THE NEGLECTED RESOLUTION

New year, new you! In the days following our New Years’ resolutions, now is the time to keep up with everything we promised in 2020 that we would do in 2021. For New Years’ resolutions, we tend to focus on things like weight loss, putting an end to nasty habits, and being the bossiest version of yourself that you can possibly be. No resolution is invalid as long as it’s the one you want to make for yourself and your new year. There is a resolution, however, that is neglected at New Years and oftentimes the rest of the year: skincare.

There are plenty of things that we are exposed to during our lives that can be detrimental to our skin, sun exposure being one of the big ones. Throughout our lives we are exposed to the sun, and we tend to ignore the effect that it can have on our skin, especially the skin on our faces. And if there’s anything that we have an abundance of in Arizona, it’s sunshine! So what remedy is there to combat long term sun exposure? Do we keep up a strict regimen for our skin every single day? Maybe just avoid going outside altogether? In this blog we will review what those treatments might be, and how easy they are!

THE GOOD KIND OF RAYS

When we think of laser therapy, we tend to think of an expensive and invasive treatment that puts a patient out for several days, disrupting life and the busy schedules we all have. What if there was a method that wasn’t invasive, wasn’t super painful, and didn’t have a prolonged recovery time?

Luckily for us sun worshippers, there is a solution that laser treatment centers are starting to adopt, called the IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Photofacial Therapy. Sounds intense, probably because the word ‘intense’ is in the name, but hear me out.

This method uses photorejuvenation to treat uneven skin tone, wrinkles, brown spots, scars, and any other sort of skin damage caused by the sun’s harsh UV rays or aging. The technology is fairly simple, using smaller, handheld equipment that adjusts to your skin. After one to a few treatments (depending on what you want to revamp, of course), what’s left is beautiful skin that looks and feels younger.

JUST A PRICK OF THE SKIN

Laser treatments seem like the more obvious methods to rejuvenate your skin, and it is often the preferred one. It’s easy, painless, and it gets the job done well. But is there an alternative?

The answer is yes, there is more than one alternative, but the one that we’re going to take a look at now involves needles, also known as microneedling. I know, it sounds way worse than any sort of laser treatment, but I promise it’s not so bad.

Microneedling is similar to IPL Therapy in the sense that both procedures are mostly painless, do not require a lot of downtime post-procedure, and fix the same blemishes as laser therapy such as sun spots, uneven skin tones, wrinkles, and other skin conditions that people tend to have. What this procedure does is prick tiny holes into your face, and your skin’s healing process is triggered to prompt collagen and elastin production to make your skin look and feel smoother, more youthful, and even your skin tone.

This procedure is also super beneficial because it makes using skincare products on your face even more effective. Since your skin has been pricked with tiny holes, it allows those moisturizers and cleansers better access to the deeper parts of your skin, making your skincare routine almost unstoppable.

New year, new you! In the days following our New Years’ resolutions, now is the time to keep up with everything we promised in 2020 that we would do in 2021.

THE FRESH START THAT YOU DESERVE

Being tan is awesome, but sun damage on your skin is definitely not. There are things we can do for our skin that will help maintain its healthy, youthful appearance, such as wearing sunscreen and keeping up with our daily skincare routines. Unfortunately for a lot of us, the damage has already been done, but that doesn’t mean that the damage is irreversible. With every new year there is a chance to begin anew, so start your new year off with a resolution that will have lasting benefits for the rest of your new years.