After summer: how to repair your skin in September

Every year, I see the same thing in the treatment room in September: skin that looks tanned and rested on the surface, but tells a very different story once examined closely.

What summer really leaves behind

UV exposure, salt, chlorine and heat all weaken the skin barrier. The result is rarely just one thing: dehydration, a dull complexion, uneven texture, excess sebum or pigmentation spots can all appear together on the same skin. A tan often hides this fragility rather than showing it — skin has usually lost some of its water and lipids, and cell renewal slows down.

One skin, one story: diagnosis comes first

Not every skin has experienced summer the same way, and I check this systematically before recommending anything. Blemish-prone skin, for example, often seems to improve in summer: UV rays temporarily thicken the outer layer, which masks breakouts. But this effect frequently reverses come autumn, sometimes with a noticeable rebound. Mature skin, on the other hand, tends to lack lipids and recovers more slowly. Two different situations call for two different approaches.

Repair before renewing

This is a rule I apply strictly: we don't rush into an exfoliating treatment or a peel right after summer. If the skin is still fragile, that kind of protocol can worsen irritation rather than resolve it. The priority is to restore the skin barrier before considering deeper renewal. In practice, that means one or two repairing, hydrating treatments starting in September, followed, once balance is restored, by the option of a course of peels in autumn — a period that's actually ideal, with less sun exposure and lower risk of photosensitivity.

The treatments I recommend right now

LED photobiomodulation is an excellent complement to support the skin's natural repair mechanisms, particularly on skin marked by sun exposure. I often combine it with a deeply hydrating treatment to bring comfort back to tight or sensitised skin. For pigmentation spots that appeared or worsened over summer, a targeted peel can then be considered once the skin has settled: a diagnosis helps determine the right moment to act — treating skin too early, while it's still fragile, is rarely the best option.

In short

September isn't the time to change everything at once, but to repair, in order: diagnose, soothe and hydrate, then only afterwards renew. This patient, personalised method is what delivers the best results over time.