With our lovely cool front that just came through, and on the heels of our Neocutis happy hour, fall skin care is on my mind. And as a holiday FREAK, I am also looking ahead to the holidays (and my 40th birthday) and thinking of how to look my best as I ring in the New Year and say goodbye to my 30s.
Be sure to think ahead to any big events you have in the upcoming months so that you can plan any skin care procedures accordingly. Some procedures produce the best results when you have a series of treatments. Here are several tips and suggestions for changing up your skin care routine to transition from summer to fall, and a few procedures that will bring out your glow.
Tip 1: Exfoliate! Make way for that glowing skin at holiday parties. Consider a chemical peel or a microdermabrasion once a month. Chemical peels can be beneficial for most skin types including sensitive skin. The normal rate of skin cell turnover is between 21-28 days. Sun damage and age can contribute to slower skin cell turnover rate, and exfoliating procedures like chemical peels can help increase the turnover rate and stimulate healthy cell growth.
Microdermabrasion is another exfoliating procedure that essentially removes the top layer of dead skin cells. The treatment can be adjusted based on what type of skin you have. It can soften fine lines and wrinkles, help to smooth coarsely textured skin, decrease the appearance of pore size, and reduce superficial hyper-pigmentation.
Microneedling is also a great way to plump skin and reduce signs of aging and sun damage. Microneedling stimulates the production of new collagen, using our skin’s ability to heal itself. The tiny needles used in micro-needling make microscopic channels in the skin, triggering the body’s healing response: it stimulates the skin to regenerate and repair itself naturally. The result is increased blood supply to the skin and the formation of more collagen and elastin (which give your skin elasticity and firmness). This treatment reduce wrinkles, fine lines, crow’s feet, improves skin radiance, elasticity and firmness, and diminishes brown spots and acne scars. Generally several treatments are required, several weeks apart, to achieve maximum results. Neocutis’s Hyalis, a hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid, (a natural hydrating substance found in the body) is used during the treatment and the hydration is able to reach the deeper layers of skin to give you a plumper, rejuvenated appearance.
Another skin treatment that is more intense than these is the Whisper, a laser resurfacing skin treatment. Whisper helps to improve the signs of age and sun damage, including fine lines and wrinkles, diminish the appearance of enlarged pores, and helps improve uneven skin tone and texture. This is a very tolerable treatment that requires, at most, a topical anesthetic. This treatment will make your skin feel tight and will appear quite dry for several days. Give yourself one week post treatment to have your skin looking radiant. Results will last for months.
Of course results, and prevention of further environmental damage, will only be effective if proper skincare products are used along with sun protection. This leads us to Tips 2 and 3.
Tip 2: Boost the emollients! Fall’s cooler weather leads to dryer skin. Use a richer moisturizer in the colder months, and add in a night cream. The skin repairs itself at night while you sleep. Adding in a moisturizer can help this process along. Skin care companies have spent a lot of time studying skin and skin repair. What they have learned is that: skin renewal increases at night, blow flood (which helps with repair) is lower at night, and skin ph is more acidic during sleep. So a moisturizer that compliments these issues can help enhance skin radiance, texture and hydration. Obagi Hydrate Luxe is a great product for nighttime.
Don’t forget about your eyes! Neocutis Lumiere Riche is a great eye cream that has growth factors as well, and can help hydrate the sensitive skin around eyes day and night, also reducing the appearance of fine lines and dark circles. Neocutis also has a post-procedure kit (for after treatments like Microneedling and Whisper) that includes a serum with hyaluronic acid for plumping and hydration, a SPF with anti-oxidants, and night cream to help nourish skin.
Tip 3: Use products with antioxidants or growth factors to help fight any sun damage caused over the summer. Look for products that contain vitamin E, green tea extract, and/or L-ascorbic Acid, which is a form of vitamin C that penetrates deeply into the skin. Antioxidants, which help neutralize free radicals, can help speed up the skin's natural repair process and inhibit further damage.
Tip 4: Zinc oxide! Don’t forget about sunblock just because it’s not 100 degrees outside. When purchasing a quality sunscreen, look for one with at least five percent of zinc oxide. Zinc oxide creates a physical barrier between your skin and the sun and is not absorbed into the skin (like other chemical sunscreens), but rather acts in such a way as to reflect the sunlight away from your skin. It protects against both UVA and UVB (ultraviolet rays), and because it is not absorbed into the skin, zinc oxide is nonirritating and nonallergenic. It also adheres well to the skin, making it less likely to seep into your eyes and give you that terrible burning sensation. Neocutis Journee Bio-restorative Day Cream with SPF is a great option for the face. It contains not just sunscreen but also hyaluronic acid, and anti-oxidants.
Tip 5: Have a skin tightening treatment such as ReFirme. How does it work? ReFirme utilizes combined bi-polar radio frequency and light energies and heats the dermal tissue within the target treatment area. This stimulates collagen production and produces a firming effect in lax skin. Fine wrinkles are reduced, noticeable lifting can be observed and the texture of your skin becomes more smooth and elastic.
Most patients see gradual and cumulative results throughout the ReFirme™ Skin Tightening treatments. The total number of required treatment sessions depends on your skin's condition.
ReFirme™ is a gentle treatment requiring no downtime. It can improve jowl and neck laxity as well as sagging around the eyes, nose and brow line.
Tip 6: Pump up the hydration! We hear it all the time: drink lots of water. Hydration is crucial to skin repair and appearance. When you are dehydrated your skin will appear more wrinkled. Proper hydration ensures your skin looks plumper and smoother. Drinking water also helps maintain the right balance of all your body’s fluids and helps rid the body of toxins - all this leads to skin repair, health and helping you look rested and radiant! I used to drink water like it was my job. It’s not always what you want, but it’s necessary, and your body will be happy and look better for it!
So plan ahead and look hot in the upcoming cooler months!