How Frequently Should I Get Facials?

Recently, I read a great article on ask.com that answers the "how often" question really well.  The bottom line is that everyone should get regular facials - but you should bear in mind that your skin type and skin care goals will have a lot to do with what is best for you.  


How often you should get a facial depends on several factors -- your skin type, skin condition, skin care goals, your budget, age, even where you live. On average, getting a professional facial once a month is ideal for someone who wants to take good care of their skin. That's because the skin is a living organ, and it takes about 30 days for the cells to move up from the dermis to the surface, or epidermis, where they flatten out, die and slough off. A professional facial stimulates that exfoliation process, keeping the skin more toned and youthful-looking. Try to have a facial at least four times a year, as the season changes.

How Skin Type Affects How Often You Should Get A Facial How often you should get a facial depends on your skin type -- normal, combination, dry, or oily. If you have oily, acne-prone skin with breakouts, blackheads and clogged pores, you should get a facial every two weeks until it is cleared out and calmed down. As you skin improves, you can stretch it out longer until you're on a schedule where your skin stays relatively clean and clear.

If you have normal, combination, and dry skin, a once-a-month facial is usually fine.

How Skin Condition Affects How Often You Should Get A Facial

Skin condition is whatever the esthetician notices at the time of your facial -- dryness, dehydration, redness, blackheads, dull skin, etc. You might come more often than monthly if you have acne, a lot of blackheads or whiteheads you want to get cleared out, or if you have skin that would benefit from a series of treatments like peels, light therapy, or microdermabrasion.

Other Factors That Affect How Often You Should Get A Facial

Skin Care Goals. If you want to have your best possible skin for a lifetime, find a great esthetician early in life, get on a good skin care regime, and follow it. Not everyone puts a high priority on personal appearance.

Age. Unless they have oily skin and breakouts, younger people can usually get facials less frequently because their skin naturally generates new cell growth faster. When you're young, your biggest priority is to be on a good skin-care regime, keep the skin clear of blackheads, and have a strategy to deal with breakouts.

As you age, you might go more often and spend more on treatments that are done in a series, such as peels, light therapy, or microdermabrasion.

Budget. Income and budget affects how much money you have available for facials and skin care. Try to at least get a facial once every three months, and make the investment in quality products.

Where You Live. Urban environments have more pollution that make your skin dirtier. If you're prone to blackheads, you might need to be rigorous about your once-a-month schedule instead of stretching it out to six weeks.

Check out the full article here, and feel free to contact me any time to talk about the latest in treatments and recommendation for your specific skin care!


~Sandy

Dramatic Rise of Skin Cancer

Even as the rates of some cancers are falling, Mayo Clinic is seeing an alarming trend: the dramatic rise of skin cancer, especially among people under 40. According to a study by Mayo Clinic researchers published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, the incidence of melanoma has escalated, and young women are the hardest hit.

In an article on Science Daily's website, a Mayo Clinic Dermatologist talks about the use of indoor tanning beds, sunscreen and the importance of being aware of your skin and noticing changes. 

"We anticipated we'd find rising rates, as other studies are suggesting, but we found an even higher incidence than the National Cancer Institute had reported using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result database, and in particular, a dramatic rise in women in their 20s and 30s," says lead investigator Jerry Brewer, M.D., a Mayo Clinic dermatologist. Researchers conducted a population-based study using records from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a decades-long database of all patient care in Olmsted County, Minn. They looked for first-time diagnoses of melanoma in patients 18 to 39 from 1970 to 2009. The study found the incidence of melanoma increased eightfold among young women and fourfold among young men. The lifetime risk of melanoma is higher in males than females, but the opposite is true in young adults and adolescents, Dr. Brewer says.

Take a look at the article and let me know what you think - I want all of my clients and friends to be healthy and cancer free!

5 Tips for Dry Skin Care During Menopause

Every woman in menopause knows about the infamous hot flashes. Most are familiar with the night sweats. But dry skin at menopause, too? How did thathappen?

The answer is simple: Hormones, specifically estrogen. It turns out that the same hormone behind so many of your body's changes may be responsible for dry skin problems at menopause, too.

WebMD featured an article recently about skincare for women during menopause:

To help turn dry, problem skin into smoother, fresher skin, experts offer these quick tips for women in menopause.

• Focus on smart fats: Essential fatty acids -- like the omega-3s found in salmon, walnuts, fortified eggs, or algae oils  -- help produce your skin's oil barrier, vital in keeping skin hydrated. A diet short of these body-boosting fats can leave skin dry, itchy, and prone to acne. Most of us have a diet low in omega-3s, which are also found in sardines, soy, safflower oil, and flax. 
• Smooth on that sunscreen: Keep skin healthy with "a broad spectrum sunblock with an SPF of 15 or higher," says Andrea Cambio, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist practicing in Cape Coral, Fla.

Dry skin, wrinkles, moles, and skin cancers can all result from too much sun, so add a sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection to your line of defense. Aim for about an ounce to cover all sun-exposed skin.

And if you think an overcast day means you don't need sunscreen, think again. Skin-damaging ultraviolet light can penetrate clouds, fog, even snow.

• Stop those steamy showers: Piping-hot baths and showers may feel fabulous, but "hot water ... can be very harsh to the skin and dry it out miserably," Cambio tells WebMD. Stop stripping your skin of its natural oils. Take shorter showers and use warm water.
• Also, preserve those natural oils by scrubbing with soap only in the spots you really need it, Tanzi suggests, like your underarms, feet, and groin. Because your legs, back, and arms don't usually get very dirty, skip the soap and stick to a warm-water wash for these areas.
• Use a gentle soap: Scented, antibacterial, or deodorant soaps can be harsh, removing your body's essential oils, leaving skin even more itchy and dry. Instead, reach for an unscented or lightly scented bar.
• Remember to moisturize: Within a few minutes after your warm shower, smooth on your favorite moisturizer. You may favor a pricey potion from the cosmetic counter, but humbler lotions like mineral oil and petroleum jelly help trap in much-needed moisture, too.

The article had some great information about how Estrogen affects our body and our skin, as well as some great information about bone loss.  Take a look here for the full article!

~Sandy

Teaching Your Teen About Skin Care

It's never too early to help your teen learn about the best way to clean, moisturize, and protect her skin.

If we only knew then what we know now.

This expression applies to a lot of things in life, including skin care. I have spoken to many of my clients about how important it is to get our daughters thinking about skin care as early as possible.  We nag at them to brush their teeth, we pester them to eat healthy snacks, we harass them about using their manners... but many of us don't follow that trend to include skin care!  

Reminding kids that their skin is their skin for life, that the sun ages them, that moisturizing will help them throughout their adulthood is difficult to say the least.  They have little sense of the future and the effect of what they do now on their skin later in life.  

If we can treat skin care like we do teeth brushing and create a habit early, it will be one of the greatest gifts we can give them.  They may complain now, but they'll thank you later!  

WebMD has a great article about how to teach your teen about skin care and gives lots of tips about establishing a routine, using serums for acne treatment and using sunscreen.  Give it a read and let me know what you think!

~Sandy

Good Grooming is a Plus for Men

Men have found the beauty isle. It's been there for a long time, but only recently have men discovered that looking great helps them compete in the business world.

They don't have to be obsessed with their appearance to care about roughened cuticles, regular hair trims, and moisturizer to make their skin look youthful. The national beauty director for Nordstrom says looking your best is more important in our image-conscious world. It's true that they are in the business of selling products, but their ideas could give you a leg up on looking good.

* Add a face scrub to your regimen twice a week. It will slough off oil, dirt, and dead skin cells. Use it in the shower, and you'll find you get a closer shave afterward.
* Hydrate your skin with a moisturizer. Everyone needs hydration, they say, even a man with oily skin. Apply it after shaving and it will feel good.
* Use an eye cream. A great eye cream hydrates the skin around the eyes, reducing puffiness and minimizing the signs of wrinkles, which is a step toward preventing them. Use men's cream, not women's.
* Pay attention to the condition of your hands and fingernails. Have an occasional manicure and otherwise maintain finger nails.
* Invest in a good shampoo, conditioner and hair styling product.

Remember, I have several treatments available that are specifically designed for men - be sure to ask!

~Sandy

Got Chapped Lips?

The bleak, shortened days of mid-winter aren’t the only tough part about January.

This time of year, your lips are probably crying out for attention, too.

Winter air can lack moisture, making skin and lips drier than usual. Combine cold, dry air with a wicked winter wind, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for dry, chapped lips.

Yet, often, we overlook the fact that the skin on our lips is just as sensitive to the environment as any other area, even prone to skin cancer. And with cold, wintry air now the norm, you’ve got to do more than, well, just pay lip service to this neglected area.

Old standbys like Vaseline, made with petrolatum, work well as a barrier against indoor and outdoor dryness, says Dr. David E. Bank, director of The Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery in Mount Kisco. Dimethicone, an ingredient in many lip treatments, is also effective, says Bank, as is Aquaphor, an all-purpose ointment.

Estheticians prefer to use products made with protective plant oils or beeswax. Weleda Skin Food, a multitasking moisturizer that works well on the lips, contains organic pansy, chamomile and sweet almond and sunflower-seed oils, which can nourish dry skin. The company also offers Everon lip balm and Weather Protection Cream.

To get the best effect from any kind of balm or treatment, be sure your lips are moist first, ideally with a few drops of water, suggests Bank. But resist the urge to lick them.

“Obviously it brings immediate relief, because you’re adding moisture, but it’s a double whammy, because as saliva evaporates, it takes even more of the water from the lip with it,” says Bank. Even worse, he says, saliva contains digestive enzymes that work like a solvent.

“It’s better to reach for your lip balm, and if you feel you want to moisten them, reach for some water, but don’t do it by licking.”

Keep in mind that sun damage remains a threat year-round — and that while skiiers need to be extra-vigilant about skin and lip protection, so does everyone else who goes outside.

Rosacea

 Rosacea is an increasingly common condition that affects men and women alike.  While women are more likely to have this condition, it's men who have the more severe symptoms.

Symptoms include red, blotchy, sometimes "pimply" areas of the face, which is why many mistakenly refer to it as adult acne.  Most who suffer from this will notice certain things that will trigger a flare-up - alcohol, spicy foods, wind, sun exposure and more.  There's a really good article on WebMD that gives some good information about flare-up prevention and treatment.

Regular treatment by a dermatologist can help control the symptoms, as well as regular care of the face.  I have specially designed treatments that are safe to use, and can help with keeping the flare-ups at bay.  Give me a call to see how I can help!

~Sandy