Marie August founder of Juvenate Skincare. Image supplied.
The global pandemic and social media have played a huge role in the upsurge of at-home beauty treatments.
While there are some DIY beauty treatments that can be effective and save you money – because let’s be real, most of us can’t afford to head to a salon or clinic for every little thing - how do you know when you’re out of your depth and when it’s worth paying a professional instead?
The rise of social media and ongoing lockdowns over the past couple of years, has led to an increasing awareness of high-tech facial products and devices purported to deliver promising results at home, with Instagram and TikTok videos leading people to experiment at home to try and recreate in-salon treatments.
While some of these treatments are completely safe to do at home there are some that really should be left to the experts at a clinic to prevent long term skin problems, scarring and defects.
As the owner of Juvenate – a clinic-only skincare brand, formulated and manufactured right here in Aotearoa, I am constantly hearing stories from clinicians (where our products are stocked) of people who have attempted to treat their skin at home which has proved disastrous. The irony is they have had to spend way more money to get it fixed than they should have if they just went down the clinic route from the beginning.
Some beauty treatments are safe to DIY and others should definitely be left to the professionals.
Here are some of the treatments you should be able to do safely in your own home
– Properly recommended masks and surface exfoliation.
– Cosmetic Skin Rolling (to infuse ingredients).
– LED light therapy – with the caveat that you have a light mask/panel that has verified light parameters (or otherwise, risk the effect of sitting under Christmas lights with no results).
Here are just some of the treatments that should be left to the experts at a clinic
– Dermaplaning – or anything with a sharp blade that may injure the skin. Even if you don’t injure the skin, you may still disrupt the delicate ecosystem of skin.
– IPL for hair removal and/or Skin Rejuvenation. Clinicians understand the hair growth cycle and/or skin cell behaviour. Home devices are necessarily less potent (to avoid litigation) and may introduce heat into skin without any visible benefits and simultaneously create dark patches on skin because of resulting inflammation.
– Plasma Pen Treatments – heat penetrates deep into skin and healing needs to be carefully monitored. Skin damage and discolouration are common side effects.
– Skin Tag Removal – too much can go wrong if you don’t understand the skin healing cycle.
– Peels – superficial and medium depth are best done by a trained professional who can choose appropriate ingredients, pH level and control the result. Pigmentation or inflammation can result if used incorrectly – giving the appearance of prematurely aged skin.
Ultimately, if you have done something at home which has damaged your skin, seek professional advice pronto! Follow the advice of the clinician and be patient. Sometimes the fix is slower and harder when repairing this type of damage.
Also, be wary of the things you see on social media and online that promise great results – they don’t necessarily do what they promise.
I remember a story about a client who purchased an IPL device online for skin rejuvenation. After just one treatment, she was left with Zebra stripes across her cheeks! To cut a long story short, she ended up at a clinic seeking professional treatment to fix the damage which took 9 months and a cost of around $4,000.
Finally, you must ask yourself before you attempt anything at home to do with your skin, is it worth it?
Marie August is the founder of Juvenate Skincare Limited, a full clinic only range of innovative skin care products, tailored to New Zealand’s harsh and unique climate. Formulated and manufactured in NZ, the products are rigorously tested, pharmaceutically graded, free from toxins, ethically produced and vegan friendly.
Images supplied.