Dermatologists Say These Are Best Body Treatments To Get You Through The Summer

You’ve locked in that well-deserved vacation, have a rotation of bikinis on deck, and are ready for whatever pool party, beach day, or outdoor wedding the season has in store. Suffice it to say, summer preparations are in full swing. When it comes to maintaining healthy skin, particularly on the body, you may feel inclined to amp up your routine given you’ll likely be wearing less layers than you typically would throughout the rest of the year. Just like your face, there exists a slew of body treatments to help tackle some common skin concerns from the neck down, including bacne, spider veins, and a general dull, lackluster complexion. Thankfully, many of these treatments are minimally invasive, involve little to no downtime, and won’t cut into any outdoor summer plans. Even better: Some even offer instant results.

Ahead, TZR has rounded up the best in-office treatments to get if you’re looking to give your body the same special treatment as your face. Whether that means giving your back a deep exfoliation beyond the standard at-home body scrub or giving a more sculpted look to your shape via magnetic muscle stimulation, the options are aplenty. Keep reading to find out which ones are best for your skin concerns.

Acne

Active breakouts and residual scarring are equally as frustrating to treat, but there are several non-invasive treatments that can help. Treating acne typically calls for exfoliation and elimination of clogged pores while scarring can be addressed via treatments that stimulate collagen production.

Back Facial

If breakouts are what’s keeping you from donning that open-back summer dress, a back facial may be in order. “Our back has hair follicles and oil glands just like our face, and giving it a little care can go a long way,” says Christina Uzzardi, esthetician and founder of Cheeks+Co, a spa in Pasadena, Calif. that offers “bacials” or back facials. You might be dealing with congestion, clogged pores, and acne on your back for several reasons. For one, Uzzardi says that the back is an area that’s usually covered up with a non-breathable shirt, which can trap moisture and sweat and clog pores. It’s also an often overlooked area of the body that’s hard to see, reach, and tend to, making a professional treatment helpful if a standard scrub just isn’t cutting it.

A “bacial” will follow the same steps of a typical facial that’s aimed at nixing breakouts, including deep exfoliation and clearing out the pores. For the bacials Uzzardi performs, there’s also a focus on extractions, which helps speed up the healing process, as well as either purple high frequency or blue LED to help slow down oil production. This treatment typically finishes off with sunscreen application if you plan on going out in the sun.

DOT Therapy

New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Howard Sobel, M.D., recommends DOT Therapy for acne scarring on the body. “DOT (or Dermal Optical Thermolysis) CO2 lasers create thousands of microscopic perforations utilizing a dot pattern,” he says. “The procedure focuses the energy toward the deeper layers of the skin while leaving the surface intact, resulting in quicker healing and stimulation of collagen.” Over the next few months post-treatment, the collagen will grow, the skin will tighten, and the acne scarring will begin to diminish.

DOT therapy is unique in that the amount of energy being emitted as well as the time it remains on the targeted area can be controlled. This makes it suitable for using on areas of the body that may be more sensitive, such as the neck and chest. In addition to targeting acne scarring, Dr. Sobel says that DOT therapy is an overall skin rejuvenation procedure that can treat skin concerns that have been caused by sun damage such as pigmentation, fine lines, and wrinkling. Depending on your treatment protocol, you may experience some downtime. “After treatment, the skin will feel like it has a sunburn. If there is minimal sun damage, the settings will be lower and there is no downtime — if more aggressive treatment is necessary there may be four to five days of redness,” according to Dr. Sobel.

Dry, Uneven Skin

While dry skin can be a year-round issue, the summer season, in particular, can do a number on your hydration levels. Sun exposure, pool time, and cranking up the air conditioner can lead to dehydration all over the body, making moisture-rich treatments like a body wrap warranted. If roughness is of concern, a resurfacing treatment to slough away dead skin cells for a smoother, even texture, will also help.

Body Wrap

A body wrap is exactly what it sounds like: cocooning the body in a wrap to help enhance the health and appearance of the skin. “Wraps are used for various reasons and can demineralize, hydrate, stimulate, detoxify, and promote relaxation,” says Gilma Linares, assistant spa manager at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Depending on your desired results, the products used will vary. For instance, the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills offers an aloe body wrap, which uses calming aloe and inflammation-reducing arnica to combat sun-damaged, dehydrated skin. This can help with common issues you may experience in the summer season like a sunburn, heat rash, or general dryness, says Linares.

Diamond-Tipped Microdermabrasion

Diamond-tipped microdermabrasion, also known as a diamond peel, is an effective way to combat uneven skin tone and texture on the body. This resurfacing treatment is performed using a wand with an abrasive tip made of laser-cut diamonds, and is an ideal treatment to improve the appearance of the skin — it can also help treat scaly, leathery skin that you may experience during the summer. “During the procedure, the tip of the wand is pressed against the skin and moved across to gently loosen, then lift off the dead skin cells,” says Joanna Vargas, celebrity facialist, founder of Joanna Vargas Salons and Skin Care, and author of Glow From Within. “As the device is moved, a gentle vacuum within the wand sucks up the dead skin cells, offering a deep exfoliation.” Results in the form of smoother, softer, more pliable skin are immediate and typically last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Full body microdermabrasion also helps even out the skin tone, increase collagen production, and ensure whatever skin care formulas you put on top penetrate deeper, which can improve the efficacy of your other products.

Toning

Skin toning treatments for the body can vary — while some aim to remove toxins and excess fluid which inevitably leads to a more sculpted look, other treatments utilize devices to strengthen muscles for longer-lasting results.

Lymphatic Draining Massage

Lymphatic drainage massages are excellent at detoxifying, reducing swelling, and preventing scar tissue formation after trauma, but they can also be helpful in achieving a more sculpted look. “The lymphatic system is a network of vessels, tissues, and organs that helps maintain fluid balance and aids in the body's immune response,” says Carmela Wingfield, esthetician and massage therapist at Biologique Recherche Ambassade Los Angeles. “One important component of the lymphatic system is the lymph nodes, which are small, bean-shaped structures scattered throughout the body, of which there are about 600 of.” Lymph nodes play a crucial role in filtering and draining the lymph fluid to remove waste products, cellular debris, and other substances before it is returned to the bloodstream.

A lymphatic drainage massage uses gentle, rhythmic strokes to help encourage the movement of lymph fluid. The results are a more contoured, tightened, and sculpted look (and, as a bonus, it gives your immune system a boost).

CoolTone

CoolTone is ideal for those looking for a way to strengthen and tone their muscles. This non-invasive device uses “magnetic muscle stimulation to deliver pulsed contractions to the muscles,” says Nora Kavanaugh, body department manager at SkinSpirit. “Each treatment is the equivalent of doing 25,000 sit-ups, squats, or hip abductor exercises.” Common areas of the body that are targeted are the abdomen, buttocks and full thighs, and Kavanaugh notes that the treatment can also help with your daily functionality in terms of posture, walking, or bending over to pick something up. “Our patients report having fewer back aches when strengthening their core with CoolTone, as well as more pelvic floor strength,” says Kavanaugh. “Most patients report increased strength and stamina during their workouts as well.”

While CoolTone involves no downtime, you’ll have to commit to multiple sessions to see optimal results. It is initially performed twice a week for three to four weeks, and results can last up to six months. Depending on your existing muscle strength and workout routine, Kavanaugh recommends maintenance treatments once a month.

Discoloration

Discoloration on the skin can come in many different forms, and treatment will vary depending on what you’re dealing with, whether that be spider veins, sun spots, or keratosis pilaris.

Sclerotherapy

One quick, in-office solution for spider veins (or those superficial veins that sit close to the surface of the skin) is sclerotherapy, a treatment that involves injecting the vein with a solution that causes the vein walls to swell, stick together, and seal shut, stopping the flow of blood, says Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Lauren Moy, M.D. “Normally, the one-way valves inside the veins push blood back to the heart, but when the valves weaken, the blood flows backward and collects in the vein, which puts pressure on the walls of the vein and results in the vein bulging out,” explains Dr. Moy. “Sclerotherapy involves injecting the vein with either a chemical, detergent, or osmotic solution. This irritates the wall of the vein, causing them to stick together so that blood cannot flow through it.” Generally speaking, it takes about four to six weeks and multiple sessions for sclerotherapy to improve the look of spider veins.

You won’t need to undergo anesthesia for sclerotherapy, but numbing cream is usually applied to help with comfort during the procedure. Also, for best results, compression stockings or pressure wraps are recommended for two to three weeks after the injections, says Dr. Moy.

IPL

If you suffer from red, scaly dot-shaped bumps on your body, you may be dealing with a condition called keratosis pilaris, or KP for short. Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban, M.D. says that KP is caused by an abnormal buildup of keratin, a protein found in our skin, which leads to hard, red scaly bumps on the skin. “KP can be found anywhere we have follicles including the thighs, buttocks, back, and chest, but the upper arms are the most common place it presents itself,” she says.

While there’s no one sure-fire way to get rid of KP, intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) is a minimally invasive treatment that can help manage it. “IPL with intense wavelengths of light strips the skin of pore-blocking keratin, which in turn can help improve skin texture, ridding it of bumps and roughness,” says Dr. Shamban. Additionally, IPL can help eliminate enlarged pores, a benefit for those with KP as the condition itself blocks the hair from reaching the skin surface. Other benefits to the treatment are that it can be used to remove unwanted body hair, stimulate collagen production, and target hyperpigmentation.

Wrinkles

Areas like the neck, chest, and hands are prone to wrinkles as collagen and elastin production naturally declines as we age. These areas are also exposed to UV rays (and often overlooked when it comes to sunscreen application), which can further lead to wrinkles. Body treatments that target wrinkles aim to improve skin laxity and give an overall smoother appearance.

LED Light Therapy

To prevent wrinkles, Vargas recommends regular LED light therapy. “LED light is a proven technology that heals the skin at a 300% faster rate, promotes collagen production, reduces inflammation, and shrinks pores,” she explains. “It also thickens the skin and prevents damage from occurring in the first place.” For some next-level benefits, Vargas’ patented full-body RevitaLight Bed combines LED lights with multizone encapsulation technology that allows you to target different areas of the body (such as the buttocks or the back of the thigh) for smoother skin.

Clear + Brilliant

The neck and chest are particularly susceptible to things like fine lines and wrinkles as well as increased skin laxity. On top of the natural loss of collagen and elastin that occurs as we age, these areas are often exposed to UV rays and free radicals, which can further exacerbate said wrinkles. Dr. Shamban adds that “the skin in our neck and chest is thinner and more delicate than the rest of our body — it also has less fatty tissue and fewer sebaceous glands that keep the skin soft, plump, and supple.” A treatment like Clear + Brilliant can help address any crepeniess and wrinkles on the neck and chest.

“Clear + Brilliant is a gentle laser resurfacing treatment that rejuvenates the skin by targeting early signs of aging including sun damage, tone, skin texture, and pore size,” explains Dr. Shamban. “It’s one of the most basic tools in a cosmetic and medical dermatology office and is a great ‘starter laser.’” Here’s how it works: The laser creates microscopic thermal injury to the skin, which triggers collagen and elastin production as well as eliminates dead skin cells, too. This makes the skin appear smoother and healthier. Plus, Clear + Brilliant can also be used to address any hyperpigmentation that is the residual effects of acne or sun spots, says Dr. Shamban.