www.ascpskincare.com 35
Freshen Up
A timely service to repair sun-damaged skin
by Mark Lees
expertadvice
SKIN SOLUTIONS
Uniform skin coloration is
associated with youthful skin, and
evening a client's skin tone can
definitely make skin look younger.
Improving the evenness of the skin's
color and removing old dead surface
cells can make a huge difference in
the skin's overall appearance.
Autumn is a good time to promote your
"freshening" services. One of my favorites
is a series of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA)
mini-peels. These mild yet eff ective peels
do a great job of freshening, removing
stained cells, and softening the look of
wrinkles and rough texture. These peels
also accelerate cell turnover, which helps
the skin make more hydration-binding
lipids, resulting in cells plumping and
looking smoother. Unlike more aggressive
peels, there is essentially no downtime with
AHA treatments, and results can be very
impressive. As with all treatments, the client
should be screened for contraindications.
AHA PEEL SERIES: A HOW-TO
Two weeks before the series begins, the client
should prepare her skin with an 8–10 percent
AHA home-care serum. The pH should be 3.5
(higher pH serums are less eff ective; serums
with a pH lower than 3.5 can be irritating). An
SPF 30 daytime moisturizer is also essential, as
AHA peels make the skin more sun sensitive.
(Of course, every client should be using an SPF
30 broad-spectrum sunscreen every day!)
