beauty and aging

Kermit the Frog used to sing, “It’s not easy being green.”
My, how things have changed since then! Today, companies and products are scrambling to reposition themselves as “green.” It’s certainly trendy, but how much of it is just marketing? Stand at any drug store cosmetics wall and you'll see the color green on fresh new packaging, along with words like Natural, Pure, Organic, Mineral. But what do new color schemes and claims really mean? What's different about so-called “green” or “organic” or “natural” cosmetics?

It happens on a regular basis. I walk into the room and I see a miserable-looking patient who went somewhere they shouldn’t have for a laser treatment and paid the price. The person who wanted to look better now has burns, scars, and deep embarrassment. The lesson here is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

I can tell what my 3-year-old daughter has been snacking on because it’s visible all over her precious face. Would you be surprised to learn that the telltale signs of what you have been eating – or avoiding – are equally noticeable just by looking at your face? It’s true. Dermatologists explain that our skin is a window into our overall health and can show clues of what’s going on under the surface.

As the sun wanes and beach vacations end, it’s time to evaluate summertime skin damage. Of course you used sunscreen diligently and faithfully wore your wide-brimmed hat to protect your face, but if you enjoyed a lot of time outdoors this summer, you might see evidence of damage anyway.

Many of my patients, particularly women aged 20 to 50, are concerned about the same thing – a “mask” of mottled skin on the tops of the cheeks and temples. This common (and benign) condition is called melasma, a Greek derivation meaning “dark pigmentation of the skin.” Melasma can happen to anybody, but it is more common among darker-skinned people and those who tan easily.

The success of injectable cosmetic Botox® in erasing furrowed brows, crow’s feet, and wrinkled lip lines has prompted growing interest in other subcutaneous therapies to achieve new kinds of cosmetic results.

Fall is a wonderful time for self-nurturing and introspection. As the weather cools and leaves change colors, many of my patients feel the need to look at areas of their lives they’ve let fall by the wayside. After the summer sun (and tan!) fades, we have a wonderful opportunity to take stock of the health of our skin and overall lifestyle and habits to prepare for the winter.

All natural, fragrance free, safe for sensitive skin. These are words that we see a lot on beauty products. But what do they really mean? Many assume that using such products is somehow beneficial, but marketing terms may not actually mean what we assume. Here are a few thoughts about common product descriptions and what you need to know about them.

Today’s buzzword in many industries is green, including the personal care and cosmetics business. Words like natural and organic figure prominently on labels and in advertisements. But I’ve discovered it’s hard to get a handle on such terms, even when we are dedicated label readers.

Acne is actually a wide variety of complex disease states, from small bumps to red inflammatory nodules and pustules, all influenced by genetic and hormonal makeup. To help understand it, we start with the fact that the human body is covered with millions of hairs, the vast majority so small they can’t be seen. But you can see the pores where the hairs protrude. And that’s where the trouble begins.