If the thought of baring your legs or reaching for a summer dress sends you into a cold sweat, rest easy. Spring is the ideal time to give your mind, body and beauty regime an overhaul and will leave you ready for action when summer swings into view.

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Skin bootcamp

A spring skincare regime should focus on prepping your skin so it’s at its most luminescent come summer. Exfoliation helps to rid the skin of dead skin cell build up. Swapping heavy winter moisturisers for lightweight hyaluronic acid or water-based formulas will hydrate the skin without leaving oiliness and Vitamin C-infused skincare is also a great way to give your skin a natural glow.

Microdermabrasion is a popular skin resurfacing treatment that cleanses and exfoliates to get rid of dead skin cells, which can make your complexion appear dull. It helps to improve texture, tone and skin discolouration, promote collagen production and can make your skincare work better as the process enables products to penetrate your skin faster. “If you’re getting those dead skin cells off it means you’re causing the rejuvenation of skin,” explains Nicoletta Casati, clinic leader at Skinsmiths. “Then we can plump your skin with hydration and vitamin C more effectively and start to get a bit of collagen induction into the skin. That’s how you achieve glowing skin revitalisation. By taking off the dead skin cells, we are actually getting product deeper down into the skin.”

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Timely treatments

Many face and body treatments cannot be carried out if there is the risk of immediate high-intensity sun exposure – so don’t leave things till the last minute. Intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) can be used to effectively target areas of pigmentation, redness, age spots and sun spots to give a clearer glowing complexion. The treatment is ideal if you’re looking to treat broken capillaries and red veins, reduce redness or treat age spots but should not be carried out on skin that has been exposed to or is going to be exposed to strong sunlight. Thus, winter and early spring is usually a great time to book hyper pigmentation therapies. Experts advise leaving around six weeks until high sun exposure.

“Be kind to your skin,” say Nicoletta of Skinsmiths. “You have one skin so look after it. I would advise not doing IPL for pigmentation or redness during the summer months.” Injectables such as Botox can be administered at any time but it’s best to avoid booking in for last-minute treatments, as you want to leave enough time to review the results and make any tweaks. Small pinpoint bruises can occur in some cases after injectables are administered, so if like many you prefer to wear less make up on holiday then leave sufficient time for any small marks to disappear.

Intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) can be used to effectively target areas of pigmentation, redness, age spots and sun spots to give a clearer glowing complexion. The treatment is ideal if you’re looking to treat broken capillaries and red veins, reduce redness or treat age spots but should not be carried out on skin that has been exposed to or is going to be exposed to strong sunlight. Thus, winter and early spring is usually a great time to book hyper pigmentation therapies. Experts advise leaving around six weeks until high sun exposure.

“Be kind to your skin,” say Nicoletta of Skinsmiths. “You have one skin so look after it. I would advise not doing IPL for pigmentation or redness during the summer months.” Injectables such as Botox can be administered at any time but it’s best to avoid booking in for last-minute treatments, as you want to leave enough time to review the results and make any tweaks. Small pinpoint bruises can occur in some cases after injectables are administered, so if like many you prefer to wear less make up on holiday then leave sufficient time for any small marks to disappear.

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Fight the fuzz

Laser hair removal is a godsend for those who battle the fuzz every year. Long lasting and relatively pain free, the most common treatment areas for women are the face, bikini line, under arms, arms and legs. The number of laser hair removal sessions required depends on the area being treated but on average four to eight sessions will deliver the desired result and clients usually see a noticeable, permanent reduction in hair regrowth after the first couple of sessions. Each session is performed every six weeks so it’s key to start your laser hair removal treatment as early as possible if you’re aiming to be fuzz-free for summer.

“We don’t do the treatment on tanned skin or if there is going to be immediate sun exposure so by starting now you can have your hair removal well and truly underway by your summer holiday,” explains Dr Fayaz Hasham of Total Body Care Clinics. It is not advised to treat fake tanned skin either, so it’s a good idea to think ahead. Sessions are quick and most are easily completed in your lunch hour. After treatments, skin becomes more sensitive to UV rays so always slather a high SPF sunscreen to protect from sensitivity – even if it’s overcast.

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Work it out

If you are set on getting beach beautiful in 2019, fewer things will give you more confidence and get up and go than a fitness overhaul. Start simple, adding more activity into your schedule as your fitness increases. This approach will guard against injury and as you pass more milestones, your motivation will continue to gather momentum. Summer bodies are made in winter and there is nothing more stressful (and potentially painful) than putting your body through a last-minute, over-zealous shred assault a week before your holiday. Start now with a 12 or 16-week plan and you’ll feel and see the benefits by summer. Keep your fitness routine varied; try barre workouts, hot yoga, spin and dance workouts to add some fun to your fitness.

If you struggle to maintain a fitness schedule, get some help. Bootcamps and buddy training sessions are great for keeping motivation going strong. There are gyms to suit every type of trainer ­from beginner to fitness addict. For those who want to go a level deeper, Fitness Space Battersea has recently opened and tailors members’ entire training and nutrition programmes to their DNA. Fitness Space claims this enables members to “train more effectively than ever. Harder, faster and stronger” with 24/7 access to their coach via an app.