Written By Twin City Plastic Surgery
Your skin. It protects your body’s internal organs. It keeps infections and harmful materials out of your system. It regulates your temperature and keeps you cool in the summer. Your skin does a lot.
However, if you’re like most women, in the winter your skin is as dry as a desert. All that hard work takes its toll. During the summer, the skin builds up extra skin cells to protect itself from the damaging rays of the sun. The extra build up leaves our skin looking dull and dry.
Exfoliation is a highly effective way to remove dead skin cells and revitalize your glow. Many people try scrubs or surface exfoliation treatments. But, chemical exfoliation frequently generates the best results and comes in two forms: in-office treatments and take-home self-applied products.
In-office chemical exfoliation is commonly called a chemical peel. These treatments can be applied to the face, neck, or hands and typically result in:
- Smoothed lines and wrinkles and a softer appearance of mild scars
- Reduction in age spots, freckles, and dark blemishes
- Improved skin health when managing certain types of acne
- Enhancement in the overall texture and surface of the skin
Chemical peels use alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids such as salicylic and lactic acid to loosen the top layers of dead skin cells. Sometimes the skin may be slightly red after a treatment. However, the underlying healthy skin cells then show as the new, refreshed surface is revealed. These acids prevent the buildup of dead skin and promote the growth of healthy skin cells. They also help with collagen production helping skin to look full and healthy.
Some patients also use take-home self-applied products such as the Retinol Complex by SkinMedica® to help speed up the cell turnover rate, so there is not as much skin cell build up. We work with each patient to determine the best treatments for his/her skin.
After removing those dry skin cells, hydration is one of the most important things for people to consider for their skin in winter time care. It’s critical for all of us to drink a lot of water especially during the winter. But, you also need to make sure you’re using an effective moisturizer to rehydrate your skin and counteract the ongoing demands of the cold, dry weather.
Hyaluronic acid is an important ingredient to look for in a skincare product. Hyaluronic acid is a substance your body produces naturally, which can also be manufactured and applied to the skin’s surface. This type of acid has been shown to keep water in your skin more effectively than other products and can “plump” fine lines and wrinkles after continued use. Some people even use hyaluronic acid for healing wounds and burns, but those decisions are best made under a doctor’s supervision.
While there are numerous moisturizing products on the market, our favorite is HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator from SkinMedica. HA5 uses five different forms of the acid to keep the skin hydrated and helps the skin to create more hyaluronic acid naturally.
After all, there’s a lot of skin out there that needs a little tender loving care this time of year, whether after surgery or just trying to survive the cold, dry winter.