With the festive season well and truly upon us, we all want to look red carpet-ready at the drop of a hat. However, an abundance of office parties, late nights and excess drinking, assisted by harsh winter weather and drying central heating takes a toll on our skin, making it all the more difficult to achieve the soft, bouncy texture we crave this time of year. 

Celebrity cosmetic dermatologist Doctor Nyla shares her party skin ‘cheat sheet’ to overcome all the obstacles that can hinder our skin’s appearance this winter, and keep skin glowing and radiant during the party period. 

Get the J-Lo Glow 

Achieving glowing skin in the winter is possible despite the difficulties. 

“After months of exposing our skin to the sun, tans start to fade, but damage caused by UV rays becomes visible, making our skin look uneven.” says Dr Nyla. “ This combination can leave skin looking flat during the party season.” 

The skin could benefit from a resurfacing laser treatment which tackles pigmentation and uneven texture, to create a soft, bouncy surface. How? Lasers create microscopic channels that trigger the process of collagen and elastic fibre production while simultaneously causing deep dermal regeneration, removing damaged cells and allowing them to be refreshed with new ones. The end result? A smooth texture and beaming skin that even J-Lo would envy. 

Dr Nyla cautions that skin laser treatments should be limited to the winter months: 

“Our skin is particularly sensitive to the sun after laser treatments, so they should really only be undertaken in the winter months where the days are shorter and exposure to the sun is limited. Similarly, laser treatments shouldn’t be admitted to anyone who has been in the sun recently as the damage caused by this can be made worse by the laser.”

Fresh Eyes 

Late nights and excess drinking can take a toll on our sleep and, in turn, our skin. The biggest give away? Our eyes.  Skin around the eyes is thinner, and drinking alcohol dehydrates the skin, which causes the blood vessels in the area to dilate, making dark circles more prominent.   

“The simplest way to keep our eyes looking fresh is to stay hydrated, maintain a good sleep pattern and drink less alcohol. However, this is easier said than done during the festive season. A skin-cheat is to book in for a rejuvenating intraceuticals oxygen facial prior to an event, to keep your skin intensely hydrated.” 

A favourite of celebrities, such as Emma Stone, Eva Longoria and Victoria Beckham, oxygen facials utilise hyperbaric oxygen to promote the delivery of professional-strength serums and their effective ingredients further into the skin, increasing the longevity of their results. 

Rejuvenating serums work harmoniously with medical-grade oxygen to provide intense hydration to the skin. As the ‘intraceuticals’ handpiece is glided over the skin, high impact ingredients are delivered with a highly effective technique. The sleek, thin nozzle is able to disperse the intense serums underneath the eye, which can be trickier to tackle with our regular skincare routines. The oxygen stimulates blood flow so skin cells in neglected areas are renewed, allowing fresh skin to shine. So if you ‘overdid it’ at the office party your eyes won’t be the thing to give you away. 

Bouncy Lips 

It’s no secret that cold weather causes dry, chapped lips but other factors such as the central heating can also cause our pouts to suffer. The heating draws moisture from the epidermis of the skin, causing it to become dry and irritated. This is most noticeable in and around the lips, where there are no oil glands to compensate for the missing moisture, leaving them looking crinkled and diminished in volume. 

“If possible, avoid electric heaters because they can cause intense dryness, as the high temperature shocks the skin,” advises Dr Nyla. “ But if your mouth is already suffering I recommend a facial which utilises a dermabrasion device that can also be used on the lips. The ENVY facial is ideal for this as the device used exfoliates the lips using a diamond tip which clears away the dry, damaged top layer. The layer underneath can then be infused with serums to help hydrate and restore plumpness and volume to the lips again.” 

Michelle Obama arms + Jennifer Aniston Legs 

Party season goes hand in hand with ‘cocktail dress’ season but, for many, black tie shopping is an ordeal with a focus on what they’d like covered up rather than show off. Natural ageing and weight changes can cause skin to sag around the arms and knees, which some wish to hide. However, Nyla has a clever solution which doesn’t involve going under the knife:  

“Treatments such as ultracel, which is mainly used on the face, can be used all over the body to tighten the skin. High intensity, focused ultrasound and NuEra radio frequency are layered so that skin can be tightened from underneath, eliminating skin folds. The downtime is very minimal and you will notice some results immediately, so it is perfect for the party season.”

This non invasive treatment is able to reach 4.5mm beneath the skin, supercharging collagen production and smoothing it out from underneath, restoring tightness to sagging skin.