Refresh Your Look This Fall

By Anne Littman, PA-C, MSHS

As the weather begins to change, your skin care needs to change as well. The summer can be tough on your skin, even when we do our best to reapply sunscreen and avoid the sun. Excessive sun can lead to hyperpigmentation and “age spots”, salt water and chlorine can leave your skin dry and crepey or leathery. It is time to focus on repair and healing of the skin.

Exfoliate

Removing the unwanted dead skin layers can help to reduce dulled, discolored skin. This can be achieved at different depths of the skin depending on the desired downtime and results with microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and laser peels. It is recommended to discuss this with a licensed medical provider prior to choosing a treatment option to maximize safe results for your skin type.

Hydrate

Once the dead skin layer has been removed, creams and topical medications are able to better hydrate and penetrate the skin. Many moisturizers, creams and serums contain active ingredients to help fight the aging of the skin. Some anti-aging products are best used when avoiding the sun, so the fall and winter are the perfect times to try these out.

Color Correction

If the skin is starting to show chronic damage from the sun with discoloration, redness, and hyperpigmentation, these can be corrected with creams, light treatments and lasers. Skin type may limit which treatment is safest for your skin.

Texture Control

Is the skin looking crepey or leathery? This can occur with age, and is often difficult to improve with traditional exfoliation and creams. Look for hybrid lasers that can perform ablative and non-ablative treatments to rejuvenate skin with minimal downtime, minimal discomfort and minimal risks such as Halo Pro by Sciton. These treatments can be safer for skin in poor condition, where healing may be delayed. Total resurfacing may also be an option with lasers, which can improve pigment and textural changes more aggressively than more superficial exfoliation.

Don’t forget that the sun can still affect the skin in the fall and winter, so continue to protect the skin with sunscreen and hats when outside.