by Skincare-news.com team
If the words, “exfoliation,†“extractions,†and “excoriation†sound painful to you, you’re not alone. To the average person, these words sound like a world of hurt. In the beauty industry, these words are important to know, especially before having a professional treatment whether it is waxing, a makeover, or microdermabrasion. So, let’s delve into the beauty jargon.
Exfoliation – a cosmetic technique aimed at removing dead skin cells from the face and body.
Unknown to the human eye, there are three major layers of skin, each affecting the other. When we take a shower or wash our faces, we are cleaning the epidermis, or the outermost layer. The epidermis is where congestion and discoloration are obvious and where blemishes love to flourish. Without proper removal of compacted dead skin cells, pores get clogged and are prone to developing ingrown hairs after waxing and shaving.
The average person doesn’t exfoliate enough. A daily shower may not always do the trick. If you use a body buffer made from soft plastics and a shower gel, you’re just half way there. Shower gel quickly becomes foam which only sits on top of the skin and does little cleansing. It’s up to the buffer to remove dead skin, yet it still isn’t aggressive enough for deep dead skin cell removal, which prevents new skin from looking its best.
A textured product is recommended and if you are getting bikini waxes regularly, exfoliation on a daily basis is very important. A product with walnut shell, pumice stone or sugar is great for the body. For the face, products with AHA or jojoba beads are recommended for not only a fresh, polished look but cleaner pores and smoother skin. Try Peter Thomas Roth Botanical Buffing Beads or Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser .
To exfoliate at home: Twice a week, take your product, dilute with water and use circular motions to do a manual exfoliation on face and body. Some exfoliants or scrubs require leaving the product on for 5-7 minutes. A removal with a warm towel is best, splashing water on the face can irritate areas you are trying to treat. For great exfoliating products, try Skin Medica Exfoliant or Philosophy’s The Greatest Love .
Day Spas usually offer body scrubs which are done in a Vichy shower, a great polish for the skin and a great source of hydrotherapy. If your skin is dry, prone to psoriasis and tends to flake, a slightly more aggressive scrub, containing sugar or a dense salt is recommended. A monthly scrub would be great for you. If your skin is sensitive and reacts quickly to new products, a scrub is usually not recommended, rather a less aggressive scrub containing silica, may be best. Don’t forget to follow up with a good body moisturizer!
Extractions – method to separate components from one element from another. Or in other words, getting out all of the blackheads, milia (or whiteheads) and unsightly acne that lives on our skin! Extractions are absolutely vital for great skin and should be performed in a spa facial once a month.
The skin is usually prepared with a manual application of a professional or medical grade exfoliator, depending on your skin type. Remember – an exfoliator removes dead skin cells on the surface of the epidermis, moving away dead cells, so as to go in deeper and remove dirt, oil from the dermis, or second layer, the layer containing collagen, elastin and sweat glands. This layer is the most affected during a facial treatment. Not only is it constantly being extracted and cleaned, it is constantly losing control over its natural substances like collagen and elastin. Manual manipulations of exfoliators and a good facial massage can help keep collagen active and productive.
An exfoliator is best removed with a warm facial towel. Steaming helps the pores to stay open while extractions are performed. A good esthetician will always use his or her own fingers, wearing gloves or a non-invasive tool to perform extractions.
Extractions should be done quickly and should never be too painful. It’s best if the nose is done first, because that’s the most painful area to be extracted. Blackheads are prevalent on the nose, chin and forehead area. Milia can be anywhere on the skin and are more difficult to get out. Active acne – an area that has a white pustule, blood and bacteria deep in the pore – should be handled very carefully. Your esthetician is a professional and should only handle active areas on the skin.
Doing extractions on your own at home isn’t recommended. If performed incorrectly, scarring is highly possible. Oily skin will need extractions more often, because pores are larger and consistently get clogged with oil and dirt. The good news it that the more you extract, the smaller your pores will become!
If your face is extra dry in all seasons, be sure to get a facial that concentrates on moisturizing the skin and use a heavier product at night. If your skin is sensitive, you might see temporary marks after extractions. Make sure your esthetician uses products that are for sensitive skin, no dyes, no perfumes and a very light scrub. Skin with rosacea or couperous (broken capillaries) should never receive heat from steaming.
Excoriation – erosion or destruction of the skin by mechanical means, which appears in the form of a scratch or abrasion. It is commonly seen in other skin disorders causing itching, dry skin, dermatitis and possibly scabies.
If you regularly get waxed or get peels and microdermabrasion, beware – you need to know what excoriation is and how you can prevent it.
If you are taking any new medications, are pregnant or have been actively taking retinol products, make sure you inform your esthetician or dermatologist. Skin changes quickly – when a woman is pregnant, the skin on the face and body becomes extremely sensitive. The hypodermis, or third level, contains cushioning fat cells, protecting bones and blood vessels. This area is also where hair follicles begin their growth. Although all layers of skin change and become more sensitive during pregnancy, the hypodermis is extra sensitive and needs the most attention, because it is the most vulnerable. What you do on the outside, directly affects each layer of skin, one area at a time.
During pregnancy or medication use, waxing your eyebrows can cause excoriation. At first, the skin has a burning sensation and visible redness. As early as three hours, you can see an irritation such as a deep open wound, scabbing and/or bruising.
In the bikini area, a pregnant woman is vulnerable to excoriation because of how much pressure is on the pelvic area. Blood vessels in the groin are already stressed from the weight of the belly. When hot wax is applied to the body, blood rushes quickly through blood vessels in the hypodermis to the surface of the epidermis because the body senses an immediate need to heal. Excoriation and temporary varicose often is the result of a bikini or Brazilian wax that can lead to visible marks in waxed areas.
If you’re using Retin-A products such as Renova, you’re a good candidate for bad excoriation. Your skin is already sensitive from these aggressive products. Even after discontinued use, you should wait a while before you get microdermabrasion or a chemical peel. Talk to your doctor or esthetician. Women with deep lines may experience scabbing in areas where microdermabrasion or peels have been performed. Keep dates of when you have taken or discontinued use of these products and let your beauty professional know.
Regardless of skin type – that includes sensitive, combination, and even extra oily skin – a moisturizer and sun protection products are crucial. These are tremendously important if you are getting aggressive treatments like chemical peels, microdermabrasion and laser treatments. Your skin is very vulnerable after these services and needs all the protection it can get from free radicals such as UVA rays and pollution. Talk to a professional before purchasing the correct moisturizer for you.
Exfoliation, extractions and excoriation are good words to know. Exfoliation is important to keep skin from getting irritated and clogged. Extractions can be painful, but necessary for healthy looking skin. Excoriation is caused when skin has changed and is sensitive to aggressive treatments. So, be careful! Ask questions, and get informed.
The skin is the fastest healing organ on our body: Take steps to keep it that way! Here’s to healthy skin!