Get Your Summer Glow

By Sharleen St. Surin-Lord, MD

Visage Dermatology and Aesthetic Center

. http://www.visagederm.com/

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Get Your Summer Glow

Here we go again time to get ready for Spring (and Summer). It's March and there is still snow on the ground, yet Spring is around the corner.

There is still time to get spruced up for that Spring Bling and get that Summer glow. Some of us are at the gym getting that beach-ready body. Many of us are at the salon spending a ton for that Hollywood hair. Have you made your dermatology appointment yet?

How are you preparing for that summer glow? Your skin, like your body and hair, also needs conditioning. The summer months, with their humidity, can make your oil glands more active than usual, increasing oil production, which can worsen acne. During the summer months, optimizing your skin care regimen and scheduling facials for extractions of black heads and white heads will leave you looking radiant. You will thank yourself later, as retinoids used to treat acne also build collagen and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

Those mid-day jogs and days at the beach may leave you with a nice bronze look, but they may also cause age spots and wrinkling that you will kick yourself for in years to come, so please wear your sunscreen SPF30 and re-apply every two hours. Chemical peels, and complexion blending with lasers, are safe and effective solutions to sunspots, brown spots, and facial redness all at the stroke of a laser.

Whether your skin concerns include moles, age spots, dark spots, dry skin, or dull skin, this is the perfect time to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist. Many brides-to-be come in for monthly chemical peels to get camera-ready for that special day. Chemical peels are excellent for exfoliation, fading dark spots, erasing fine lines and wrinkles, building collagen and getting rid of acne. Yes, all that in a peel.

If you're hoping to look younger in time for your class reunion or a family reunion, fillers such as Juvederm Ultra Plus and Belotero are perfect for plumping up those laugh lines, getting rid of the jowls, and rejuvenating those sunken eyes. The best thing about fillers is that results are immediate.

If your spouse is constantly asking why you look so angry or if people are telling you that you look tired all the time, it is probably time for Botox or Xeomin. There is a reason why over three million injections of botulinum toxin had been administered worldwide in 2012 and 2013. These neuromodulators relax facial muscles (and the “turkey neck”) so that frown lines do not become deeper and permanent. Patients also look very refreshed after having had Botox or Xeomin. Patients especially like axillary (arm pit) Botox for excessive sweating, and male patients can enjoy a little “Bro”tox for that excessive forehead or scalp sweating as well.

Since we are all looking forward to taking off those heavy winter coats and showing off our summer clothing, what are we to do with all that bodily hair? If shaving is not your forte, then it may be time for laser hair removal. Laser hair removal normally requires 4-6 treatments one month apart to achieve a long-lasting to permanent hair free lifestyle. Laser hair removal is also safe and effective for treating razor bumps.

So, the time to get summer-ready skin is now. Look good, feel great, ascend!