The Reason Every Aesthetician Quietly Loves September

Every year, right around the second week of September, we start getting the same phone calls… you've caught your reflection in that bright fall light, realized you haven't thought much about your skin since June, and want to know what can be done before the holidays.

We love that call. But we'd like to push back on the idea underlying it.

Let's clear up the summer thing

Somewhere along the way, people decided that skincare is a cold-weather commitment. You stop in June, start again in September, and everything just holds steady in between. It doesn't hold steady; if anything, summer is when your skin is working the hardest and getting the least help… more daylight, sun, heat, swimming, salt and chlorine, and oftentimes nights when you fall into bed without washing your face (we've all done it).

Treatments aren't off the table in summer, which (often) surprises people. Many of them are fine with good sun protection and an expert (like an aesthetician) who plans around your vacation and events. It's true that some deeper resurfacing treatments are more commonly recommended in the darker months, so we think that's where the whole rumour started. 

Unfortunately, "some treatments prefer fall" turned into "do nothing until it's colder," and that's how three months disappear. And that's why we say this just as loudly in July as we do now.

So what actually changes in September?

The treatment itself was never the hard part - it's the two weeks after that are. Most effective treatments leave your skin more sensitive to light; therefore, how those two weeks go determines how well everything settles. Two weeks in late June can mean up to 15-16 hours of daylight (patios, docks, water++). Two weeks in late September mean less light, shorter days, and more time inside. Same treatment, much easier follow-through and recuperation period.

The December math nobody does

Here's the catch: Treatments that truly change and improve how the skin looks are not one-and-done. They're a series of treatments done over time… 3 or 4 sessions (and sometimes more, depending on what is being treated), usually 4-6 weeks apart, plus the time afterward when your skin is healing and regenerating for improvement. And never skip a follow-up maintenance plan or your homecare products to support the results you are working towards. This is non-negotiable for best results.

We recommend starting now, and you'll be well on your way to looking your best by December. If you start in November because there's a party on the fifteenth, you're rushing the one part that can't be rushed. We'll always tell you the truth about timing, because November or December is not a fun month to hear it.

How to think about the season

September is for checking in and repairing, as our skin has had a big summer, whether you kept up or not. This is the time for a consultation, conversation, and an action plan for what's realistic and achievable for the holidays. We often start with a deep-cleaning facial treatment, such as a Bela MD, to prep and get your skin in the best shape to receive the more progressive treatments in your plan.

October to early December is for the real work and heavy lifting. Usually, by mid-December, we target glow rather than change. Hydration and radiance, with something to support you before the parties - think facials, peels, dermaplaning, and lifting & smoothing treatments. Mid to late December is not the time to try anything new or aggressive on your face… unless this was discussed and part of your plan.

Where we go, and what we book

In case you didn’t know, alongside BSE and Skin Talks, Natascha and I are partners at SkinEnvie MediSpa & Boutique in Hudson (QC) with our good friends Alexa and Robby. So when we tell you where we gather our expertise and book our own treatments… this is it.

 

Advanced Facials are the September focus: Medical treatments that thoroughly cleanse, deeply exfoliate, resurface, calm and hydrate while addressing your skin’s needs. If it's been a while, start here.

 

Facial Rejuvenation is the focus from October to early December: Treatments include chemical peels for texture and tone, DP4 microneedling for firmness, Morpheus8 RF microneedling for deeper work, Exilis Ultra 360 for density and firming, and IPL for evenness… exactly the treatments that suit the shorter days that follow. All treatments are delivered under the medical direction of Dr. Joseph D'Ignazio, alongside a fabulous team of experienced and dedicated medical-aestheticians and nurse injectors.

And no, none of this is just for one age group. We see people in their teens and twenties booking their first facial or peel, people in their thirties to sixties getting serious about their skin, and people in their seventies and beyond who are very clear they're not done yet.

Not close to Hudson (QC)?

Our clinic is located at 61 Cameron (Suite 22, Hudson, QC), which is easy to reach from Montreal and the surrounding areas but less so from farther out. If that's you, book a virtual consultation with BSE instead. We'll give you our best advice, build a home skin care routine to target your concerns and address your goals, and, when it comes to skin treatments, we'll guide you and tell you what to ask for wherever you end up.

Remember, fall isn't where skincare starts. It's just where most of us jump back into something that was running along fine without us all summer, and there's no lecture attached to that. So consider this your invitation back… book while the calendar is still open, keep going through the winter, and next June, when someone tells you to take the summer off, you'll know better.

Until next time,

Beate