Sensitive Skin

Aging Optional!

Aging Optional!

Getting older…inevitable, Aging OPTIONAL!

Looking your best at any age can be as simple as setting daily regimen for health skin.  As we age, our skin gets thinner, becomes more dry and pigmentation irregularities become more apparent.

Here are a few ways to slow down the aging process and prevent premature aging changes.

“I firmly believe that our skin reflects our overall wellbeing.  Health habits and lifestyle show on the outside how we are on the inside.  Sun protection, healthy eating habits, and general skin care goes a long way to keeping your youth”

-Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Samuel Shatkin Jr., MD FACS

Keys to looking your best

Proper sun protection.  It is well known that sun exposure causes premature aging.   Radiation from the sun creates damage to the cells.  Pigmentation changes make your skin look older as well.  Protection year-round with avoiding direct exposure and using sunscreen with a UPF of 30 or higher can go a long way to fend off the effects of the sun.

Hydrate-Hydrate-Hydrate!  Applying a good moisturizer (or moisturizing sunscreen) can lock in the moisture.  Apply it immediately after shower or cleansing to retain the water in the skin.  Reapply moisturizer as needed throughout the day.

Be easy on your skin.  Many people think that aggressive scrubs and frequent washing can help keep skin healthy.  This could not be further from the truth.  Use gentle cleansers on the skin.  The more you wash the skin the more you remove the natural oils that escape through the skin surface.  If you use a scrub, try to limit it to 1-2 times per month.  Also, use hypoallergic, non-comedogenic and fragrance free products on your skin, whether they be cleansers, or moisturizers.

woman wrinkles before and after skin care products and procedures

Avoid the sun and tanning beds!  Sun and tanning beds emit radiation in the form of Ultraviolet rays.  This causes damage leading to wrinkles and skin spots.  If you prefer a “tan” on your skin, self tanner creams work well and cause no damage.

Lifestyle is critical.  A well balanced diet including colorful fruts and vegetables, as well as helath protein products like salmon and help to protect and repair the body and the skin.  A good weekly regimen of exercise can improve your circulation and help to boost your immune system.  Other lifestyle habits include avoiding smoking and limit alcohol consumption as these will add to aging changes and texture irregularities.

Antiaging skin products.  At a younger age, products with glycolic and alpha-hydroxy fruit acids can help to turn over the skin and prevent buildup of the dead layers.  As we age, skin products with Vitamin A derivative called retinol can help to penetrate the skin and repair and rejuvenate from the inside out.  Starting with a lower concentration of retinol every other day and then increasing to daily use at night can help to turn the clock back on aged skin changes.

Winter Skin Tips

Winter Skin Tips

Does the healthy, moist appearance of summer skin disappear in the ‘off season’?

Here are my tips for keeping your skin it’s best when the cold wind blows.  And don’t forget the Sunscreen!

1- Avoid Hot Water– Many believe that taking a hot shower can increase the circulation and make the skin healthier.  The problem is that the hot water removes the important oils on the surface, which are essential to keep your skin healthy.  This protective layer is especially important for those with sensitive skin.  Hot water can lead to skin irritations and rashes as well.  Keep it tepid.

2- Don’t overdo the prescription skin products- I have been managing skin problems and anti-aging management since I began in practice since 1989.  I am not a big proponent of prescription-strength retinoic acid, and I have never written a prescription for that with my patients.  The lower strength products containing retinol provide a more mild mixture, which will cause less irritation.  Patients always think more is better, but irritation is our enemy when it comes to the skin.  Be patient in your rejuvenating home treatments to slowly turn the clock back.

3- Mind your fruits and vegetables- just like grandma always told us, “Eat those fruits and vegetables”!  They help to promote good digestion and are powerful antioxidants to reduce inflammation and irritation of the skin. This can help with those that suffer with acne breakouts as well. Use of Probiotics can help keep your skin clear and adding Vitamin D supplements will help maintain Vitamin D levels throughout the winter months when exposure to UV light is limited.

4- Lymphatic massage- when you wash your skin, take 30 seconds to stimulate lymphatic drainage. Gentle massage in a downward direction can decongest the skin by stimulating the lymphatics.  By promoting lymphatic drainage, one can reduce redness and inflammation thus calming the skin.

5- Scrub the Scrubs!– When I see irritated skin on my patients, my first question is, “how often do you exfoliate with scrubs?”  I can tell right away that something is causing irritation.  I usually recommend using these scrubs no more than once or twice a month.  Rather than using these home scrubs, which push the debris into the skin and create irritation, consider mechanical exfoliation with microdermabrasion at the doctor’s office.  This will lift off the dead skin cells and debris, leaving you with healthy skin receptive to the skin products you apply.

6- Sun Protection-So you think that just because it is winter, the sun won’t create damage? Think again. The earth is actually closest to the sun during the winter months. Add to that, the fact that the snow and ice act to magnify the intensity by reflecting the sun adds to the insult. They reflect about 80% of the UV rays. To top it off, the ozone layer is at it’s thinnest during the summer months, causing more need for concern. Sunblock should be the rule all year, and equally important in the winter!

7-Hydrate-Hydrate-Hydrate!– Did I say HYDRATE?- The dehydrated outside air and forced hot air inside wreak havoc on the skin by drawing out the moisture. Skin not only can become dry and cracked, it can become more aged looking with the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Drinking plenty of water can help, and consider using cream cleanser instead of gels. Omega 3 fatty acids in the diet are great year round, but especially during the winter months to help with hydration and reduce inflammation. Using a super moisturizer is a must to hold in the moisture, and should be applied twice daily, immediately after cleansing. Hyaluronic Acid ingredients are utilized in skin products to hold in moisture by way of their hydrophilic water absorbing properties.

8-Professional Skin Care-Lastly, don’t let your skin get too far-gone. Have a professional hydrating facial every 4 – 6 weeks during the winter months. An experienced esthetician will start off with a skin peel to help exfoliate the build up of dead skin layers from the summer, and then incorporate high-energy iontophoresis and sonophoresis to allow maximum absorption of the products. Enjoy the winter wonderland in Western New York, but don’t forget to protect your skin!

Until Next time….Be Well Buffalo!

 

5 Tips to Manage Sensitive Skin

5 Tips to Manage Sensitive Skin

Do you have sensitive skin?  More than 1/2 of women in the USA suffer from “sensitive” or  “very sensitive” skin conditions according to survey of the International Society of Dermatology.  Does the healthy, moist appearance of  summer skin disappear in the ‘off season’? Here are 5 tips I recommend for keeping your skin looking it’s best when the cold wind blows.

skin care image flip1- Avoid Hot Water-  Many believe that taking a hot shower can increase the circulation and make the skin more healthy.  The problem is that the hot water removes the important oils on the surface which are essential to keep your skin healthy.  This protective layer is especially important for those with sensitive skin.  Hot water can lead to skin irritations and rashes as well.  Keep it tepid.

2- Don’t overdo the prescription skin products-  I have been managing skin problems and anti-aging management since I began in practice since 1989.  I am not a big proponent of prescription-strength retinoic acid, and I have never written a prescription for that with my patients.  The lower strength products containing retinol provide a more mild mixture which will cause less irritation.  Patients always think more is better, but irritation is our enemy when it comes to the skin.  Be patient in your rejuvenating home treatments to slowly turn the clock back.

3- Mind your fruits and vegetables-  Just like grandma always told us, “eat those fruits and vegetables”!  They help to promote good digestion and are powerful antioxidants to reduce inflammation and irritation of the skin. This can help with those that suffer with acne breakouts as well.

4- Lymphatic massage-  When you wash your skin, take 30 seconds to stimulate lymphatic drainage.  Gentle massage in a downward direction can decongest the skin by stimulating the lymphatics.  By promoting lymphatic drainage, one can reduce redness and inflammation thus calming the skin.

5- Scrub the Scrubs!-  When I see irritated skin on my patients, my first question is, “how often do you exfoliate with scrubs?”  I can tell right away when I look at their skin that something is causing irritation.  I usually recommend using these scrubs no more than once or twice a month.  Rather than using these home scrubs, which push the debris into the skin and create irritation, consider mechanical exfoliation with microdermabrasion at the doctors office.  This will lift off the dead skin cells and debris, leaving you with healthy skin receptive to the skin products you apply.