GETTING STARTED

Ciara Darcy on putting your own skin to work.

For every new client, Ciara does an in-depth skin consultation. “During a consultation, all aspects of your we chat skin, about past and present. I then create a treatment plan depending on your time and budget. There are no quick fixes, but you do have 80 per cent control over how your skin ages. Keeping your skin healthy depends on a concoction of lifestyle factors. The main ones being sun exposure, high stress levels and poor sleep.”

The best time to start is now, but not if it’s too close to a big event or occasion. “Alumier peels will loosen connections between dead skin cells encouraging exfoliation, which is great for acne, rosacea and pigmentation. The day you get a peel done, it’s important to keep your skin dry, so no make-up, exercise or products until the next day, and an Alumier postprocedure kit is to be used for five days after. During this time, your skin may look dry or a little flakey in parts. It takes seven to ten days to see the full results, but expect glowing skin.” Rejuvapen microneedling stimulates collagen and elastin production, which will minimise open pores and scarring and strengthen the skin, but results take longer to see. “I recommend a course of three treatments. Immediately after the treatment, your skin is very red – and feels like sunburn – but the next day, it’s just a little pink. Clients see results a couple of weeks after their second treatment. When treating acne scarring, I find it takes a little longer, but it varies for each person. Microneedling is my firm favourite because you are getting your skin to do the work.”