Exfoliate to Get Rid of Dry, Dull Skin
Experts say the best way to get your skin ready for summer is with regular exfoliation. This gets rid of dead, dry skin cells. “You can use a chemical or physical exfoliation to keep your skin looking fresher and to get rid of dry flaky winter skin,” says Audrey Kunin MD, a dermatologist in Kansas City, Mo.

Use a washcloth, loofah, buff puff, or any number of the microdermabrasion creams or tools that are now on the market, Kunin says. Wet your entire body in the bath or shower. Apply exfoliating cleanser to your loofah or washcloth, and scrub, using gentle, circular motions.

Added incentive: exfoliated skin will help self-tanners go on more smoothly, making them less likely to streak and prevent your glow from fading prematurely.

Moisturize to Hydrate Skin
After you exfoliate, moisturizing your winter dry skin is key. “If your skin is only a little dry, you can use a liquid moisturizer and if it’s very dry, you can use a cream moisturizer,” says Rhoda S. Narins, MD, a dermatological surgeon in New York City and president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

Use it after you exfoliate, shave, and shower. In particular, “moisturizing after you shave puts the skin barrier back until your own body can do it,” Narins says.

Apply Sunscreen — and Use Enough
“There are lots of things you can do to make skin look good, but the most important thing is sun protection so you never get a burn,” Narins says.

“How high a number of sun protection factor (SPF) you need depends on how fair you are,” she says. People with fairer skin, lighter hair, and lighter eyes often need stronger sun block than their darker counterparts.

Everyone should wear a sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher with a broad-spectrum agent that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Some moisturizers have an SPF, but not all do. Check the label.

Apply it before you reach the beach or outdoors. “Sunscreen takes 15 to 20 minutes to kick into high gear, so apply it before you leave the house, not when you get to the beach,” he says.

Reapply it frequently. Remember that it only lasts for about two hours. “So by six hours you have no protection if you have been out all day,” he says. Sunscreens should be reapplied every two hours or after swimming or perspiring heavily. And don’t forget your scars. “The sun can lighten or darken scars so make sure to be extra careful and use an SPF of 30 or higher on those parts,” Fallek says.

*Source: WebMD

For further assistance regarding any of our procedures, please contact our office.

*****************************************

SPECIAL OFFER AUGUST 2010:

$50 Botox cosmetic rebate. Contact our office to see if you qualify.

Offer valid through the end of August, 2010.

Contact us for more details!

*****************************************

About the Author

If you have questions about any of our procedures, we’d love to help. Please come on over to our Facebook fan page where you’ll get to know our staff and physicians a little better.

You can find us at:

Facebook: http://bit.ly/lookyrbest-fb

Twitter: http://bit.ly/lookyrbest-tw

negpsa-lookyrbest