Sooner or later, every woman at least for a moment thinks about seriously taking care of her skin at home. Well, or at least get your ears pierced or pierced. It would seem that it can be difficult, but are you sure that self-conduct of such procedures as peeling or vacuum massage is safe and the effect will be exactly the one you expect?
Independent attempts to "correct" your appearance can lead to negative consequences. But even deplorable results sometimes cannot force you to contact a qualified cosmetologist, dermatologist or trichologist. When it is worth signing up for a clinic of aesthetic medicine, and not trying to solve the problem on your own, even if it seems simple and harmless - in the new material on Passion.ru.
Natalya Indilova Dermatovenereologist, cosmetologist of the Institute of Plastic Surgery and Cosmetology on Olkhovskaya Street
Peelings
It would seem that what could be easier than peeling? I bought the product, applied it to the skin, then washed it off - that's all. However, there are many nuances in this procedure, starting with the composition of the drug used and ending with its effect on the skin.
First, you need to understand the essence of the technique. Peeling is a chemical controlled damage to the skin with the aim of exfoliating certain layers of the skin and initiating the regeneration process. In order to avoid unwanted reactions, optimized products are created for the mass market. In the process of their application, minimal damage to the skin occurs, as a result of which its most superficial layers are exfoliated.
This helps to give the skin a lighter shade, make it a little smoother and partially dry out existing pimples.
Professional peels are used not only to improve skin tone or treat acne, but also to tighten the epidermis, lighten age spots, and smooth scars. This is a rather aggressive technique that always carries the risk of complications. The level of damage to the skin depends on the concentration of acids, and if you make some mistake, the end result may be not only irritation or burns, but also aggravation of existing problems.
In addition, the procedure is accompanied by certain skin reactions (redness, whitening, burning and pain) that must be monitored. Therefore, only a doctor should select the composition necessary for a particular patient and control the process: he assesses the depth of the peeling by the condition of the skin and at a certain moment can neutralize it.
However, a cosmetologist can recommend the best home peeling products for you as part of a selected therapy.
Removing black dots
Blackheads are open comedones that can be removed at home by steaming and antiseptic skin treatment. However, if there are too many of these points, it is better to consult a doctor.
Otherwise, there is a risk of significant injury to the skin, which can provoke the development of infection and the formation of scars.
Removal of closed comedones (white spots) requires more elaborate work, since these elements must be skillfully "opened" without damaging the deeper structures of the skin. Simple squeezing can cause some of the contents of the sebaceous glands to get under the skin. And this is fraught with inflammation.
Facial cleansing and self-squeezing acne
It is important to properly "clean out" the pustules (acne with pus). With a simple squeezing out, the pus only partially comes out, while most of it breaks inward, causing further more serious and deep purulent inflammation. This can be extremely dangerous when it comes to the so-called "death triangle" - the nasolabial region, from which the infection can quickly penetrate into the meninges.
In addition, steaming is usually used during home cleaning. And this increases the risk of possible complications tenfold.
The doctor, on the other hand, has all the necessary tools to remove all available purulent elements as efficiently and safely as possible, as well as to carry out healing and soothing therapy of the skin after injury.
Removal of age spots
One of the most common causes of blemishes is endocrine disorders, which must be identified before starting treatment. If the main problem that triggers excess pigment synthesis is not addressed in advance, no technique will work in the long term. Therefore, a competent doctor will not only collect your anamnesis, but also refer you to various examinations with related specialists.
This is important for making an effective treatment plan and predicting its results.
The use of herbal “lotions” without irritating effect or light home peels, at best, lead to short-term lightening of superficial spots or partial fading of deeper pigmentation. In addition, independent manipulations often give the opposite effect - increased pigmentation: inflammation in the affected area triggers the synthesis of pigment, due to which pigmentation is formed, which occupies an even larger area.
If there is a need to continue the pigmentation treatment outside the specialist's office, it is best to strictly follow the doctor's recommendations. So you can not only achieve good results, but also keep them for a long time.
Vacuum massage
Today, you can choose any gadgets for vacuum massage at home. However, you should not do this when it comes to the face or neck.
Firstly, one must remember that this is a particularly problematic area and the presence of any irritation on the skin is already a contraindication for this procedure.
Secondly, only a professional is able to competently regulate the force of vacuum action. Not knowing how fragile your vessels are, you can provoke bruising along the "route" of the vacuum nozzle.
In addition, only massage with a certain force and according to a certain technique is a guarantee that the skin will not stretch during the procedure.
After all, expecting an increase in its tone, some seek to "improve" the result and increase efforts, which inevitably leads not only to stretching of the skin, but also to injuries of small vessels, which can lead to inflammation.
There is only one way out of the situation - to find a professional specialist who will select the optimal set of home procedures for you, as well as give recommendations regarding their competent implementation.
Alexandra Guryanova
Dermatologist, cosmetologist at TsIDK clinic
Removing unwanted hair
When we get tired of constantly shaving, we start thinking about a longer-term separation from body hair. Now there are many different ways: photoepilation, laser hair removal, electrolysis, elos hair removal and others. Attempts to do without a specialist in this situation are usually minimal, since the equipment required for the procedure is much more expensive than the service itself. And yet, there are cases when home methods are invented here as well. This is fraught, at best, with ingrown hairs, burns and inflammations, which will still lead you to a specialist, at worst - hyperpigmentation, edema, burning, peeling of the skin and other unpleasant sensations. While a professional in his field will do the job efficiently, analyze the presence of contraindications and give correct recommendations for care.
Ear piercing and piercing
If earrings are popular and accepted in society, then the rest of the accessories on the face and other parts of the body are not always allowed by parents, therefore, especially adolescents sometimes make fatal mistakes and pierce piercings on their own. In addition to blood poisoning, the possible entry of bacteria due to insufficiently sterile conditions, there is a great danger of touching a nerve ending, for example, on the earlobe.
With an incorrect puncture, irreversible consequences can occur, including pinching of the facial nerve or loss of voice.
And with self-piercing of the navel, great difficulties can arise during pregnancy: due to stretching, suppuration or rupture of the skin can go, therefore, piercing should only be done in specialized places, primarily sterile and under the strict guidance of the master, and then follow the care recommendations.
Tattoos
The fact that it hurts is no secret, and this is the lesser of the problems that an independent attempt to apply a tattoo can cause. Painkillers applied to the skin will alleviate the situation, but getting tattoos outside of a specialized place can cause allergies if the correct selection and amount of ink is used. In addition, HIV, hepatitis, infections are just waiting for an opportunity, as well as image distortion, fragility, problems with healing, inflammation - all this will erase the joy of the desired tattoo.
Hair loss
Hair is not teeth, it will grow more. That is why, when the hair begins to thin out, they do not immediately think about the trichologist, underestimating the importance of regular visits to a specialist. Various masks, scalp peels, oils, pepper remedies to accelerate hair growth - all this can be very harmful, cause dandruff, make the skin too oily or too dry, burn and provoke itching.
Moreover, improperly selected substances to stimulate hair growth can only accelerate hair loss.
A trichologist will be able to assess the condition of the scalp, select cosmetics for individual needs, eliminate problems and revive the health and volume of hair. Home procedures can only be an auxiliary tool agreed with the doctor, but you should not trust the tempting advertising of means that assure you to get rid of any problems, as well as outdated folk methods.
