But some of the skin changes are still there! And this is a perfect time to consider reversing these issues. You may see more brown spots, visible blood vessels, texture irregularities or fine lines and wrinkles. The good news, winter is a perfect time to correct some of the damage. Here are a few strategies I recommend.
Protect from the sun. Even though it is winter, you are still susceptible to the sun rays. Sunscreen in the winter can protect from sun reflecting off the pavement or snow. Besides protecting you from new exposures, it can also give your skin an opportunity to heal and reverse some of the damage. It is always good to wear a sunscreen or sunblock year round.
Support your skin with an antioxidants. Topical skin care with vitamin C, vitamin E, green tea, and resveratrol (one of my favorites!) can provide antioxidants that can help skin cells repair their DNA and fend off free radical damage from sunshine, pollution, and the body’s metabolism. I take antioxidants orally every day in the form of vitamin supplements. Using skin products with antioxidant properties and vitamin supplements allows our skin to heal from the outside in and the inside out!
The B vitamin called nicotinamide (vitamin B-3) found in this B-Complex supplement, has been shown in human studies to lower the risk of skin precancers and non-melanoma skin cancers. Resveretrol, vitamin C and CoQ 10 among others offer the ability to repair damage to skin.
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Nutrition for your skin- vitamin A cream. Creams, gels, and serums derived from vitamin A (retinoids) have been proven to reverse signs of sun damage and age, including fine lines, wrinkles, spots, and sagging. Over time, retinol and retinoid creams help to thicken the epidermis and improve collagen and elastin fibers in the deeper layer of the skin, the dermis. Because retinolic acid (marketed as Retin-A) can be harsh on the skin expecially during the dry winter months. I suggest using creams with retinol as a therapeutic ingredient which is milder to the skin and can gently and gradually help to turn the clock back.
Chemical Peels- Creams and serums containing alpha hydroxy acids (such as glycolic acid) or beta hydroxy acids (such as salicylic acid) can improve the skin’s tone, smoothness, and texture while reducing acne breakouts and large pores. Chemical peels done in an office can be a good ‘jump start’ towards reversing summer damage. I recommend the use of customized layered PCA chemical peels that we offer at the Aesthetic Associates Centre. We utilize Recorcinol, Hydroquinone, Vitamin A, C and alpha hydroxy peels to help exfoliate, refine and smooth the complexion. These peels create a controlled flaking of the skin over 2-4 days, after which the skin looks smoother, brighter and with more even tones.
Shed the light on your skin. Another option to improve summer damage is with light therapy. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) devices, such as the Cynosure Icon (we have 2 such devices, at our main office and the Tres Aurae Spa) are great ways to freshen up your skin by fading tan spots and reducing visible blood vessels. Lasers with longer wavelengths, such as Picosure 755nm or Cynosure 2940nm can ablate the surface irregularities with one or a series of treatments.
If you are looking to reverse some of the skin conditions caused by fun in the sun and summer activities, let my Aesthetic Skin Care team assist in finding the right combination of office and home treatments to repair and restore!