Skin Care

We don't normally associate the smell of sunscreen with London, but isn't it lovely to sniff the smell of summer right over here. And many of us didn't even need to seek out a beach to lap up some sunshine. Clearly, the Brits heed the sunscreen advice. However, many of us aspire to be bronzed beauties. There is no such thing as a healthy tan. It is a myth, and the predecessor to skin cancer. And we do get a sufficient dose of Vitamin D without having to revert to sun worshiping. Never be frugal with your sunscreen. A good rule of thumb is a teaspoon on the face, and a shot glass to the body. Recent studies show that the SPF factor plays a smaller part than originally thought. It is important to apply the protection in a relatively thick layer without rubbing it in too much, and replacing it every couple of hours or so. An SPF of 20 should suffice.

We all know about the sun and its deadly link to skin cancers. How many of us know that sun exposure is the lead cause of facial and skin ageing? Excessive exposure leads to patchy hyperpigmentation, ageing spots, and the acceleration of the development of lines and wrinkles. This is due to increased DNA and cellular damage.

But what if you already suffer from hyperpigmentation and fine lines and wrinkles? The good news is something can be done about it. At Aesthetic Virtue, a thorough consultation with the doctor will highlight the cause of the problem and a management plan will be decided together to treat the problem and prevent its return. Generally such treatments consist of a series of face creams and chemical peels. At aesthetic Virtue, we employ the use of the current gold standard, the Obagi Nu-Derm system. This treatment regime provides long lasting results while improving hyper pigmentation, age spots and replenishing the skin's healthy glow, appearance and condition. As the skin is a very dynamic organ responding to both internal (hormonal and other) stimuli as well as its external environment, treatment needs to be maintained over a few months. Improvement general starts within about 2 weeks, and at 6 weeks results are already apparent.

For those wanting quicker results, or an instant glow, the Obagi Radiance peel is a brilliant alternative. It can also be used as an event peel, to give your skin that beautiful glowing appearance. It is best done one or two days before the event.