Summer holiday skin care

With many of our patients planning to travel to the sunshine over the coming months, we wanted to share some advice for taking care of your skin in hotter climates.

Our Clinical Dermatologist, Dr Kat Bennett, offers her guidance on the best approach for caring for your skin before, during and after your holiday, to minimise sun damage and help maintain your skin’s equilibrium.

Whilst a burst of Vitamin D is very beneficial for our health and wellbeing, sun and high temperatures can be damaging to our skin.

Heat, humidity and UV rays are dehydrating and are also a factor in premature ageing of the skin.

That’s why it is so important to cleanse, nourish and protect your skin effectively.

Before you travel

Homecare regimes are always an important part of our advice.

Sun damage is obviously not just something that happens to us on holiday. Getting into good habits at home can help to keep skin in good condition for the long term.

Regularly using a moisturiser or primer that also includes sunscreen is a great way to protect your skin – and it’s not just something to use in the spring and summer, UVA and UVB rays can impact our skin all year round.

Antioxidants are known for their skincare benefits. As well as incorporating them into your diet, it can help to choose skincare products that have antioxidants included. For example, Vitamin C is known to assist skin hydration and to help minimise sun damage.

During your flight

A long flight can be dehydrating, and the partially recycled air within the plane can feel drying for the skin too.

Drinking plenty of water is clearly important and we would also recommend wearing little or no makeup to allow your skin to breathe.

A light serum with hyaluronic acid applied during the flight can help to make your skin feel hydrated and more comfortable.

On holiday

When enjoying those sun-drenched days, there are a few simple things that you can do to ensure your skin is well cared for:

When you get home

Skin that has been exposed to the sun can become dry and flaky, so it is very important to keep up the moisturisation on all areas of skin that have been affected.

Continued use of skincare products with antioxidants can help to nourish and repair the skin.

A proactive approach to sun damage

For patients who have sun damaged skin or who would like to take a preventative approach to their skin care, there are several options:

Skin boosters

Skin boosters are an injectable treatment containing hyaluronic acid. This naturally occurring chemical retains water in the skin to support collagen and elastin. Skin boosters help to reduce the effects of ageing such as dryness, crepey skin and fine lines.

Profhilo skin boosters are also popular with patients who want to a take a more preventative approach to skin ageing.

Peels

During a professional peel, specially formulated natural acids are applied to the skin to deeply exfoliate and significantly improve skin texture.

We believe peels can be the mother of good skincare. They can address specific skin issues such as repairing sun damage, smoothing fine lines, and reducing the appearance of acne and scarring.

Skin consultation

At a skin consultation, we will assess and discuss your specific skincare requirements and concerns. These may include ageing skin or pigmentation issues for example.

You will receive a personalised skincare recommendation, which could include prescription skincare products, a home-based routine, or clinical treatments.

To find out more about addressing sun damage or any other skincare concerns you may have, you can book online, call us or email  info@meliorclinics.co.uk.