Inspired, Empowered & Glowing – Why Healthy Skin Will Always Win

Devine Skin & Laser Salon
Feb 20
4 min read

I’ve just come back from an incredible event hosted by AlumierMD for their top clinics, and honestly… I came home buzzing.

The room was filled mostly with women. Many menopausal age. Many like me.

And do you know what?

They looked GORGEOUS.

Not overdone .Not frozen. Not filtered.

Glowing. Healthy. Confident. Most with barely any makeup on.

And I thought — now THIS is the advert.

And I had a little smile to myself because… this isn’t new to me. A true testament to what happens when you invest in skin health instead of chasing every fad that pops up on social media.

This has been my ethos for nearly 40 years.

Work with what you have. Support it. Strengthen it. Respect it.

Because when your skin is healthy — you don’t need to fake it.

And when you constantly fake it? There’s usually a long-term consequence.

Let’s talk about that…

Fake Tan vs Sunbeds – Not the Same Thing

Now fake tan creams?

Apart from turning your sheets orange and occasionally decorating the toilet seat (we’ve all done it 😂)… they stain the outer dead skin layer. Cosmetic. Temporary. No structural damage.

Sunbeds though? Completely different conversation.

They emit concentrated UVA radiation. UVA penetrates deep into the dermis — where your collagen and elastin live.

And what does UVA do?

• Breaks down collagen fibres

• Weakens elastin

• Damages cellular DNA

• Accelerates ageing

• Increases long-term skin cancer risk

That deep structural damage accumulates. It doesn’t politely disappear later.

That “leathery” look? That’s collagen breaking down.

A glow from damage is not the same as a glow from health.

Fake Lashes – Tiny Hairs Carrying the Weight of the World

Right… let’s talk lashes.

Do they look lovely? Yes. Do I enjoy a bit of glam for a wedding or special occasion? Absolutely.

Used occasionally? Fine.

But here’s where I pop my anatomy hat on (you knew it was coming).

Your eyelashes grow from tiny, delicate hair follicles. Each lash has a growth phase, a rest phase and a shedding phase. That cycle relies on:

• A healthy follicle

• Good blood supply

• Minimal inflammation

• No constant pulling or trauma

Now imagine being a tiny little eyelash… just minding your business… and suddenly you’re expected to carry the weight of the world.

Glue. Extra fibre. More weight. Every 2–3 weeks. For years.

I know lash techs will say they’re completely safe — and short term, applied properly and worn occasionally, they likely are.

But when you truly understand skin anatomy, hair growth cycles and follicle behaviour, you also understand this:

Hair follicles do not love chronic stress.

Repeated glue application near the follicle opening can cause irritation. Constant added weight creates traction. Ongoing tension can disrupt the natural growth cycle.

It’s the same principle we see with tight hairstyles causing traction alopecia. The follicle eventually weakens under repeated strain.

And I am now seeing more and more women who have worn heavy extensions long term… and when they remove them?

Very sparse natural lashes underneath.

Then they feel they can’t go without them.

That’s not enhancement anymore — that’s reliance.

Occasional drama? Fabulous.

Tiny eyelashes carrying permanent scaffolding for years? Biology will eventually have a word.

And as I always say…

Biology always wins. 💚

Fillers – For Women Like Me (Yes, I Said It… Old 😂)

Now let’s talk filler.

I am not anti-filler.

They absolutely have a place.

For women like me — old, lived well, partied hard, full of life lines and laughter lines (not wrinkles 😉) — our collagen has naturally declined. Personally? I like them. My face tells my life story. But here’s the thing…

A little structural support can be completely reasonable. That’s restoration.

Where I struggle is very young girls filling lips that already have beautiful natural structure.

Back to my balloon analogy.

Imagine a brand new balloon.

Firm. Elastic. Structured. If you keep over-inflating it beyond its natural capacity, repeatedly:

• The elastic fibres stretch

• The collagen framework weakens

• It doesn’t bounce back the same

Skin is similar. Collagen gives strength. Elastin gives recoil.

Repeated stretching of young, healthy tissue can weaken that internal scaffolding. And once it’s stretched beyond its comfort zone, you often need more and more to maintain the look.

That’s when it stops being enhancement… and starts becoming dependence.

Now, I don’t want to sound like I’m undermining anyone — I have huge respect for all practitioners out there. I’m just a grumpy old woman 😄 who has always believed in healthy, natural skin. For a long time, it often felt like I was the only one. I’m not much of a follower in life, so standing by this ethos sometimes felt a little lonely.

But now… thank goodness, this is finally becoming a trend. And seeing it recognised, celebrated, and embraced by others? It’s a wonderful feeling. After all these years, I can proudly say that what I’ve been doing for decades — focusing on skin health, prevention, and natural glow — is exactly what the industry is now starting to value.