Skin cleansing is one of the basic cosmetic procedures. It is designed to cleanse the surface of the epidermis, remove impurities from pores, blackheads and inflammatory elements. For this purpose, various techniques are used, including vacuum facial cleansing. It appeared a little over 10 years ago and today remains in the lists of services of some beauty salons. And on sale you can find devices that allow you to perform the procedure at home and save on the services of a cosmetologist.
How is skin cleansing done using this technique? Is it possible to do it at home? And what risks does the procedure have? We addressed these questions to the cosmetologist of the Novoklinik network of Aesthetic Medicine and Cosmetology Centers, Isabella Airapetova.
Mechanical facial cleansing: why is it dangerous?
beauty health cosmetology cleansing Now the time has come to dot all the i’s and learn once and for all that mechanical facial cleansing is harmful. Cosmetologist Igor Patrin will tell you about this procedure in detail .
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What are the dangers of facial cleansing?
“How many more articles need to be written and videos made, how many more negative reviews should there be from dissatisfied patients before we all understand that mechanical cleaning is not necessary?” asks Dr. Patrin and suggests figuring it out logically.
For those who are not in the know, I’ll tell you: mechanical cleaning (also known as manual) is when a cosmetologist squeezes out the contents of the pores using a special spoon or hands. The cosmetologist is happy that he has a job, and the patient is happy that he has empty pores. And we will also not say anything about the fact that at the beginning of the procedure, the specialist steams the patient’s face, which is also not very beneficial for the skin.
Empty time is bad!
Now let's answer the question: who said that empty time is good? Why is it needed in the body at all? Pore is the excretory duct of the sebaceous gland, through which its secretion comes out to the surface of the skin, and we need this very secretion of the sebaceous gland! It creates a film on the skin that participates in the formation of the skin barrier. And this is an ongoing process. This is why there must be sebum in the pore.
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What happens if the contents of the pore are removed? The sebaceous gland doubles its work, as it “believes” that it has been robbed. Thus, she tries to compensate for lost sebum.
Narrowing pores is a myth
There is another misconception that supposedly mechanical cleansing of the face helps to narrow pores. This is far from true. On the contrary, this procedure helps to expand pores like no other. The fact is that the pore is injured, and this leads to scarring, so pores that you never dreamed of may appear. Especially if you are not very careful when squeezing out the contents of the pore.
Prevention of inflammation
You can also find claims on the Internet that mechanical cleansing prevents inflammation such as acne. That is, it is believed that if someone has a problem with acne, then this procedure will help solve it in no time. This is also a misconception. The pores that you see, from which the contents are squeezed out, become inflamed in a maximum of 15% of cases. In other cases, the inflammatory element develops against the background of the so-called microcamedone, which is not visible to the naked eye. It is visible only under a microscope. This is a small clogged pore - a kind of traffic jam - in which inflammation will further develop. Remember: a large pore becomes inflamed very rarely.
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Skin trauma
In addition to all of the above, when mechanically applied to the skin, we get microcracks on it, where bacteria can get in and cause full-fledged inflammation. For this reason, exacerbations often occur after this procedure. Trauma leads to swelling of the skin, premature aging, and deterioration of blood supply. Inflammatory mediators are released - substances that actually provoke inflammatory reactions. And all this spoils the skin of the face: it becomes rough and thick, and has poor blood supply.
What to do with enlarged pores?
In cosmetology practice, there are two acceptable cleaning methods:
- chemical (atraumatic cleansing): a special solution is applied to the skin, loosening sebaceous plugs and the tops of comedones, and another preparation absorbs impurities and excess sebum. This procedure smoothly regulates the functioning of the skin and does not injure it.
- Ultrasonic cleaning is a non-traumatic, gentle procedure that also prevents inflammation and rashes.
As for the methods of mechanical cleaning, they are justified only in cases where there are subcutaneous white pimples - milia (aka millet). Using mechanical action techniques they can be opened. But these are isolated elements on the face.
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Sequence of the procedure
- Pre-cleaning of the skin
. The hardware procedure does not require such a deep preliminary effect as, for example, mechanical cleaning, before which it is necessary to apply a scrub and steam the epidermis. It is enough to remove makeup and remove dirt and dust from the face with regular cleansers. - Opening of pores and peeling
. For more convenient and effective removal of dead cells, a composition containing lactic or fruit acids (gel or mask) is applied to the skin, after which a light massage is performed along the facial massage lines. This helps to gently remove a quarter to half of the dead skin cells, and also visibly refreshes and brightens the skin. - Ultrasonic exposure
. For better penetration of ultrasound waves and glide of the device, a special gel is applied to the face. Further along the massage lines, at an angle of 30-40°, the cosmetologist begins to smoothly, with stroking movements, move the scrubber-emitter, which looks like a scraper. Under the influence of vibration and weak electrical impulses, the gel is whipped into a biologically active emulsion that penetrates deep inside and pushes out the contents of the pores. The patient may feel a slight tingling, tingling, or slight vibration during operation of the device. But still, the discomfort from the procedure is minimal, skin irritation is almost absent and goes away very quickly. - Aftercare
. There is practically no need for a rehabilitation period, since negative reactions are usually not observed after this procedure. A soothing gel and antioxidant mask immediately after peeling, a moisturizing or nourishing cream the next day - this is what your skin will need.
Basic conditions when performing facial cleansing.
But before you start cleansing your face, you need to know some points that affect not only the effectiveness of the procedure, but also the possible harm it can cause.
· In order not to spoil the condition of the skin, facial cleansing is carried out when necessary, and not for prevention.
· The frequency of this procedure depends on the condition of the skin, its type, predisposition and susceptibility to allergies and irritations.
· When cleaning your face in a salon, a lot depends on the degree of professionalism of the cosmetologist, so you need to take a very responsible approach to choosing a specialist.
· In order not to harm the skin, you need to take into account the time of year, since in the summer the sun and ultraviolet radiation have a great influence, and in the winter - frost and wind. Therefore, the skin’s needs for protection and care will be different at this time.
The answer to the question of whether facial cleansing is harmful is denial, but with reservations. It is not harmful if you comply with a number of requirements and conditions.
1. It is not advisable to perform even mild cleaning more than twice a month.
2. During the cleansing process, the skin experiences severe stress. Therefore, it is advisable to soften the impact and stress during and after the procedure.
3. You cannot clean if there are inflammations or wounds on your face.
4. Cosmetologists do not recommend carrying out cleansing procedures during “critical days”.
Follow-up skin care
- On the day of performing a cosmetic facial cleansing procedure, you must refrain from using aggressive cleansers. Foam or soft milk is best suited for this purpose.
- After 48 hours, you can use your favorite cream again. It is desirable that it contains components that have antioxidant, protective and moisturizing effects.
- After cleaning performed in the summer, be sure to use products containing UV filters.
- The use of scrubs (as well as mechanical removal of exfoliating particles) on skin that has recently undergone cleansing is strictly prohibited.
- In the absence of inflammation, moisturizing, nourishing and restorative masks are allowed.
- If microscopic wounds remain on the skin, it is necessary to wipe it with an antiseptic solution. Applying a cold compress will have a calming effect. For washing an injured face, decoctions of calendula and sage or a weak (tablespoon per 1000 ml of water) solution of apple cider vinegar are suitable.
Here is a recipe for an extremely useful mask: beat an egg white and mix it with a tablespoon of olive oil, apply the resulting substance to the face for a quarter of an hour. The procedure helps tighten pores and deeply nourish the tissues. To quickly get rid of redness and flaking of the skin, you can apply thin slices of potato, cucumber or melon or watermelon pulp to your face. A mask prepared from two dessert spoons of the richest sour cream and a small spoon of freshly squeezed parsley juice has the same effect.
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