Have you fallen into a rut with your skin care or lost that beautiful, youthful glow you once enjoyed? Summer is a great time to re-evaluate your routine and make tweaks; it’s also important to take extra precautions to prevent additional damage. Here, Charlotte plastic surgeons Robert Graper and Garrett Harper share some of their best skin care tips for summer.
Protect Skin from the Sun
The sun is the single biggest threat to the health and beauty of the skin. Although the skin can sustain sun damage virtually any time of year, sun protection is vital during the warm summer months when we spend more time outside.
To protect your skin from UVA and UVB radiation and avoid a breakdown in the body’s collagen, a decrease in cell turnover and cancer, wear broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 daily. To protect the delicate skin in the eye area, add wraparound sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat whenever going outside. Don’t forget to apply a lip balm with SPF, too.
Avoid the Tanning Bed
Tanning beds are just as dangerous as the sun (if not more). If you want a sun-kissed look, avoid the tanning salon and try a self-tanning lotion or book a spray tan.
Hydrate
Dehydration can rob your skin of its beautiful glow and cause wrinkles and acne. In the warm and busy summer months, hydration is even more important than usual. Be sure to drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, like watermelon and cantaloupe.
Reverse Signs of Existing Sun Damage
If you’ve been lax about your sun protection in the past, and want to reverse signs of damage, we have many professional treatment options to help. Ask us to recommend the best course of treatment for your particular needs!
For example, phototherapy BroadBand Light (BBL) treatment can stimulate the body’s production of collagen, which minimizes imperfections like sun spots, wrinkles and redness and promotes smoother skin. It works on the face, neck, hands, chest and shoulders.
Or, you could opt for a series of MicroLaserPeels, during which a laser removes a thin layer of damaged skin to treat areas of sun damage, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles and scars.
Now that you are on the path to healthier, more beautiful skin, ask us to recommend some medical-grade skin care products for your skin type. We can put together a regimen to address your specific skin care needs (e.g., anti-aging, acne).
Contact Graper Cosmetic Surgery
For more summer skin care tips or sun damage treatment options, call 704.375.7111 or email Graper Cosmetic Surgery today.