Let summer benefit your skin with the right skincare products. While you may have some luck with over-the-counter retinoids to significantly reduce signs of aging, you’ll want to include prescription-grade Vitamin A topicals to restore your glow. In this article, we discuss the prescription topicals used to improve your skin’s appearance and the best products for the best summer skincare routine. Read on to learn how you can achieve a youthful summer glow.
Should you have any questions about taking care of your skin in the summer, please feel free to contact Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL, for specific product recommendations on her website.
Go For Prescription Retinoids
Prescription topical retinoids include Retin-A Cream (tretinoin), Isotrex Gel (isotretinoin), and Differin Gel (adapalene). These creams reverse aging, sun damage and eliminate acne. Long-term usage may also improve the appearance of wrinkles, comedones, and pigmentation. Let your skin get used to the cream by applying it every other night. Once your skin adjusts, apply it every night. Always wear sunscreen during daylight hours, as these creams increase the chance of sunburn.
Summer Skincare Routine
In addition to these prescription-grade products, you should also consider following a typical skincare routine for the summer months. The main products include a cleanser, sunscreen, moisturizer, exfoliating agent, and anti-aging serum. You won’t likely use the serum daily or exfoliate every day, but both rejuvenate your skin’s appearance. Here is a breakdown of what to look for:
Cleansers: The goal of a daily cleanser is to gently clean your skin and prepare it for additional skincare treatments. To avoid irritation and dryness, stick to cleansers that are free of harsh chemicals, including alcohol. Some gentle choices include micellar water and oil-based alternatives. To properly apply, wet a cotton pad with your cleanser and gently wipe it across your face.
Moisturizers: After you’ve used your cleanser, apply a moisturizer to rehydrate. For effective moisturization, remember that staying hydrated is the goal. Moisturize twice a day with ceramides (a fatty acid) and hyaluronic acid. These properties keep moisture locked in, restoring skin and reducing aging.
Sunscreen: Apply a sunscreen that is at least SPF 30. Do not make the mistake of using foundations or moisturizers tinted with sunblock as sunscreen. These are not adequate substitutes.
Exfoliate On Occasion: Exfoliate twice a week and only after cleansing. Cleansing prepares your skin for the rest of your skincare routine, and this includes exfoliation. The purpose of exfoliation is to get rid of the caked-on dead cells that lead to acne. Integrate chemical exfoliants that do the deep cleaning on their own by sinking deep into the skin’s surface.
Anti-Aging Serums: Include an anti-aging product that aids against the decline of skin. The prescription-based products mentioned at the start of this article are anti-aging products that improve skin texture, anti-aging, and pore size reduction.
Need More Information on the Best Skincare Products This Summer?
Taking care of your skin in summer requires paying special attention to how the seasons might affect your skin. Reward yourself with an effortless summer glow by using a carefully thought-out skincare routine.
If you are looking for the best advice on summer skincare, we’re here to help. Dr. Florence Mussat is an expert in medical-grade skincare. Schedule a personal consultation or call (312) 751-9000 today!
When you’re trying to manage a career, a household, take care of a baby—as well as the rest of the family—it can be easy to let your self-care routine go. Remind yourself that taking moments for self-care can provide the well-deserved mood boost and mental pause you need for yourself, your work, and your family.
Even busy, tired mamas can have beautiful, glowing skin following a simple routine like this one shared by Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL. For specific product recommendations, feel free to contact her for more information.
Use a Gentle Daily Cleanser
Use micellar water, which is less likely to dry out and irritate your skin, or an oil-based, alcohol-free cleanser. Simply saturate a cotton pad, then wipe the pad across your skin, and of course, follow up with a moisturizer.
Always Wear Sunscreen
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays damage our skin all year round, not just in the summer, and are responsible for 90 percent of the skin’s aging. Sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 is essential when it comes to your daily skincare routine. Be sure to apply an actual sunscreen product, not a moisturizer with SPF or a foundation that includes SPF.
Moisturize Twice a Day
Hydration is what keeps your skin plump and youthful throughout the day. Apply moisturizer twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.
With all the moisturizers on the market, finding the best one can be a challenge. Keep it simple by looking for gel creams that incorporate ceramides and hyaluronic acid to help restore the skin barrier, retain moisture, and reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Exfoliate Occasionally, Not Every Day
Exfoliating your skin removes the dead cell buildup that can cause irritation, dullness, and acne. While it’s not something you should do every single day, make it a part of your skincare routine a few times a week.
Rather than a physical exfoliator, use a chemical exfoliant as it polishes away dead and dull skin, allowing the active ingredients in your other skincare products to penetrate better. Ultimately, this leads to healthier, smoother-looking bright, and dewy skin.
Add an Anti-Aging Product
While the routine outlined above is essential for establishing and maintaining healthy skin, you need to optimize it even further by including an anti-aging retinol serum to help prevent the wear and tear of everyday life.
Retinol—a less potent, over-the-counter version of a retinoid—is one of those rare ingredients that can penetrate deep into your dermis and stimulate collagen production right at the source. Over time, a retinol-based product will help even out texture, fine lines, wrinkles and even reduce pore size.
Keep in mind that retinol makes your skin more sensitive to UV rays and that sunlight decreases its efficacy, so it’s best only to apply it at night.
Need More Information To Get Started?
If you are looking to jumpstart your skincare routine, we’re here to help. Dr. Florence Mussat is an expert in medical-grade skincare, as well as plastic surgery of the breast, body, and face.
Schedule a personal consultation with board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL, or call (312) 751-9000 today!
Your eyes, forehead, and eyebrows play a significant role in expressing your emotions to those around you. A heavy forehead or eyebrows is likely to make you appear more tired, unhappy, or older than you actually are. Well-meaning friends may even comment that you look tired, sad, or ask if you’re feeling down when you’re really feeling just fine.
Due to family genetics, environmental factors such as too much sun, or simply the passage of time, the forehead and eye area are likely to develop wrinkles and sagging skin resulting in an aging, tired, or sad appearance. You might find yourself becoming curious about facial rejuvenation and wonder whether you would benefit from a surgical procedure known as a brow lift.
What Is a Brow Lift?
Through brow lift surgery, Dr. Florence Mussat has helped many men and women achieve a more youthful and natural-looking brow area that helps present the face they wish to share with the world. A brow lift is a cosmetic procedure that improves the upper face’s appearance by effectively lifting the eyebrows and smoothing out wrinkles.
How Can I Benefit from a Brow Lift?
As a result of a brow lift, your forehead will be smoother, and your eyebrows will be more lifted and natural-looking. Brow lift surgery often eliminates upper face wrinkles and can correct the upper eyelid hooding caused by sagging brows. It can also significantly reduce creases, frown lines, and a sagging brow line.
A brow lift offers many benefits, including:
- Minimizes creases, frown lines, and sagging brow lines across the forehead.
- Improves frown lines and reduces vertical creases between the eyebrows.
- Repositions low or sagging brows over the upper eyelids.
- Raises the eyebrows to a more youthful position.
- Creates a brighter, more alert appearance
- Increases self-confidence
Can a Brow Lift Be Combined With Other Facial Cosmetic Procedures?
A brow lift can be performed in conjunction with other procedures such as a facelift, eyelid surgery, or even injectables to produce even more stunning results. Dr. Florence Mussat will help you decide on the best combination for you during your scheduled consultation.
What Can I Expect During Recovery?
During your recovery from a brow lift, expect some swelling and discomfort in the upper part of the face and around the eyebrows.
Dr. Mussat will provide instructions for your recovery as well as cold compresses to apply to your forehead. She will also suggest that you sleep with your head slightly elevated for the first few nights after surgery and to expect your recovery to take about 2-3 weeks.
To make your recovery even more comfortable, avoid strenuous workouts or movements that might place unnecessary pressure on your face.
Your Next Step Towards a Youthful Profile Starts Here!
For a complete assessment of how a brow lift can help you look younger and more vibrant, schedule a personal consultation with board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL, or call (312) 751-9000 today!
Valentine’s Day comes at the perfect time of year. The joy and excitement of the Christmas season are but a memory. As we eagerly begin to anticipate the arrival of spring, February brings us Valentine’s Day and, with it, a much-needed dose of fun, romance, and excitement.
With more and more people going the extra mile to look their best for Valentine’s Day, why not schedule a visit with Dr. Florence Mussat at her Chicago plastic surgery office?
Be on your way to a fresh, vibrant look with one of these 10 solutions from Dr. Mussat.
1. Restore Youthful Fullness to Your Face
Perhaps it’s due to genetics, aging, or simply your facial structure, but parts of your face could be lacking in volume and making you appear gaunt. Well, it is possible to enhance your facial volume and improve the appearance of your face with a facial fat transfer expertly performed by Dr. Mussat.
2. Fall in Love With Your Skin
Taking care of one’s skin is essential throughout the year, and there’s no better time than now to get back your radiant glow in time for Valentine’s Day with a nonsurgical facial rejuvenation treatment.
With medical-grade, topical retinoids, various conditions, including mild to moderate acne, signs of sun damage, freckles, fine lines, and wrinkles, can be treated.
3. Refresh Your Eyelids
Your eyes may be the window to your soul, but drooping eyelid skin or undereye bags could be concealing and aging your eyes, making you look tired, sad, or angry. If so, you could be a good candidate for an eyelid lift, also known as blepharoplasty. It could take years off your appearance and give your self-esteem a big boost.
4. Repair the Sun Damage
Even though summer is long gone, your skin could still be showing signs of too much sun with dryness, new lines, and wrinkles. Dr. Mussat offers a range of treatments to undo the harsh effects of summer, and just two of these are highlighted below.
Chemical Peel: Replaces thickened and damaged skin with fresh, youthful cells, eliminating uneven pigmentation and skin discoloration.
Microdermabrasion: By rubbing fine crystals across the skin with a medically-calibrated wand, the rough outer layer is removed, and new skin stimulated.
Laser Skin Rejuvenation: A concentrated beam of light is used to gently exfoliate the skin’s sun-damaged outer layer.
5. Reclaim Your Youthful Shape
Becoming a mother can be one of the most rewarding experiences. However, pregnancy and breastfeeding can leave you with unwelcome reminders such as stomach flab and flattened breasts.
While diet and exercise can go a long way towards reclaiming your youthful appeal, a mommy makeover as a Valentine’s gift to yourself could be all you need to restore your youthful figure.
6. Get Back Those Perky Breasts
Full, perky breasts may be a distant memory of the days before gravity, weight loss, pregnancy, or breastfeeding changed things. To regain confidence in your appearance this Valentine’s Day, a breast lift could be exactly what you need.
7. Slim Your Jawline
Whether it’s the result of age or weight gain, a double chin can be one of the most frustrating facial flaws to have. Through a facelift, Dr. Mussat can tighten loose skin under your chin and neck area, lift those sagging jowls and restore a youthful appearance.
8. Tone and Tighten
Are you plagued by problem areas of flab that won’t go away? Regardless of how much you exercise and eat healthily, do you find that lean, sexy stomach continues to elude you?
Well, you might consider a tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, which surgically removes excess skin and flesh from the abdomen and even repairs abdominal muscles damaged during pregnancy or weight gain.
9. Restore Those Smooth Contours
If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight either through diet, exercise, or bariatric surgery, you could now have excess skin in areas of the body where large amounts of fat used to be. Through one or more body contouring procedures, expertly performed by Dr. Mussat, you could be well on your way to having your body’s contours restored by Valentine’s Day.
10. Put Your Best Face Forward
Despite taking good care of yourself and trying to age gracefully, age-related changes in your face are still inevitable.
With facelift surgery, Dr. Mussat can tighten and lift the soft tissues of your face, tighten lax, excess skin and surgically reposition sagging facial tissue giving you a more youthful, rejuvenated look.
Regain Your Sexy, Youthful Look in Time for Valentine’s Day!
What better to get a self-confidence boost and bring some excitement back into your love life before Valentine’s Day than a visit to board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL?
Too look your absolute best before Valentine’s day, schedule a personal consultation or call (312) 751-9000 today!
Every time you see your face in the mirror, does it surprise you how dark and drooping your lower eyelids are? Do friends or family make comments about how sad and tired you look, even though you’re happy and well-rested?
Dark circles under the lower eyelids are widespread in both men and women and often also come with bags, making you appear older than you are.
Causes and Risk Factors Treated at Home
The good news is, you can treat some of the causes and risk factors leading to dark circles under the eyes at home.
• Extreme fatigue: Sleep deprivation can cause dark circles to form under your eyes, allowing for dark tissues and blood vessels to become visible beneath your skin.
• Eye strain: This phenomenon can cause blood vessels around your eyes to enlarge, and as a result, the skin surrounding your eyes may darken.
• Allergic reactions: When accompanied by eye dryness, this can trigger dark circles as your body releases histamines, causing blood vessels to dilate and become more visible beneath your skin.
• Dehydration: When your body is not receiving adequate amounts of water, the skin beneath your eyes may begin to look dull, and your eyes appear sunken.
• Overexposure to the sun: Too much sun — especially around the eyes — produces an excess of melanin, causing darker pigmentation in the surrounding skin.
Causes and Risk Factors Treated With Surgery
If home remedies are not effective in getting rid of dark undereye circles and bags, schedule a visit with Dr. Florence Mussat at her Chicago plastic surgery office to learn more about how blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery can help you regain your fresh, vibrant look.
Consider these eauses and risk factors leading to dark circles under the eyes that require expert medical advice.
• Older age: Loss of fatty tissue and the thinning of the skin around the eyes is part of the aging process, making dark circles appear more prominent in older adults.
• Genetics: Dark circles can be hereditary. Having family members with dark undereye circles probably means you are more predisposed to have them as well.
• Natural aging: As you get older, you lose the fat, collagen, and elastin needed to maintain your skin’s elasticity, resulting in the darkening of the area below your eyes.
As part of the aging process, the body gradually stops producing collagen and elastin, which are proteins essential for plump, healthy, and elastic skin. Without these proteins, the skin loses its elastic qualities and begins to sag. Muscle tone deteriorates, and fat diminishes. The natural aging process can affect virtually any area of the body — including the region around the eyes.
As a result of this loss of collagen and elastin, the upper eyelids often start drooping. When severe enough, this can impede the line of vision, lead to sagging lower eyelids, and cause dark circles or “bags” under the eyes.
Regain That Happy, Youthful Look
If you want to make sure your eyes’ appearance reflects the way you feel, schedule a personal consultation with board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Florence Mussat in Chicago, IL, or call (312) 751-9000 today!
