New Year, New Skin, New You!

So, here we are in a new year with new beginnings and endless possibilities. There’s no better time than right now to commit yourself to achieving your best skin ever! Don’t know where to start? That’s what we are here for! Here are the  Midwest Dermatology | Midwest DERMaesthetics TOP SKIN CARE RESOLUTIONS that will keep your skin glowing and healthy all through 2024 and for years to come.

RESOLUTION #1    BELIEVE YOU ARE WORTH THE INVESTMENT IN YOUR SKIN

 Committing to yourself can be hard to do.  Busy women (& men) often put everyone else in their lives before themselves. Sounds crazy, but giving yourself permission to take care of yourself leaves you more energized for those you love. When you are feeling confident and your best, you make a more powerful impact on those around you.

Just like dying your hair or keeping your teeth white and bright, an aesthetic procedure or skincare can build confidence!  And it’s good for you.

RESOLUTION #2    CLEANSE YOUR SKIN TWICE A DAY

Start 2024 with a clean slate…literally. It’s time to stop sleeping in makeup and instead go to bed each night with a cleansed and hydrated face. Using the right cleanser and double cleansing when necessary is key when it comes to clean skin.  In the morning use a gentle cleanser to remove impurities from sleeping overnight. A gentle cleanser is suggested to avoid over stripping the skin and causing dehydration.  There is no need to do an aggressive deep cleanse in the morning.  Repeat this step at night unless your face needs an extra layer of cleansing – think after a good sweat session at the gym or an evening jog – which requires a double cleanse approach.

For a double cleanse, start with a gentle foamy or creamy cleanser first to pre-cleanse and remove makeup and debris from the skin followed by a second cleanse. Doing a pre-cleanse at night to remove makeup or product from the day. It ensures that no impurities are left behind. Apply gentle cleanser to dry skin, slowly add water with fingertips to emulsify makeup and product using circular motions. Once emulsified, gently wipe away with a cloth making sure all the soap is removed.

The second cleanse is going to be a “deeper cleanse” and is often done with a professional grade cleanser that foams up or lathers. This cleanser is tailored to your skin type (see your aesthetician for recommendations) for a deeper cleanse to remove the most impurities while leaving your skin soft and clean. For most skin types, this cleanse can be used with fingertips and circular motions.  Be sure to rinse all soap residue from the skin.

Cleansers we recommend:

• Elta MD Foaming Facial Cleanser
• Elta MD Oil in Gel Cleanser
• SkinCeuticals Micro-Exfoliating Scrub
• SkinBetter Science Oxygen Infusion Wash
• SkinBetter Science Gentle Cleansing Gel

RESOLUTION #3    APPLY SPF DAILY

 It’s 2024 people!  Do we really need to go over the importance of sunscreen? Prioritize your health and the LARGEST ORGAN in your body and start wearing sunscreen every day that will protect your face without irritation.   Sunscreen prevents wrinkles and skin cancer.  That’s all you need to know.

Sunscreens we recommend:

• SkinBetter Science ToneSmart SPF 75….that’s right SPF 75!  And it feels great on your skin!
• Elta MD UV Clear and UV Clear Tint SPF 46
• Elta MD UV Daily and UV Daily Tint SPF 40 (with hyaluronic acid for hydration)
• Elta MD UV Elements SPF 44 all mineral sunscreen
• Elta MD UV Physical SPF 41 all mineral sunscreen
• Elta MD UV Restore SPF 40  all mineral + anti-aging ingredients

RESOLUTION #4    HYDRATE

 As we come into the drier, colder months lots of hydration is so important! Hydrated skin is happy skin. And more importantly, dry skin provides less protection against the elements than hydrated, healthy skin.  That’s because dryness damages the skin’s protective barrier, leaving it vulnerable to things like UV light, pollution and other aggressors.  Grabbing your favorite “moisturizer” does not address the damage to the skin barrier caused by dryness.  It simply adds temporary moisture to the skin.  To truly hydrate the skin, you need to restore its barrier.

Barrier renewing skin care products look and feel like moisturizer – yay! But they go a step further by repairing the skin’s natural moisture barrier.  Now you have real hydration that heals and protects your skin.  A good barrier renewing product will contain “ceramides”, a key component found in our skin that wanes over the years.  Ceramides help the skin hold moisture and keep the irritants out.

Barrier Products we recommend:

• Elta MD Barrier Renewal Complex
• Elta MD PM Restore
• SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore
• Trio by SkinBetter Science

Moisturizers also add needed hydration to the skin with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which increases moisture absorption and protection, and are also important in your daily skin care routine, especially in the dry winter months.  Use skin barrier creams and lotions daily and then supplement with a good, hydrating moisturizer.

Moisturizers we recommend:

• Elta MD AM Restore
• Elta MD Light Recovery Moisturizer
• SkinBetter Science Hydration Boosting Cream
• SkinCeuticals HA Intensifier

RESOLUTION #5    EXFOLIATE (WINTER STYLE)

 Exfoliating in the winter is still important but should not be overdone. Exfoliating too much can dry out the skin by removing its top layers and exposing the more sensitive skin below.

Dermatologists all agree that evening exfoliation with a gentle retinol is good for cell turnover – the process of producing new skin cells to replace existing skin cells – and is something that everyone should be doing daily.  Like many biological processes, our own natural ability to shed old skin cells slows down and needs a little help.  Prescription retinols are often given in the office, but you can DIY this yourself with professional grade, gentle retinols (that do not need a prescription) to use nightly at home.

We recommend:

• SkinBetter Science AlphRet Overnight – an award-winning retinol combined with AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) with little to no irritation to the skin

RESOLUTION #6    INVEST IN CLINICAL TREATMENTS

 …and don’t feel guilty about it!  There is nothing wrong with using something more than a product line to take care of your body and your skin. If a cosmetic treatment is going to make you feel better about yourself and more confident then of course you should do it!

Looking your best and maintaining beautiful, healthy-looking skin is a destination.  It requires constant attention and a lifetime of dedication.  But it’s worth it!  At Midwest Dermatology, we can help you by building a plan that is individual to your needs, choosing treatment and home care tailored to your goals.  Our most popular cosmetic treatments include:

• Botox every 3-4 month, (Or newer injectables Dysport and Daxxify – see our website for more)
• RHA Collection of Fillers to enhance your natural beauty and correct volume loss
• HydraFacials | Dermaplaning | Chemical Peels inside Midwest DERMaesthetics, our beautiful med spa
• Hair removal treatments with our GentleMax Pro laser
• Vivace and Skin Pen Microneedling for tightening and a little extra glow
• SKINCAREON THE DAILY!

So let’s review…it’s 2024 and this is the start to your healthiest, most beautiful skin!  Cleanse, use SPF, hydrate, exfoliate, and invest in a skin care plan.  You will notice the difference!  And we would not complete this list without adding the importance of total body skin exams.   Schedule your annual total body skin exam and check yourself over monthly for warning signs of melanoma skin cancer:

• Asymmetry – Is one half of a mole a significantly different shape or size than the other side?
• Border – Does a mole have an irregular or uneven border?
• Color – Are any of your moles unusually colored, or have they changed color recently?
• Diameter – Do you have moles larger around than 2 mm, which is about the size of a pencil eraser?
• Evolving – Do you have moles that are new or that have changed significantly?

Also look for signs of non-melanoma skin cancer like basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma:

• Raised bumps or nodules
• Non-healing pimples or sores
• Red, scaly patches with irregular borders
• Pink growths
• Lesions that are shiny or pearl-like in color or appearance
• Lesions typically occur on the face, scalp, ears, chest and back
• Wart-like growths that bleed or crust over

For an appointment with a dermatologist or aesthetician, call (402) 933-0800.  Or schedule on line at midwestderm.com/book-appointment.