Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1153325
ascp now offers advanced modality insurance! ascpskincare.com/ami 33 Fall Skin Revival Renew your clients' skin after a summer's worth of damage by Mark Lees, PhD Summer fun and outdoor activities are great experiences, but weeks of summer exposure to heat, sun, and the environment often leaves skin looking splotchy, dehydrated, and older. Wrinkles from sun exposure and dehydration are often more prominent. Oilier skin areas may be splotchy and congested from keratinization due to sun exposure and also have surface texture problems. Clients often present in the fall with these "weathered" issues. The best skin care answer for summer recovery is a treatment plan that will address and correct these signs of exposure. ANALYSIS Normal healthy skin has even coloration unless the client has genetic freckling, such as that of a redhead. Typically, summer-exposed skin will have apparent freckling and uneven pigmentation. This is known as mottling and is a direct result of cumulative sun exposure. Dry skin that is sun-exposed will have a tight and sometimes rough appearance due to dehydration and UV exposure. It may also feel rough to the touch. Hyperkeratinization is a thickening of the stratum corneum that can be caused by the sun. It presents as a dull, fi nely wrinkled skin surface. Hyperkeratinization can also make pores look larger and wrinkles appear more pronounced. This dead cellular buildup can make the skin have a dull, grayish look due to the keratin that piles up in the cells. CORRECTIVE ACTION Getting rid of this dead cell pileup is the best technique for improving the look of this frequently seen condition. A home care program using an 8–10 percent alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) serum will help break up the buildup. The AHA may include glycolic acid, lactic acid, or mandelic acid. These acids work by gently loosening the bonds between the dead cells. As dead surface cells are loosened by the acid serum, they will fall off the skin surface. Many of these cells are fi lled with pigment and keratin, so as they shed, the skin will appear more even in color, and long-range mottling can be resolved. AHAs also encourage faster cell renewal, which makes the skin look much fresher, and also increases production of intercellular lipids or ceramides. This lipid complex fi lls the spaces between corneum cells and is responsible for holding moisture in the outer skin layers. The more moisture that is present in these layers, the more hydrated and smooth the skin will look. Long-range improvement expertadvice SKIN SOLUTIONS