Prepare Your Skin for Summer
Between the pool parties and cookouts, skin care becomes less of a priority when summer begins. However, you can keep your skin looking great without missing out on any of the fun. Whether you’re traveling or staying in town, SPF 30 sunscreen should be your number one skin care product this summer. In fact, we suggest wearing sunscreen every day—even during the winter. Not only does sun exposure cause sun spots and wrinkles, it can also cause dangerous skin cancer.
When you go to grab your SPF 30 sunscreen, be sure to put on sunglasses also. Although we don’t always think about it, sun exposure can also damage the eyes causing conditions like cataracts. Additionally, you’re more likely to squint in bright sunlight, which causes wrinkles to develop more rapidly around the eyes. Certain wrinkle reducing laser treatments can improve an aged eye appearance, but during this time of year patients often seek cosmetic injectables like Botox® and facial fillers like Restylane® to reduce wrinkles. Many patients also like eyelash and eyebrow tinting services during the summer or try Latisse® to make their lashes grow longer, darker, and thicker so they won’t have to worry about going without mascara.
Skin care routines should change as the weather changes. Although the air is more humid in Atlanta this time of year, it’s still very important to moisturize. A lighter moisturizer can usually do the trick during the summer. Exfoliation is also beneficial during the warmer months in helping to remove the skin’s surface imperfections while sloughing away dead skin cells that clog pores. We offer various services to exfoliate the skin at Laser Lights including microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and pre-skin treatment consultations to discuss patients’ skin conditions and thoroughly evaluate the skin before treatment. Patients with rosacea often experience flare-ups with exposure to sun and heat. We offer services to improve rosacea symptoms and tips about skin care products and steps patients can take to further relieve rosacea symptoms. Although rosacea sometimes resembles acne, they are two very different skin conditions. Contrary to popular belief, sun exposure does not improve acne. While we offer acne light therapy to reduce acne, the photodynamic therapy (PDT) used is very different from sunlight and works by shrinking oil glands, killing bacteria within pores, and regulating the shedding of dead skin cells.
We also offer a variety of laser procedures to treat skin conditions, but we ask patients who seek these procedures during the summer to use caution. Laser procedures and sun exposure can cause hyperpigmentation, so we advise laser hair removal, laser tattoo removal, or other laser procedure patients to stay out of the sun for a few weeks before and after treatment. Patients who know they will be spending most of their time indoors this summer shouldn’t have anything to worry about, but we advise these patients to wear sunscreen and protective clothing when they must go out in the sun.
Schedule a consultation today to learn more about which treatment will meet your skin’s specific needs as the seasons change. Be sure to view our website to learn more about the other procedures we offer. Also, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ if you haven’t already for skin care news and updates on our specials.