The perception of perfect skin

I often get asked in clinic ‘Bev, I really want perfect skin’ and my answer is often ‘What is your idea of perfect skin?’.

This brings a whole host of answers, from ‘I want my skin to look like *add a celebrity name here*’, to ‘ I don’t want any lines or wrinkles’ or ‘When I look in a magnifying mirror I see loads of pores and bumps’….and often I hear ‘Everyone’s skin that I look at on social media is amazing’  in fact, the list of comments is not exhaustive, and over the years I’ve probably heard them all.

But the comments from me remain the same. ‘There is no such thing as perfect skin. It doesn’t exist. We can not stop ageing, we cannot stop people using filters on their phones. Looking at our skin through a magnifying mirror daily can distort our perception of reality, and if we are realistic, most of us don’t have the continual funds to support countless combined operations, injectables and in-clinic treatments that many celebrities have ( I haven’t even taken into account the free endorsed products and treatments here!).

BUT together we most certainly CAN make noticeable positive changes to the skin, achieve results that provide confidence and increase self-esteem and slow the ageing process, and ideally, it should come in the form of a multi-pronged approach.

1. The correct skincare and treatments for your skin concerns/conditions
2. Good quality food supplements for internal support
3. Clean makeup

If you adopt these three methods, they will give you the very best in skin health and the best possible results.

No one these days has to live with problematic skin such as acne or rosacea, as examples. These can be controlled very well even without prescription medication. There are multiple professional products and treatments that can reduce enlarged pores, even skin tone and increase radiance, reduce pigmentation and shallow lines and wrinkles and much more, but what no professional can do is make anyone look 20 years younger, and maintain it forever more without a single day of ageing. It’s physically impossible. The same as damaging your skin over many years of sunworship and expect two weeks use of a cream and one treatment to reverse the ageing and pigmentation it has caused. Sadly, it doesn’t happen. It takes time, patience, dedication and investment.

The concept of perfect skin often involves societal and cultural beauty standards which can also vary widely. Ultimately the most important thing to take into account is everyone’s skin is different, and everyone’s perception of perfect is also different….and so are everyone’s expectations.

For the last thirteen-plus years I have always maintained that healthy skin has to be a priority before having injectables or surgery. Having the healthiest skin possible will yield the best results for all other procedures that follow.

Some simple and general rules should be followed for skin health:

• Protect your skin from the sun by applying SPF every 90 minutes and limiting your exposure to UV.
• Wash your face twice a day with a suitable professional cleanser for your skin – this will remove pollution, dirt and makeup which contributes to ageing and excess bacteria.
• Maintain a suitable skincare routine with professional skincare products that change the skin on a cellular level.
• Eat a healthy balanced diet and supplement where necessary depending on your skin concerns.
• Avoid smoking, excess sugar and excess alcohol consumption.
• Drink plenty of fluids.

….and one of the MOST important ones – Manage your stress levels! Stress is one of the biggest detriments to skin health.

A few extra tips for consideration

• Try not to randomly purchase skincare products because a friend says  ‘They’re good’. No two skins are the same.
• Be mindful of consistent exfoliation, it will age you faster. Sloughing off skin cells before they are ready will only leave the immature cells that are not ready to protect you exposed to pollution and UV, and I’ve not even touched on the unnecessary damage to the acid mantle of the skin this causes either!
• Take advice from a reputable professional skin specialist/corneotherapist rather than someone on social media. Some advice I see on social media from so-called ‘skin specialists’ are really quite…….. well…..I guess………questionable, if not bizzare!

Book in for your free consultation to discuss your skin and your journey to ultimate skin health.

There are six years in between these two images of myself. The first image was taken when I was 44 and the second this year, at 50