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It's time to brush up on post procedure makeup

If you're feeling a little flushed after your treatment, take a tip from the experts and cover redness with these skin concealing heroes

Most of us have been there – a rather active or abrasive facial treatment has left our skin looking rather pink and a little raw, and without a crystal ball to hand it’s nigh on impossible to know how long that excessively flushed appearance is likely to last.

Meanwhile some people with sensitive or reactive skin, even when lightly massaged or stimulated, can end up looking as though they’ve just undergone a hardcore HIIT workout with redness that doesn't subside for a good few hours.

So is concealing allowed after an aesthetics treatment? It depends. Some practitioners, such as EV Expert Dr Nestor Demosthenous, are in the ‘don’t put anything on your face after treatment for the rest of the day’ camp, while others are happy for you to cover any redness immediately, depending of course on what treatment you have just undergone.

When I've had post procedure redness in the past, I've always been advised to use mineral makeup for its purity and rate Colorscience, whose Sunforgettable Total Protection Brush On Shield SPF50 is a favourite amongst clinicians, and Jane Iredale's Pure Pressed Base Mineral Foundation, which offers incredible coverage.

Reassuringly, Jane Iredale carries out rigorous testing to ensure its products are as gentle as possible: all products undergo heavy-metal, photosensitivity and comedogenicity testing, as well as Human Repeat Insult Testing (HRIT) which tests for irritants and sensitivity.

“Mineral make-up has several benefits when it comes to post-procedure skin," say Jane Iredale distributors, the International Institute for Anti-Ageing Education team. "Pure mineral makeup is far gentler on the skin than traditional makeup, avoiding ingredients such as fragrances or preservatives that could irritate sensitive skin.

"Additionally, mineral makeup is non-comedogenic, giving skin a chance to heal post-procedure. It will not only cover redness, but the minerals within the make-up – titanium dioxide and zinc oxide – may help to soothe the skin."

So if you really can’t bear to go bare-faced after a peel or microdermabrasion session, here’s some more suggestions from four leading aesthetic practitioners.

"It is important to note that following any skin procedure, wearing makeup can clog the pores and cause infection – this makes it all the more important to use medical makeup which helps to heal and protect the skin. Remember, after any treatment your skin is in recovery mode. Something vital to remember is to use clean and sterile makeup brushes or tools to apply different products – clean your brushes, sponges and tools after each use to ensure they are clean for the next use. The Jane Iredale Botanical Brush cleaner is anti-microbial and will kill any bacteria left after use. The same goes for wearing lipstick after lip fillers, you should take caution as the oil within these products can harbour microbes and cause infection."
Dr Ioannis Liakas, Vie Aesthetics London and Essex

“Viscoderm Cover Up concealer is a fantastic post-procedure foundation that contains arnica montana, hyaluronic acid and SH oligopeptide-1. It is specifically created to hide redness caused by treatments such as dermal fillers, laser treatments, peels and mesotherapy. The sterility of Viscoderm allows you to use this foundation with total safety, even immediately after aesthetic treatments. Another product I recommend is Oxygenetix – it is a post-procedure foundation that contains Ceravitae Complex which allows your skin to absorb more oxygen, stimulating skin cell production and speeding up the healing process by encouraging collagen regeneration and connective tissue growth.”
Anna Baker, Anna Baker Aesthetics, West Sussex and Manchester

“It all depends on the treatment – for something like a Red Carpet Facial, makeup can be applied straightaway as the purpose of the treatment is to be red-carpet ready. However, I personally advise a couple of hours to allow the skin to calm down. For injectables or any treatment where the skin has been pierced I advise a minimum of six hours, and if possible, no makeup for up to 24 hours. If the patient insists, it’s always advisable to opt for mineral makeup. For medical peeling and resurfacing I advise no makeup for 24 hours. Regardless of the procedure, broad spectrum sun protection must be applied to avoid the risk of hyperpigmentation; in fact, sun protection should be part of your skincare wardrobe throughout the year.”
Balsam Alabassi, DermRefine Clinic, London  

“When it comes to post-procedure skincare from an injectables point of view, my preference is to keep things minimal for 12-24 hours to reduce the risk of infection. If the patient is desperate to cover any marks I recommend waiting as long as possible before using a sterile cleanser such as Clinisept+, followed by Derma-Seal spray to seal any external contamination and to only apply sterile makeup products such as Viscoderm Cover Up concealer. For post-procedure maintenance of results after 12-24 hours of botulinum toxin or fillers, I highly recommend resuming your anti-ageing skincare promptly to enhance and maintain the results. My preference is the SkinCeuticals homecare routine 2 (post-injectable routine) which provides an SPF, a ceramide-based moisturiser (Triple Lipid Restore) and hydrating serum (HA Intensifier) to soften wrinkles further."
Dr Ana, Kat & Co, Birmingham


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