By Nadia Leonardi
Preparing the skin properly before peels, injections or laser treatments and taking care of it between and after procedures is almost as important as the procedure itself.
Peels
Peels cause a reduction in collagen synthesis, loss of skin tone, rosacea and a grey complexion. These are all factors to take into account before going ahead with this procedure, which is best carried out in winter.
Before the procedure:
Watch what you eat and the type of creams you use. Stop smoking one month before.
– Freshen up
Start with a mechanical peel or micro-dermabrasion (Water-Beam®), made from ground apricot and olive stones sprayed with vitamin water, that cleanses the skin and provides the necessary nutrients. It is important to clean the skin thoroughly before a peel, lift or injection.
– Prepare your skin
In order to optimise the effects of this treatment (by reducing pigmentation marks and excess sebum), two to three weeks before a peel you should use creams containing fruit acid at night, such as Phytic Cream or Enhanced Cream (Mene Moy), alternated with retinol creams such as Eluage (Avène) or Retinol Corrector (Roc).
In the mornings, cleanse your skin with micellar lotion (Avène or Bioderma) for dry skin or with a cleanser for oily skin, and apply a soothing cream (Hydraphase from La Roche Posay) followed by a protective sun block.
After your procedure:
In the evening, clean your face using a gentle soap before applying a soothing zinc-based cream such as Cicalfate (Avène), Pro-Cica balm (Roc) or Cicaplast (La Roche Posay).
Every morning, spray the skin with thermal spring water and apply the same cream as the day before, followed by sun protection to prevent hyperpigmentation and, if necessary, a green corrector stick such as Couvrance (Avène).
Peels are carried out in series of 3 or 5, with 10 to 15 days between each peel. Between each peel, the skin needs reparative skincare for 3 or 4 days, then we pick up the routine of fruit acid creams and retinol creams every evening, before stopping 1 or 2 days before each peel.
At the end of the series of treatments, every morning for 3 months apply Skinceuticals C E Ferulic cream with vitamin C, and every evening apply Age or Eluage cream (Avène). You can also apply Blemish (Skinceuticals) on areas where the pores are dilated.
Injections
Injections hold better on skin that has been galvanised by a peel.
Before the procedure:
Three weeks before your appointment, use retinol-based creams which will prepare the skin by closing the pores. If the pores are too dilated, the product injected might run away. Before and after the procedure, you can take 5 granules of Arnica 5ch.
After the procedure:
To soothe any twinges or discomfort, use Cicabiafine or Pro-Calm (Roc) for 48 hours. Avoid using a sauna or steam room. In order to optimise results and achieve a long-lasting effect, I recommend anti-aging skincare such as Flavo C or Redermic (La Roche Posay).
Lifts
Lifted skin needs to be well looked after, making hydration and comfort a priority. Before treatment, apply pH-neutral creams which will not attack the skin, and after your procedure use a soothing and hydrating mask (Avène) or Procare (Caresse) with hyaluronic acid.
N.B.: For laser treatments, preparation is less important. Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask (Alchimie Forever) – which contains blueberries – prolongs the effects of the treatment and strengthens fragile blood vessels in the event of rosacea.
Nadia Leonardi
Cosmetologist renowned for her treatment of pigmentation marks. A specialist in medical aesthetics, she is a consultant for peels and skin rejuvenation techniques. She develops her own treatment techniques and is behind the SKIN’ECLIPSE® concept (a procedure which offers the comfort of a wellness treatment and combines a peel, LED therapy and quartz therapy. It fights against marks, aging and stress). She sees herself as a skin architect whose job is to prevent, repair and beautify the skin. In 2014, she was awarded the “Femmes de l’Economie” prize for Innovation, New Technologies and the silver medal in the Finale des Territoires.
