Smart Summer Skin Care
From Dr. Kenneth Mark


It’s that time of year for summer beauty/skincare stories and board-certified dermatologist and Mohs skincare surgeon Dr. Kenneth Mark, who has four high-profile practices throughout the country (Manhattan, Aspen and 2 in the Hamptons) is available to discuss the following:

* How to wear your SPF/What type of SPF to use
* Cosmetic procedures: lasers, fillers, etc.
* Checking for moles



He can talk intelligently about anything skincare-related, from cosmetic procedures to must-have skincare products.



The following are his top 5 summer skincare tips:



TIP 1: SUNSCREEN

Gear up your sunscreen use! You might have just been using a SPF 15 in your makeup/ or daily moisturizer for incidental sun exposure throughout the winter, but in the summer you need to use a true sunscreen. A zinc oxide based product or a newer UVA/UVB chemical sunscreens that contain the cross linked UVA blockers (prior formulations did not.) My two favorite sunscreens are:

§ Z-Silk SPF 30

§ Neutrogena with Helioplex SPF 55 or 70.

**Make sure that you reapply every couple of hours during intense sun exposure.



TIP 2: COSMETIC PROCEDURES

Avoid cosmetic procedures that have risks of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. An example of this would sclerotherapy.



TIP 3: PEELS

The biggest myth that I know is that "peels are bad for the summer." While it is true that a deep or medium depth peel in the summer is not ideal—the healing alone would not be fun in the heat…plus the risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation if sun exposure occurs. However, less then 90% of peels today are superficial and help virtually all of the things that are worse in the summer:

* Increased sweating and sunscreen use can clog pores—peels exfoliate and unclog pores.
* Even with sunscreen, pigmentation is extremely difficult to avoid entirely—peels help even out blotchy pigmentation and fade hyperpigmentation.
* Sun exposure causes our cells to reproduce quicker, yet we do not exfoliate quicker—peels help with the exfoliation.
* Sun exposure triggers enzymes to break down collagen—peels help stimulate collagen production. A superficial peel will not significantly increase sensitivity to the sun as we are only exfoliating the upper parts of the epidermis (a deeper peel is obviously a different story.)



TIP 4: BOTOX

With increased sun intensity, we are likely to squint and frown more often. So, don’t let your Botox wear off…if it's been 4 months, get your treatments now!



TIP 5: SKIN CANCER/CHANGING MOLES

Be alert for any changing moles. The best treatment we have for melanoma is avoidance and early detection! So, if you notice any changing mole, see your dermatologist immediately.