Professional Skin Analysis

What can I expect from having a professional skin analysis done? Is it worth it?

A proper skin analysis conducted by a professional esthetician, or beauty therapist, involves a thorough look at the characteristics of the skin and also includes a client history. This means not only will they look at your skin, they will ask about your health, your ethnic background, your age, your diet, your habits, your life style, if you are (or have been) taking medications, if you take food supplements or vitamins, your skincare habits, even your stress levels, and will take all of this into consideration when analyzing your skin. Some will also incorporate tools, such as magnifying lamps and/or woods lamps, that enable them to see the underlying conditions of the skin.

A professional skin analysis will accurately confirm your skin type and specific conditions. These conditions will include the hydration levels and types of dehydration, the evenness or unevenness of the micro-circulation, circulatory irregularities, the texture, oxygenation, tonus, pigmentation levels, anomalies, blemishes, comedones, degradation levels, and thickness or thinness of the skin. As you can see, the results give a much clearer picture of the needs of the skin.

The esthetician will be able to analyze the information and recommend a results oriented skin care program designed specifically for your skin type. Is it worth it? You bet! A professional skin analysis is one investment that will pay enormous dividends all the way down the road. Highly recommended.

Dry Skin Detector - Pore Size

Even though my skin is very dry, my pores look bigger than they should. Am I using the wrong kind of cream and actually stretching my pores making them more visible? How can I shrink my pores?

If you can see your pores, and you have not gone through menopause, you do not have dry skin. The pore size is an indication of oil (sebum) secretion, the greater the amount of sebum excreted by the skin, the larger the pores. A dry skin has almost invisible pores, a normal skin has visible pores but not enlarged, an oily skin has larger pores. Treating your skin too aggressively can damage the skin ( i.e. excessive exfoliation, too strong of product for your skin type, or excessive rubbing) and can dehydrate the skin. A dehydrated skin will produce more oil in a defensive action to try and hold moisture resulting in enlarged pores. Occlusive products that tend to seal the pores can upset the skin balance as can stress, medications, and poor diet.

How to shrink your pores? Many products will claim to do this, but at best they offer an astringent property that has a tightening action on the pores. Some work well, but it is temporary. Microdermabrasion can work wonders on enlarged pores and so can some products that have actual retinol (vitamin A) in them. Be prepared to give your skin a little extra care if you decide to try one of these, and realize it involves a series of treatments. They are definitely not a 'one time fix'. But then, when you think about it, what is?

SKIN ANALYSIS 101

Time to get back to the basics. A good skin care routine begins with a proper skin analysis. Here are some of the tell-tale signs of three skin types. Which one are you?

YOUR SKIN IS NORMAL IF:
• the texture of your skin is even
• there is an even coloration to your skin
• the pores are visible but not overly enlarged
• the skin looks slightly moist
• T-zone is a little oilier than the rest of the face


YOUR SKIN IS DRY IF:
• your pores are invisible
• your skin lacks suppleness
• your skin feels tight
• your skin reacts quickly to abuse like weather, harsh products, or lack of attention (likes TLC)
• if you have come through that special passage to post menopause you may see your pores, but the skin may be dry as post menopausal skin does not produce as much sebum as it used to
• dry skin is usually thinner skin
• the texture is usually quite fine unless the skin is dehydrated as well
• dry skin can be beautiful if cared for, but ages quickly if neglected

YOUR SKIN IS OILY IF:
• your pores are enlarged
• your skin has a sheen to it (even with out a cream) and feels oily, or is dull and feels waxy
• it is prone to comedones (blackheads) or blemishes
• the texture is usually uneven due to enlarged pores and thickening Stratum Corneum