Willow Med Spa & Salon is a team of skin experts in Morgantown dedicated to treating our clients to their most beautiful, luminous skin possible.
Maintaining your skin can feel like a never-ending slew of trial and error. Sometimes it feels like as soon as you crack the puzzle, the seasons change, and you’re left at square one!
That’s because, as our largest organ and our immune system’s best line of defense, the skin is constantly shedding itself. The top layer, the epidermis, completely rebuilds itself about once monthly.
Numerous skin concerns can stem from this process, from flakiness and dryness to enlarged pores and overactive oil production. Not to mention, the skin also reacts to external factors like sun exposure, products, pollution, and more.
In order to handle and maintain a healthy, beautiful look all year round, it’s important to understand how the skin works—and how and when to find a skin expert that can help.
Here are the most important things for you to know about taking care of your skin this fall and winter.
How our skin works—and when that isn’t enough
The skin’s PH is not exactly neutral; in fact, it’s a bit acidic. This is what protects your body from harmful bacteria.
Additionally, where you live, whether you have pets, who you live with, and the things you consume can all affect the quality of your skin’s underlying structure (the dermis). And as we age, the natural turnover (shedding) of our skin cells begins to slow.
A quick side note: the appearance of our skin can communicate a variety of other aspects of our health, such as:
- What we eat
- How stressed we are
- How much sleep we get
- How much water we drink
- How much we exercise
- How much time we spend outdoors
- And more
So what you may perceive as a “skin” issue may actually be a different culprit!
This is where the help of a skin expert in Morgantown comes in. During a skincare consultation, we can help you determine risk factors based on your age and unique skin type. From there, we can make recommendations on how to improve its overall appearance and health.
How do the changing seasons affect our skin?
Have you ever noticed your skin becomes more flaky in the fall and winter months? It’s no coincidence.
As humidity levels drop, water on the surface of the skin evaporates more quickly. So unless you’re using high quality moisturizers as protection, you may notice that as temperatures cool, your skin goes from hydrated (and maybe even oily) to dry and flaky.
How can I improve my skin health this fall?
There are a variety of different ways to improve and maintain your skin’s health—and by extension, its overall appearance.
Here are a few quick tips for protecting your skin this fall.
Wear SPF. Yes, even in the winter.
UVA and UVB rays can not only cause burns, but can also cause our skin cells to age prematurely. Many of our clients forgo their sun protection in the winter.
This is a total misconception!
The sun is actually closest to the earth in January, meaning you’re more likely to feel its effects in the winter months—yes, even in just the short commute from your front door to your car and back. #JustSayYestoSaferSun
Treat yourself to a home humidifier.
If the air in your home/bedroom is dry, implementing a humidifier can help increase the water levels in your atmosphere. This decreases the amount of moisture that may evaporate from the surface of your skin.
Change up your skincare routine.
Make sure you are using a thicker, high-quality moisturizer as part of your routine. You can also layer in specific serums that contain natural ingredients like hyaluronic acid, collagen, or elastin (aka the building blocks of your dermis).
You should also try to cut back on your exfoliation addiction in the fall and winter (sometimes, it’s best left to the professionals!). Over-exfoliation can lead to cracking, inflammation, or itching in the fall and winter time. Avoid products with chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid.
A Note About Skincare Products
It’s important that before you purchase or try medical-grade products that you connect with a skin expert.
The benefit of professional, or medical-grade, skincare products is that they contain a higher concentration of their active ingredient(s). This is also why they often require a medical professional’s guidance or even prescription to obtain.
Some anti-aging products, such as retinoids and retinols, have been scientifically proven to help rebuild collagen and elastin. However, these products can cause irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Others, like moisturizers, can cause issues such as unnecessarily clogging your pores and/or preventing your skin from properly shedding cells as they turn over.
You should only trust a skin expert to analyze your skin and make specific recommendations for your unique needs.
Aesthetic Lasers & Facials for Fall & Winter Skincare
Once you have your at-home routine down, it may be time to work on deeper-set issues that could prevent your skin from living its best life ✨
Here are some of the most popular fall aesthetic treatments we offer to our Morgantown clients.
- HydraFacial: One of the most popular medical facials at Willow Med Spa is the HydraFacial. It’s a three-step process that exfoliates, cleanses, and re-hydrates the skin in just a single visit.
- DiamondGlow: This is a gentle, anti-aging exfoliation treatment that pairs well with a variety of other treatments.
- BBL HERO: A high-energy rapid output device (“HERO”) that delivers photo-energy called BroadBand Light (BBL) to skin anywhere on the body. This light energy gently heats the skin to promote collagen production, reduce redness, and kill bacteria from the surface of the skin.
- Halo: A dual-fractional laser that helps us accomplish deep resurfacing not possible naturally or by more superficial treatments, like a chemical peel.
- SkinTyte: SkinTyte uses BroadBand Light to target skin laxity. This is especially helpful for targeting areas like the neck, jawline, arms, abdomen, above the knees, and more.
- MicroLaserPeel: This treatment uses a laser to remove the outer layers of the skin in a safe and precise manner. Healthy cells then replace the dead skin cells to enhance texture and clarity.
Learn more about aesthetic laser treatments →
Just so you know…
If you’re trying to get started and you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Understanding how the skin works and all the various options available to improve it can be a lot to take in at once.
Understand that not every person will need every single treatment or regimen listed above. A skin expert can help you narrow down the options that will work for your unique concerns, skin type, lifestyle, and budget.
Your Local Skincare Experts
Our cutting-edge treatments are backed by the latest innovations and research. All of our providers are exceptionally well-trained and the best in the business. And we are committed to client satisfaction and stand behind all of our work.
Comprising Morgantown’s premier medical spa, men and women of all ages across the region trust the team at Willow Med Spa to provide the most high quality skincare and body contouring treatments and deliver amazing results.
If you’re ready to get your skin in the best shape of its life, schedule a consultation with our staff to get matched with the right aesthetician for your needs. You can also use our Virtual Consultation Tool to discover which treatments may work best to address your concerns.
