Treatment · London, Marbella and online
Medical skincare
A clinician-led skin assessment with a written homecare plan, provided by Kim Armstrong, Registered Nurse and Independent Prescriber. The consultation is the service — the products follow from it.
Definitions
What medical skincare means
Products with higher concentrations of active ingredients, formulated for stability and absorption, and supplied through clinics rather than retail. Some are cosmetic products and some require a prescription.
The distinction that matters is not only the product. It is that a clinician has assessed your skin and decided what is appropriate for it, at what strength and in what order — which is the part a shelf cannot do for you.
At this clinic the consultation is the service. Products follow from the assessment, and you are not required to buy them here. Where a suitable product is available on the high street, the plan will say so.
Scope
What a skincare plan can and cannot do
Some skin conditions need dermatological assessment rather than a homecare plan. Kim will tell you if that applies to you, and explain why.
We can help with
- Uneven skin tone and pigmentation
- Fine lines and early signs of ageing
- Congestion, blackheads and breakouts
- Sensitivity, redness and reactive skin
- Dullness, uneven texture and sun damage
- Dryness and a damaged skin barrier
- Building a routine that fits your life and that you will actually maintain
These need a specialist, not us
- Suspicious moles or lesions
- Severe, cystic or scarring acne
- Undiagnosed rashes
- Anything unexplained, changing or persistent
If facial redness or visible vessels are your main concern, skincare alone may not be the answer — thread vein treatment is a different service and is linked below.
The appointment
Your skin consultation
- 1
History
Your skin, your concerns, your current routine, what you have used before and how your skin responded, your medicines, your lifestyle and your climate. If you spend part of the year in Spain, that changes the plan considerably.
- 2
Assessment
Your skin examined in good light.
- 3
Discussion
What is realistically achievable, what is not, and how long it is likely to take.
- 4
Your written plan
Specific products, order of use, frequency and how to build up.
- 5
Review
An appointment to check tolerance and response, and to adjust the plan.
The plan
What you leave with
Written down, in order, so it survives contact with a busy morning.
- Morning routine
- Step by step, in order.
- Evening routine
- Step by step, in order.
- How to build up
- How to introduce active ingredients gradually rather than all at once.
- What to stop using
- And why. A significant part of many plans involves stopping products: using too many actives, too often or at too high a strength damages the skin barrier and can produce sensitivity, redness and breakouts.
- Sun protection
- Which is the single change that determines whether the rest of it holds.
- What to expect, and when
- Including any initial adjustment period, so it is not a surprise.
- When to contact Kim
- If something is not right, rather than waiting for the review.
Prescribing
Prescription skincare
As a qualified Independent Prescriber, Kim can consider prescription skincare as part of your plan where it is clinically appropriate — assessed and prescribed in the same appointment, without a separate referral.
Two things are worth knowing before you start. A prescription is never guaranteed: it depends on your skin, your medical history and the medicines you take. And prescription active ingredients often cause an adjustment period before improvement, and require consistent sun protection throughout.
Timeframes
How long results take
Skincare works slowly, and the honest version of these numbers is a range rather than a date.
| Change | Typical timeframe |
|---|---|
| Improved hydration and barrier function | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Improved texture and smoothness | 6 to 12 weeks |
| Visible change in pigmentation | 12 to 16 weeks, with consistent sun protection |
| Change in fine lines | 3 to 6 months |
| Acne and congestion | 8 to 12 weeks, and often worse before better |
Results vary between individuals, and nothing here is a guarantee for your skin.
A significant part of many plans is stopping things. Most skin arriving here is not under-treated — it is over-treated.
Kim Armstrong · Registered Nurse and Independent Prescriber
Fees
What it costs
Medical skincare consultation
Assessment, discussion and your written homecare plan.
To be confirmed
Follow-up review
To check tolerance and response, and adjust the plan.
To be confirmed
Products
Not required to be bought here, and the plan says where a high-street product will do.
Charged separately
Related
If skincare is not the answer
Some concerns that look like a skincare problem are not one. These are the two services patients most often move to.
Before you book
Common questions
What is medical grade skincare?
Products with higher concentrations of active ingredients, formulated for stability and absorption, and generally supplied through clinics rather than retail. The meaningful difference is that a clinician has assessed your skin and decided what is appropriate for it.
Do I have to buy products from you?
No. You receive a written plan, and where you buy the products is your choice. Where a suitable product is available on the high street, the plan will say so.
Can you prescribe skincare?
Kim is a qualified Independent Prescriber, so prescription skincare can be considered where it is clinically appropriate. A prescription is never guaranteed and depends on assessment.
How long before I see a difference?
Hydration and comfort usually improve within a few weeks. Texture takes six to twelve weeks. Pigmentation takes three to four months with consistent sun protection. Fine lines take longer.
I have been using several products and my skin has become worse. Is that normal?
It is common. Using too many active ingredients, too often or at too high a strength damages the skin barrier and produces sensitivity, redness and breakouts. Part of many plans involves stopping products for a period.
Can I have a skin consultation online?
Yes. Video consultations work well for skincare planning, although assessment in good natural light is more reliable in person.
I spend part of the year in Spain. Does that change my plan?
Yes, considerably. Year-round UV exposure affects what is safe to use, when to use it and how much sun protection is needed. Tell Kim at your consultation so the plan accounts for both climates.
Do you treat acne?
Mild to moderate congestion and breakouts, yes. Severe, cystic or scarring acne needs dermatological assessment, and Kim will tell you if that is what she finds.
Next step
Leave with a plan, not a basket.
You will leave with a written plan setting out what to use, in what order and what to expect. Where you buy the products is your choice.
Or call +44 (0) 7706 077888email kim@thearmstrongclinic.com