If looking younger, fresher and less stressed is important to you, then taking care of the skin on your face, especially around the eye area, should be a part of your daily self-care routine.
Often times, people tend to associate daily facial or cosmetic care with restorative health and beauty products that help stay the hand of time. “Fast-acting,” “anti-aging,” “rejuvenation,” “plumping,” “smoothing,” and “hydrating,” are just a few terms used for products that attempt to combat the fine lines and wrinkles that come mainly from genetics and age, which are impossible to prevent.
Though these products have their place in routine facial care, for the most part they provide only temporary enhancement and treat the symptoms, not the cause, of skin damage. The fact is, most cosmetic damage is caused by sun over-exposure, which is highly preventable.
Preventing sun damage before it happens is, therefore, one of the best ways to keep fine lines, wrinkles and brown age spots from forming.
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
A few simple, preventative steps can help keep your skin healthy for years to come.
First, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. I perform a lot of surgeries and treatments on this area. Eyelids easily accumulate sun damage and it hastens the deterioration of this very thin skin.
Next, protect your head and neck, including your ears and nose, by wearing a wide-brimmed hat—particularly when you’re working or walking outdoors for prolonged periods. It’s easy to ignore the ears, but I often find skin cancer here because people don’t properly protect them. The ears are a sensitive area, making related cancer difficult to treat.
Of course, wearing sunscreen every day to protect sun-exposed areas of your skin is critical. Apply a SPF 30 or higher (UVA/UVB) sunscreen as part of your daily routine. This is essential, even here in the Pacific Northwest where skin cancer rates are high despite clouds and rain for most the year. Dark-skinned, light-skinned and even those with thicker skin should still use sunscreen.
If you have sensitive skin, look for sunscreens created for the face or for babies, or use those with titanium or zinc oxide. These sit on top of the skin to physically deflect damaging UV rays away from the skin. Chemical sunscreens work too, absorbing the sun’s rays. If you use a spray-on sunscreen be wary of inhaling it.
Taking these preventive steps will have benefits far beyond basic cosmetic health. They will help protect against skin cancers, like melanoma, which is rising among men, women and younger adults.
Cosmetic Considerations
Undoing damage from the sun by trying to eradicate fine lines, wrinkles, and brown spots is more difficult, and can be more expensive than sunscreen. But, since many people ask me how to smooth signs of the past, here are several cosmetic considerations:
Try a daily antioxidant serum to help tighten the skin.
Introduce retinol-containing creams into your home treatment. These creams cause cells to slough off more easily, reducing fine lines. Start with over-the-counter treatments a few times a week and slowly increase to daily use. Once your skin tolerates this milder version, talk with your doctor about a cream with higher percentage of retinol.
Visit your doctor for in-office treatments ranging from chemical peels, dermabrasion, various laser treatments, or Botox and fillers for fine lines.
Perhaps one of these options will work for you as you consider healthy ways to feel fresh and revitalized this summer. Meanwhile, stay the course with your preventative skincare for long-term support and sustainability.
Dr. Kate McCarn is an Otolaryngologist at The Vancouver Clinic’s Columbia Tech Center and Salmon Creek locations. She specializes in the ear, nose and throat with an interest in functional and cosmetic surgery for removal of cancers of the face, head and neck.
