It’s been an amazingly hot summer in the UK, and whether you’ve remained on our sunny isles or wandered further afield to even warmer climes, chances are your skin has taken a bashing.

Not only do high temperatures and humidity dry out your pores, but sweat can contribute to them becoming clogged, and constant sun exposure – even if you consider yourself sun aware – can cause early signs of ageing.

Fortunately, there are lots of repairing and restoring treatments available at aesthetic clinics that can enhance your skin as you pack away your swimwear and prepare for sweater weather.

Botulinum toxin

If you’ve been squinting in the strong sunshine, it’s likely you’ll start to notice lines appearing around your eyes. Injecting conservative amounts of a wrinkle-relaxing toxin, otherwise known as 'baby Botox' into the key muscles that help you frown or scrunch up your eyes into crow’s feet, will help to dampen the action of those muscles and smooth out those fine lines. But don't worry – as such a tiny dose is used, you’ll still be able to make normal expressions.

Profhilo

Injecting a very runny filler into the topmost layers of skin is rather like placing a moisturiser just below the surface, where it will hang onto water and plump up skin cells, kick-starting the production of supportive collagen, and giving the glow and radiance of youthful skin. The substance, also known as injectable moisturiser, is a very fluid form of filler that's made from hyaluronic acid which holds 1,000 times its own weight in water. The most popular brand around right now is Profhilo. “Profhilo is an excellent treatment option to consider as we transition into the cooler months,” says Aesthetic Nurse and EV Expert, Anna Baker. “Profhilo principally addresses areas of skin laxity through a unique tightening and firming effect, but also provides an extremely high, pure and lasting concentration of hyaluronic acid which is highly beneficial for dry/lacklustre skin.”

IPL

Unfortunately, the sun can cause the pigment in our skin to gather itself into brown age spots on our faces, bodies and hands. The most effective way to soften this is with a couple of treatments of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), which uses bursts of light to break up the pigment under the skin and reverse any UV damage. IPL is a non-ablative (doesn’t cause injury) procedure that feels a bit like having an elastic band flicked at you – although not pleasant, it’s not intolerable. It’s great not only for rejuvenating skin but also improving tone and texture, as well as tackling redness and pigmentation.

Chemical peel 

During the summer months, dermatologists tend to shy away from performing chemical peels. This is because a peel exfoliates your skin, leaving a fresh, vulnerable layer of skin that can be easily damaged by the sun. However, the cooler months are ideal as you are guaranteed to minimise sun damage, giving skin more protection and optimal healing time. A chemical peel can repair post-summer skin damage from pigment changes to wrinkles and fine lines, all while enhancing texture and clarity.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a fantastic way to restore your glow after a season of sun, salt water, chlorine, wind and air conditioning. This clinical exfoliation technique uses a diamond-tipped wand to blow tiny diamond crystals over your skin in order to remove the top layer of skin. Taking around 30 minutes, as well as cleaning out your pores, the treatment stimulates collagen production and increases cell turnover.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP)

Sometimes called ‘vampire therapy’, PRP is an injectable treatment that uses your own blood platelets to stimulate new cell growth. A small amount of blood is taken from your arm and put into a centrifuge machine, where the plasma – the watery yellow stuff –  is separated from the red blood cells. Your blood plasma is full of growth factors and proteins that stimulate capillary formation, collagen production and tissue repair. A tiny needle is used to inject it back into your face, and there is no risk of an inflammatory reaction because no foreign substances are being introduced to your body.