After your treatment
The night of
Cleansing
If you need to cleanse your skin tonight, use your recommended Dermaviduals gentle cream cleanser and lukewarm water.
Use your fingertips only and be extremely gentle.
No scrubbing, cleansing brushes, exfoliating cloths or vigorous rubbing.
Pat your skin dry with a clean, soft towel.
What to apply
Use only the products I have specifically recommended for your treatment.
If I have provided you with a post-treatment recovery product or serum, use it exactly as directed.
Follow with your recommended gentle moisturiser to support the skin barrier.
Tonight is not the time for active skincare.
Feel free to use LED the following day if you had LED added onto your in-clinic treatment.
Avoid tonight
Please avoid:
- Retinol or retinoids
- Vitamin C or strong antioxidant serums
- Glycolic, lactic, salicylic or other exfoliating acids
- Scrubs
- Peels
- Strong pigment-correcting products
- Perfumed or irritating skincare
- Makeup
- Hot showers or baths
- Saunas and steam rooms
- Strenuous exercise and excessive sweating
- Swimming
Your skin needs time to settle.
Do not touch, pick or scratch your skin unnecessarily.
Please try to keep your hands off your face as much as possible. There's no need to touch, pick, rub or fiddle with your skin while it's healing.
What you may notice
Your skin will likely appear red or flushed, similar to a mild sunburn.
It may feel warm, tight, sensitive or slightly swollen.
Depending on the depth of your treatment, you may also notice pinpoint redness or tiny areas of sensitivity.
This is the controlled inflammatory response we are looking for and should gradually settle.
First 48 hours
Your skin has just had a treatment, so for the next few days we're going to keep things beautifully simple. The aim is to support your skin barrier, allow the natural healing and collagen-building process to happen, and avoid anything that unnecessarily irritates the skin.
The first night
For the first night, don't put anything on your skin. Let your skin have the evening to settle after your treatment.
You're welcome to wear makeup that evening if you need to, but I'd prefer you to keep your skincare off your skin for that first night.
The first 48 hours
From the morning after your treatment, gently cleanse your face with your recommended gentle cream cleanser and lukewarm water. No scrubbing, rubbing or exfoliating, just a lovely, gentle cleanse with your fingertips.
After cleansing, apply your recommended post-treatment moisturiser or recovery product. If I've given you a specific post-treatment serum, use it exactly as I've instructed.
Keep your skincare simple. You don't need to throw lots of different products at your skin because it looks a little red, tight or irritated. Less is more.
Your skin may still feel or look:
- Red
- Warm
- Tight
- Sensitive
- Slightly swollen
- Dry or dehydrated
Don't be alarmed if your skin looks a little more inflamed than you expected during this initial period. We've deliberately stimulated the skin, so some of these responses are completely understandable while it settles.
Sun protection
From the morning after your treatment, SPF 50+ is essential.
Apply your sunblock as the last step in your morning skincare routine, and be sensible about your sun exposure while your skin is recovering. A hat, shade and physical protection are also your friends.
You don't need to hide away from the world, but you do need to understand that freshly treated skin deserves good protection.
Your evening routine, days 1 to 5
Your evening routine is beautifully simple:
Gentle cleanse, recommended serum or recovery product, moisturiser, bed.
You'll continue this gentle routine from Day 1 through to Day 5.
You can wear makeup if you need to, provided your skin is comfortable with it. Just be gentle when applying and removing it. Your skin doesn't need unnecessary rubbing or friction while it's recovering.
For the first 48 hours, avoid heat
This is one of those times when I want you to give your skin a little holiday from anything that creates significant heat, friction or irritation.
For the first 48 hours, avoid:
- Steam rooms
- Hot baths
- Very hot showers
- Heavy exercise
- Excessive sweating
- Swimming
You don't need to stop living your life, but for those first couple of days, keep things cool, clean and gentle.
When can I exfoliate?
Don't exfoliate your skin during the first week.
No scrubs, acids, exfoliating devices or anything else designed to remove the surface layers of the skin. Let your skin naturally shed and recover rather than trying to speed the process up.
Around Day 8, you can generally start thinking about reintroducing exfoliation, depending on how your skin looks and feels. If your skin is still sensitive, dry or not completely settled, simply give it a little longer.
Day 3 to 7
By day 3, your skin should begin to settle.
The redness should be reducing, although you may still notice dryness, tightness, roughness or light flaking.
Morning
Gently cleanse with your gentle cream cleanser.
Apply your recommended moisturiser or recovery product.
Apply SPF 50+ every morning and reapply when you are outdoors.
Evening
Gently cleanse with your gentle cream cleanser.
Apply your recommended moisturiser and recovery product.
Keep the skin hydrated and comfortable.
No exfoliation
Do not exfoliate during days 3 to 7.
What you may notice
You may also notice that your skin begins to look brighter and more even as the initial redness settles.
Do not pick or pull at any flaking skin.
Let it naturally shed.
Week 2 to 4
By week 2, the surface of your skin should generally be feeling comfortable, settled and absolutely getting its glow up!
This is when we move from healing into repair.
Remember, Collagen Induction Therapy does not create its full result overnight. The treatment stimulates a biological process that continues for weeks and months, so be patient. Your skin is still working.
Your skincare routine
Once your skin is completely healed and there is no lingering irritation, significant dryness or sensitivity, you can begin returning to your regular skincare routine.
This may include your usual:
- Vitamin C and antioxidants
- Pigment-correcting products
- Glycolic acid or other exfoliating acids
- Hydrating products
- Moisturisers
Long term
The treatment has created the stimulus for collagen production, but your ongoing skincare helps support the skin, protect your results and continue working on pigmentation, hydration, texture and ageing.
I want your skincare to be active, consistent and personalised to your skin, not overwhelming.
Antioxidant protection
Once your skin has completely recovered, an antioxidant serum can be reintroduced into your morning routine.
Pigmentation & discolouration
If pigmentation is one of your primary concerns, this is where we become much more targeted.
Skin renewal & exfoliation
Once your skin is fully recovered from Skin Needling, we can return to products that encourage skin renewal.
Depending on your skin and treatment plan, this may include:
- Retinol
- Glycolic acid
- Other AHAs or BHAs, where appropriate for your particular skin.
I will advise you when your skin is ready and how frequently to use them.
Your long-term morning routine
A typical routine may look something like:
Cleanse, antioxidant/vitamin C, pigmentation serum if recommended, moisturiser, SPF 50+.
Your exact routine will depend on your skin.
Your long-term evening routine
A typical evening may look like:
Cleanse, pigmentation or hydrating serum, retinol or exfoliating product on the appropriate nights, moisturiser.
You do not necessarily need every active ingredient every night.
Your skin needs recovery days too.
The most important product of all
SPF 50+, every single morning.
This is non-negotiable if we are treating pigmentation, ageing or sun damage.
You can invest in excellent serums and professional treatments, but ongoing UV exposure can continue to contribute to pigmentation and premature skin ageing.
Results vary from person to person.
And remember, your skin is individual. I will tailor your products according to your skin type, pigmentation, sensitivity, hydration levels and treatment goals rather than expecting everyone to follow exactly the same routine.
What is normal, and what is not?
What is normal
Your skin may look and feel like a mild sunburn after treatment. It is normal to experience:
- Redness, warmth and tightness
- Mild swelling
- Dryness, roughness or light flaking
- Temporary sensitivity or mild itching
- A slightly dull or uneven appearance before your glow returns
Don't panic. Your skin is healing and regenerating.
What signs mean I should call you or see a doctor?
What is not normal
Please contact me if you experience:
- Severe or increasing pain
- Significant or worsening swelling
- Blistering or broken skin
- Increasing redness or heat
- Pus, unusual discharge or signs of infection
- Anything that feels significantly different from what we discussed
When in doubt, contact me before adding products or treating the area yourself.
You don't need a red flag to call me! You can call me any time. Text any time you want.
If you cannot reach me and you are worried, see your GP or go to your nearest emergency department. In an emergency, call 000.