If you’re looking for ways to keep your skin young and healthy this winter, you’ve come to the right place! Here are three tips for keeping your skin looking its best:

Get a Medical Spa Facial 

There’s nothing like a professional facial to give your skin a boost. At medical spas, facials are performed by licensed estheticians and are much more than just a luxurious experience.

During a medical spa facial, your esthetician will thoroughly cleanse and exfoliate your skin. This will help eliminate dead skin cells clogging your pores and causing breakouts.

Your esthetician will also perform a detailed analysis of your skin. They’ll be able to identify areas that may be particularly dry or sensitive and customize the facial to address your specific needs.

Most medical spa facials also include a relaxing massage. This can help to increase circulation and promote lymphatic drainage.

Drink Plenty of Water 

One of the best things you can do for your skin (and overall health) is to ensure you’re drinking enough water.

During the winter, it’s easy to dehydrate because the air is so dry. This can lead to dry, flaky skin.

To prevent dehydration, drink 8-10 glasses of water per day. You can also increase your water intake by adding foods high in water content to your diets, such as watermelon, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

Use a Humidifier 

Another way to combat the dry winter air is to use a humidifier. This will help to add moisture back into the air, which will, in turn, help to keep your skin hydrated.

If you don’t want to invest in a humidifier, you can also put a bowl of water on your radiator or place pots with water around your home. Just empty and refill them regularly to prevent the water from evaporating.

So what are you waiting for? Make an appointment at our medical spa in Austin, TX, today, and we’ll prepare your skin for winter! Feel free to reach out to us at 512-450-1077.

The post National Winter Skin Relief Day: 3 Tips for Healthy Skin appeared first on Andrew Trussler, MD, PLLC.

Did you know that November is National Healthy Skin Month? Since the skin is your body’s largest organ, this is an important holiday! In honor of National Healthy Skin Month, there are several ways you can participate:

• Start by learning ways to keep your skin healthy and happy. 
• Make an appointment with a dermatologist or other skin care professional to check your skin. 
• Take time to pamper yourself and your skin with a relaxing facial or spa treatment.

Here are the 3 ways a regular skincare routine can help you.

Inflammation Reduction

When you have inflammatory skin conditions like acne, eczema, or psoriasis, inflammation can be a big issue. Regular skin care routines can reduce inflammation, which is one of the great benefits.

When you cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize your skin regularly, you’re helping to remove dead skin cells and promote cell turnover. Using this method can help soothe irritated skin and reduce inflammation.

Hydrating Your Skin

Keeping your skin hydrated is another noteworthy benefit of having a regular skincare routine. When your skin is properly hydrated, it looks plump, radiant, and healthy.

But, when your skin is dehydrated, it can look dull, flaky, and wrinkled. So, it’s important to ensure you do what you can to keep your skin hydrated.

A hyaluronic acid serum is one of the best ways to keep your skin hydrated. Hyaluronic acid is a substance that naturally occurs in your skin, and it’s great for holding onto moisture.

Dark Spot Reduction

If you have dark spots on your skin, you may be looking for ways to reduce their appearance. By following a regular skincare routine, you can achieve this.

When you cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize your skin regularly, you’re helping to remove dead skin cells and promote cell turnover. This can help reduce the appearance of dark spots and even your skin tone.

How Can I Take Care of My Skin?

When not directed by a skilled skin care professional, skin care can be very confusing and costly. A couple of steps can accomplish an active skin care regimen each morning and night. 

Product quality is more important than price. Women are not the only ones who should care for their skin. Even men can benefit from simple steps to keep their skin healthy.

You can have a very satisfying experience with a skincare treatment. To learn more about your options in Austin, call (512) 450-1077.

The post National Healthy Skin Month: Why You Should Maintain A Skincare Routine appeared first on Andrew Trussler, MD, PLLC.

What are the uses of Retinol?

From fighting acne to preventing skin aging, retinol is an essential component of any skin regimen. Because the body cannot synthesize Vitamin A (Retinol), it needs to be supplied to the body. Retinoic acid, which is what retinol is converted into, increases cell turnover, stimulates collagen and elastin production, fades hyperpigmentation, and helps skin stay hydrated and glowing. Moreover, retinoids can play a role in immunity and skin health by reducing inflammation, unclogging pores, decreasing the appearance of wrinkles, and regulating the growth of cells on the skin’s surface. So when it comes to anti-aging, Retinoids are the holy grail for a youthful appearance!

Tips to remember:

1. Start gradually! Use once or twice a week at first to see how your skin reacts, and gradually work up to every other day or three times a week.
2. Don’t forget to use a moisturizer at night and SPF during the day!

Favorite Retinol/Retinoid Products!

Best for beginners:

1. ZO Growth Factor Serum
2. Skin Better AlphaRet Overnight Cream
3. Revision Skincare® D.E.J Night Face Cream

Best for mature skin:

1. Radical Night Repair
2. Skin Better Intensive AlphaRet Overnight Cream
3. ZO Retinol Skin Brightener

The post WHAT IS A RETINOID VS. RETINOL? appeared first on Andrew Trussler, MD, PLLC.

1. Microneedling. This med spa treatment is performed in our comfortable Austin office in about an hour. Patients can immediately resume their normal activities with minimal redness that fades quickly. The microneedling procedure is performed using an automated device with a small, needle-clad applicator that targets the skin with a stamping motion. It creates tiny channels in the upper layers of the skin that heal very quickly but incite a healing response from the body. This response floods the skin with circulation and new collagen that restores more youthful characteristics.
2. HALO Hybrid Laser Treatment. Historically, laser treatments were either ablative or non-ablative. This refers to the way the laser energy affects the skin. Ablative treatments can achieve outstanding resurfacing benefits but typically have some downtime and side effect. HALO is the first hybrid laser, meaning that it achieves the skin improvements a patient would formerly need two different treatments to achieve in just one treatment session, and without extensive downtime. HALO laser treatment can lighten sun damage, decrease pore size, and restore a beautiful glow to your skin.
3. Injectables. After a joyous but busy holiday season, what you might want the most is some immediate gratification. Injectables are a great option for many cosmetic concerns. A brief treatment session begins with a thorough consultation to help our provider determine the right injectable for you based on what you want to achieve. Dermal fillers provide instant results by adding volume to the skin. Neuromodulators work in a few days to smooth dynamic wrinkles like frown lines. With our wide selection of products, we can have you looking and feeling fantastic in less than an hour!

We used to talk about the post-holiday blues that stem from the let-down after a month or more of hustle and bustle. A better option is to talk about post-holiday rejuvenation that prolongs feelings of happiness. To schedule your post-holiday beauty treatment with us, contact our Austin office at (512) 450-1077.

The post 3 Treatments to Enliven Your Appearance after a Busy Holiday Season appeared first on Andrew Trussler, MD, PLLC.

Sometime around the middle of life, many adults start to notice spots that weren’t there before. We don’t mean those pesky spots that float across our vision. We mean spots on the skin. These used to be called liver spots. For some reason, our ancestors believed they had something to do with an unhealthy liver. Now, they are commonly called age spots. We can see why; they occur as we get older. But really, the brownish discoloration on the skin is merely another indication of sun damage. 

Call them what you will, age spots or sunspots, but these frustrating little gems of color on the skin are frustrating by any name. They rise up from the deeper layers of the skin into which the ultraviolet rays of the sun have absorbed time and time again. When UV light is absorbed, the body responds with an increase in melanin production. Melanin is the substance that gives the skin color, which is why a tan results from time in the sun. The purpose of this increased production, though, is to minimize tissue damage. It is not uncommon for some of the pigment to clump together. 

When and How to Treat Sun Spots

Signs of sun damage should be evaluated as soon as they occur. Spots on the skin aren’t just cosmetically frustrating, they can indicate unhealthy cellular changes. A thorough skin cancer screening can confirm that no medical treatment is necessary to remove cancerous cells. With the “all-clear,” patients may seek treatments and remedies to reduce their unsightly spots. 

• Turn on the right light. Interestingly, sunspots, caused by ultraviolet light, can be corrected with intense pulsed light therapy. This office treatment targets deeper layers of the skin. This helps in two ways. First, the clumped melanin that lives there absorbs the energy of the IPL and it breaks apart. Second, IPL warms the dermis, which stimulates collagen production. IPL treatment is one of the best ways to reduce multiple signs of sun damage. It even works before those signs appear on the skin’s surface. 
• Slough off damaged cells. The skin isn’t always as efficient as it could be at ridding itself of old, damaged cells. To assist it, we perform various chemical peel treatments. Chemical peels speed up cellular turnover by stimulating exfoliation. We offer a range of light, medium, and deeper peels to address multiple problems at one time. 
• Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen. It doesn’t do a whole lot of good to undergo treatments for sunspots if the skin is not better protected going forward. To prevent further sun damage, it is necessary to apply the appropriate amount of broad-spectrum sunscreen every day on all areas of the body that are exposed to the sun. 

The friendly, experienced team in our Austin office can help you address sunspots and other signs of sun damage and aging. Contact us at (512) 450-1077 to schedule your visit!

The post What You Can Do about Age Spots Even if You Don’t Have Them Yet appeared first on Andrew Trussler, MD, PLLC.

With summer just around the corner, many of us are reminding ourselves how to take better care of our skin. We go out searching for the best sunscreen for our skin type, and we promise to do a good job of applying it often. This is a good start. Wearing sunscreen is one of the most practical ways to prevent sun damage. However, what can you do if you’re already seeing the signs of sun damage on your complexion? We’ll discuss that here. 

What Causes Complexion Woes?

We think of our complexion as our overall skin tone. This is part of it. Our genes dictate how light or dark our skin is. Other factors influence its more nuanced appearance. It doesn’t have to be extraordinarily difficult to maintain an even complexion. We just have to care for the skin in ways that prevent an influx of melanin in certain areas. The challenge is that there is more than one factor involved in this influx. Some common factors that can contribute to complexion woes include:

• Sun exposure. Whenever we go outdoors, we are exposed to ultraviolet light. UVA and UVB rays travel through clouds and car windows. They get absorbed in the deeper layers of the skin where melanin is produced and stimulate the melanocyte cells to be more active. This is why we get suntanned and it’s also why we get sun spots and other pigment issues. 
• Air pollution. The sun is not the only environmental factor that affects the skin. What is in the air also does. Things like carbon dioxide and debris from chemicals and cleansers are all in the air, which means they can all land on bare skin. Microparticles can get absorbed into pores, leading to inflammatory responses involving the production of melanin. 
• Hormones. Estrogen and progesterone are two female hormones that contribute to the production of melanin. This makes women vulnerable to skin changes like melasma and hyperpigmentation during certain phases of life in which hormones fluctuate more profoundly.
• Inflammation. Skin inflammation of any kind, be it a sunburn or a rash, signals to the body that a response is needed. The response is often an increase in the production of melanin.

Managing Your Skin’s Complexion

Wearing sunscreen is a great way to protect your skin from pigmentation problems. However, a reputable medical spa like our Austin facility will offer services that can correct complexion concerns that have already occurred. Examples of complexion correcting treatments include:

• Chemical peels
• Microneedling
• Dermabrasion
• IPL Photofacial
• HALO hybrid fractional laser
• BBL broadband light treatments

Your skin can look radiant at every age. To schedule an appointment at our medical spa, call (512) 450-1077.

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