YOUR AD HERE »

Protect your skin in the spring in the Vail Valley

Dr. Jeffrey ResnickSpecial to the Vail DailyVail, CO Colorado

VAIL VALLEY, Colorado -As the warm season approaches in Colorado’s Vail Valley, there are ways to help preserve the appearance of one’s face and better protect the skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Sun protection is essential for healthy skin. Excessive exposure to the sun can cause everything from sunburn, wrinkles, pigmentation problems and skin irregularities to, in the worst case, skin cancer. Though you’ve heard it many times, wearing and reapplying sun screen is extremely important in skin protection. I recommend sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and remind patients to reapply the sunscreen every two to three hours when participating in activities that make them sweat or involve getting wet. Ultraviolet exposure is increased at altitude, which means the sunscreen that works at the beach may leave skin at risk at our elevation. In addition to sunscreen, I recommend wearing protective clothing such as hats, light-weight long sleeved shirts and pants when you know you are going to be in the sun for extended periods of time.Other factors such as smoking, poor diet, and the lack of moisture in our environment can lead to poor skin health and hasten the appearance of aging. Skin moisturizers hydrate the skin to keep it feeling and looking soft. People react differently to various moisturizers, so find one that fits your skin type and minimizes irritation. When thinking about protecting your skin during the spring sunshine, it can also be a good time to consider cosmetic body contouring. Summertime activities and summer clothing allow more exposure of the body, which may not be as appealing as you’d like. Body contouring surgeries include breast surgery such as reduction, augmentation and lifts as well as liposuction or surgery of the thighs or abdomen. Facial cosmetic surgery, including eyelid, face, and nasal surgery, is also popular as the summer approaches. Many of these procedures include small incisions and only require two to three weeks for full recovery, although individual cases will vary. Spring and summer are the seasons when your body is on display, enjoying the many recreational pursuits that we enjoy here in the mountains. We urge you to employ skin protection measures while in the sun to keep that young-looking skin. If there are a few things that you’d like to change for the seasons, both body contouring and facial surgery are options. Dr. Jeffrey Resnick is a physician at Vail Valley Medical Center and practices at Vail Institute for Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery. He can be reached at 970-569-7656 for consultation. To learn more about sun protection visit http://www.vvmc.com.


Support Local Journalism