Keeping Your Skin Healthy Through the Years

We are all born with healthy skin. Healthy skin feels good, looks good and has a smooth, clear appearance. A good skin care regimen can prevent or slow down the effects of aging and sun exposure, also known as "photoaging." We have all seen the effects of photoaging on others or ourselves: wrinkles, sunspots, facial spider veins, dull appearance, leathery texture, loss of elasticity, and unfortunately, skin cancer. Other factors or conditions can accelerate or affect photoaging include: genetics or race, skin conditions such as rosacea and acne, medications such as steroids, smoking, alcohol use and stress.

A healthy skin care regimen is as necessary as daily dental care. We brush our teeth to prevent cavities and gingivitis. Likewise, a healthy skin care regimen prevents the effects of photoaging. Like brushing your teeth, skin care should be done everyday, twice a day, for the rest of your life. Many products and treatments are available today that can help and sometimes eliminate the common skin problems that many people face with aging.

The easiest way to keep you skin healthy is to protect it from the harmful effects of the sun. Avoid the sun between 10 am and 2 pm, the hours of highest intensity. Wear a wide brimmed hat and long sleeves when possible and wear sun block every morning, even when it is cloudy or you are not planning on spending the day outside. Make it a habit so that you will always have protection. Sunblock is readily available and easy to use. A SPF of 15 is recommended for normal skin, and a SPF 30 is recommended for sensitive and sun-damaged skin. A good sunblock should protect you from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and B (UVB) rays. Zinc oxide or a combination of avobenzone (Parsol) and titanium dioxide can give you complete coverage of UVA and UVB rays.

Physician-directed skin care is available to evaluate skin conditions and customize a healthy skin care regimen according to your skin type. There are several advantages to physician-directed skin care over spas and salons. It allows the aesthetician to have access to pharmaceutical grade products that are much more potent and effective than spa products. Physician-directed skin care prevents the client from spending money on ineffective treatments and gives them access to a variety of services and procedures that are not offered at spas or salons, including: BOTOX® cosmetic, collagen, laser treatments and even facial plastic surgery.

A variety of quick, painless office procedures are also available to improve the appearance, tone and health of your skin. Medical microdermabrasion is a process in which aluminum oxide crystals are used to exfoliate the outer layers of the skin. A small handpiece directs a stream of particles onto the skin. It employs suction at the same time to remove the particles and the loosened, dead skin cells, as well as increasing blood flow to the skin. This process is useful for rejuvenating the skin, removing fine lines and sunspots.

Peels are another method commonly used to care for skin that has acne or sun damage. A variety of micropeels or "lunch time" peels are available that utilize lactic, glycolic or salicylic acid. These procedures are generally done in a 15-30 minute time span and recovery is immediate. A solution is applied to the skin to exfoliate the top layer of dead skin, leaving the skin smoother and more evenly toned. The micropeels are helpful for individuals concerned with uneven skin tone, sunspots and acne. The Obagi Blue Peel is a deeper peel for more severe sun damage and hyperpigmentation. In this case, a strong solution penetrates deeply, removing several layers of cells. A patient can typically expect a recovery period of approximately a week with often dramatic results.

In-office laser treatments are also available. The Versapulse laser, which is the most versatile laser on the market for pigmented and vascular lesions, can be utilized to remove sunspots, facial spider veins, tattoos, rosacea, and birthmarks such as port wine stains and cafe au lait spots. It is usually a painless procedure and only takes 15 minutes. A new photo rejuvenation procedure can also be preformed with the Versapulse to treat sunspots, spider veins and wrinkles all at once. Photo rejuvenation requires several 30-minute procedures every two months. On the other hand, laser resurfacing is performed at the Longmont Surgery Center. High energy light amplified waves vaporize the top layers of the skin instantly to remove wrinkles, scars and rejuvenate the face. This is a surgical procedure, which requires a recovery time of two to three weeks.

Several hair-related services are also available to reduce or eliminate unwanted hair. Laser hair reduction is available and can provide a dramatic decrease in hair growth. Laser hair reduction and waxing can be performed on both facial areas and non-facial areas such as bikini lines, underarms, backs, and legs. Vaniqua, a new hair reduction cream, may also be recommended to decrease the frequency of waxing sessions. In addition to these services, hypoallergenic makeup, which contains sunscreen, is also available along with eyelash and brow tinting. Soon semi-permanent make-up applications will be available as well.

As you can see, there are a wide range of services available today to care for the skin. Procedures range from simple and inexpensive to more complicated and surgical. If you are interested in a free skin care consultation please call the Skin Care Department at 720-494-3120.