Dr. Heather Rogers, MD shares ten pro tips for great skin.

Dr. Heather Rogers, MD shares ten pro tips for great skin.

Skin Saver Pro Tip #1:

Do NOT leave your house without sunscreen on your face, neck and chest.

Protecting yourself from the sun decreases your risk of getting skin cancer and slows the signs of aging. UV radiation (the sun) causes 90% of the visible changes attributed to skin aging. Find a sunscreen you like and use it.

Skin Saver Pro Tip #2:

Use an antioxidant serum first thing in the AM

Antioxidant serums with Vitamin C and Vitamin E protect your skin against photo-aging and enhance the effectiveness of sunscreens. The antioxidants neutralize free radicals created by the sun, preventing the breakdown of collagen and discoloration.

Skin Saver Pro Tip #3:

Wash your face before bed

You want to get the day’s grime off your face before bed, the make-up, oil, air pollution to decrease the risk of skin irritation and acne breakouts. It is also the first step in helping your skin cells in their efforts to reverse the day’s damage.

Skin Saver Pro Tip #4:

Use a retinol before bed

Retinols improves course wrinkling, increase collagen synthesis, decreases collagen breakdown

improves skin texture and discoloration. It also increases cell turnover which is way some people are irritated by it. So start slow, just twice a week, and use it before bed because skin retinol encourages skin cell turnover; this new skin is delicate and should not be exposed to the sun.

Skin Saver Pro Tip #5:

Use a moisturizer before bed on your face and body

Skin cells have a lot of work to do while we rest up and function better in a moist environment. Applying cream before bed protects the skin from dehydration while drawing water to the surface of the skin improving its appearance. 

Skin Saver Pro Tip #6:

Wash your face before bed

Get the day’s grime off your face before bed, the make-up, oil, air pollution to decrease the risk of skin irritation and acne breakouts. It is also the first step in helping your skin cells in their efforts to reverse the day’s damage. 

Skin Saver Pro Tip #7:

Get your skin check annually

The good news is all forms of skin cancer are easy to cure when found early. If you have spot that is misbehaving, growing, itching, bleeding for more than a month, show it to your dermatologist.

Skin Saver Pro Tip #8:

Limit manual exfoliation

Scrubbing your skin damages it. Think of it as using a wire brush to wash your car. Yes, its gets off the bird poo but it also can take off the much needed paint. Instead, use small amounts of retinoids, glycolic or salicylic acid to help remove dead skin cells. 

Skin Saver Pro Tip #9:

Limit exposure to hot water

Long hot baths and showers feel great but are not great for your skin. The hot water heats the skins protective oils making easier to strip away by water and soap. Once gone, the skin less able to protect itself and as the shower continues more and more of the moisture in your skin escapes, leading to dry and then itchy skin. If it has to be hot, make it fast or turn down the temp.

Skin Saver Pro Tip #10:

It’s ok to use topical steroids, just not forever

If you have itchy skin from a product you tried or a bug bite go buy 1% hydrocortisone cream and use it twice a day for a week, even on your face. It is OK. When your dermatologist prescribes you a steroid cream use it as it was prescribed. It will help if you use it. Topical steroids can cause side effects including thinning of the skin when over used but it takes months to happen not days.

Please contact us if you have any questions by filling out this form or emailing us at hello@doctorrogers.com.

 

 

Meet the author: Board-certified and practicing dermatologist, Dr. Heather D. Rogers, MD, is the founder of Doctor Rogers Skin Care and Modern Dermatology in Seattle, Washington. She studied at Stanford, University of Washington School of Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center. She lectures nationally, is well published, and an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology. Highly respected among the skin care community, Dr. Rogers has been annually named “Top 1% of Most Honored Doctors in the US” by Castle Connolly.

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