Did you know that May is Melanoma Awareness Month? Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, and rates of melanoma diagnosis are rising each year. It’s not a pretty fact, but it’s an important one to take to heart – especially now that summer is just around the corner. May is the perfect month to reassess your skin care routine, and to add sunscreen to your stash of must-use beauty products (if you haven’t been wearing it all winter, that is). So with Melanoma Awareness Month in mind, we’ve compiled a list of skincare tips designed especially to counteract the harmful effects of the sun’s rays and to keep your skin looking beautiful for years to come.

• Many wonderful lotions now contain sunscreen, making it even easier to apply your daily dose of UVA and UVB blockers. While it make seem counterintuitive, apply sunscreen as if you were going to the beach even when you’re just going to work. Don’t forget your hairline, eyelids, ears, and neck!
• Unless you practice the tradition of donning light gloves as daywear, do not neglect to apply sunscreen to the hands. So-called liver spots can be avoided to a great extent by keeping hands and arms protected from the sun year round with the liberal application of sunscreen.
• Sunburns, particularly sun damage that happens early in life, are associated with an increased lifetime risk of melanoma. You can’t go back and put sunscreen on your younger self, but you can start applying sunscreen daily even if you’ve never worn it before. It’s never too late to protect the skin you’re in.
• Make sure that your sunscreen or sunscreen-containing lotion is what is known as “broad spectrum.” Ideally, you should always use sunscreen that includes both UVA and UVB protection. UVB rays cause sunburn, while UVA rays cause premature aging – neither of which is conducive to beauty.
• When sunscreen is part of your daily beauty routine, you may be applying it after your morning shower. Keep in mind that sunscreen is most effective when applied to dry skin, so towel off before you apply.
• The sunscreen that’s right for you may not be right for your best girlfriend, so sometimes trial and error is involved in finding the perfect formula. If one brand makes you break out, toss it and try another.
• Makeup with sunscreen is great, but should be used over a moisturizing sunscreen lotion. The two-in-one approach is better from a protection standpoint because layering lotion over or under a high SPF sunscreen diminishes the effectiveness of the sunscreen. You’re better off going for a lower SPF broad spectrum lotion+sunscreen and reapplying frequently.
• Sunscreen, of course, is not a magic bullet, so don’t think that applying sunscreen in the a.m. means you’re still protected from melanoma-causing rays during your afternoon beach outing. Common sense is your friend when it comes to sunshine and beauty. In addition to applying and then reapplying sunscreen, buy some stylish sun protective clothing and a gorgeous classic sun hat to ensure that you’re as protected as possible.

Happy summer, and please pass on the Melanoma Awareness Month message!

Does the reflection you see in the mirror each morning match how you feel? Is this the complexion that you wish to face the world with? Sun damage, lifestyle choices and the passage of time can cause lines, wrinkles, sun spots and small vessels to appear. There is a way to improve your complexion in a safe, easy and effective way.

Photo-rejuvenation, also known as a photo-facial, is a revolutionary advanced anti-aging treatment. Using light in just the right way, doctors are reversing the signs of aging, repairing skin damage and even improving skin conditions such as rosacea, discoloration, broken capillaries, redness, freckles, fine lines, uneven pigment, enlarged pores, and textural irregularities such as acne or chicken pox scarring. The result? An improved appearance and healthier more vibrant  skin.

Photo rejuvenation works by using Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or Broad Band Light (BBL) with selected filters to deliver precise dosages of energy to the skin. This light energy and filter is specific to the target such as sun spots, vessels, collagen. The energy damages the target and triggers the body’s natural healing response to promote collagen production and reveal a new layer of healthy skin.

A photo rejuvenation can take anywhere from 15 minutes for a spot treatment or up to an hour when we perform our four filter all inclusive full face photo-facial. The procedure has minimum to no discomfort involved. A numbing cream is applied to the face fifteen minutes before the procedure to assure that it is a comfortable experience. Most patients describe the pulses of light energy as a snap of a rubber band followed by a cool sensation from the crystal tip of the hand piece.

After treatment, discomfort is almost nonexistent, allowing you to resume your normal activities immediately. Your skin may appear pink to red at first, but this usually fades within a day leaving the skin looking younger. Brown spots and freckles temporarily become darker before they fade away over the next week or two. The skin tightening filter will continue to stimulate your collagen months after the treatment has been done resulting in a gradual overall tightening of your skin. Fine lines and wrinkles soften with each treatment as well. Extra attention is taken around the eyes so that the thin loose skin, which tends to have fine lines and wrinkles, benefits from the tightening effect of the treatment.

For optimum anti-aging results this exclusive Four Filter Photo-Facial treatment is preformed once a month for 3 to  5 treatments depending on the baseline condition of your skin. Since we continually are exposed to environmental  elements which age us and due to the natural aging process itself, one to two maintenance treatments every six months is recommended after the five treatments are completed.

Studies have shown that overall skin conditions improve more than 75% on average.
However, the best indicator of improvement is that your friends will tell you how great your skin looks! Who wouldn’t want to hear that?