Summer is kind to the mood and less kind to the skin. By September, many of us are looking at the evidence: new freckles and brown spots, a more uneven tone, a little more redness, and texture that feels rougher than it did in spring. Autumn is when you can do something about it properly. At ELM Aesthetics on King Lane in LS17, three treatments in particular come into their own as the days shorten: laser hair removal, IPL and chemical skin peels.
Why the season matters
All three treatments work with the pigment in your skin or on its surface, and all three need careful sun protection before and after. In summer that is hard to guarantee — a weekend away or a sunny afternoon in the garden can mean postponing a session. As natural UV falls through autumn and winter, it becomes far easier to keep to a course, and far less likely that sun exposure gets in the way of safe, effective treatment.
The second reason is time. None of these is a single appointment. Each works best as a short course with a few weeks between sessions, so starting now gives a course the months it needs — and lets results settle well ahead of spring.
Laser hair removal
Laser targets the pigment in the hair follicle, and because hair grows in cycles a course starts with a minimum of six sessions, four to six weeks apart. Begin in autumn and you will be well into your course by the time next summer arrives. Laser hair removal at ELM is carried out by Georgia Abrams, Skin & Laser Therapist, or by Melody Steel, Nurse Prescriber, and always begins with a patch test. We explain the timing in more detail in why autumn is the time to start laser.
IPL for sun damage and redness
IPL — intense pulsed light — is the treatment for the marks summer leaves behind: brown spots, freckling and sun damage on the face, neck, chest and hands, and thread veins or diffuse redness. A course is usually three to four sessions, four weeks apart, and pigmented spots darken for a few days before flaking away. IPL is carried out by Melody and is not suitable for tanned or darker skin types, which is why it is assessed carefully at consultation with a patch test. Read more in IPL for pigmentation and thread veins.
Skin peels
A chemical peel removes the outermost, damaged layers of skin in a controlled way so that smoother, more even skin can take their place. We use three types — the gentle Crystal Peel, the brightening Milk Peel and the resurfacing Cosmo (TCA) Peel — and the strength is matched to your skin and your diary. Superficial peels can be repeated every two to four weeks as a course; a deeper TCA peel brings five to seven days of visible peeling and is spaced further apart. Autumn is the season to plan a stronger skin peel, when healing skin is far easier to protect from the sun.
SPF still matters in October
Lower UV is not no UV. A daily broad-spectrum SPF protects the results of every one of these treatments — without it, new sun damage simply begins to appear again. Our guide to SPF and ageing explains why it is the most important step in any routine.
Planning around the party season
If you have an event in December, plan backwards from the date. Stronger peels and the darkening phase after IPL both need clear days afterwards, and it is better to finish a course a few weeks before an event than to squeeze in a session the week before. Our guide to timing treatment before an event sets out sensible lead times.
Where to start
Not sure which of these suits your skin? That is what a consultation is for. Melody or Georgia will look at your skin, ask about your history and any medication, and recommend a plan — sometimes a single treatment, sometimes a combination spread across the season. A deposit will be required to secure your appointment.