Melasma can be caused by various different factors. One of these factors is genetics. Certain skin tones are more susceptible to developing melasma. In addition, pregnancy and other forms of hormonal fluctuations such as increased estrogen can cause melasma.
Other factors that contribute to melasma include sun exposure, inflammation in the skin, and certain medications or drugs.
What is the fastest way to cure melasma?
Melasma can’t be cured but it can be alleviated with medical esthetics treatments that improve the skin’s appearance by lightening or shrinking the lesions. The fastest, safest, and most effective way to treat melasma is by means of intense pulse light (IPL) therapy.
This treatment is similar to laser. However, when working on a condition such as melasma, IPL is believed to be more effective because its does not affect the surround tissue.
Prevention tips
There are some melasma prevention tips you can follow to reduce symptoms. You can help prevent the growth or darkening of the lesions by avoiding extended unprotected sun exposure whenever you can.
Plus, use sunscreen and if possible a physical barrier as well such as a hat or standing in a shaded area. Heat can also aggravate the condition. We recommend avoiding things such as hot tubs, saunas, extended exposure to hot temperatures. However, when heat exposure cannot be avoided, cool the skin by using skin globes, jade rollers, or cold spoons.
Other tips for melasma prevention includes the use of topical exfoliants. Topical exfoliants such as alpha hydroxy acids- mainly glycolic and lactic acids- are great for lightening hyperpigmentation.
Retinol can also be an effective way to minimize the hyperpigmentation. Remember that retinol should always be used in the evening. If possible, set 30 minutes before other products are applied to allow it to fully absorb into the skin.
Some topical prescriptions can also help. Hydroquinone is the most commonly prescribed by dermatologists.
You can safely have microblading if you have oily skin. However, the longevity of the wear and the definition of the strokes may not be as good as someone that doesn’t have oily skin. This could be due to fact that oily skin tends to be thicker. Therefore, you may not be able to see the definition of the strokes through all of the layers. As far as the longevity, oily skin tends to be more porous. This may lead to more oil excretion from the hair follicle onto the skin.
Controlling Oily Skin in Preparation for Microblading
If you tend to have very oily, acne-prone skin, and/or congested skin, a good way to prepare your skin for the treatment would be with the use of salicylic acid. Use a proper cleanser and moisturizer in your skin care routine that will balance the skin’s ph. This will result in your skin under control not only before the microblading, but will help it stay under control.
If you are using products that contain acids or other strong enzymatic exfoliants, stop using them anywhere from 2 days to 2weeks (depending on the potency). Plus, avoid using these types of products for 2 weeks after your microblading appointment.
How can I grow my eyebrows if I have oily skin?
If you are looking to grow your brows naturally, any form of exfoliation helps to stimulate the skin. In turn, this can help promote healthy hair growth. If you use a physical exfoliant for your face, you can use this on your eyebrows using a circular motion. Make sure you properly remove the exfoliant.
You can also try using a growth serum to grow your eyebrows if you have oily skin. In order to avoid clogging any follicles in the brow area, make sure you are properly removing makeup at the end of the day on and around the brow area. Clogged follicles will impede the hair growth.
Dérmica offers milia removal in Edmonton, Alberta.
What are milia?
Milia are nodules (abnormal growths) that have formed in a sack. Think of milia as little “placentas” attached to the skin. These “placentas” are feeding and pulling nutrients from the skin. As a result, milia removal involves the physical removal of the sac fully intact.
What is the main cause of milia?
Milia is caused by internal factors. As a result, their treatment requires professional care. At Dérmica, we can help alleviate the symptoms of milia that show on the skin with a PORE facial.
Can milia be scraped?
Although exfoliation helps to stimulate the skin and brings impurities up to the surface, milia should not be scraped. These means of mechanical exfoliation are not ideal to treat milia. For example, microdermabrasion or granular exfoliation is too aggressive for milia, especially when its found in very sensitive areas such as the undereyes.
If you’re wanting to bring the milia up to the surface, chemical exfoliation or enzymatic exfoliation would be more appropriate. And of course, a PORE facial if you want immediate results.
Can milia be popped?
In general, milia can be safely extracted with proper preparation of the skin. Some are close enough to the surface that you are able to squeeze them out through the follicle opening. On the other hand, others may require a little assistance using a lancet (a very fine-tip needle) to pierce the skin. The lancet leaves an opening allowing the technician to extract the milia that is trapped in the skin.
Do milia multiply?
If your skin is prone to milia then you are more likely to develop more than one in the area or surrounding areas of the face.
Is there a cream to remove milia?
There are products available on the market that help stimulate exfoliation of the skin which then push impurities up to the surface. These products are typically retinol based, hydroxy acid based, or have other resurfacing ingredients.
Recommended skincare routine to prevent future milia
There is nothing you can really do to prevent milia if your skin is prone to them. However, you can minimize their severity and frequency by including exfoliating products in your skincare routine. In addition, regular facials will help keep milia to a minimum.
Dérmica offers microblading services in Edmonton, AB.
Does microblading work for everyone?
Microblading is a semipermanent eyebrow procedure that can last up to 3 years. It is a very popular procedure due to it’s longevity and natural appearance. When considering the procedure, our clients have asked, “does microblading work for everybody?”
Some people may find that their skin did not retain the pigment for as long as they hoped. Here’s what you need to know to determine if your skin will take well to the procedure. The longevity of your microblading comes down to the following factors:
DEPTH OF INCISION
The procedure is able to hold its colour for so long because we deposit pigment into the epidermal layer, below the surface of the skin. During the recovery period (10 days) the skin forms a light scab over the incisions. These scabs eventually slough away leaving the pigment enclosed in the epidermis. As the skin continues to regenerate through the years, the pigment is eventually pushed up to the outermost layer of the skin and is shed along with the skin.
This process can take up to 3 years with proper care and maintenance. Knowing how deep to go when making the incisions is a key factor (along with pretreating the skin and of course, following post care instructions) in the longevity of your microblading. Making the incisions too deep will cause the pigment to be deposited in the dermis layer of your skin thereby making your procedure permanent and increases the risk of scarring over the treatment site. Not going deep enough will make your brows fade prematurely.
THICKNESS OF SKIN
As skin experts, knowledge of the skin gives Dérmica comprehensive insight of this procedure. Typically, the head area of the brow has thicker skin in comparison to the arch and the tail. Skin thickness varies by sex, age, skin type, skin tone, health, and lifestyle.
Thicker skin generally means that there are more pores and the skin is oilier. The skin thins as we age so typically, older people have thinner skin, as well as people with a fair skin tone. Also, because older skin does not regenerate as quickly, it has shown to hold pigment better since it is not as oily. This understanding helps us use correct amount of pressure on the skin in order to get to the depth we want.
PRETREATMENT AND POST CARE OF THE SKIN
During your microblading procedure, we use a fine sharp blade to make incisions into the skin in order to insert pigment. As a result your skin experiences a bit of trauma, which is why preparation and post care play such an important role.
By providing you with Pre-Treatment guidelines and a Care kit, we encourage you to take necessary precautions prior to treatment to ensure that your treatment can be performed safely and effectively, plus increase the success rate of your microblading.
Do you meet the criteria for this procedure? Find out by clicking HERE.
IPL and LASER are different permanent hair removal procedures that have a similar purpose and achieve similar results.
They achieve their results by emitting a specific range of light energy towards a specific target in the skin.
IPL and Laser are both safe and effective treatment methods for treating skin conditions and permanently reducing unwanted hair. It is important to remember that results vary with both methods, there are specific guidelines to follow pre/post treatment, and number of sessions can range from 4-12.
LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)
Lasers operate by emitting a single wave of steady or pulsed laser light into their target. Depending on the manufacturer of the laser equipment, some lasers are not suitable for all skin tones or skin conditions. As a result, the technician is required to use different attachments or machines for treatment.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light)
IPL technologies project flashes of light energy onto the surface of the skin. The handheld device is placed directly on the skin and flashed at set intervals. The device emits a broad band of light energy into the skin, which is then quickly absorbed by the target. The diameter covered by the spot size varies and is ideal for larger areas.
At Dérmica, we offer IPL treatments for skin care and hair removal solutions. Our chosen technology is safe and customizable thanks to its ‘DPC’ technology. DPC stands for Dynamic Pulse Control. The DPC technology means that we can determine the “aggressiveness” of the treatment based on the duration of the pulse- shorter pulses are more aggressive, delivering the light beam in a shorter period of time, while longer pulses are less aggressive as they have a longer period to deliver the light beam. The different range of pulse durations results in a major increase in the safety and effectiveness of the treatment.
Located in Edmonton, Dérmica offers a facial treatment menu to address your skin concerns.
All of the facials in our menu are customized. Regardless of which facial you choose, your Service Provider will create a treatment approach based on observation and consultation.
This makes the selection process easier as you simply decide how you wish to be pampered!
FACIAL MENU
PORE facial
Undoubtedly the most popular of the facials. The PORE Facial includes all the essentials of a classic facial with an emphasis on clearing congested skin by extracting blackheads, milia, and other skin blemishes. 60 min.
TEEN facial
The TEEN Facial includes a deep-cleanse and pore extractions leaving the skin feeling fresh and renewed. Teen must be accompanied by parent/legal guardian.
35-45 min.
RELAX facial
The RELAX Facial includes all the essentials of classic facial procedure with light extractions, nourishing mask application, relaxation-face/shoulder/arm/hand massage, and moisturizing paraffin hand-dip. 75-90 min.
BEAUTY facial
The BEAUTY Facial includes all the essentials of classic facial with mild extractions, a brow Sculpt, nourishing mask application, and Pressure-Point facial massage. It is ideal for those preparing their face for an occasion or want to freshen the skin and brows. 75-90 min.
BEARD facial
The BEARD Facial includes all the essentials of a classic facial along with mild extractions, and a beard shampoo & conditioning treatment. it is the best option for men with beards in particular. 60 min.
BACK Treatment
The BACK Treatment focuses on treating skin conditions affecting the back. In similar fashion, it is structured much like a facial service that includes cleansing, exfoliation, steam, extractions, and back massage. 60-75 min.
