is A – aging, B – burning. Look for products that have titanium and zinc as their active ingredients. Got skin care products covered and looking to do more change to your skin? A great place to start is a fotofacial. The term fotofacial refers to an IPL, or Intense Pulse Light. This is an older technology in the field of laser medicine, but still works like a charm. It is a series of full face (or neck, chest, arms…) procedure using a broadband of light wavelengths. Typically you do a treatment every 3-4 weeks, for a total of 2-5 treatments. The IPL is fantastic at improving age spots, pigmented lesions, broken blood vessels, rosacea, sun damage and acne. There is also some collagen stimulation, which improves fine lines and shallow acne scars. Downtime is minimal and this procedure is generally cost effective. I am a big proponent of what you eat makes a difference in how you look and feel. If you don’t take care of yourself with good nutrition and exercise, you can’t expect your body in return to look and act its best. Not a lot of studies have been done to directly examine food and skin health. We do know that foods rich in antioxidants are not only good for your skin, but your entire well being. Foods that are highly processed, refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats promote skin aging. Dr. Lawrence E. Gibson, dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic, suggests the following skinfriendly foods: • • • • • • •
Carrots, apricots and other yellow and orange fruits and vegetables Spinach and other green leafy vegetables Tomatoes Blueberries Beans, peas and lentils Salmon, mackerel and other fatty fish Nuts
This is a snap shot of some good and easy changes you can make. If you want to improve the look of your skin, I encourage you to start with one item, one change. This could be simply committing to adding more greens in your diet or it could be making that call to your dermatologist or local skin professional, for a consultation. Cheers to good health!
Mina
Mina graduated with honors with her BSN from the University of Northern Colorado in 1997. She is a member of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery. Have a question for Mina? Please write to content@HatTrickMagazine.com and include “Mina” in the subject field. Page 109