Facial exfoliation. Everything worth knowing about exfoliating the face.
At the dermatology or beauty clinic, and at spa salons, exfoliation, gommage and scrubbing are always being talked about. But what are they? What are they for? When should they be done, and how often?
Exfoliation is the removal of the dead, aged cells from the surface of the skin by various physical or chemical methods. Done properly, this treatment gives the skin a healthy, young, velvety look.
It is an important part of facial and body treatments.
There are two forms of exfoliation:
1. Mechanical exfoliation: dead cells and impurities are removed from the skin by rubbing with a cream or paste containing an abrasive material (salt, sugar, coffee grounds, shells, pearl powder, jojoba and so on). This is the familiar gommage. Every beauty session begins with it. The skin is left soft and clean, and absorbs serums, masks and special facial treatments far better.
A new and revolutionary method, an alternative to the classic gommage, is dermabrasion. It uses aluminium hydroxide crystals, perfectly round so as not to injure the skin. The crystals are directed at the skin by a jet of air, at an adjustable strength, and are then drawn away by a vacuum system. The arrival of this method revolutionised the aesthetic industry and it gives excellent results. It is indicated for skin with an uneven texture, with patches, freckles, superficial post-acne scars, mild or moderate acne, and smoker's skin.
When gommage should NOT be used: on aged, thin skin; together with alpha-hydroxy acid treatments or other peeling methods; on sensitive, hyperreactive skin; or where there are broken capillaries.
2.Chemical exfoliation: various acids are used — alpha-hydroxy acids, beta-hydroxy acids, lipo-hydroxy acids and enzymes — which break down the intercellular bridges and cement, so that the cells lose their adhesion to one another and to the epidermis and can be removed. The visit poster's website best known acids are salicylic, glycolic and trichloroacetic acid. The depth of the exfoliation varies with the type, the concentration and the quantity of acid applied.
A chemical peel can therefore become a very aggressive treatment, with a fair number of side effects and complications, if it is not carried out by a dermatologist experienced in the field.
Why exfoliation matters
The skin is constantly generating new cells in the basal layer, WHICH MIGRATE TOWARDS THE SURFACE OF THE EPIDERMIS. As they rise towards the superficial layers they age and accumulate keratin.
Keratinisation is essential, because it gives the skin its protective quality, but keratinised cells are constantly removed to make way for young ones.
With age the skin's renewal process slows down, aged cells linger at the surface and give it a dry, rough, uneven look. Exfoliation is beneficial precisely because it removes those lingering cells.
Treatments carried out to excess, though, may over-exfoliate the skin and leave it dry and irritated. That is why such treatments should not be done more often than once a week.
What you should know about facial exfoliation:
• Be very careful with the delicate skin of the face
• It is very easy to over-exfoliate. Ask a dermatologist about your skin type and about the products you can use
• Do not use body scrubs on the face. They are too harsh.
• Be very careful with peels. Have your peel done by the same doctor, who knows the type, the concentration and the quantity of acid used. Thinning the epidermis excessively leaves you open to complications that are hard to treat (scars, hypo- and hyperpigmentation)
• Use a sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 40.
• Do not wax an area that has recently had a chemical peel.