Skin's First Stop: Your Dermatologist

We can spend hours reading about products and obsessing over new wrinkle erasers and skin softeners, but truly knowing our skin should is the first step towards a achieving beauty. Clearing your skin and evening your skin tone allow for a better palate for make up and, more importantly, allows you to use less. Online I found several skin surveys asking you determine whether your skin is oily, normal or combination, wrinkle prone, tan, pigmented, etc. Short surveys don’t capture the different facets of your skin while lenghty surveys because of the their, er, length discourage users.

The solution: your dermatologist. For the cost of a co-pay ($25-$50 on average), you can have your skin analyzed by an expert. In New York, dermatologists seem as ubiquitous as sporadic pigeon flocks. Actually, dermatology residency are amongst the hardest to land in medicine and with three of the top 25 residences at universities in the city (NYU, Columbia and Cornell, respectively), New Yorkers have access to the best of the best. Obvi.

If it is your first time visiting a dermatologist, request a full body check to be sure there are no signs of cancer. If you’re main goal is beauty-centered skin care, your dermatologist will assess your skin and advise on morning and evening routines. Don’t be shocked if it’s a lot easier and less complicated than you expect. Marketers make us think that we need everything under the sun to achieve glowing skin. In most cases, you simply need to use the right products.

At my last appointment, my doctor told me to wash with plain Dove soap in the mornings only, use toner around my hairline where products may build and use wrinkle-preventing night cream at night. I don’t need any daytime lotion save sunscreen. I don’t even need to wash my face in the morning! The thought of such simplicity frightened me, but after two weeks, my skin was soft and clear. More even, pure skin requires less clog-poring make-up and feels lighter. Plus, it’s healthier. For a list of dermatologists contact your health insurer or visit the Skin Cancer Foundation’s physician directory. And start glowing.
Emma Dinzebach

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Posted by Emma Dinzebach at 12:00 AM
bargain news , BEAUTY |