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While the Autumn/Winter 2016 collections were full fresh trends (the bomber is back baby) and even more fresh faces (Willow Smith for Chanel, Zendaya for Louis Vuitton) Spring/Summer 2016’s love affair with the cold shoulder was clearly still hot and heavy.
Off the shoulder silhouettes were scattered across all four big fashion week cities at Nicholas K, Dior, Balenciaga, Miu Miu and Dior. For our friends in the Northern Hemisphere, baring shoulders after a record-cold winter doesn’t present the same skin issues as we face in a post-summer Australia.
If lasting tales of your Saturdays at the beach and Sunday Aperol Spritz sessions are still scattered down your back, chest and shoulders it’s never too late to fade freckles and reduce pigmentation.
We spoke to Kaye Scott, Co-Director of The Clinic in Sydney on how to get the all clear for the off-the-shoulder look.
Valentino AW16; Opening Ceremony AW16; Rodarte AW16
CREDIT: Getty Images; NOW FASHION
Always start with SPF
Sunscreen shouldn’t be only synonymous with a day at the beach. Get a boss lotion with a high SPF and use it every day. “An easy fix to both reduce hyper pigmentation and simply look after your skin is the use of every-day sun protection,” says Scott.
ASPECT, ENVIROSTAT SPF50, $26. SHOP NOW MECCA COSMETICA, TO SAVE BODY SPF 50, $38. SHOP NOW LA ROCHE-POSAY, ANTHELIOS NUTRITIVE OIL SPF50, $35.95. SHOP NOW
Layer on vitamins A and C
Don’t confine these genius ingredients to your face. “Vitamin A assists in stopping the production of pigmentation at a cellular level, making it the first line of defence for aging skin and discoloration,” explains Scott. Vitamin C is a powerhouse brightener while vitamin E helps reduce vertical fine lines that tend to form down the chest.
PAULA’S CHOICE, RESIST RETINOL SKIN-SMOOTHING BODY TREATMENT, $42. SHOP NOWALPHA H, BEAUTY SLEEP POWER PEEL, $129. SHOP NOWULTRACEUTICALS, ULTRA A SKIN PERFECTING SERUM, $125. SHOP NOW
Call in the big guns
If you’re really stressing about age spots and pigmentation it’s worth seeing a professional. “The most effective treatment for pigmentation, freckles, sunspots and overall rejuvenation is Fraxel, a laser treatment meaning only a portion is treated at a time,” explains Scott. “It produces a brief, but intense heat within that column of tissues and in doing so, stimulates the development of new collagen fibres.” It’s an investment, costing upwards of $400, but a single treatment will make a substantial change.
See the (intense pulsed) light
Intense Pulsed Light can also help treat tougher patches of pigmentation. “Using a beam of many different wavelengths, IPL breaks down the accumulated spots of pigmentation,” says Scott. “It’s a gentler more customisable way to treat, and I generally recommend up to five sessions for optimal results.”
