PRINCIPLES
Ideas to guide your approach to skin health and beauty:
Regarding skin treatments/procedures: do as little as possible as often as possible
Small but routine/regular skin treatments such as in-home exfoliation, in-office cosmetic interventions such as injectables, chemical peels, or lasers done with a “light hand” but on a regular schedule, results in long lasting, natural skin beautification.
Enemies of good skin: UV, smoking, poor diet, excess alcohol, weight fluctuations.
Skin’s relationship to UV: it is like an odometer— cannot turn back damage done.
So, don’t assume all the damage was done in the past, so “Ill just keep up the tanning”.
The aging skin is in large part due to daily indiscriminate ultra violet exposure. It keeps adding up!
Scrutinizing your face: minimize the use of the 12 x mirror, but don’t eliminate it.
The world does not see you in a magnified image. While it is good to keep a check on small imperfections (yes, pluck a stray hair, or keep skin free of tiny plugged pores), focusing on these and obsessing in the mirror is a recipe for disaster. Be kind to yourself. Do you examine others so closely?
Micro injury allows micro repair: collagen remodeling—can be a nice refresher.
Procedures such as micro needling, chemical peels and some lasers allow for collagen tightening when these procedures offer a tiny level of intended and focused injury to the skin. The natural repair mechanisms kick in and results in what is known as collagen remodeling. This means the collagen fibers get a wake up call to firm up. The key is trusting the treatment and the person delivering it to know how walk this fine line.
Purchasing skin care products: $$$ does not = greatness— instead, check ingredients like you do with food you eat
Don’t lie to yourself: “I don’t go out in the sun”
Really? Even driving without sun screen allows some ultraviolet exposure through the car window. If its daylight, you must be aware of your skin’s cumulative sun time.
Don’t forget you have skin all over, not just your face. Show your skin all over, that you care.
Skin care principles apply to your neck, hands, underarms and all body parts. Give these all the love and attention you would your face skin.
Heredity: the good and the not so good, it’s in the genes.
But what you do with what you inherited is all up to you!
PRODUCTS
When choosing products get help from your dermatologist , plastic surgeon or aesthetician and choose based on the products “active ingredients”.
S Soothing Hydrating and moisturizing “ahh” factor
U UV protection SPF/Zinc oxide/Titanium oxide/protective clothing
G Growth factors Peptides, the“building blocks” precursors to collagen
A Anti-oxidant Vitamin/ fruit acid/green tea containing products
R Retinoids Tretinoin, adapalene, allow exfoliating/cell renewal