YOUR SKIN PLAN
PHASE ONE
The biggest thing I want you to remember with your skin is that we're not going to try and fix everything at once.
You've had acne on and off for years, you've previously been on antibiotics for it, and although it can completely settle at times, when it comes back it tends to come back quite aggressively. You've also now got some scarring and larger/visible pores that you'd really like to work on.
We absolutely can work on those things, but first I want to get your skin calm, consistent and in a really good place before we start treating the damage the acne has left behind.
For the first 6 weeks
At the moment you're using quite a lot on your skin, adapalene, azelaic acid, vitamin C, niacinamide alongside your cleanser, moisturiser and SPF.
So initially, we're going to do the opposite of adding more.
We're stripping everything right back and focusing on supporting your skin barrier.
Morning
- Cream cleanser
- Skin soak
- Derma Aid
- Prologic Oil Free SPF - start with the tester
Evening
- Cream cleanser
- Skin soak
- Derma Aid
That's it.
I don't want you chopping and changing products or adding something because you've had a breakout and panicked. Give the routine time to do its job.
Around the 6 week mark
We'll reassess your skin and, providing it's happy and tolerating the new routine well, we'll start adding things back in one at a time.
The first product I'd look at introducing is
Bio Balance Serum - £39.50
Then, once your skin is comfortable with that, we can look at introducing
Antioxidant Oil - £69.50
There's no rush to get everything into your routine. I'd much rather introduce things gradually and actually know how your skin is responding to each product.
Then tackle the scarring
I know your acne scarring and pores are a big concern for you, but I don't want to start aggressively treating scarring while we're still trying to understand and stabilise the acne underneath it. So I'm giving us approximately 8–12 weeks first.
I want to see how your skin responds to
simpler skincare + barrier support + better consistency + food/hydration foundations + working on sleep/stress
If your active acne is well controlled and your skin barrier is in a good place, that's when we can move into Exceed Medical Microneedling.
For your scarring, I'm potentially looking at a course of around
6 Exceed Medical Microneedling sessions
Approximately 4 weeks apart
We'll confirm that once I've reassessed your skin because the number of sessions will depend on the type/depth of scarring and how your skin responds.
If we were ready to start around November, the timing would actually work really well, we'd have the autumn/winter months to work through your course before heading back towards the higher UV summer months.
The purpose of microneedlinge is controlled collagen stimulation and remodelling to start working on the structural changes the acne has left behind.
YOUR
LIFESTYLE
You're currently doing A LOT.
You're back at uni studying primary teaching, travelling through to Stirling, working 2.5 days a week and you've described your stress levels as high and feeling like you're constantly on edge.
You're also only getting around 5 hours sleep a night, with that 3 - 5am waking having been going on for around four years.
I'm not expecting you to suddenly become someone who sleeps eight hours, meditates twice a day and meal preps every Sunday
We're looking for small changes that you can actually keep doing.
Sleep + stress
One of our biggest goals is going to be gradually increasing the amount of sleep you're getting.
You fall asleep easily, so rather than concentrating on getting to sleep, we're going to work more on your overall routine and that early waking.
I'd like you to
Start winding down properly before bed rather than going straight from being "on" all day into sleep.
Try to keep your sleep/wake times reasonably consistent where uni and work allow.
Get outside into natural daylight in the morning when you can.
Keep caffeine earlier in the day, particularly with the 3– - am waking.
Start using magnesium glycinate in the evening.
Continue with your plan to speak to the mental health team regarding your anxiety and possible ADHD.
We don't need to completely eliminate stress, that's not realistic. I just want to start giving your body periods where it isn't constantly getting the message that it needs to be switched on.
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TECHNIQUE ONE
Stop-Breathe-Be
Choose a small, mindless, and repetitive task you do every day. It's ideal to pick something that can be the initiator of a cascade of events such as making tea, cleaning your kitchen countertop, checking email or getting ready for work. The more mindless and repetitive the action, the better the result.
As you're about to start the task, say to yourself in your mind or aloud the word STOP. Intentionally, bring your body to a full and complete stop. Pause and be as motionless as possible and become aware of your stillness in that moment. Then say to yourself, BREATHE. Of course, you've been breathing all along, but take a few seconds to become fully aware of your breathing as you take one deep breath in and then let it all the way out. Try to relax your body as you take a deep breath.
Finally, say the word BE. Take the moment to ground yourself and be present. Bring your attention to that moment in time and relish the temporary pause. Simply become aware of yourself before you move on to the task you're about to do. The Stop-Breathe-Be technique only takes about five seconds of pause, presence, and stillness, yet it can be an amazingly effective way to reset your stress using the mind-body connection. It's like a personal check-in from you to you at moments throughout your day.
TECHNIQUE TWO
Diaphragmatic breathing
This is a technique I like to use when I am more conscious of my breath but don’t necessarily need it in an emergency, usually using it when I have more time such as my commute to work in the car. I will make sure the radio is turned off and focus on the inhale and exhale.
Take a deep breath into your stomach opposed to your chest. You can count to 4. Breathe in through your nose and let your stomach rise then on the exhale count to 8, meaning the exhale is much slower. You can exhale through your nose or your mouth. Repeat this at least 5 times or for as long as you have.
TECHNIQUE THREE
Extra Sip
This is a technique I learnt from the great Andrew Huberman (have a nosey on his Instagram and podcasts!). This is the quickest way to calm your nervous system in a moment of stress or anxiety.
Take a deep breath into your belly and once you feel like you can inhale enough, take an extra sip. Hold your breath for 4-7 seconds then exhale as slowly as you can using the count of 8-10. Repeat this for 2 minutes.
TECHNIQUE FOUR
Grounding
Get outside and put your feet on the grass. Being ‘connected to the earth’ has scientific studies to show how it helps to reduce inflammation. I know the weather may not permit this right now but, when possible, get in your garden! Failing that, there are grounding devices that can be bought and attached on your bed to sleep in or a matt.
TECHNIQUE FIVE
Nasal vs Mouth Breathing
How you breathe during sleep matters too. Nasal breathing is considered physiologically optimal because it supports nitric oxide production, improves oxygen delivery efficiency, helps regulate blood pressure, reduces snoring, and encourages deeper, more stable sleep.
Chronic mouth breathing, on the other hand, can contribute to issues such as snoring, dry mouth, fragmented sleep, and increased sympathetic activation, which can leave the body feeling more stressed and less rested overnight.
Some people find that gentle mouth taping can help encourage nasal breathing during sleep. If you choose to experiment with this, it’s important to use medical-grade micropore tape and apply only a small vertical strip rather than sealing the mouth fully. Mouth taping should be avoided if you have nasal obstruction, diagnosed sleep apnoea, or any existing breathing concerns. Safety should always come first.