Skin Purging
WHAT IS SKIN PURGING AND HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?
Skin purging is a supercharged cleanse for your complexion. It is usually caused by an active ingredient in a skincare product or a process that speeds up the skin’s cell shedding and renewal phase i.e. Microneedling or Chemical Peels. These ingredients / technologies stimulate the cell renewal turnover rate leaving behind clearer, smoother skin. Before we get to our clear and smooth skin state, we sometimes have to battle through a skin purge.
While the process of purging skin itself isn’t pretty, the results are usually worth it. Let’s take a closer look at skin purging, what purging skin can look like and how long it lasts.
Skin purging is often the result of introducing ingredients like retinoids, AHAs, BHAs, PHA, chemical peels, Microneedling and even lasers that can kickstart your skin’s cell renewal and bring all the debris under your skin to the surface, which, in the short term, can cause breakouts and redness. If you are prone to Acne or have previously been prone to Acne, the chances of purging are significantly higher.
HOW LONG DOES SKIN PURGING LAST?
Purging follows our skin’s natural cell renewal, so the full benefits of purging (hard to believe there is any I know) won’t reveal themselves for between four to six weeks after your in clinic treatment or four to six weeks after starting your new skin care regime. So this is roughly how long to expect your purge to last.
In the long run, skin purging helps us shed dead skin cells more effectively which reduces pore-clogging build-up and breakouts, and it does settle down after a few weeks. But you do have to buckle in and ride out a few weeks of discomfort to see the best results.
HOW TO TREAT YOUR SKIN WHEN IT IS PURGING
During this turbulent time for your skin, it is important to be kind to it.
Stick to gentle and basic skincare to avoid further inflammation; a gentle cleanser, a soothing hydrating moisturiser, and sunscreen during the day. If a certain product has caused the purge (i,e, Retinal), don’t stop using this but do limit its use. 2-3 times a week would be good to continue with, giving your skin a rest period in between. If an in clinic treatment has caused your Purge i.e. Microneedling, leave your skin 4-6 weeks from your last session and then book in for another session. Continuing with the treatment will help you break through the purge and eventually, it will stop happening – hang in there!
However, if your skin is still majorly purging after 4-6 weeks, we may swap your Microneedling session to a Medik8 Professional Peel instead.
During the purging process, it would be a very good idea to have some Dermalux Express sessions in clinic. These can be done as often as weekly. Dermalux LED Therapy is a powerful healing and antibacterial light which will help you through the purging phase and speed up the process.
Read more about Dermalux LED Therapy here.
Below is a rough idea of an AM / PM skincare routine to use whilst going through a skin purge:
AM:
Medik8 Gentle Cleanse
Medik8 Press & Clear
Medik8 Hydr8 B5
Medik8 Daily Radiance Vit C + SPF
PM:
Medik8 Gentle Cleanse
Medik8 Hydr8 B5
Medik8 Advanced Night Restore
Direct to spots only: Medik8 Blemish SOS
We stock all Medik8 products in clinic at 15% off retail!
Please click HERE to shop.
If the purge is still going after 4-6 weeks and you do not feel its improved at all, this may be due to underlying bacteria in the skin and a course of antibiotics specifically for the skin may be needed. (Usually Lymecycline or Doxycycline). Please contact your GP in this case.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Paige on Whatsapp.
07729820236