Should You Ask Your Aesthetician about Upping Your Skin Care Game?

You are following your regular skin care regime, but nothing seems to be changing. Those signs of aging are creeping in no matter how committed you are to your skin care.

Don’t panic! This may just be the time to talk to your aesthetician about offering a boost and upping your skin care game.

Aestheticians Can Offer More Potent Options

When it comes to skin care, over-the-counter options provide benefits, but they are at a lower strength than prescription alternatives. While they do work, they just take a much longer time to see results. And in a world where everyone wants an immediate fix, waiting just isn’t what you want. This is where your aesthetician can make a huge difference and offer you much quicker results.

Retinoids are a Prime Example

When it comes to skin care products, you may have heard the terms retinoids, retinol and Retin-A. But do you understand what they mean? Retinoids is a group term for compounds that come from vitamin A. Regular use of retinoids help firm skin, improve texture, brighten your complexion and even treat acne. Retinol and Retin-A are both forms of retinoids.

How Retinol Works

You find retinol in over-the-counter skin care products. Retinol is a natural form of vitamin A. It helps treat your skin conditions, but it needs help from the skin first. Enzymes in your skin must convert retinol into retinoic acid in order to achieve your skin goals. For some people this can happen relatively quickly, for others it is a very slow process.

Retinol also breaks down in sunlight (that’s why retinol products come in dark-colored packaging). The older your product is, the less potent the retinol is. Because retinol doesn’t work on its own, it can take up to 6 months before you start to see results.

Retin-A Works Alone

Retin-A is a synthetic form for vitamin A that is only available with a prescription. That’s because Retin-A is retinoic acid. It doesn’t need your skin’s help and begins work immediately. With Retin-A, you typically see results in 6 to 8 weeks. Because of its added strength, you can experience dryness, redness, peeling and flaking when you first start using it.

Asking your aesthetician to up your skin care regime to include retinol or Retin-A can provide you with quicker and more noticeable results, resulting in a much more youthful and vibrant appearance.