Although it may seem as if summer is still a long ways away, these cold winter weeks are some of the best times to ensure that you will look and feel your best once beach season arrives. Cosmetic treatments often take a bit of time to work, and others leave you needing time to heal before you can face the sun. One concern that you should consider addressing now is skin care. If you are dealing with signs of aging on your face, chest or hands, including hyperpigmentation from frequent sun exposure in your past, a series of treatments now can have you looking much younger before the warm, sunny days of summer hit.
Repairing Your Skin from Sun Damage
If you want to get rid of hyperpigmentation on your skin, there are several treatments that you should consider. Chemical peels come in a variety of strengths to help you slowly get rid of the top layers of your skin. With a series of treatments, even moderately dark areas of hyperpigmentation can be sloughed away, revealing brighter, smoother skin. The gentlest peel options use alpha or beta hydroxy acid. If you need a tougher option for darker spots, you may want to try a TCA or phenol peel. The deeper peels may require several days for recovery, and you will need to stay out of the sun for a while after your treatment.
Lasers can also help to resurface your skin. Fractional lasers treat only a small percentage of your skin, allowing your body to rush healing factors to the area and to create new, healthier skin cells. Once again, you should stay out of the sun for a while as your skin heals from your laser treatment. This is why it is so smart to seek these treatments long before you plan on basking in the summer sun.