I’ve always struggled with my skin, even at the best of times. My relationship with acne is my longest to date – 15 years and counting – and we don’t seem to be divorcing anytime soon. As many women would experience, flare-ups are particularly prominent in the lead-up to, and week of, my period. I’m talking angry, red cystic breakouts on my lower jaw and chin that often take weeks to clear up even once the pigmentation has subsided.
When I walked into ME SKIN AND BODY, a bespoke skin clinic in South Yarra, my acne was even more tumultuous than usual. Not only was I on the second day of an incredibly painful, heavy period, but I was also recovering from attending Laneway Festival the night prior.
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I won’t bother feigning any kind of ‘clean girl’ persona. Truthfully, I was dehydrated and tired. It’s safe to say my already inflamed hormonal acne had seen better days, so my treatment couldn’t have come at a better time.
When I arrived, the team sat me down with an iPad and gave me a few minutes to answer some questions about my skin and health history. This included information about my diet, exercise and hydration habits, as well as my skincare regime and history with skin treatments.
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I’m no stranger to beauty treatments, particularly when it comes to skin. I’ve undergone microneedling, radiofrequency needling, LED therapy, carbon facials, regular facials and more. Some experiences have worked for me – like microneedling, which helped a lot with my acne scarring – while others did not – like the carbon or ‘China Doll’ facial which gave me itchy hives all over my face.
All of this was shared with my therapist, Jaynie, prior to our treatment so she could tailor the session to my skin concerns. My main gripe was my acne but Jaynie completed a full skin analysis before applying any products on my sensitive skin.
Much to my surprise, her initial evaluation revealed I have quite thick skin – a revelation I’d never heard before despite my proclivity for beauty treatments. While great for protecting my skin from premature ageing, she explained the thickness of the dermis can be related to the amount of oil produced, increasing the potential for clogged pores and breakouts in certain skin types.
She also used a Wood’s lamp (a type of fluorescent light) to discover which parts of my skin were oily, dehydrated or inflamed. Surprisingly, after confidently sharing that I had oily skin, Jaynie said my face was not as greasy as I’d assumed. Inflamed, yes. And there was oil buildup around my nose. But aside from that, it was mostly the thickness of my skin, rather than oil flow, that was contributing to my breakouts.
I also learned genetics can play a significant role in the density of our skin. Having Sri Lankan heritage, it made sense that generational exposure to the sun might lead to a skin barrier that’s tougher to penetrate due to a thicker dermis.
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After thoroughly cleansing my face, Jaynie completed a unique facial tailored specifically to my skin type and concerns. While she was informative, explaining the products and procedures as she went, I was still able to enjoy a relaxing arm and shoulder massage while the tailored peel and masks worked their magic – a welcome reprieve after the day of dancing I enjoyed prior.
To help with my active breakouts, a soothing clay-based mask was used to refine my pores while an illuminating polish was applied to help brighten my skin.
Jaynie also mixed a probiotic detox peel containing pumpkin extract and retinol with a gentle exfoliator. The blending of the two products created a bit of a barrier to ensure my skin could benefit from the active ingredients without causing too much of a burn. Before finishing up, I was placed under an LED light with a calming mask to help speed up the healing process by stimulating hydration, collagen and elastin levels in the skin.
Now pampered, hydrated and dare I say glowing, I left my appointment feeling refreshed with some suggested products in tow to try at home. Jaynie had suggested vitamin A to regulate my skin’s oil flow, vitamin B to balance and promote hydration, and vitamin C for brightening and antioxidants.
I did experience some redness in the days following the appointment and my skin felt a little more dry than usual, however, Jaynie did warn me I might see some purging as all of the bacteria and oil rose to the surface.
Despite this, I was shocked at how quickly my acne cleared. The deep, cystic bumps on my jawline that typically take weeks or months to clear significantly diminished in the days following my appointment. Within a week, my skin felt clear, plump and glowing – any signs of hormonal breakouts and dancing the night away to Charli XCX were in my rearview mirror. It’s safe to say I’ll be taking a visit to the cosy South Yarra clinic again. With a treatment menu that extends to Laser Genesis and LaseMd Ultra, it might even become my new post-festival recovery routine.
To book a facial with ME SKIN AND BODY, head here.
This article After 15 years struggling with hormonal acne, this skin analysis surprised me appeared first on Fashion Journal.
2025-02-28 09:26:00
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