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You have heard this over and over, but are you buying into it? I recall a 90-year-old patient I saw in the emergency room. Her face and neck were as wrinkled and saggy as a Shar-Pei and covered with sunspots. When I listened to her lungs with my stethoscope, I marveled at the smooth tight…

As we enter a new year, I want to review the things we need to do for keeping our skin young and healthy. Home skin care is the Foundation for healthy skin. I consider it the procedure between procedures. We have multiple office procedures for improving the skin, and guess what? When you maximize skin…

For hygienic purposes and to prepare the skin for the most effective results of excellent products available today, we must cleanse the skin twice daily. Many over the counter cleansers will dry and damage the skin when used this often. Medical Grade Cleansers are safe and formulated for specific skin types (normal skin, sensitive skin,…

The skin is the largest organ in your body, but it is the last to receive hydration and nutrients from your circulation. Staying well hydrated ensures your skin will get the water it needs. That means you need to drink water throughout the day. My rule of thumb is: if you go more than two…

So far, I have reviewed the importance of sunblock, hydration, and Retin A. Now let’s move on to antioxidants. I think antioxidants are the most underrated and neglected steps of skin care. Antioxidants are important for our general health, but even if our diet is sufficient in antioxidants, our skin will benefit from application of…

Cellular Renewal is the term I use for encouraging new healthy skin growth. There are many ways to do this but the single most effective way is Retin A. Retin A is actually Vitamin A for topical use. It has multiple effects at the basal layer of the skin where new skin is born. The…

Growth factors are a class of skincare which are relatively new. These are a result of new technology and are good news for aging, weak skin. As we age, obvious thinning and loss of firmness of the skin occurs from decreasing the tissue matrix in the dermis, just below the epidermis. Growth factors work deep…

Exfoliation has forever been known to benefit skin health. In the office, we use chemical peels, microdermabrasion and laser for exfoliation. It is good to incorporate an acid exfoliant into your homecare. These range from mild to strong. The product is typically applied in the morning after your antioxidant (see previous blog). These acids are…

To wrap up our discussion on skincare, I will go over some products that are only used for patients who have a specific skincare need. Toner In the past, toners were typically an astringent that smelled and felt good, but contributed little to skincare. Today, a toner is used primarily for one of two reasons.…

Now that we have covered the basics of skincare in the previous blogs, let’s talk about some products in a class I call skin specific. These are products not everyone needs, but will benefit people with specific concerns. In the next few blogs, I will discuss pigment modulators, toners, scrubs, hydrators and eye cream. Pigment Modulators…