Dr Melanie Hartmann Beauty Rituals Interview

Tried and Tested Beauty Rituals

A cleansing brush should be used as part of your daily cleansing routine as it removes the dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. Furthermore, a cleansing brush provides a gentle facial massage which will also help stimulate the blood circulation, and improve the overall appearance of the skin. Products and serum can penetrate easier through the skin barrier after taking the face brush. This will leave you with a healthy glow and brighter skin," explained Dr Melanie Hartmann.

The Braun silk-epil 9 SkinSpa includes a facial cleansing system that has a cleansing brush that works 6 x better than manual cleansing, and gently exfoliates and refines your skin. With hundreds of micro-oscillations, not only will your skin appears visibly more refined, but also refreshes the glow and radiance of your facial skin.

Interview with Dr Melanie Hartmann, Global Braun skin expert

Question: What is the best way to choose a hair removal treatment for your skin and lifestyle?

Dr Melanie Hartmann: There are many methods to choose from when it comes to hair removal and every person is different. You simply have to decide which method fits into your lifestyle best. You also need to take into consideration how much time you have to dedicate to your hair removal routine. If you want a quick solution, shaving is the best method; if you want a solution that gives you precious time back and lasting results, epilation is the better option. The more advanced epilation systems such as the Silk-épil 9 make the experience a lot more comfortable, and after using the epilator over a period of time, the pain becomes less. If you have sensitive skin and feel that you can't use an epilator, then perhaps you should try IPL. Or you can combine two or three methods on your body, depending on the body areas. To summarise, there are three aspects to consider: how quickly you want it removed, lasting results, and how sensitive you skin is.

Question: Which hair removal device fits best into a busy lifestyle?

Dr Melanie Hartmann: Epilation definitely fits into a busy lifestyle more easily as you'll only need to do it every month after the initial period when you start to epilate.


Question: Is there a hair removal method that is better suited for the evening?

Dr Melanie Hartmann: Yes. If you have sensitive skin and your skin becomes blotchy or red after hair removal, you should consider changing your hair removal routine to the evening and using epilation. Shave a few nights before you epilate – as overnight the skin has time to calm down, and epilate afterwards. Apply a gentle lotion after epilation to soothe the skin.

Question: If you haven't tried epilation before, what is the best way to approach the method?

Dr Melanie Hartmann: To help make the experience as comfortable as possible, it is advisable to do it in the evening. Take a bath or warm shower, start with the legs and end with the bikini zone and armpits – they're the most sensitive areas of the body, and likely to be the most painful. You need to find a sequence that suits you for your hair removal routine. Take your time, relax and proceed with the wet rather than dry technology.


Question: What beauty rituals should you do post epilation?

Dr Melanie Hartmann: All hair removal methods dry out the skin very slightly and so does bathing itself. After hair removal you should use a cream or gel that contains vitamin B, such as a cooling Aloe Vera based product. However, if you suffer from very dry skin you should invest in a rich body lotion.


Question: Is there a routine that we should adhere to when epilating e.g. start with the lower leg, armpits and then bikini zone?

Dr Melanie Hartmann: Always start from the bottom, so at the legs and work your way up. The lower legs are less sensitive. Epilate with the legs raised, move onto the armpits and end up at the bikini zone.


Question: What are the advantages of epilating vs waxing?

Dr Melanie Hartmann: With an epilator you can remove hair as small as a grain of sand (0.5mm) so therefore epilation works effectively, with minimal hair growth. Waxing requires hair to be at least ¼ – ½ inch long for best results. If you have coarse hair it should be closer to ½ inch for a few waxes. It may take up to three waxing treatments to achieve smooth skin due to the fact that hair grows in stages and all of your hair is never at the same stage. It is very important to avoid shaving between waxing appointments too, as this will interrupt the process and stimulate the hair growth again. Epilating is therefore far more convenient as you don't have to wait around for results or wait for the hair to grow to keep your body smooth and hair-free.


Question: What are the benefits of exfoliating your body prior to epilation or as part of your beauty routine?
Dr Melanie Hartmann: Exfoliation rids the skin of dead skin cells; the epilation process is more successful, and the epilator grips hair better, when the dead skin cells are removed first. We have a lot of dead skin cells on our body, which can only be seen under the microscope. For a clean epilation that won't cause any ingrown hairs, it's recommended to exfoliate at least once a week before you epilate.


Question: So you should only exfoliate your body once a week, not more often?

Dr Melanie Hartmann: For people with sensitive skin, exfoliating more often would be too much and might upset the skin surface. There are people with tough skin who can do it more often, especially if they're prone to ingrown hairs. You should not exfoliate too often, or less than one day before you epilate, as you don't want to irritate the skin.


Question: What are the beauty benefits of massaging the skin prior to epilation, or as part of your beauty routine?

Dr Melanie Hartmann: Massaging your skin prior epilation helps to relax the skin so that it's a less uncomfortable experience but it also increases the blood circulation and metabolic processes which makes the skin appearance look fresh. Question: How often should you massage your skin?

Dr Melanie Hartmann: You can massage face and body up to once a day. For ease, you can do it in the shower or in the bath. Or if you prefer, you can massage the skin using a body lotion.


Interview by Brooke Hunter