So, how do you know if you’re layering your skin care products correctly? First, in the morning and evening, remember to cleanse and exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin cells and bacteria. Topical medications (if any) are applied next, followed by your favorite antioxidant. The eyes are a focal point and get special attention with an eye cream just for that delicate area! Follow these steps with a moisturizer if you need one. Every dermatologist’s must-have layer? Sunscreen! Apply every day, and make sure it contains a minimum SPF 30 or more. Want to accomplish all of these in one easy step? Journée by NeoCutis contains an antioxidant, sunscreen, growth factors and hyaluronic acid, all in one amazing day cream!

Follow these steps for easy skin care product layering:

1. Cleanser (AM/PM): Combine with Clarisonic Pro Brush for added exfoliation.
2. Medications: Any topical acne/rosacea meds (AM), Retin A (PM) or as directed.
3. Antioxidant (AM): Choose from our wide selection of antioxidants to prevent sun damage.
4. Eye Cream (AM/PM): Select an eye cream that is intensely hydrating for delicate eye tissue.
5. Moisturizer or Anti-Aging Cream:  Alternate a heavier, more hydrating cream in the dry, winter months with a lighter cream containing sunscreen in the warmer months.
6. Sunscreen 30+ (AM): Apply every day, even when its cloudy outside.
7. Make-Up (AM)
8. Latisse (PM)

There are a variety of specialty products, such as skin brighteners or medications for rosacea. To learn where these fit into the mix, it’s best to speak to a skin care professional.

Back in the old days – the 20^th Century –  the only surgical option for patients with severe varicose veins was a gruesome and painful procedure called vein stripping that left patients scarred and laid up for weeks. Today, however, InfinityVein Center features the next-generation medical technology to treat the problem – minimally invasive catheters that close the diseased  vein from within. The ClosureFAST™ catheter is pulled through the vein, delivering bursts of energy through the catheter’s heating element to heat and contract the vein walls. With the faulty primary vesselsealed, the body automatically re-establishes healthier circulation and the symptoms quickly dissipate.

Catheter devices fall into two categories – radiofrequency (RF) devices and lasers. I use a RF device because it provides greater comfort and efficacy for the patient. Laser devices operate at over 800 degrees Fahrenheit, causing pain both during and after the procedure and leaving large bruises that take a while to heal. The latest RF device, the VNUS^® ClosureFAST™ catheter, operates at far cooler temperatures, sealing the vein in three to five minutes with virtually no discomfort to the patient. The procedure involves local anesthetic (not general), and the patient is in and out in less than an hour, usually resuming normal activity the next day. The leg pain and heaviness disappear almost immediately, and visible changes are evident in a few weeks.

Clinical studies have found the new procedure to be more than 97% effective, and because it is considered a medical necessity rather than a cosmetic procedure, it is covered by Medicare and most private health insurance providers.

Over the past six months, I have enlisted a number of Infinity patients who struggle with facial redness to participate in a national study to demonstrate the efficacy of this revolutionary new product. The results of PECHE have been remarkable, with patients experiencing visibly reduced skin redness, diminished skin blotchiness and a dramatic clearing of redness from inflammatory conditions. These are results that, in some cases, rival even prescription medications.

So how does it work? PECHE is applied both in the morning and eveningalong with any prescription medications and other skincare products for thetargeted management of redness. PECHE is fortified with a unique combination of ingredients known as ROSAPLEX™.  This is a patent pending combination of key ingredients that diminish skin inflammation to provide a more balanced, even-looking and youthful complexion.

As with all skin care, it is best to speak to your dermatologist to determine if your facial redness is indeed rosacea or another skin condition that can be treated with PECHE. PECHE should be used in tandem with a complete skin care regime, including daily use of antioxidants, sunscreen, growth factors and hydrating creams and serums.

Were you surprised to read that men are joining the ranks of women who have committed to healthy, young-looking skin? It’s true! While the number is still a smaller percentage than our female patients, our male patient population continues to grow. Historically, men spend far less time caring for their skin, but are also more likely to incur sun damage through their extensive outdoor sports and activities.

An avid golfer can spend up to 30 unprotected hours or more in the sun each week! That’s an excessive amount of sun exposure!

Men often come to see me with concerns about a red or ruddy complexion, sun damage, facial vessels and acne or acne scarring. I see a full spectrum of male patients: farmers with telangiectasias (red vessels) on their cheeks and ears, men in standing professions with spider or varicose veins, men with hair in unwanted places—like on the ears and back, college students with acne scarring and of course, men of all ages who simply want to maintain a youthful appearance.

Men’s skin care entails the skin care basics: cleansing/exfoliating, rejuvenation, maintenance and sun protection. Plus, men have the added grooming issues caused by facial hair: clogged hair follicles and increased irritation from shaving, aftershave, and harsh deodorant soaps/cleansers.  I recommend that all men schedule a skin screening appointment with their local dermatologist to rule out any malignant or suspicious lesions and then schedule a general consultation to determine a skin care plan that works for their skin type.

For men and women alike, the earlier you commit to a personalized skin care regime, the better!

With that being said, I often see patients at Infinity who have gone their entire lives with no skin care routine at all… and no sun protection! Years of sun damage has taken its toll! Sunspots and/or vessels, loss of volume, frown lines and laxity issues are very common concerns for these patients. Luckily, a multi-treatment plan for these patients can provide amazing results! An example of treatments I would recommend includes a series of IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments to diminish vessels and isolated brown spots. Fraxel® laser resurfacing is an Infinity favorite that eliminates extensive sun damage or melasma. Thermage® is a tool that tightens and tones without surgery and injectable fillers and/or Botox® Cosmetic can remove frown lines and fill in areas that have lost volume due to aging and sun exposure. Specialized skin care products prescribed by a dermatologist can address other issues such as acne or rosacea.

What else, you ask? Daily application of growth factors, sunscreen and antioxidants will keep the freshly rejuvenated skin looking its best. Don’t forget regular maintenance appointments to touch up problem areas and avoid sun exposure to prevent future damage. The right skin care regimen can ensure that your skin is a 10!

Maintain your results with a daily sunscreen, antioxidant and skin brightener (such as NeoCutis Blanche by RX only or Perle with Melaplex) product. Consider regular chemical peels or microdermabrasion to increase cellular turnover of your skin and you’ll dramatically decrease the accumulation of pigment in your skin!

Earlobes:
As we age, the skin in front of the ear begins to droop and the earlobes get thin. When this happens, the earlobes will commonly develop large, stretched piercing holes or earlobe creases. A quick injection of a small volume of filler will plump up the earlobe and can also be injected in front of the ear where the skin is droopy. This will keep post earrings standing straight out instead of pointing toward the floor!

Hands:
Veiny, thin skin on the hands is an instant age giveaway! A simple injection of filler artfully placed in the tissue plane that surrounds the tendons and veins will give a lovely, plump and youthful appearance on the backs of the hands! When used in conjunction with treatments that remove brown spots (such as Fraxel laser resurfacing), hand rejuvenation with filler takes years off your appearance!

Many of my rosacea patients are surprised to find out that there are treatments and topical and/or prescription medications that can lessen the symptoms of rosacea! These symptoms include a rosy or ruddy complexion, exaggerated flushing or blushing, dilated facial vessels over the cheeks and nose and in more advanced cases, red, pimply blemishes over the middle of the face. Treating this condition can help restore confidence for long-time sufferers and can provide a younger-looking, more even skin tone for patients of all ages.

Because the signs and symptoms of rosacea vary from one patient to the next, each treatment plan must be tailored by a physician. Some patients with facial vessels do not have rosacea but instead developed their facial vessels due to sun damage, topical steroid use or as a result of the natural aging process. Fortunately, facial vessels can be easily treated with a procedure called IPL (intense pulsed light).

If you suspect you have rosacea, I recommend that you see your local dermatologist to confirm your diagnosis. It’s a great first step to a more balanced, youthful complexion!

So do these lip plumpers really work? The answer is NO! Despite their claims, there is no way to get collagen or other skin matrix proteins across the skin barrier so it is impossible to get fillers inside the lip without a needle! Lips are extremely vascular, meaning they have lots of blood vessels and the tissue swells easily with irritation or massage.   Irritation and massage are exactly how these topical products cause the lips to temporarily swell for a few minutes. Some topical lip plumping products put so much irritant into the product that patients end up with a rash after using it!  Most of the lip plumpers on the market tell you to massage your lipsvigorously for up to seven minutes after applying their product! Who wouldn’t have swollen lips after that? So, for fullness that lasts, stick to lip fillers injected by a properly trained physician!