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Trick or treat: how to smooth away common beauty concerns

Tackle niggling beauty concerns with our expert tips

Most of us have features which we’re not keen on and daily battles with issues like spots, open pores and blackheads, crows feet, ingrowing hairs, facial redness… the list goes on! Fortunately, there are simple and effective tricks using great make-up and skin care which help conceal minor problems. And for the more niggling issues – those things you would just rather be rid of forever – there are many amazingly effective, non-invasive treatments to ensure you wave goodbye to them long term.


Here we share some of the most common beauty concerns and our expert tricks and treats to tackle them once and for all.

Dull complexion

A dull complexion is the most common of skin care complaints. It’s typically the result of poor circulation but other factors including smoking, alcohol, dehydration and poor diet play an active part in ravaging skin of its radiance. Steer clear of these triggers, feed your body and treat your skin and you can say goodbye to dullness.

Beautiful skin starts from within. Cells are constantly renewed, so a steady supply of micronutrients is essential to support this rapid growth. If you eat the right foods you’ll feed your skin the nutrients it needs to help it stay smooth & problem free. Enrich your diet with food high in antioxidants and vitamins C and E and ensure you drink plenty of water to keep hydrated which will prevent skin looking tired and dull. Embrace a daily anti-ageing skincare regime, which includes exfoliation to rid you of old, dull cells and antioxidant rich products.

Trick:

  • Perfect look skin miracle 30ml by This Works £28.00: naturally-effective Caramel and Mica provide a subtle skin tint. Potent vitamin C and anti-inflammatory vitamin E diminish skin imperfections and hyaluronic acid delivers long-lasting hydration while fighting free radicals.

Treats:

  • Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Cleansing Gel: a wonderful daily cleanser containing a combination of glycolic and salicylic acid, perfect for ageing skin prone to imperfections. It accelerates the skin’s natural exfoliation process to decongest pores, smooth and brighten the skin.
  • Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush £79.00: invest in a cleansing brush – it’s the best for removing makeup and daily exfoliation. This means your skin will more readily absorb your skin care applied after washing.
  • HydraFacial: with your daily skincare regime in place, you can increase your skin’s vitality with a HydraFacial. It is an all-in-one rejuvenation miracle that will deep cleanse, exfoliate, extract impurities and intensely hydrate and nourish. After only one treatment, you will notice that your skin feels firm and plump and that people comment on your healthy glow. This treatment is a favourite with celebrities and skin care professionals because it is soothing, nourishing, non-invasive and gives instant results. We recommend a course of six for optimum results.

Acne

Acne is another very common skin condition caused by inflammation of the sebaceous glands that surround the fine hairs on the face. More than 80% of cases of adult acne occur in women, typically as a result of hormonal changes caused by menstruation, pregnancy or conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome. However, cases of acne are on the increase in men too, possibly as a result of stress, diet and too little sleep, all of which have been implicated in this upturn. Fortunately, there are more effective treatments and concealers for acne and acne scarring than ever before. The experts at Waterhouse Young have seen some outstanding results, treating and revitalising the skin of clients who were beginning to despair that they would never be acne free.

Tricks:

  • For acne-free skin, look for a cleanser with salycilic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Remember to clean your makeup brushes to fight against potential bacteria and breakouts! At least once a week, swirl brushes around in a mixture of warm water and mild soap, then lay flat to dry.
  • Chantecaille Total Concealer £32: this has a light, creamy texture which covers everything, blends into the skin perfectly and lasts all day.

Treats:

  • PCA Peel Purify: a targeted solution to purify blemish-prone skin and reduce post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that acne leaves behind.
  • HealGel Intensive: the perfect product for those with scarring, as it promotes wound healing and active repair of damaged tissues.

Dark circles

Dark circles can happen to anyone at any time, especially as you get older. They’re a result of blood pooling under the eyes, often because of sluggish circulation due to lack of sleep. This accumulation can cause fragile capillaries to stretch and leak. A full night sleep may help reduce their appearance but won’t be enough to rid you of them completely. The skin around your eyes is 40% thinner than the rest of your face and is prone to damage plus, over time, skin loses collagen and thins so veins are more obvious. If you’ve over exposed your skin to the sun over the years, this would have also played a part in the dark circles you can now see. But there are tricks you can apply and treats for your eyes to sooth and smooth the dark circles away.

Tricks:

  • Sleep with your head elevated slightly to aid lymphatic drainage, this will prevent a build up under your eyes and reduce overall puffiness.
  • Conceal, hydrate and brighten with your concealer; Look for products that are packed with moisturizing properties and opt for a creamy product that matches your skin tone.
  • Benefit fakeup £18.50: intensely hydrating concealer that banishes dark circles and creases, without collecting in the natural creases of your face. Smooth and easy to use, the nourishing formula is enriched with vitamin E and silicon to cover up exposed pores and imperfections.
  • Laura Mercier Secret Concealer: a moisture-rich concealer, designed specifically for under and around the eye area to conceal discolorations and dark circles without settling into fine lines and wrinkles.

Treats:

  • Skinceuticals AOX+ Eye Gel: the ultimate antioxidant defence against premature ageing and photo damage to the delicate eye area. Enriched with caffeine, it instantly refreshes tired eyes by minimising the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.

Excess facial hair

Excess and unwanted hair is a very common yet embarrassing concern for most women. The average woman in the UK will spend on average £8,000 on hair removal in her lifetime, and with that will come ingrown hairs, red, inflamed skin, spikey regrowth and a lot of pain if the traditional methods of waxing, plucking and threading are used. Reasons for excess hair could be hormonal; a symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an increase in hair on the face and body as the level of male hormone testosterone rises. Whatever the reason behind the hair growth, removal is at the forefront of your mind.

There are no tricks to disguise facial hair: bleaching often makes it more prominent, plucking daily is time consuming and painful, but we do have a treat for you. You can bid farewell to waxing, shaving and other hair removal methods plus any issues you associate with them – shaving rash, ingrown hairs or just the inconvenience of having to do them frequently.

Treat:

  • Soprano ICE™Laser hair removal: a super-effective, pain-free and long-term hair removal system. Using the latest laser technology, Soprano ICE™ is designed to remove unwanted hair faster, painlessly, on any skin type and at any time of the year. This technology is the complete hair removal solution and is suitable for all areas of the body and face. Whether you’re a man or a woman, Soprano ICE can help to rid you permanently of the excess or unwanted body hair that may be affecting your confidence or making you feel self-conscious. There’s no downtime required and no side effects to worry about.

Wrinkles

As you get older, various factors will affect how your skin ages, including lifestyle, diet and sun exposure. It hardly seems fair but collagen and elastin production begins to slow down naturally after the age of just 25 in women and around the age of 30 in men, and your hyaluronic acid content will start to decline around the same time. Together, all of these changes can leave you with tired, dull, wrinkled, sun damaged and loose, saggy skin.

Fortunately, there is a range of highly effective treatments now available to help you combat these changes and preserve or restore your skin’s youthful appearance for longer than ever before.

Tricks:

Use a moisturiser, which will boost and protect the skin’s collagen…

  • Skinceuticals A.G.E. Interrupter: the ultimate little luxury that protects the skin’s collagen and elastin fibres against damage from sugar molecules. This glaciation process leads to creping and wrinkling in mature skin. It feels silky in texture and leaves the skin feeling firmer and more radiant.

To boost hydration and smooth the skin…

  • Rejuvenated H30 Hydration and H30 Night repair supplements: these provide all the key minerals and ions to maintain super healthy, hydrated cells and glowing skin. They also contain high strength resveratrol – “the super antioxidant” – to protect your cells as well as hyaluronic acid to hold moisture within your skin.

Treats:

  • Dermal fillers: Subtle, natural face sculpting using dermal fillers can make you look and feel more youthful. Dermal fillers work by replenishing your body’s diminished supplies of hyaluronic acid in targeted areas. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that hydrates the skin, adding volume and definition. In the hands of a skilled aesthetic doctor, dermal fillers can significantly reduce or even remove the appearance of the fine lines and wrinkles that are a classic giveaway of your age. They can also be used to add definition to the cheeks, lips and jawline, recreating the smooth curves associated with youth.

If you have any particular face or body concern you’d like to discuss with us, do get in touch and we’ll be happy to see how we can help.

Waterhouse Young is one of London’s first medical aesthetic clinics, founded by renowned cosmetic surgeon, Norman Waterhouse – former President of the BAAPS. Based in the Harley Street medical district, WY contributes regularly to the media, from Vogue, Tatler, Vanity Fair and Elle to The Times. WY’s longstanding team offers advice and  non-surgical treatments to maintain optimum skin and overall health. 

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