If you’ve been thinking about doing something for your skin, the next few weeks are a good time to start. Here in West Cork, as we edge towards the longer, brighter days of late spring the window is shortening for treatments with ‘downtime’ The reason is straightforward: treatments that use light, laser, or energy to improve the skin require some time away from strong sunlight afterwards. It doesn’t mean we can’t do them in the summer, particularly for those who work from home and are already very careful about the sun, but it means it is much easier than trying to stay out of the sun.
Energy-based treatments have come a long way, and the options available today can address everything from sun damage and pigmentation to texture, fine lines, redness, and scarring. A life lived outdoors in this part of the world, as much as we love it, does leave its marks — and treatments like IPL, laser resurfacing, and microneedling have become the most effective ways to address those changes without surgery or significant downtime.
IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light, is one of the most versatile of these. It uses broad-spectrum light to lift pigmentation — the brown patches and spots that accumulate from years of sun exposure — as well as tackling redness and broken capillaries. In the days after treatment, the skin can look a little flushed and pigmented spots may darken briefly before they clear, which is completely normal and a sign the treatment is doing its job. It’s also precisely why you want cloud cover and short days on your side while you recover.
For those dealing with more significant concerns — deeper lines, acne scarring, sun-damaged texture — Erbium YAG laser resurfacing is worth knowing about. It works by precisely removing the outer layers of skin, prompting a fresher, smoother surface to regenerate in its place. The results can be quite remarkable, but recovery takes a week and sun avoidance during that time isn’t optional, it’s essential. That makes this treatment one of the most time-sensitive in terms of when in the year to schedule it.
Microneedling works on a different principle entirely, rather than light or heat, it uses very fine needles to create tiny, controlled injuries in the skin, which triggers the body’s own healing response and a meaningful boost in collagen production. It’s particularly well suited to improving skin texture, softening fine lines, reducing pore size, and helping with scarring, and it tends to suit a broader range of skin types than laser treatments do. Most people need a course of sessions a few weeks apart, so starting now means you can complete that course comfortably before the height of summer.
Whatever you choose, or even if you choose nothing at all, there’s one thing that matters more than any treatment: daily SPF. Not just on holiday, not just when the sun is out. Every single day. The UV index in Ireland is lower than in southern Europe, but it is never zero, and the slow accumulation of daily UV exposure is responsible for the majority of skin ageing. For those who form pigmentation you must also think about High Energy Visible Light (screens and overhead lights) and for this reason should be wearing a mineral SPF; mineral SPFs are also good for those with more sensitive skin. And finally a wide-brimmed hat, as unfashionable as it might feel, remains one of the most effective things you can put between your skin and the sun. The weather around here is so unpredictable I carry a roll up one in my handbag in case I get caught out sitting outside Bushes in Baltimore on what started as a grey day and ended with a tropical sunset!
So if you have started thinking about treatments for your skin now is a great time to start.