SENSITIVE/IMPAIRED BARRIER
It is very common to suffer from impaired skin barriers. When your skin barrier is compromised (think of it as a mask with tears in it), the result can be sensitised skin. It can also be recognised as reactive, dehydrated, excess oil flow or dryness. Some of the external and internal conditions that can affect your skin barrier include: an environment that's either too humid or too dry, too much sun exposure or allergens, irritants, and pollutants.
If your skin barrier is working well, it will retain water effectively, maintaining good hydration balance, and be resilient and flexible. This means it contains the right amount of lipids and Natural Moisturising Factor. If it’s not, skin will look dry, dull and irritated. This means chemicals from products or environmental factors can penetrate quicker causing inflammation, which manifests as skin sensitivity. These patients will often complain of stinging or redness, especially after using certain skincare ingredients. Once you’ve had a reaction to a product, your skin’s barrier is compromised, giving way to the potential for even more problems. 'Quick fixes' suggested for red and sensitised skin are sometimes steroid creams. Steroid creams cause a thinning of the skin which, while reducing the inflammation and good for severe cases of eczema or dermatitis, leave your skin vulnerable to further irritants. Sound familiar? It’s a never-ending cycle... and can quickly become a vicious cycle too!
When treating the skin we must repair and rebuild the skin barrier to a healthy state. This then allows for us to start treating further skin concerns and allowing for optimal ingredient up take by skin cells.
SUITABLE TREATMENTS:
- LED Light therapy (Low Level Laser)
- The Dermal Clinique Signature Facial
- Essential peptide + Vitamin A peel