Health: Protect your skin from the ravages of winter

FACE it, winter is no good for our skins. First there is that punishing cycle of cold and windy weather outside, followed by the dehydrating effects of central heating inside.

Then consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe, our diets aren't what they should be when it's like Ice Station Zebra at the bottom of the garden. Nice, healthy green salad? Apples? Several litres of refreshing water? Nah, pass the sticky toffee pudding and custard, thanks. And don't forget the large glass of shiraz.

Add to that the fact that few of us bother with an SPF while there's still the need to wear thermal underwear and you get a face that is badly in need of a spring clean.

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To help me emerge from my winter cocoon, I kick off my facial spring clean with a chemical peel and microdermabrasion to smooth out all those imperfections and layers of dead skin cells. That is followed by photorejuvenation to even out skin tone and encourage collagen production, then a touch of Restylane filler to complete the transformation into beautiful butterfly. Well, a girl can dream.

The peel is applied to my skin, causing the upper layer to flake off. The peels range in strength, depending on the patient's sensitivity – mine nips a little but a cool, damp layer of muslin eases the slight burning sensation and I sail through the process with barely a squirm. Microdermabrasion follows – an exfoliating treatment using fine crystals that, combined with the peel, works to smooth out fine lines, pigmentation and scarring, leaving the skin looking younger and more radiant.

Hot on its heels comes the photorejuvenation, which uses intense pulsed light to even out conditions such as rosacea, sun damage, high pigmentation and broken veins. It also helps encourage the production of collagen, so my skin should stay looking smoother for weeks to come – indeed, actress Anna Friel (pictured) swears by it, claiming that it's the key to her youthful looks.

A pair of dark glasses protects my eyes from the light while the therapist aims the handpiece at my trouble spots – areas of high colour in my cheeks, chin and on my forehead. The sensation is described as like the pinging of an elastic band against the skin, and it does hurt (though I only have myself to blame because I have already asked the therapist to turn the machine up to ensure the best possible results).

I emerge back into the waiting room looking decidedly pink and armed with ice packs to sooth my throbbing cheeks, but there is no time to rest, as I am scheduled for a spot of Restylane next.

This filler can be used in the lips, frown lines and cheeks. Frankly, I want it everywhere, but opt to have two small amounts injected into the furrows leading from my nose to the sides of my mouth, which are particularly ageing. The jabs also include a gentle anaesthetic so I feel very little and the results are immediate – the lines have completely disappeared.

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Around 24 hours later, my face still feels a little swollen, though it is not very noticeable, and the photorejuvenation results in some darker pigmentation – looking just like freckles – on my cheeks for a few days.

A week on, however, and a colleague announces that she thinks I look seven years younger (ten is too much of a clich, she explains, and five is too few), while a good friend asks what new foundation I am using because my skin looks so fresh.

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The results of the Restylane injections can last up to six months, and a series of up to six sessions is recommended for photorejuvenation and the chemical peels. But beware: after you've had the treatment done once, you could become addicted to all those compliments.

Photorejuvenation costs from 300; a facial peel and microdermabrasion costs from 35; Restylane costs from 180 at Medicalternative, Waterside House, 19 Hawthornbank Lane, Edinburgh (0131-225 5656, www.medicalternative.com)

• This article was first published in The Scotland On Sunday on April 04, 2010

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