While finding the best laser clinic Cape Town has to offer ensures a safe and effective laser treatment, one of the best ways to increase the effectiveness of your results is through good skincare habits. Healthy habits and lifestyle choices can do wonders in increasing the potency of these already powerful treatments, resulting in glowingly healthy skin and long-lasting results.
Here at NuSkinnovation, our laser clinic Cape Town branch is equipped with the tools and expertise to help you achieve your skincare goals. In this article, we’ll be providing a detailed breakdown of some of the best habits to adopt to unlock the transformative results of laser treatments.
Laser Clinic Cape Town: Understanding Laser Therapy
Before visiting our laser clinic Cape Town branch, it’s well to understand exactly how these procedures work as the natural healing processes at play can help bolster good habits and optimal results.
Our treatments are performed using high-tech laser systems, which use concentrated beams of light energy to selectively target and damage select skin tissues within an area, such as scar tissue, active acne, wrinkled or lined skin, hyperpigmented patches, hair follicles, blood vessels, warts and several more. There are many different kinds of lasers suited to different kinds of treatments, but the two that are most commonly used are Er:YAG and Nd:YAG laser wavelengths, or simply Er and Nd.
The Er laser is what we call an ablative laser, which is used to perform intensive treatments on the surface of the skin. These are highly effective and yield markable and fast-appearing improvements. However, the laser’s increased potency also translates into more severe side effects and longer downtimes.
On the other hand, Nd lasers are great at penetrating deeper into the skin tissue, bypassing the top layer of the skin and packing heat into the deeper layers. Not only is this useful in treating issues beneath the skin, but it also causes less severe side effects and shorter recovery periods.
Both laser wavelengths, however, are used to destroy specific skin tissue causing just enough damage in the right places to trigger the body’s own natural healing process. If, for example, wrinkled or scarred skin is selectively damaged and allowed to heal, the regeneration process will bring in new collagen to the fresh skin, resulting in a brighter, more youthful skin appearance.
Laser Clinic Cape Town: The Role of Healthy Habits In Enhancing Results
As the goal of laser treatment, in most cases, is to precipitate natural healing, the role of good habits becomes more apparent for achieving better results. Healthy skincare and lifestyle choices can increase the speed and quality of healing, allowing the results of laser treatment to show up faster and to a greater degree. If you’re not sure which habits you should incorporate into your daily routine to enhance your laser results, we’ve broken down some essential skincare habits below:
A Proper Skincare Routine
It is of little surprise that a good skincare routine will do wonders to increase the effectiveness of laser therapy treatments. It is advised to use a gentle cleanser every day to get rid of grime, excess oil and any lingering skincare products. This can be done twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Gentle is the key word, as any harsh and astringent cleansers are likely to end up causing more harm than good in the long run.
A cleanser should always be paired with a good moisturiser to offset the loss of oil and lock in moisture. Be sure to choose a moisturiser that is fragrance free and made from mostly natural ingredients, such as aloe vera gel. Sunscreen is another essential part of any skincare routine, especially if you’re about to undergo laser therapy or have just completed your laser treatment course.
There are also a number of skincare products that should be avoided after laser treatment. These include any harsh exfoliants, retinols or products containing acids. These will serve only to further irritate the skin and slow down the healing process.
Diet And Hydration
Having a healthy diet and consistent hydration levels are key lifestyle factors that influence the effectiveness of laser therapy. A diet that is rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, antioxidants, carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids translates into lustrous and healthy skin, which is far better at receiving the benefits of laser therapy.
For vitamin C, seek out fruits and veggies like oranges, bell peppers, kiwis, broccoli and strawberries. Strawberries (and other berries like blueberries, blackberries and raspberries) are also a great source of antioxidants. Oily fish such as cod, salmon or sardines are an amazing source of omega-3 fatty acids. For a vegan alternative, you can also find these omega-3 fatty acids in nuts and seeds like almonds, flaxseeds, chia and walnuts, which are also all great sources of vitamin E too. So long as your diet includes most of these essential nutrients and minerals, your skin will reap the benefits of your healthy eating habits.
While the food you consume plays a significant role in the healthiness of your skin, so does water. Water is essential for your skin, keeping it hydrated and plump for great tone and texture. Excessively drinking alcohol or coffee (which is a diuretic) can dehydrate the body, and should be only consumed in moderation.
Sleep And Stress Management
Stress is a terrible thing, wreaking havoc upon your peace of mind, relationships and mental wellbeing. Moreover, stress is also a physically damaging state to be in, and the skin is one of the first areas to suffer during prolonged periods of stress. Stress increases inflammation of the skin and can lead to flare ups of certain conditions, such as acne. Optimal skin health and healing therefore relies on effective stress management and reduction techniques.
Similarly, a good night’s sleep can also do wonders for the skin, especially following laser therapy. This is because most of the body’s healing happens during sleep, and a full seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is ideal for ensuring optimal skin health.
Avoiding Harmful Behaviours
There are several bad habits to knock out of your routine to help increase the results of your laser treatment. Smoking is terrible for your skin, significantly slowing down recovery, leaving you with a sallow complexion. Alcohol also hampers healing as it flushes the body with toxins and causes dehydration, which is why it should only be consumed in moderation.
As previously mentioned, caffeine also dehydrates the body, so be sure to limit the amount of coffee and energy drinks consumed in a day. Exposure to UV rays also needs to be closely monitored while working towards your skin health. Tanning beds or unprotected sun exposure is not good for your skin especially if you’re planning on undergoing laser treatment or have recently done so.
Laser Clinic Cape Town: Pre- And Post-Treatment Tips
There are several additional steps that can be immediately implemented before and after laser treatment to increase the effectiveness of your laser therapy. If you’re undergoing laser hair removal, for example, the target area should be shaved with a razor and thoroughly cleaned with water before you arrive at the clinic. Shaving leaves no trace of cosmetics, skincare products, deodorants or anti-perspirants, which can all negatively interact with the laser administered to your skin.
As previously mentioned, exposure to UV rays should also be avoided both before and after treatment. This is because exposure to UV triggers the production of extra melanin pigmented cells, darkening the skin in the process which we refer to as ‘tanning.’ The issue is that these pigmented cells are extra-receptive to the energy of the laser, and an excess amount of melanin may cause the laser treatment to produce more severe side effects such as burns, blistering or scarring. After treatment, the skin will be highly sensitive, and if you receive sunburn on freshly-lasered skin, the results will be painful and potentially damaging to the treated area.
Other things to avoid immediately after treatment include hot showers and intense exercise, as the heat and sweat will hurt and irritate the treated skin. During recovery be sure to spend time resting, applying cool compresses to the treated area and regularly moisturising using a gentle aloe vera gel.
Laser Clinic Cape Town: Why Consistency Is Key
The one overarching principle that applies to every skincare and lifestyle habit outlined is consistency. Each of these habits needs to be performed regularly and without interruption to bring about the best results from your laser treatments. The treatment schedules provided by our laser specialists are designed to allow your treatment to build upon the results of the previous one, while still giving the body enough time to recover in between sessions. Any additional instructions given by the clinic, such as prescribing creams or medication, should also be adhered to with consistency to allow for the treatment to reach its maximum potential.
Laser Clinic Cape Town: Achieve Flawless Laser Results With NuSkinnovation
In conclusion, our laser clinic Cape Town branch can deliver massively effective treatments capable of producing great non-invasive results. However, to achieve the most optimal results for your treatment, it is imperative that you implement a number of lifestyle changes to increase the rate and quality of healing, as well as mitigate any factors that may interact badly with the laser treatment. These habits should take place both before and after treatment to ensure the most optimal results.
From adopting a healthy diet rich in essential nutrients and minerals to active stress management and a healthy sleep schedule, incorporating these lifestyle habits can do wonders for improving your skin health and enhancing your treatment results. However, the key to unlocking the full potential of your laser treatment and newly adopted lifestyle habits is consistency. Building a good practice and skincare routine allows you to make the most of your laser treatment, ensuring lasting results and optimal skin health.
If you’re in search of the best laser clinic Cape Town has to offer, look no further than NuSkinnovation. Together with our world-class laser technology, our laser technicians will provide you with the best post-treatment plan to ensure flawlessly stunning results. Visit our website and get in touch with us via our contact to book your first consultation today!