Tag: sun damage

Do Peels Scare You?

By now, most of you know that Gabriel Horn is my trusted source of medical spa services. In fact, he’s known as the Tulsa Skin Guru. And it goes without saying that I trust him implicitly. We have been working together for almost a year now, with much success, in the battle against my hyper-pigmentation and sun damage. Our approach has been moderate strength chemical peels (you can read more about them here). While these peels are both my and Gabe’s choice to reverse sun damage, their aggressive nature isn’t always right given the person or time. So, what do you do if aggressive peels scare you or are inconvenient?

I had a couple things going on in my life last time I visited Gabe (side note: Gabe is also a wealth of advice, wisdom and laughter during my visits). Between a hot date, a Mardi Gras ball and a television appearance, I knew that the regular chemical peel just wasn’t going to work for me. I suddenly found myself in the shoes of some of you readers who have told me peels scare them. The pain, side effects, dry skin and redness just sometimes don’t fit into our lives.

Gabe curated a different treatment that was productive but left my skin radiant, even and supple the following day. He started with a heavy microdermabrasion. Then a 30% Glycolic peel was applied for a short period of time. Thanks to a couple lazy evenings, I had two breakouts on my chin. Gabe spot treated these with salicylic acid. I experienced no tingling or pain. That being said, we must emphasize that these steps require a medical aesthetician. These are not run-of-the-mill spa services. I left the office with a little bit of redness which dissipated throughout the evening.

These types of treatments can lead to dramatic and satisfying results. The difference is that peels like these are like baby steps as opposed to rapid results with more aggressive approaches. But for many people, they just can’t afford the downtime. While the required frequency of more gentle peels might cost slightly more, the lack of side effects might be worth it. Additionally, a more moderate approach might be ideal for summer months. Skin under aggressive treatment can be at greater risk from the damaging sun.

The real takeaway from my last visit is that peels come in a huge spectrum. When we hear “chemical peel” we think of the frightening Sex In The City episode with Samantha’s peeling, red face. But there is a huge range of options and customization available. With proper analysis, a medical aesthetician can design a proper and balanced approach. Even microdermabrasion, a zero downtime treatment, can boost collagen, reverse sun damage and improve skin texture.

The plan for me for now is to ramp up my use of hydroquinone and Retin-A to prep my skin once again for the slightly more aggressive treatment. We are in the home stretch here with maybe only two or three more peels necessary. But I know the time will come again when I just can’t afford the downtime. And it is a comfort to know that there are steps I can take that mitigate the side effects and still make progress against that darn sun damage!

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Quest For Even Skin Continues

Last week, I had my second chemical peel in a series to correct hyper pigmentation and fine lines. Is it weird that I look forward to them now? I can honestly say that other than a slight tingle at application, this whole process is completely pain free. And my skin has honestly never looked better (thank you, Gabriel!).

Fighting Back Against Summer Sun Damage

I started off this summer with a little irresponsibility. I hit the pool with sunscreen – but definitely not enough and in such a short time, I had my dreaded sun spots and hyper-pigmentation on my forehead and cheeks. I vowed to fight back! I knew I couldn’t be too aggressive with treatments as some make you too sensitive to any sun exposure. But I did come up with a routine that has made some pretty darn wonderful strides against those dreaded dark spots.

First, I have been washing my face with my beloved Clarisonic. My cleanser of choice has been Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser. My skin is gently primed and exfoliated for application of serums and treatments, but not irritated in the least.

Second up, I knew I wanted to work in a retinol, but also new my beloved Rx Retin-A would be too strong for my pool-heavy summer. So I turned to mybody. This line, now available online, has wooed me with gentle and effective products and the most fun packaging and names. A-TEAM provides 0.3% Retinol that you can use in the AM and PM safely. Also in the formula, mySBP 189, Actiwhite and Chromabright can help tighten and recondition skin. So, say goodbye to rough patches and redness.

Next up, one of my skin care staples, albeit a controversial one: Hydroquinone. Banned in certain types of the world, many find it to be unsafe. But I trust my doctors here that say it is really the only effective way to reverse sun damage. While there are versions of this skin lightener in the drugstores, they are usually at 2% or below. So turn to your doctor for a 4% version. I use ZO Skin Health MELAMIX from Gabriel Horn at Dr. Joey Manduano’s office here in Tulsa (Gabe truly is the Tulsa Skin Guru if you are local). I use this both morning and night. During the day, not only does it correct dark spots, but it also works to prevent formation of new ones.

Lastly, I am all about extreme sun protection. I used to dally around with a SPF 15 or 20, but for those blazing summer days, especially when you are outdoors, make sure to up the ante. Super Nourishing Cream SPF 50 from Zensation has been a summer favorite. On the richer side for my dry skin, it is perfect for those with aging skin or craving hydration. And I love the high sun protection. It is creamy, soft and absorbs well. It also works beautifully under makeup.

Another favorite is Kiehl’s Super Fluid UV Defense SPF 50+. It is totally lightweight, non-irritating and even works as a wonderful primer.

So that is the story! If you are like me and paying for some summer sins, try these steps to get that skin looking more even.

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Favorite Vitamin C Serums

Hyperpigmentation (grrr!) is my skin’s biggest issue. I’ve tried everything. And have made some progress. But every time summer rolls around, SPF be damned, I get those nasty spots again. (This summer, I am taking the hat-approach in addition to super-powdered SPF). The progress I have made, I credit to Vitamin C. This super ingredient can fade dark spots and even skin. It also helps with aging and radiance. So, here is my round up of Vitamin C MVPs:

SK-II Facial Treatment Repair C has been in my rotation for a while. I love the light formula with a silky finish. This serum also contains SK-II’s signature ingredient, Pitera to fight aging.

M-61 Vitablast C is a fabulous oil-free version from the BlueMercury brand. This formula contains gallic acid to naturally brighten. And at the same time, it soothes and nourishes skin with Vitamin E.

Taylor Owen Vitamin C+ 12% manages a decent level of Vitamin C without being irritating. This formula gave us some pretty immediate brightening and we love the way it smooths onto skin. Bonus points that this South Florida based skincare line is 98% natural.

OBAGI Professional-C Serum, 20% packs a punch. Obagi has consistently brought me fast and dramatic results. Expect no less with this highly concentrated serum. Not only will it bring the strongest brightening effects, but it will also give you a does of hydration.

Perricone MD Vitamin C Eye works specifically on this delicate skin and in conjunction with your your daily eye cream. For those with genetic dark circles, this could be the ticket. The formula is also loaded with antioxidant protection from Tocotrienols.