Is skin care a good investment?
Every year we become excited with the beginning of summer; vacations to the beach, pool parties, BBQ's, activities that are in the sun! NEW FLASH!!! The sun is bad for your skin! The good news is you are never too young to start taking stock in good care for your skin. Medical procedures are no substitute for maintaining healthy skin at home, and in fact, makes good skin care even more necessary. Keeping skin healthy will not only prolong your need for cosmetic procedures, it helps to insure optimal results should you undergo cosmetic procedures in the future.
Damage to your skin starts as far back as childhood. No, we cannot go back and undo what we did to our skin as children, however, there is no excuse for not taking care of our skin today. Always wear sunscreen! Those short walks back and forth to your car can add up to sun damaged skin. Wear protective clothing whenever possible. That new, fashionable hat you just purchased can help save you face and neck from the suns rays.
Our skin is an indicator of our overall health, so healthy skin means a healthy body. Your skin is the largest organ of your body, investing in your skin now can insure a longer, healthier future. Skin is an elimination organ. One of its many tasks being to rid our body of extra toxins. This is one reason that drinking plenty of water and having a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is so important. Good maintenance of your entire elimination system will equate to healthy skin. Physical exercise, benefits your skin as well- by increasing circulation and by causing you to sweat. Perspiring keeps the elimination function working properly and sweat stimulates the production of sebum, which is your body' natural moisturizer. Good circulation is a crucial in cosmetic procedures. Cosmetic surgeons take into account yours skins integrity, elasticity, and healing abilities when deciding if a procedure will give you maximum results. Lack of circulation inhibits your skin from having the ability to replenish itself.
It is important that you take care of the skin on your entire body, not just your face. While putting your best face forward is the norm, early signs of aging can be seen in more places then our face. Neglecting your hands, chest and neck is not an option. When you look in the mirror you don't want to cover 90% of your body just to look beautiful. Pamper yourself from head to toe, but keep those long soaks in the tub to a minimum. Scented soaps are great, however, avoid soaps that contain harsh chemicals, dyes, and perfumes. Soap with natural essential oils often have other health benefits and are safer for your skin. Procedures performed at a cosmetic surgeons office like microdermabrasion, gylcolic or TCA peels, and laser resurfacing are great for exfoliating dead skin cells. Exfoliating unclogs pores and stimulates circulation, all providing your skin with a glowing, healthy appearance minimizing fine lines. Be careful though, such treatments leave skin fresh, new, and extremely vulnerable to damaging ultraviolet rays.
Investing in good skin care is important for everyone. Proper maintenance is a must for those who wish to help prolong the aging process, and who have had or plan on having a medical procedure. Cosmetic procedures will look better if you have healthy skin. Good skin care at home is essential, but, you may have reached a point where a doctors touch will give you the jump-start that you need. Either way, take control of the situation today, so that you are not playing catch-up tomorrow.
-Danielle
