Getting some much needed Vitamin D this summer? Great job!
One unwanted side effect of getting all of that sun, however, may be that you notice your skin has been drier than usual.
Most of the time, it’s easy to understand how skin can get dry in the winter months. But dryness happens all year round, and for some, can be even more prevalent in the summertime!
Envision Aesthetics loves helping patients—both men and women—achieve a deeper understanding of their skin to help take care of it and keep it healthy and beautiful for years to come.
Read on to learn more about dry skin, including causes, preventative measures, and professional treatments and facials available in Rochester.
What causes dry skin?
Our skin is constantly working to protect the rest of our body from the elements; it’s capable of holding fats and oils, which act as a barrier against outside bacteria, dirt, and other irritants; as well as to help hold moisture in.
As we age, however, our skin slowly loses its ability to retain these oils. As a result, increasingly more moisture is able to escape, leaving our skin feeling anything from mildly dry to flaky and itchy.
In addition to the natural aging process, there are a few other factors that cause dry skin:
- Changes in environment and weather
- Soaking in hot water, long showers
- Not enough water intake
- Lack of proper indoor humidity
- Excessive itching/scratching
- Wearing specific fabrics, like wool
- Harsh chemicals in skincare products
- Side effect of prescription
- Smoking
- & More
Important Note about Dry Skin
Underlying medical conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis can appear to the untrained eye as severe dry skin. If you have concerns about the health of your skin, we recommend seeking a second opinion from a dermatologist, who can more closely identify and diagnose these issues. From there, you may receive recommendations for treatments and/or lifestyle changes, which could include over-the-counter products or prescription medicine (oral, topical, or both).
In addition, other medical conditions like diabetes and hypothyroidism can cause dry skin as a side effect. Be sure to discuss this issue with your doctor before seeking a treatment or facial for dry skin.
It seems like the causes of dry skin can be never-ending! And what’s more: minimizing these causes is just the first step to preventing it.
So where do you start when trying to get rid of dry skin on the face and body? We can help
How to Treat Dry Skin
The best treatment for dry skin is to prevent it in the first place. Still struggling after addressing all of the main factors listed above? You can go above and beyond to avoid dryness, especially on the face, in a few key ways.
Avoid Drying Products.
Have you ever looked at the ingredients in your body soap and/or face wash? Depending on your complexion, you may have opted for soap specially formulated for (or at least marketed towards) either dry or oily skin.
However, many soaps contain cleansers that, while effective at removing debris and bacteria from the skin, also leave behind dry and dead skin cells in their wake. Ingredients that can cause dry skin include sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), alcohols, ethyl, synthetic dyes, and even some fragrances. Instead, opt for soaps containing vegetable oils, lanolin, or hyaluronic acid. These are all great at preserving the skin’s natural oils (instead of stripping them) and are even capable of holding additional water molecules just below the skin’s surface.
Exfoliate.
When most people think of “exfoliation,” they picture scrubs or brushes that can actually be pretty harsh on the skin. Even when used lightly, these products can easily damage the skin and cause your dry skin to appear even worse.
Save the manual exfoliation for the professionals! Skin experts, like those as a dermatology office or medical spa, can analyze your skin type, texture, sensitivity, and skin tone to determine which exfoliation treatments will work best for you. At Envision Aesthetics, we offer everything from laser facials to microdermabrasion and can create a custom treatment plan that involves a wide scope of treatments to help you achieve your skincare goals.
The best way to exfoliate your skin at home without risk of damage is actually through chemical exfoliants. For something a little deeper and more effective than the usual drug store ingredients (glycolic acid; lactic acid; salicylic acid; etc.) you can also try a professional chemical peel at a trustworthy aesthetics clinic.
Cleanse.
Ensuring your skin is free of all the things you don’t want will give it the best fighting chance against the environmental factors and other causes of dryness. If you aren’t sure whether or not you are using the right cleanser, seeking professional advice and guidance for your specific skin can help supplement your own online research.
Moisturize.
If you couldn’t guess, moisture is one of the best ways to combat dryness. Be sure you are applying moisturizer after every shower, hand washing, or other contact with water. (This can also help you prevent dreaded wrinkles!) You should be cleansing and moisturizing before bed, too, as part of your holistic wellness routine. Self care goes a long way when it comes to your skin!
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While you should definitely do your best to take care of your dry skin at home, there’s only one way to get a deep treatment that involves all three in one fell swoop: a professional facial.
One of the best facials for dry skin that we offer at our Rochester medical spa is called The Salt Facial.
What is a Salt Facial?
The Salt Facial is a new facial for dry skin in Rochester that harnesses the power of (you guessed it!) salt to target existing dryness and prevent future dryness for an extended period.
Why Salt?
Though most people associate “salt” with unhealthy food, it actually has a special use when it comes to aesthetics. Sea salt is full of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which help firm and moisturize the skin.
Natural sea salt also has organic healing properties, like improving circulation, balancing oil production, and other anti-inflammatory benefits. So when used and applied properly, we can achieve a wide variety of skin benefits for our patients.
The Salt Facial for Dry Skin: How it Works
In about a 60-minute treatment session, we can perform the SaltFacial using three primary steps to alleviate dry skin:
- Exfoliation: You know that thing we just mentioned? The thing that’s super important to maintaining healthy, totally non-dry skin? Yeah, that’s just the beginning of a Salt Facial. We glide a special handpiece over the skin to exfoliate at the perfect angle, removing the top layer of skin with micro-fine, medical-grade natural salt. (Hence the name Salt Facial!)
- Ultrasound: You have probably only interacted with ultrasound technology if you have ever been pregnant or experienced an orthopedic injury. However, ultrasound technology can also be used in aesthetics. Say whaaat?! We can actually pair ultrasound technology with customized serums to help the nutrients within penetrate 2 times deeper into the skin
- LED Light: During the last step of a Salt Facial for dry skin, we use LED therapy to promote collagen production, target redness and inflammation, and ensure your results are long-lasting.
To start, we may recommend a series of Salt Facials, depending on how dry your skin is and what other concerns you have. We may also devise a more in-depth treatment plan that includes other complementary treatments, such as the ForeverYoung BBL (Light Therapy) or other types of Clinical Facials.
Benefits of a Salt Facial for Dry Skin
In addition to being a great facial for dry skin, the Salt Facial can also address:
- Acne Scars
- Stretch Marks
- Pigmentation
- Uneven Skin Tone
- Redness
- Dullness
- & More
Why come to Envision Aesthetics for a SaltFacial?
Reputation is Everything.
Envision Aesthetics has been the go-to medical spa in Rochester since 2015. We pride ourselves on treating each patient with care, giving them customized treatment options that provide real results. It’s not just our state-of-the-art procedures that puts us above the rest; it’s our dedication to making our patients feel at home. We’re proud to say that we have an outstanding rating on Google, with new reviews coming from patients all the time.
We Optimize the Patient Experience.
We never leave our patients out of the loop, which is why we focus on education with all of our procedures. Our goal is to make sure our patients are comfortable and at ease with their decision, knowing that we are always here to address their concerns. Then, we take it one step further by making sure our patients achieve optimal results long after they leave our office. We provide education and resources during each appointment so our patients understand what they need to do to maintain their results and enjoy healthy skin long-term. We also frequently publish educational blog content about a wide variety of med spa treatments and questions we often receive.
We’re Highly Trained.
Our practice is operated by Board-Certified Ophthalmologist Dr. Katherine Whipple, who has completed a fellowship in Orbital and Oculofacial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. Our team works hard to create a safe & efficient environment for each of our patients. In fact, safety is our number one concern, so we only offer the most effective and proven treatments to help you reach your goals.
The Best Treatments in Rochester.
The Salt Facial devices yield better results than traditional facials alone—and Envision is one of the only providers of this advanced technology in the Rochester area. We love tackling patients’ concerns, like dry skin, with the best facials available in the region.
Schedule a consultation to discuss your dry skin with the providers at Envision Aesthetics.
For cutting-edge care by a team driven by heart and compassion, get started by scheduling your appointment or completing our quick virtual consultation process to learn more about which med spa treatments may work to best address your areas of concern.
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