Why Sunscreen should be a Part of your Daily Beauty Regimen

Every day I treat patients for various skin and appearance concerns, and there’s one thing that nearly all of them have in common: they need to wear sunscreen more often. Its time to throw out the idea that sunscreen is something you only wear when you go to the beach or pool. Sunscreen is an essential step that needs to be added to your daily beauty regimen. If you’re not going to wear sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, then at least wear it to keep your skin looking youthful and wrinkle-free.

Who should use Sunscreen

Anyone over the age of six months should use a sunscreen on a daily basis. Even those who work inside are exposed to ultraviolet radiation for brief periods throughout the day, especially if they work near windows, which generally filter out UVB but not UVA rays.

If you’re struggling to include sunscreen in your daily beauty regimen, then keep it right next to your usual moisturizer, and keep a reminder that tells you that wearing sunscreen will help to keep your skin looking young and wrinkle-free. While this advice may seem superficial, it must be noted that a new study shows that patients are more likely to wear sunscreen when they’re motivated by their fear of aging rather than their fear of skin cancer.

Choosing a Sunscreen

“Nine out of 10 skin cancers are related to exposure to the sun,” said Timothy C. Flynn, M.D., President of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. “The fact is sunscreen can save your life for whatever reason you decide to use it.” If you have been forgetting to apply sunscreen daily, then take into consideration that there are many ways that too much sun exposure can damage your skin, making it age prematurely. UV radiation increases wrinkles and moles, creates discolored spots or patches and can produce an uneven skin tone and leathery texture.

Buy a high-quality product with an SPF of 15 or higher; check its ingredients to make sure it offers broad-spectrum protection; and decide whether it works better for everyday incidental use or extended outdoor use. Finally, take a look at Natural Image OC’s sunscreen selection. We have a variety of sunscreens for every skin type, and right now all sunscreens are 15% off! So stock up for summer!

There is some good news, however. If you have noticed signs of premature aging or sun damage on your skin, Natural Image OC can help. Procedures such as dermabrasion, laser and light therapy, chemical peels, soft-tissue fillers, among others, can easily and non-invasively rejuvenate skin and take years off your appearance. Have you noticed signs of sun-damaged skin? Contact Natural Image OC today: 949-448-0487

More on Thulium from Dr. Sikorski

As you know, Thulium Laser is one of Dr. Lenore Sikorski’s Top 10 Cosmetic Picks for 2014.  To learn a little more about it and how long it has been around from Dr.Sikorski herself, check out the video below!

Make sure to keep checking back for more mini web shows from Dr. Sikorski!  We have more ready to go and some in the works!

If you haven’t already, head on over to our Facebook page and ‘Like’ us to keep up on our specials and stuff happening in our office!

Thanks, Natural Image OC

 

It is a New Year and a New You

To kick off the New Year, Dr. Sikorski has put together her Top 10 Cosmetic Picks for 2014!!  As a lot of people are looking for those non-surgical options, Dr.Sikorski has made sure to make that the focus of her top 10 picks.  Without further adieu, here we go!

Dr.Sikorski’s Top 10 picks of 2014!

1. Thulium Laser           2. Ultherapy        3. Voluma/Artefill

4. CoolSculpting           5. V-Beam            6. Botox             7. Sculptra

8. Thermage Eyes        9. Nectifirm        10. Vitamin A, C, E & Hyalis

 All of these picks are favorites of Dr. Sikorski’s because they are a great vast aray of different procedures that all help the uniform goal of looking younger.  Here at Natural Image OC, we work with you to put together the best plan for you as an individual to make sure you get the best results.  So whether it is all of these, a lot of these, or just a few of these options, we know you will get a great result!

As we continue our journey throughout 2014, we will go more in depth about each of these Top 10 Picks.  The first on the list is Thulium.

Fraxel Dual Wavelength Thulium Laser Treatment is a “fractional” treatment that produces thousands of deep, tiny columns in your skin called microscopic treatment zones (mtz).  The term “fractional” means that only a percentage of the skin surface is affected with each pass of the laser.  Fraxel intensively treats only some of the epidermal cells without affecting all of them.  This method of fractionally treating the skin reduces healing time and promotes the skin’s natural process for creating new, healthier tissue to replace the damaged cells.

 

Next up, Ultherapy!

Until then, have a wonderful day!

Natural Image OC

What to do with your face

Are you at the point where you just don’t know what to do with your skin care regime anymore?  It can be very daunting to try and figure out what you should be doing and when.  Everywhere I go, I always hear “well I do this and this in the morning and then this and this at night.  Oh and then I do this every other night with this in the morning”.  There are so many eye creams, serums, face creams, vitamins, antioxidants, etc. that it can be confusing to say the least.  And because of that, people don’t end up using anything at all!  Now, that’s where the big problem is.  Skin care isn’t something one should put off simply because they don’t know what to do. 

There are many ways you can figure out the best skin care regime for your type of skin.  You can obviously head to your dermatologist and they will definitely give you a good regime to follow.  You can also do some research on your own but you do need to realize and  be honest about the type of skin you have whether it is dry, normal, oily.  Everyone is different so you won’t necessarily be needing to do the same thing as your best friend is doing.  Make sure to do your due diligence and find your perfect regime and then follow it because it will definitely pay off later in life.

A good general regime would be to make sure you have a good Vitamin A, C & E as well as a moisturizing eye cream, a general moisturizer and sunscreen.  A general rule of thumb to follow when applying is the thinest product goes on first and the thickest goes on last.  For example, your vitamin serums would go first so they can soak in, then you would apply your creams/moisturizer and then your sunscreen as it is your thickest and is used to protect your skin.  After that, you whould then apply your make-up (if you wear make-up).  One thing to note…if you choose to do nothing, at the very least apply sunscreen!!

Here is a link to our product page so that way you can read up on some good products, if you would like!

Until next time…Natural Image OC

Do you have the curse of Cold Weather?

Tis the season for cold winds, hot showers, constantly changing temperatures and drying indoor heat.  All of these can literally suck the life out of your skin and your hair if you aren’t careful.  We have gathered a few simple tips to help you beat these ever changing scenarios!

Do you have dull complexion?

When you skin cells are dehydrated, they tend to slough off less quickly which then build up and don’t allow that fresh look.  To solve this, simply drink more water! Also load up on your omega 3’s as they help with hydration.  In these dry times, make sure to start your regimen with a cleanser that doesn’t stip your skin as much and then follow with a cream instead of lotion.  Creams will help to insulate the skin.

Is your hair feeling a little uninspiring?

Winter hair is never something you look forward to.  Dull, dryed out, full of static…not fun!  One easy solution is to make sure you use conditioner!  Conditioner is important because it locks in last moisture that will keep your hair fresh and not full of that pesky static. 

Is your scalp dry and itchy?

These symptoms can be either dandruff and/or regular dry scalp.  Both of these tend to have the same tell tale signs so it may be a bit difficult to pin point.  You should try using a hydrating shampoo and conditioner.  Give it some time but if after about a week, its doesn’t resolve then try using moroccanoil on your scalp.  If that doesn’t work, then you most likely have dandruff.  Change to a medicated shampoo that will help kill the fungus and stop the flakes. 

Along with these, I’m sure you have seen hundreds of helpful skin tips.  The main thing to take away from this is to make sure to protect and hydrate your skin, it does more for you than you think it does!

Thanks for reading!

Natural Image OC