO2Re with three skin peels to keep the skin in tip top condition, as well as some new skincare products.

Our eyes are often the first place to show the signs of ageing. Crow’s feet and laughter lines, sagging skin around the eyelids and dark circles under the eyes, can present themselves in many ways.

Generally, lines, wrinkles and dark circles (which are in fact hyperpigmentation) around the eyes are caused by years of frequent muscle contractions from lots of laughter, concentration and squinting from the sun as well as factors such as sun exposure, pollution and cigarette smoke.

Combined with the fact that as we age, we naturally produce less collagen and (which are for the skins plumpness and elasticity), it means that the skin around the eyes can start to look tired, regardless of how much sleep you are getting.

SKIN SAVIOURS

SKIN INVESTMENTS

Dark circles under the eyes can sometimes be due to loss of volume under the eyes and this can be corrected by under-eye filler also known as tear-trough filler.

This will plump up the area under the eye by reducing the shadow effect caused by hollowness, and will reduce the appearance of fine lines under the eyes making the eye area look more hydrated. The treatment lasts up to 18 months and costs around £390.

Anti-ageing are particularly good at addressing wrinkles caused by repetitive facial movements, such as laughter, and can be administered around the eye by a trained professional to leave you with more skin. A single treatment starts at £210.

The finances

Based on a saving of £2,000 a year, you could afford to invest in a series of anti-injectables to keep your skin looking fresh and healthy, supported by a range of skincare products.

I often tell my clients: