Four Steps to
‘Winterizing’ Your Skincare Routine By AHMED ABDULLAH, MD, FACS, FICS
W
ith the onset of autumn comes a frenzy of activity intended to prepare us for optimal comfort and protection as the mercury begins dropping. We switch our wardrobe. We weatherize our homes. We even change our diet. But the modification that we too often forget to make is to our skincare routine. As our body’s covering, skin is in regular contact with the elements and is, thus, directly impacted by seasonal changes. The result? Dry skin, acne breakouts, and general discomfort can ensue. But with a few simple changes to your daily skincare regimen, you can be sure your skin will stay in optimal health throughout the winter and, as a result, look its very best through the holiday season and beyond. Step 1: Evaluate Your Product Inventory I encourage my patients to assess their skincare product inventory at least twice a year—in spring and autumn, as these are the times of year when you should be switching out key products, like moisturizers. However, by looking at all the products in your cabinet, you can ensure you’ll never use one that has expired or is harmful to your skin. As you look at each product, ask yourself the following questions. If you answer “yes” to any of them, the product needs to be replaced. • Has the product broken down in any manner? Does it smell different than it did when first purchased? Has the color or texture changed? • Does the product contain harsh ingredients like alcohol, scrubbing “granules,” or pumice? • If the product is open, have you had it for more than a year? Products with active ingredients start to lose their effectiveness around this time. However, products like cleansing lotions and toner can be kept for up to three years. Step 2: Assess Your Skincare Regimen The next step is to review how many skincare steps you implement each morning or evening. The optimal skincare routine involves just four steps: cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, and protect with a sunscreen product. (Because sunscreen is often incorporated into day moisturizers, this regimen often requires only three steps. And despite what many believe, sunscreen really is a vital skincare step every day of the year.) If you’re doing more than this, you may be doing too much and that could turn your good intentions into negative results.
Of course, there are instances where additional products are necessary. If you have areas of hyperpigmentation, for example, a skin lightener may be used. Experience acne breakouts? You may want to add in a clarifying lotion. Many women like to use an eye cream, but this is only necessary for those with extreme skin dryness in this area or for those who want to give extra care to their eye area. Most facial moisturizers work just fine in the eye area. Step 3: Utilize Products that Address Cold-Weather Concerns The changes in air temperature and humidity that accompany autumn and winter can lead to dull, dry skin that, in turn, creates inflammation that leads to a host of additional problems, such as breakouts. Therefore, it’s necessary for individuals who are particularly prone to dry skin to switch to a moisturizer that is rich in humectants to minimize water loss from the skin. The lightweight moisturizers of summer can be used during the day by those with oily skin, with heavier moisturizers used only at night. Everyone else, however, should consider using a “night moisturizer” both night and day. While exfoliation is essential year round, it is particularly important during colder months when skin is drier. Exfoliating at least once per day prevents the buildup of dead skin cells and allows moisturizers to be more effective. Step 4: Optimize Your Environment for Skin Comfort Lack of humidity in the air causes the skin’s surface to lose moisture BusinessWomanPA.com
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quickly and in large amounts, resulting in dryness. Therefore, proper humidity levels should be maintained in the home through the use of a cool mist humidifier. Additional tips include: • To prevent over-drying the skin, showers and hand washing should be limited in length and only a moderate water temperature should be used.
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• Our lips are more prone to moisture evaporation than the rest of our skin and, thus, tend to be among the first areas of skin to dry out. Therefore, lip balm should be used regularly. Optimizing your skincare routine for winter doesn’t need to be an expensive endeavor or a timeconsuming one, for that matter. In reality, to get the best results out of
your skincare routine, it’s necessary to replace only a few products. Once you get into the habit of evaluating your skincare routine a few times a year and making the necessary modifications, the reward is improved skin health and beauty. And that, my friends, should most certainly make it worth the effort. • Dr. Ahmed Abdullah is an internationally celebrated plastic/ cosmetic surgeon and a recognized expert on the restorative and medicinal effects of aloe vera. Abdullah is the formulator of an aloebased skincare line. He is the author of Simple Skincare, Beautiful Skin: ABack-to-Basics Approach, his first book written for consumers, which breaks through the myths associated with skincare. www.lexli.com/company
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Look and Feel Younger and Move Pain-Free By BARBARA TRAININ BLANK
I
nvesting in looking and feeling well is a challenge for multitasking businesswomen. Sometimes, though, they’re forced to take notice. Varicose veins can happen to anyone, but women are especially vulnerable. Working women may experience more discomfort from gnarled, enlarged veins because they tend to stand on their feet a lot or sit in one position for a long time. Other risk factors are pregnancy, age, and a family history, though some of it is “just bad luck,” says David Calcagno, M.D., a vascular surgeon with Calcagno & Rossi Vein Treatment Center in Mechanicsburg. The problem in varicose veins may be that the valves in the saphenous vein in the leg— normally oriented so that blood returns to the heart—can leak, so the blood that’s supposed to return to the heart “goes the wrong way.” This can cause the veins to bulge and the legs to be tired and achy and may also lead to ulceration. For more than a hundred years, surgical “stripping” was the treatment to eliminate the saphenous vein backward flow. “The procedure worked well, but it was a big deal,” done in the hospital under general anesthesia, and it required a long recovery before patients could resume normal activities. “Now,” says Calcagno, “doctors can use a microwave catheter under local anesthesia to seal the saphenous veins and eliminate the backward flow. With this technique, patients can return to normal activities immediately.” Large, overlying varicose veins can be treated with microphlebectomy, a fancy term for taking varicose veins out through tiny needle holes rather than the old way of removing them with large incisions requiring sutures and a long healing time. Patients can resume normal activities immediately. The new procedures are beneficial for working women reluctant or unable to take much time off because they can go back to work the next day. In fact, it’s suggested that women undergoing the procedures exercise the same day. Some women also seek medical advice for spider veins, similar to but smaller than varicose veins. Although spider veins are generally treated more for cosmetic reasons, they can cause aching and a burning sensation. Sclerotherapy is used to treat both smaller varicose veins and spider veins, says Calcagno. This treatment consists of the doctor injecting a solution into the veins with the smallest needle made. This does not require anesthesia, and patients can drive themselves to the procedure. Again, patients can resume normal activities immediately. Treated veins should not come back. However, if a woman has a tendency to form varicose veins, it is possible for others to form over the years. “But the treatment is like 98 percent effective,” says Calcagno. Compression stockings help push the blood back to the heart and ease symptoms temporarily, but they “aren’t a cure.” However, most health-insurance companies insist that patients wear them for a certain period before covering corrective treatment, but they will usually pay for procedures if the varicose veins are large and causing discomfort. Beauty may be only skin deep, but improving the skin can enhance it. Ninety percent of the sun’s aging is due to the sun, but genetic factors (as in acne) play a part, as do hormonal ones (as in depigmentation), says Holly Gunn, M.D., of Lancaster Skin Center, which practices medical and surgical dermatology and performs cosmetic procedures. Skin and aging skin—including sun damage, such as sunspots and wrinkling—are cared for both medically and cosmetically.
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Pre-sclerotherapy
Pre- and postsclerotherapy images from a patient at Calcagno & Rossi Vein Treatment Center.
post-sclerotherapy
post-sclerotherapy
Pre-sclerotherapy
Dr. Gunn demonstrates a Botox treatment, left, and VI Peel treatment, below.
VI Peel patient images. before
before
after
after
One new cosmetic treatment is the VI Peel. Like other chemical peels, the Vi is a solution placed on the skin that leads to a peeling process to remove its top surface. “VI is composed of a combination of ingredients that work synergistically,” says Gunn. “Retinol increases collagen and improves skin tone. Tricloracetic acid and salicyclic acid improve the tone, texture, and clarity of skin; the latter is also an anti-acne ingredient. Vitamins A and C are also included.” The peel removes sunspots, which over-the-counter creams would take years to do, she says. VI’s ingredients have to be physician delivered rather than by estheticians because they are prescription strength. “VI Peels are more elegant—less stingy and burning than other peels. They’re not as uncomfortable during the peeling process but also produce more peeling, which is more beneficial,” Gunn adds. The application takes about 15 minutes. Once you leave the office, the peel stays on for four hours, after which you wash your face. “It will look a little red (like being in the sun) and flaky and peeling for about seven days, but women can go about their normal activities,” Gunn says. “Once the peeling process is over, the skin will look and feel smoother, and age spots, acne scares, or melasma (brown discoloration of facial skin) are improved.”
Although even one peel brings improvement, it takes two or three for maximum results. “Most people tolerate the Vi Peel well, better than other peels,” Gunn says. “There’s no chance of scarring, and it’s very safe—and with deeper results than the peels of estheticians.” Injectable treatments are also available. Botox® decreases the ability for the brow to scowl and takes away that “angry, tired look,” Gunn explains. In the “wrong hands,” Botox® can make a person look silly. When administered properly, it can get rid of wrinkles but still leave a natural and “non-frozen” appearance. Even though women often have sun damage from sunburns as children or teenagers, it’s never too late for preventive efforts. Gunn advises using a gentle cleanser every day and a moisturizer with sunscreen—so you won’t get as many fine lines and wrinkles to begin with. She also recommends “photo damage prevention and maintenance” through nighttime moisturizers with Retinol or Retin A to help reduce wrinkles and age spots and ward off more. Tear troughs—the thinning of the skin around the eyes that causes sagging and wrinkling and a tired, older look—can be improved with Perlane and Juvederm. It’s OK for us to focus on the way we look and feel. And now, it’s easier than ever, with a little help from medical specialists. BusinessWomanPA.com
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