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Skin changes with the seasons, and so do the treatments that can safely be done to treat it. Winter cold and dry indoor heat pull moisture from the skin, often leaving it irritated, flaky, or showing more fine lines than usual.
Come summer, skin cells thicken and produce more pigment to defend against UV radiation, which shows up as a tan. Spring sits between these two states, and it is the one stretch of the year when the skin can handle more intensive corrective work without the risks of strong sun exposure.
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Why the timing matters for certain treatments
Timing matters most for treatments like laser resurfacing and deeper chemical peels, which work by removing damaged skin cells so new, healthier skin can form underneath.
The catch is that this fresh skin is sensitive to UV light for several weeks after treatment. Start too late in the year, and a patient is left choosing between finishing the treatment properly or heading into summer with skin that burns and pigments easily.
Dr Alek Nikolic, owner of the Dr Alek Nikolic practice, a medical practitioner with a special interest in aesthetic medicine, has watched this pattern repeat for over two decades and more than 20 000 procedures.
“Spring is really the last safe stretch for this kind of work,” he says. “If we start now, the new skin has weeks to settle and build up its own protection before December arrives. Wait until November, and there just isn’t enough time left.”
Patients often wait until the weather warms up before they start thinking about their skin, by which point the ideal window for corrective treatment has already closed. “By the time people notice they want their skin to look better for summer, it’s usually too late to do the treatment that would have made the real difference,” adds Dr Nikolic. “The best time to act is actually while it still feels early.”
What to do now
Not every treatment is affected in the same way. Lighter, hydration-focused treatments can continue safely right through summer.
It is specifically the treatments that cause the skin to shed and rebuild, such as laser resurfacing and stronger peels, that need to be finished before the UV index climbs.
Dr Nikolic recommends first assessing how many weeks of safe treatment time remain this season, and what a realistic plan looks like for anyone dealing with pigmentation, acne scarring, sun damage, or uneven texture.
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“Patients assume it’s an all-or-nothing decision, but that’s rarely the case,” notes Dr Nikolic. “Even if there isn’t time left for a full course of laser treatment, there is usually still time for one or two sessions, or for a superficial to medium depth peel that gets part of the way there.”
Protecting skin while it heals
Sun protection matters more than usual during the weeks after a corrective treatment. Freshly treated skin has less of its own natural defence against UV light, so a broad-spectrum sunscreen applied daily, even on cloudy days, plays a bigger role than normal in how well the results hold.
“What patients do in the weeks afterward decides whether the result lasts. A wide-brimmed hat and reapplying sunscreen through the day matter just as much as the sunscreen itself, especially for anyone still commuting or spending time outdoors during recovery,” Dr Nikolic advises.
Questions to ask before booking
Not everyone needs the same treatment, and a consultation is the best place to work out what suits a particular skin type and history.
Useful questions to raise include how much downtime the treatment involves, how many sessions are needed to see results, and whether the skin will be sensitive to sun for days or for weeks afterward.
Spring does not last for long. Once summer heat and stronger UV rays set in, the treatments that need weeks of downtime to work properly are simply off the table until next year.
For anyone who has been putting off dealing with pigmentation, scarring or sun damage, this is the moment to move, not December.
Also see: Protect your glow: 5 everyday habits that may be ageing your skin
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