ESSEL Skin Treatments in Pretoria East
South African cosmeceuticals used for correction rather than pampering: pigmentation, acne and skin that needs repairing.
ESSEL is a South African professional range, used by aesthetic practitioners and therapists rather than sold over a counter. At her clinic in Die Wilgers, Pretoria East, Sandra reaches for it when a skin needs correcting rather than pampering: stubborn pigmentation, acne that keeps returning, and skin that needs repairing after it has been over-treated or over-exposed.
Being developed locally is not a sentimental point. This is a professional range made in South Africa, for skin that lives under this sun.
Suitability
What it is used for
- Melasma, sun spots and the marks left behind by old breakouts
- Active acne and congestion that has not responded to home care
- A damaged barrier: tight, stinging, reactive skin that has had too much done to it
- Dull, thickened texture that needs resurfacing
- Recovery after sun, after stronger treatments, or after years of the wrong products
The science
How the treatments are structured
Correcting pigmentation or acne is a course, not an appointment. The usual route begins with preparing the skin at home for two to four weeks so it can tolerate the actives, moves into a series of in-clinic treatments including peels where they are appropriate, and finishes with a maintenance plan. Sandra sets out the whole path at the consultation, including how long it will take and what it will cost, before anything begins.
Peels are graded. Nobody is given the strongest thing on the shelf simply because it is on the shelf.
Your appointment
What to expect afterwards
It depends on the treatment. A gentle enzyme peel leaves nothing behind. A stronger resurfacing peel can bring tightness and light flaking for three to five days. Sandra tells you which one you are having and what your skin will do beforehand, because peeling unexpectedly on a Monday morning helps nobody.
Sun protection during a pigmentation course is the entire game. Without it, the treatment is money spent on a result that comes straight back.
How long until pigmentation improves
Pigmentation is patient work. Expect early brightening within three to four weeks and meaningful change across three months, then maintenance, because melasma in particular is managed rather than cured. Acne usually moves faster, and most clients see calmer, less inflamed skin inside a month.
Afterwards
Aftercare is where a course is won or lost: daily sunscreen without exception, the home products Sandra sends you away with, and no waxing or strong actives on the treated area between visits. Expect anything from nothing at all to light flaking for a few days, depending on the strength used.
Enquire
Not sure which treatment your skin needs?
That is what the consultation is for. Send a few lines about your skin and Sandra will come back with where she would start, including the times when the answer is something simpler and cheaper than you expected.
Prefer email? sandra@sandrasbeautyclinic.com
Honest advice
What to be careful of
- You will be more sensitive to sun while on a course, so no long days outdoors and no waxing of the treated area near a peel. Oral acne medication, retinoids, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and any recent laser all change what can safely be used, so say so at the consultation.
- There is also a line Sandra does not cross. Where a skin needs a doctor rather than a therapist, whether that is severe or cystic acne, a pigmented mark that is changing, or anything she is not certain about, she will tell you and refer you on.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
There is tingling and warmth for a few minutes during application. It is manageable, and Sandra fans and monitors your skin throughout.
Sometimes, depending on the strength. Light flaking around the mouth and nose is the most common. Tell her what is coming up in your week and she will match the strength to it.
Bring them to your consultation. Some will be fine, some will be working against you, and one or two may be part of the reason your skin is in the state it is in.
Yes, with care. The pigmentation protocols are used for exactly this, but deeper skin tones are more prone to rebound pigmentation, so accurate assessment and a graded approach matter more here than anywhere else.
The figure depends on the concern and how many treatments it will take. You are given the whole amount up front rather than discovering it treatment by treatment.
Often yes, and it is a strong combination where scarring and pigmentation sit together. The order and the spacing matter, so let Sandra plan it.
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