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Caring for your Sensitive Skin

30 Aug

To care for your sensitive skin, you simply need to follow a few basic rules. However, even before we delve into the rules for sensitive skin care, it’s important to understand what exactly sensitive skin is. Sensitive skin is one which is unable to tolerate any unfavorable conditions (environmental or otherwise), and which easily gets irritated on contact with foreign materials (including skin care products).

Caring for Sensitive Skin

For this reason, many products are especially labeled as sensitive skin care products. The degree of sensitivity can however vary from person to person.

Generally, all skin types respond negatively to detergents and other chemical based products. However, the damage starts generally beyond your skin’s unique tolerance level. This tolerance level is very low for sensitive skin types, leading to skin getting damaged very easily and quickly.  Sensitive skin care products either avoid the potential irritants or keep them at very low concentrations.

Here are a few tips for caring for especially sensitive skin:

  • Use sensitive skin care products only (i.e. the products that are marked for sensitive skin care only). Also, check the instructions/ notes on the product to see if there are specific restrictions/warnings associated with the product).
  • Even within the range of sensitive skin care products, choose the one that has minimum preservatives, colorings and other additives
  • Do not use toners. Most of them are alcohol based and are not recommended for sensitive skin.
  • Wear protective gloves when doing laundry or other chemical based cleaning.  If you are allergic to rubber, you can wear cotton gloves below the rubber ones.
  • Another important tip for ‘sensitive skin care’ is to avoid excessive exposure to sun. Apply sunscreen lotion before getting out in the sun.
  • Avoiding exposure to dust and other pollutants is also important for sensitive skin care. So, cover yourself adequately before going out.
  • Use hypoallergenic, noncomedogenic moisturizer as a sensitive skin care product (if there is none specifically labelled as a sensitive skin care product)
  • Use soap-free and alcohol free cleansers. Cleanse your face whenever you return from spending time out doors.
  • Do not scrub or exfoliate too hard. It can cause reddishness and even inflammation.
  • Do not leave the makeup on for too long. Use hypoallergenic makeup- removers.

So, sensitive skin care is very different from the normal skin care. Sensitive skin care is more about being careful with your skin (both in terms of sensitive skin care products and protection against environments contaminants getting on your skin).

For especially sensitive skin, it is important to seek the advice of a dermatologist. In order to find the best dermatologist in the Winter Park area, check out this free guide.

 
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Posted in Dermatology

 

7 Skin Care Rules of Winter Park Dermatologists

29 Jul

If you want smooth, pretty, age-defying skin, who better to learn from than the pros who think about caring for dermal health all day long? From the food you eat to when you wash your face, here are 7 small changes that can make a big difference in the tone, texture, and overall glow of your skin.

1. Wash Your Face Every Night

“The most important time to wash your face is before you go to bed for the evening,” says a Winter Park–based dermatologist. All the dirt, bacteria, and makeup that get left on overnight can irritate your skin, you’re your pores, and trigger nasty breakouts.

wash your face every night

Remove this top layer of grime with a gentle face wash (your skin should feel pleasantly tight for 10 to 15 minutes after cleansing), which also allows the anti-agers to penetrate deeper for best results. Because oil production decreases with hormonal changes in your 40s, cleansing twice a day can dry out your face and make your wrinkles look even more pronounced. To refresh your skin in the morning, splash your face vigorously with lukewarm water.

2. Be Sunscreen Savvy

Nothing is more important than wearing sunscreen (at least SPF 30) each and every day if you want to maintain younger-looking skin. Even 10 minutes of daily exposure to UVA “aging” rays can cause changes that cause ugly wrinkles and sunspots in as little as 12 weeks. If your moisturizer doesn’t contain a built-in broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen, be sure to apply one every day to block both UVA and UVB rays.

What A Winter Park Dermatologist Does

3. Keep Your Stress Levels Low

Emotional turmoil can make your skin look 5 years older than your actual age, according to a prominent Winter Park, FL dermatologist. Constant anxiety increases the levels of stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to inflammation that breaks down collagen. It also triggers a chain reaction of skin responses that can lead to facial redness and acne outbreaks.

To stop the inflammation, eat antioxidant-rich foods such as berries, oranges, and asparagus. When you’re feeling under pressure, try a few minutes of deep breathing (inhale through your nose, hold for 3 seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth).

4. Consider Using A Retinoid

Dermatologist’s research shows that these vitamin-A derivatives speed cell turnover and collagen growth to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, as well as diminish the appearance of brown spots. Prescription-strength retinoids such as Renova provide the fastest results–you’ll start to see changes in about a month. To help skin recover from any redness and peeling, apply just a pea-size drop to your face every third night, slowly building up to nightly usage. Milder OTC versions (look for retinol) are gentler, although with these weaker formulations it can take up to 3 months to see results.

5. Change Your Routine

Altering even one thing in your skin care routine every 6 to 12 months jump-starts more impressive progress in tone and texture. “When you apply products consistently, your skin goes into maintenance mode after about a year,” says a prominent Winter Park, FL dermatologist.

To keep your skin ready for renewal, substitute a cream that contains alpha hydroxy acids for your prescription retinoid twice a week to boost the skin clearing benefits. Also consider upgrading your OTC retinoid to prescription formula.

Choosing a Dermatologist in Winter Park, FL

6. Eat More Omega-3 Fatty Acids

These “good fats” are found in foods such as salmon, flaxseed, and almonds and boost hydration, which helps keep your skin supple and firm. The same isn’t true of the saturated fat in dairy products and meats, which increase free-radical damage that makes skin more prone to aging. Limit your saturated fat intake to about 17 g each day – the less the better.

7. Exercise regularly

Studies find that women who work out regularly have firmer and healthier skin than similar women who do not exercise. The reason is backed by the latest research: Exercise infuses skin with oxygen and nutrients needed for collagen production. To keep your skin toned, exercise at least three times per week, for 30-minutes per session.

Download your free Winter Park Dermatology Skin Care Guide

 
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Posted in Uncategorized

 

What is Natural skin care?

27 Jul

Put simply, ‘natural skin care’ is caring for your skin in a natural and chemical-free way. ‘Natural skin care’ advocates enabling the skin to take care of itself (without any assistance from harsh synthetic materials or chemicals that are found in many skin products).

Caring for your skin with natural products

‘Natural skin care’ is about inculcation of good habits in the way you lead your day to day life. A lot of natural skin care measures are actually the same as those for body care in general.

So let’s see what these natural skin care measures are.

Well, the first and the foremost natural skin care measure is – ‘Drink a lot of water’.  Around 8 glasses of water is a must everyday. Water helps in flushing out the toxins from the body in a natural way. It helps in the overall upkeep of the body and promotes good health for all organs (not just your skin).

General cleanliness is another inexpensive (but very important) way of caring for your skin naturally.  Daily shower, wearing clean clothes and sleeping on a clean mattress/pillow are all part of general cleanliness. After all, clean skin is the key to keeping unwanted skin disorders at bay.

Regular exercise is the next thing to consider. Exercise increases the flow of blood that helps in getting rid of your body’s toxins and keeping you healthy.  Exercise also helps in beating stress which is the worst enemy of good health.

Healthy food and eating habits are also recommended for natural skin care.  Some types of food (e.g. fatty foods) are know to cause acne and should be avoided as much as possible. Your diet should be a healthy mix of a wide variety of nutrient providing foods. Raw fruits and vegetables are known to provide freshness to your body and help in getting rid of body toxins.

A good sleep is also instrumental in maintaining good health and in beating stress. As a natural skin care measure, a good sleep delays slacking of skin.

Beating stress is another natural skin care therapy. Stress causes overall damage to body and health. Drinking a lot of water, getting a sound sleep and exercise has already been mentioned as stress busters. Indulging in a warm bubble bath, listening to music and playing your favourite sport are also good ways of beating stress. Yoga is yet another way of reducing stress; it is fast gaining popularity.

Avoiding excessive exposure to sun (by wearing long sleeved clothes, hat and umbrella etc), is another great skin care strategy. Sunscreen lotions are also absolutely necessary when you will be outside.

A lot of traditional and home made natural skin care remedies are also known to be very effective. Such measures are not only natural and easy-to-follow, but also relatively inexpensive.

Besides that, a lot of natural skin care products are available in the commercial market. These include things like lavender oil, aloe vera etc., which don’t have any side effects.

Aloe is a natural skin care agent

 
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Posted in Dermatology

 

Anti-aging Skin Care

24 Jul

One of the most popular topics on the subject of skin care is ‘anti aging skin care’. As one gets older, the natural defense of our skin (and in fact of the whole body) weakens. ‘Anti aging skin care’ is about protecting your skin from the negative effects of aging process.

Treatment to reduce the effects of aging

‘Anti aging skin care’ helps in maintaining a young and fresh look for a longer period of time. However, it doesn’t just end here. Besides maintaining your young looks , ‘anti aging skin care’ is also about retaining the resistance to disease.

Though the awareness about anti aging has increased recently, a lot of people are still unable to recognize the aging symptoms (and are unable to determine if they are in need of additional anti aging skin care measures).

Here is a list of visible anti aging symptoms that will help you in the planning and execution of your strategy for anti aging skin care:

  • baldness
  • forgetfulness
  • graying hair
  • wrinkle formation
  • loss of eyesight or hearing
  • menopause.

The occurrence of one or more such symptoms is an indicator for upping the ante on anti aging skin care. Note that we are talking about introduction of additional measures for anti aging skin care, we are not talking about starting ‘anti aging skin care’ altogether.

‘Anti aging skin care’ actually starts much before the symptoms of aging appear.  Serious skin care is building and following a proper skin care routine much earlier in life (say in your teens). Anti aging skin care doesn’t mean adoption of any special skin care procedure but just following a normal procedure regularly. Eating a lot of fruits, avoiding stress, drinking a lot of water and using natural therapies can delay the aging process.

Once the signs of aging start appearing, you should start using some additional measures in the form of anti aging skin care products. The market is full of anti aging skin care products. In fact there are so many anti aging skin care products that they will probably find you even before you find them. Consult your dermatologist to understand which ones will work best for you.

Also, with age, the skin undergoes significant change. So you will need to analyse your current skin care procedure to check if it still suitable for your skin.

You should remember that aging is a natural process and there is nothing that can stop it from happening. All these anti aging skin measures can just help in delaying the aging process.

If you have any questions about delaying the aging process, consult your Winter Park Dermatologist

 
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Posted in Dermatology, Winter Park

 

Top 10 Skin Care Tips

22 Jul

Healthy skin is really one of the most important ingredients for beauty-enhancement. This article on skin care tips is an effort to bring the 10 best skin care tips to you.  For more information, consult your Winter Park Dermatologist

Skin Care Tips

This isn’t everything you need for young, beautiful skin, but these 10 will cover the fundamentals. So let’s see what these top ten skin care tips are:

  1. Knowing your skin type is one of the most important skin care tips. This is important because not every skin care product suits everyone. In fact, all the skin care products specify the type of skin they cater too, so using the wrong product can actually harm your skin.
  2. ‘Drink a lot of water’. This will not keep your skin moist but will help in overall upkeep of your health (and in turn your skin). It might seem a bit awkward to some, however, this is an important skin care tip.
  3. Cleanse your skin regularly (1-2 times everyday).  A very effective skin care ritual that helps in getting rid of the dirt and other harsh elements from your skin. Cleansing is especially important when you have been out of your house (and exposed to pollutants, dust etc). Use luke warm water for cleansing (hot and cold water both can cause damage to your skin)
  4. Be gentle, after all it’s your skin. Don’t scrub/exfoliate too hard or too often. Similarly, don’t apply too much or too many skin care products. A must-follow skin care tip.
  5. Keep your skin moist at all times. This is one of the most important skin care tip.  Don’t let your skin get dry. Dryness causes the outer layer of your skin to break, leading to a rough and unattractive appearance. Use moisturizers/ emollients. Moisturizers work best when applied while the skin is still damp.
  6. Avoid the use of soap on your face. Soap should only be used from below the neck. A small but important skin care tip that can drastically affect the look of your face.
  7. Always use sunscreen to protect yourself from sun’s harmful UV radiations. You can use day-time moisturizers that have sunscreen built into them. Use them even when it’s cloudy. UV radiations are known to cause skin cancer, so follow this skin care tip without fail.
  8. A bit of exercise and good sleep are essential too, not just for skin care but for your health as a whole. Lack of sleep can lead to formation of wrinkles below your eyes and lack of exercise can cause your skin to slack. Moreover, exercise and sleep also help in beating stress.
  9. Treat skin troubles with care.  This skin care tip is about never ignoring any ailment of your skin. Consult your dermatologist before you go on to use a new skin care product (you might actually end up harming your skin even more).
  10. Beat the stress. The harmful effects of stress are known to everyone, however, sometimes stating the obvious is essential too (and hence this skin care tip found its place here). Yes, stress harms your skin too. So, take some time away from your worries or indulge in a warm bubble bath or just get good sleep.

By following these skin care guidelines, you can help keep your skin looking young and healthy. For a free skin care report and tips on finding the best dermatologist in Winter Park, FL – Claim your copy of this free report

 
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Posted in Dermatology, Winter Park

 

When to Consult Your Dermatologist

14 Jul

Many people prefer to use simple homemade remedies and over-the-counter drugs when it comes to treating most skin problems. In some cases, this may be all you need in order to solve this problem.

However, when the problem seems to be more complicated and severe, it is important to schedule a consultation with a dermatologist and seek specialized knowledge. Dermatology is simply the best treatment that will allow you to cure acne and other skin related conditions.

A dermatologist is a medical professional that is highly skilled and he can meet all skin conditions. It is always a good idea to visit a doctor before beginning any kind of treatment because not all treatments will work for everybody, and most people don’t have the experience to know what will work for their unique skin.

There are several health conditions that may require you to go see a dermatologist other than using the home remedies that are often short-cuts and do not cure the root cause of the disease.

You should consult a dermatologist when you notice the appearance of acne on your skin for the first time. It is always best to cure the diseases at their early stages, not when they have fully developed. This explains why you should visit a dermatologist because they will be able to cure and arrest the disease completely. In most cases, acne affects the upper chest, the back and the face. With dermatology, you will be diagnosed to be sure that the disease is really acne or just another skin disease.

Another reason that can force you to go for this method is when other remedies have failed to cure the problem. In most cases when it comes to skin diseases, some home remedies can actually even make the problem worse, which may again need a health professional in order to help you treat the new side effects.

A dermatologist will be able to diagnose the root cause of your problems and provide the best treatment for your unique condition.

You can also visit a dermatologist when there is an outbreak of skin diseases. At times many people become affected when there if an outbreak of skin nodules and cysts. When this happens, it is a good idea that you visit a dermatologist in order to be diagnosed and put on preventative treatment immediately.

Cysts and skin nodules are also serious problems and at times they may become more severe and lead to inflamed skin if you do not remedy the problem quickly. Dermatology can also be the best solution to treat side effects from other medicines.

Claim your free guide to Dermatology in Winter Park, FL to keep your skin healthy

 
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Posted in Dermatology, Winter Park

 

Winter Park Sun Care Tips For Your Skin

17 Jun

Summer Skin Care Tips

These dermatologist tips will protect you from the harsh Winter Park, FL sun that can quickly damage your skin.

 
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Posted in Dermatology, Video

 

Dermatologist in Winter Park, FL

16 Jun

If you are looking to find a dermatologist in Winter Park, or anywhere in central Florida, this video will show you how to make sure you get the very best doctor to care for your skin.

Your skin is very sensitive to the environment and the sun, and properly caring for it can ensure that you stay looking young and healthy for years to come.

 
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Posted in Dermatology, Video

 

Checking For Skin Cancer In Winter Park

15 Jun

In the harsh summer sun of Winter Park, there is an increased risk of skin cancer. The key to treatment is early detection, so you should regularly check your skin for signs of skin cancer.

How do we examine our skin?

  • A mirror or mirrors will be helpful as there are areas that are not easily visible.  Such as your back area.
  • Starting with your head. Examine entire face. Include eyes, ears, nose and lips.
  • Next check your neck, shoulders, abdomen and chest.  If you are female you may need to lift your breasts.
  • Examine your fingers, hands, arms, nail beds and under your arms. Be sure to check between fingers and toes.
  • The mirrors will not help you to examine your entire back, neck, buttocks, genital area.
  • Examine the front and back of your legs, shins, ankles, toes and soles of your feet.
  • Finally, part you hair in small sections and examine the scalp.

What to look for:

  • Any new growths or sores that bleed or do not heal after 2 to 3 months
  • An irregularly colored spot whose border extends into surrounding skin
  • A growth that has a change in sensation — itchiness, tenderness, or pain
  • A mole whose surface starts to scale, bleed or both.
  • The appearance of a nodule or bump that may or may not grow rapidly

Simple things we can do to protect our skin:

  • Use of sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 30 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection. Put it on before leaving the house. Reapply frequently.
  • Wear clothing that protects exposed skin. Loose fitting clothing or beach cover-up.
  • Wear a hat that covers face, neck and ears.  A canvas hat, works best. Avoid a baseball hat as it doesn’t provide protection for the skin on your neck or ears.
  • Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays. This will help prevent cataracts in the future.
  • During midday stay in shaded areas, avoiding midday sun. An umbrella or a shade tree can provide much needed shade.

Sun Protection

Most of us came to Winter Park, Florida to enjoy the tropical paradise.  Enjoy it safely by proper skin protection and yearly visits to your dermatologist.

 
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Posted in Skin Cancer

 

Winter Park Skin Care Risk

11 Jun

There are over one million people diagnosed with some form of skin cancer each and every year. This number is not expected to decline any time soon.  In fact, skin cancer is one of the most common cancers.

It is neither gender nor age specific.  It is however, one of the most preventable cancers as more than 90% of the cases are due to excessive exposure to the sun.

There are three common skin cancers. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the two most common. They are found in the upper layers of the skin.  They are highly preventable and highly curable although they can be disfiguring if left too long.

The third most serious skin cancer is Melanoma.  It too can be curable when caught early, but has the potential to be deadly when not.  Some melanomas are found in the upper layers of the skin, but many are more invasive and found in deeper layers.

No one is immune from getting a skin cancer, though some are at a much greater risk. Individuals who are at a greater risk are:

  • Those with a lighter skin tone.
  • Those who have had a history of skin cancer.
  • Those who have a family member with a history of skin cancer.
  • Anyone who work or play sports outside.
  • Those with a history of sunburns early in life.
  • Those whose hobbies are outside.
  • Those whose skin freckles, burns, or becomes red and painful in the sun.
  • Those with blue or green eyes.
  • Individuals with blond or red hair.

You should examine your skin regularly for any suspicious spots.  Especially those that continue to grow, change in color or shape.  An annual skin examination by a licensed Dermatologist in Winter Park is also recommended.

Some skin cancer examples are shown below:

Warning Signs of Skin Cancer

 
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Posted in Skin Cancer

 
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