As we enter the tail end of summer, I jumped at the opportunity to talk skin protection with Diana Broulliard, who just opened Dream Spa Medical in Brookline’s Coolidge Corner. The verdict: apply, reapply, reapply. And wear a floppy hat!
It’s summer, which means bright sunshine all day long. Nowadays we hear how dangerous the sun can be for our skin. What’s your best advice for skin protection for someone who’s going to be outside during the day?
Keep in mind that the sun is strongest between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so if you’re going to be spending time outside, please be diligent about applying sunscreen. Many makeup lines have SPF in them, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, so apply a layer of sunscreen before applying makeup. A broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30-50 should be applied every two hours, or every 40 minutes after swimming. SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense or Image Skin Care Prevention+ sunscreens are both good choices. When applying sunscreen, be careful not to overlook areas like ears, lips, nose, eyelids, back of neck and tops of feet. It’s also wise to wear a cute floppy beach hat to protect your scalp. Also increase your water intake to prevent dehydration.
You also do tattoo removal, which I’m so curious about. I’ve always heard it’s an incredibly painful procedure. What’s the process and why does it hurt so much?
We use the MedLite C6 laser, which is a very effective and high-tech machine. It uses a short, high-energy wavelength to effectively break up the tattoo ink under the skin, which your body then flushes out via natural filtering systems. The reason it hurts is that it’s a powerful energy and pulse delivery, but the good news is that it’s super-fast. The actual laser time is about 15-30 seconds, depending on the size of the tattoo. Most of our tattoo clients agree that the pain is much easier to bear knowing it’s only for a few seconds.
I’m a mommy. A part of me would love to get a facial, but the other part of me worries about spending the money and time on something for myself. Give me your best pitch for why I should do it.
Mommies, especially new moms, can experience hormonal changes during and after pregnancy, which can result in skin changes. Sometimes the result can be acne breakouts, but it can also be something less noticeable to the naked eye, such as dehydrated skin. Dry and dehydrated skin lead to wrinkles, so it’s a good idea to have a facial and a skin care assessment by a qualified medical aesthetician. The aesthetician can also recommend a great home care routine that can keep your skin healthy, aging effects at bay and your budget low. Don’t look at a facial as a pampering feel-good treatment, but rather an opportunity to become educated on skin health, which can prevent aging and instill good skin-care habits in your child.
Is there any truth to chocolate being bad for one’s skin?
Chocolate contains sugar, so if you over-indulge, too much sugar in your body can lead to sugar and protein molecules combining in a process called cross-linking. The new sugar proteins are called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). Our bodies don’t recognize AGEs and will send antibodies to fight them. This results in inflammation, and because AGEs gravitate toward the collagen and elastin in our skin, our faces are adversely affected by the inflammation. What can you do to fight the signs of aging due to glycation? Use products specifically designed to fight damage caused by AGEs, such as A.G.E. Interrupter from SkinCeuticals. This product combines blueberry extract, a powerful antioxidant, phytosphingosine, an anti-bacterial lipid that has anti-inflammatory properties, and Proxylane, a patented anti-aging ingredient that increases skin density and firmness while stimulating collagen.
Four Questions is a weekly interview column featuring interesting people connected with the Greater Boston Jewish community. Find past columns here. Have an idea of someone we should interview? Email Molly!
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