Tag Archives: skin care

How “Beauty Sleep” Improves Your Skin

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Don’t underestimate the advantages of beauty sleep for making you look youthful and healthy. Research has shown that millions of Americans don’t get enough sleep at night. Along with contributing to other health problems, such as weight gain, getting less than seven hours sleep on most nights might also be causing your skin to suffer. As we all know, even just a few nights of tossing and turning can lead to dark circles, puffy eyelids, and an overall more haggard and worn-out appearance. If you want your skin and hair to look more refreshed, you need about seven to eight hours of quality sleep. The REM sleep that occurs in the middle of the night is the most essential type of sleep of all. While considering advanced treatments designed for skin rejuvenation at our Albuquerque, NM, practice, the team at The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants recommends making changes to your lifestyle that will promote healthier skin. Here are some reasons why getting some shut-eye is great for your complexion. 

Your Skin Goes into Repair Mode

As we all know, our skin faces constant adversity from everything from dust, pollution, and the force of gravity to harsh chemicals, temperature fluctuations, and sun exposure. When you’re sleeping, your skin has the opportunity to repair damage sustained during the daytime. Cell turnover happens at a faster rate when you’re asleep, and the skin is also building new collagen. 

A More Even Complexion 

Is your skin looking blotchy, sallow, or discolored? Instead of using makeup to conceal it, getting a good night’s sleep can help, because proper rest promotes healthy blood circulation. This brings beneficial oxygen and nourishment where it’s needed. 

Fewer Breakouts

Even noticed that you have your worst breakouts when you’re stressed? When you’re sleep deprived, levels of a stress hormone called cortisol that can have bad effects on your skin increase. This triggers activity in sebaceous glands, causing excess production of oil that may contribute to acne breakouts. Levels of cortisol drop when we’re sleeping, which means less oil production when you’re rested.

Warn more tips for glowing skin? Learn about how cosmetic treatments like microdermabrasion and other techniques for skin rejuvenation at The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants can help you reduce blemishes and enjoy smoother, clearer skin. Call us at 505-855-9267 or submit a contact form to request a consultation.

How to Prevent Chlorine Rash

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While it’s the most fun time of the year for many of us, summertime can be rough on the complexion. We’re usually much more active during these months, but all of the moments we spend exposed to the elements—during barbecues, outdoor sports, tropical vacations, and lounging by the pool—often leave us with dry, wrinkled, or painful skin by the time September rolls around. You can use BOTOX® from our Albuquerque-based team to minimize wrinkles around the eyes from sun exposure, but the injectable won’t sooth dry, cracked, or blistered skin from other types of stressors.

The chlorine that’s added to swimming pools and hot tubs serves an important purpose—destroying germs and bacteria—but unfortunately this chemical is also an irritant that strips the natural oils from your skin, especially when you’re exposed to it for extended periods. This leaved your skin dehydrated and speeds up premature aging. Chlorine can also cause an itchy, red rash that’s similar to a chemical burn, especially among those who have sensitive skin or allergies.

The good news is: If you love everything that’s involved in late summer, you won’t have to let sensitive or irritated skin prevent you from doing the things you enjoy—like swimming. Simply plan to take certain steps before and after you swim to avoid uncomfortable rashes. You may also want to give your skin time to heal by avoiding exposure to chlorine for a while. 

• Start by putting on a waterproof, broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 50+) before you get in the water. For it to work properly, you need to apply it 15 minutes before you go outside. This protects your skin from UV damage and may reduce chemical damage from chlorine. 

• Create a barrier to protect your skin from the water by applying petroleum jelly to irritated areas before swimming. 

• Shower or bathe with clean water right after you get out of the pool, then use a good moisturizer that contains ceramides to protect the skin’s barrier and replace the natural oils it may have lost. 

Want more summer skincare tips? Talk to our team to learn more about skin conditions or set up an appointment for cosmetic procedures from The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants. Reach out to us by calling 505-855-9267, or submit a contact form to request a consultation if you’re interested in learning more. 

Top 4 Non-Obvious Ways You Can Get Sunburned

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Aside from normal aging, a major cause of wrinkles, hollows, discolorations, and textural changes to your skin is exposure to UV radiation. Once the collagen breaks down and the DNA of the skin cells themselves is warped by this external stressor, people begin to notice static wrinkles appear on areas like the cheeks and the lips. Injectable fillers from our Albuquerque-based practice are ideal for adding subtle volume to minimize these wrinkles. Nevertheless, the best defense against these signs of aging is preventing them from occurring in the first place.

As this generation is more knowledgeable on sun protection than previous ones, more people are taking steps to guard their skin against skin cancer and premature aging than ever before. Even a mild sunburn can cause lasting damage to your skin.

Many people don’t realize, however, that you don’t have to spend hours sunbathing at the beach, exposing your skin to harsh summer sun rays, or use tanning beds constantly to end up with skin damage. Even some of the small things you do every day could be increasing your risk of skin damage. Here are four surprising ways you could be baking your skin without knowing it:

  1. Sitting inside by a window or driving in your car without protecting your skin can be causing skin damage. Although you might think your skin is safer when you’re not outside, UV radiation penetrates through glass, so you may need to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen and install window films or special tinting on your car or home windows.  
  2. Be aware of medications, acne creams, skin care treatments, and foods that increase your sun sensitivity. Take extra precautions about going outside if you know you’re at a higher risk of harming your skin.
  3. Looking at an iPhone, iPad, or similar tablet or device could increase your sun exposure significantly due to the reflected glare.
  4. Wearing the wrong sunscreen or not using it correctly may be almost as bad as not applying it at all. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s water resistant and high-SPF. Re-apply it every few hours.

Get more information from The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants. Call us at 505-855-9267, or submit a contact form to request a consultation, and we can give you further advice or help you put together a treatment plan.

What Exactly Is Skin Cell Turnover, and Why Does it Matter?

Chemical Peels, Cosmetic Treatments,

Each inch of your skin contains 19 million cells, about 1,000 nerve endings, 20 blood vessels, and around 600 sweat glands. The complex mix of water, protein, fat, and minerals it contains give your skin its strength and glowing, smooth appearance. Many beauty treatments, including chemical peels from our Albuquerque-based spa, claim to accelerate skin cell turnover—but what exactly does this mean, and why is it so important for your complexion?

Most of the time, we don’t even realize when the skin is taking care of itself through its own biological processes.

What we refer to as “skin cell turnover” is the process of your skin constantly getting rid of dead cells to reveal new, younger cells that replace them and maintain its overall health. This turnover process happens roughly every 28 days for adults and is vital for skin health, as the outer layers are constantly damaged by external aggressors like UV radiation, bacteria, air pollution, and harsh chemicals.

When your skin cell turnover is fast, like it is during childhood, the skin is smoother, supple, and more radiant, but the cycle becomes slower and less efficient as you get older. When skin cell turnover stagnates, you end up with blocked pores, dull skin, uneven texture, acne, hyperpigmentation, milia, and an increased risk of developing wrinkles.

In order to maintain bright, healthy skin, you can:

  • Use chemical or mechanical exfoliants to scrub away the dead cells.
  • Apply products containing strong ingredients such as retinols that accelerate cell turnover, or vitamin C products to undo damage from free radicals.
  • Improve your diet by consuming healthy, vitamin- and mineral-rich foods along with plenty of water to help flush toxins out of the body and reduce your sugar intake to control inflammation.
  • Exercise regularly to enhance blood circulation and cleanse the skin.
  • Make sure that you’re getting enough rest. You need at least seven hours of good sleep each night to give your skin time to repair itself and generate new cells.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of chemical peels from The Spa @ Western Dermatology Consultants, call us at 505-855-9267, or submit a contact form to request a consultation.

How Does Mental Health Affect Your Skin?

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Is stress acne getting you down? You’re not alone. Since the quarantines and lockdowns began, dermatologists have been seeing many adult clients who have had breakouts due to the stressful situation. Patients are often confused about why they’re having these sudden flare-ups when they’re not spending much time outside, so they aren’t being exposed to grime and pollution in the way they were in previous years. What you may have noticed is that when you’re feeling nervous and tense, your skin seems to also go through a tough time. Although your mental state doesn’t cause conditions like eczema or acne, your body does unfortunately release hormones when you’re constantly in a stressed-out state. This can lead to the development of visible conditions. Cortisol, for example, can trigger or worsen your breakouts. For conditions that result in blemishes and pimples, our Albuquerque-based team believes that learning techniques to manage stress can help you to soothe your skin more effectively and prevent breakouts.

We know that having skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema can be more than just bothersome because of the cosmetic issues. They can also be a lot to deal with mentally because they may seem unpredictable—and some can’t be cured. These skin problems have a major impact on patients’ lives and are linked to feelings of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Although it may not be fully possible to stop any kind of stress, here’s what you can do to help:

  • Get Enough Sleep

Sleeping is one of the most effective stress reducers. When you’re sleep deprived, your exhaustion not only puts you in a worse mood, but also gives you bad skin. Try to get enough quality sleep—preferably seven to nine hours each night—and regulate your sleep schedule.

  • Try Relaxing Activities

Whether it’s watching TV, reading a book, painting, or chatting with friends, try to make a little time each day to do something that puts you in a better mood.

  • Meditate

Mindfulness meditation and transcendental meditation have been shown to help people focus on the present, build self-esteem, and reduce levels of cortisol in the body.

  • Stay Active

Exercise is well known for improving your physical and mental health. The gentle, relaxing movements of tai chi and yoga can help you to release tension.

Find out more about treatments for chronic skin conditions like acne from our team at Western Dermatology Consultants. Call us at 505-855-9267, or submit a contact form to learn more about how emotional stress and anxiety can affect your skin.