Skin Concerns That Are Caused By Everyday Habits

Kim Kardashian once said that she doesn’t smile much in photos because it causes wrinkles. You might think that sounds ridiculous, but she actually is right. Below we talk about common skin concerns like wrinkles, acne and sun damage and break down what habits could be influencing or accelerating these concerns to happen.

Frowning frequently can cause wrinkles and lines

It’s natural to see lines and wrinkles as you age, but you can see them earlier than expected due to facial animation. That means frequent frowning and smiling can very well influence the formation of wrinkles and lines. The glabella lines (also known as the 11’s) are the frown lines between your eyebrows. If your skin has already been sun damaged, there’s a higher chance of you developing glabella lines. Sun damage breaks down the skin’s collagen and elastin and thins out the skin.

Solution: Botox injections temporarily treat and relax these muscles so you won’t look tired, aged or angry.

Using your cellphone causes acne

Cell phones are carried around and left on different surfaces throughout the day. You may leave them on dinner tables, beds, bathroom surfaces, or just stuffed in your purse with several other items. With this constant contact with various surfaces, bacteria easily fester on your cell phone. Now imagine constantly pressing your face against your cellphone. These bacteria can aggravate your skin. Not only that, your pores can get blocked from perspiring on your phone after long conversations.

Solution: Use a headset so your phone won’t have to be against your cheek all the time.

You can get still sun damage during the winter and on cloudy days

It’s a given that you are susceptible to sun damage during the summer. It’s the same case even during the winter and on cloudy days. If you do winter sports, the sun’s ultraviolet radiation still puts you at risk of sun damage. Here’s bad news for skiers and snowboarders—the sun reflects off the snow and higher altitudes can put you at risk for overexposure to the sun’s UV. The Skin Cancer Foundation says higher altitude can contribute to sun-induced skin damage. “UV radiation exposure increases 4 to5 percent with every 1,000 feet above sea level,” says the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Solution: Strong wind and snow can wear away sunscreen, so apply SPF 30 sunscreen or higher. Don’t forget the more obscure places like behind your ears and around your lips. If you know you’ll be outside for a long time, reapply sunscreen every two hours.

What Dermatologists Do To Give You Gorgeous Skin

Having healthy and clear skin is a priority for many people. Who wouldn't want to have smooth and blemish-free skin? It also doesn’t hurt that you don’t have to feel any anxiety or embarrassment when communicating face-to-face with others, either. While some very lucky people are born with flawless skin, the rest of us have to purchase endless products or seek treatment to get it. Sometimes over-the-counter products will do the job, but when they don't, a good step to take is seeing a dermatologist. 

Dermatology is a field that focuses on healing and treating skin conditions related to the skin, hair and nails. It’s not just anyone who can treat and figure out how to address these specific concerns. That’s what a dermatologist is for. So if your concern involves wrinkles, brown spots or acne, they’re the best people to see and talk to. Of course, these aren’t the only concerns they deal with—dermatologists can diagnose and treat over 3,000 diseases.

Below is just a couple of the most common skin concerns dermatologists address on a daily basis.

Source: SpaMedica. This patient received acne and acne scar reduction treatments

Acne

Acne is just one of those things that always bother each and every one of us. Nobody likes it and nobody wants it. Unfortunately, many of us deal with it during puberty or even adulthood. An article by Best Health Magazine says that more than 70% of adults between ages 20-50 experience acne breakouts.

Sometimes acne can be controlled or treated with products you can buy over the counter. But when this doesn’t clear breakouts, you should consider laser acne treatments to help clear your skin. SpaMedica combines medical treatment, laser and topical solutions to treat acute acne.

Acne treatments start with a SonoPeel, an ultrasonic microdermabrasion treatment. The ultrasound waves liquefy and break up sebaceous plugs that block the exit of sebum from the hair follicle glands in your skin.

Your treatment provider then applies a mild topical chemical called keratolytic. It helps to remove your skin’s outer layer. This allows medical acne skin care products to penetrate your skin better, which in turn reduces inflammation and increase your blood flow to fight against acne bacteria. This is just the beginning of acne treatments—there are more steps involved to clear your skin. Four to six appointments gives you anywhere between 75-95% reduction of acne breakouts.

Source: SpaMedica. This patient received laser treatments to remove brown spots on her hand.

Brown Spots

Brown spots (also known as age spots) show up on exposed skin areas such as your face, neck, back and hands. Main causes are usually due to age, genetics or too much sun exposure. Brown spots are brown (that was a no-brainer), tan or black in colour and flat. Brown spots are typically seen in people over 50, but that doesn’t mean younger people aren’t getting them. Anyone who spends a lot of time out in the sun without any sunscreen will increase their chances of developing brown spots.

Luckily, brown spots can be treated fairly easily. By combining different laser systems, intense pulsed light and radiofrequency devices, your brown spots fade after one or two laser treatments. The results gradually improve with pulsed light. The treatment itself only takes a few minutes and you can go back to work or regular activities right after.  

Get Clear and Healthy Looking Skin Now

This is just the tip of the many concerns dermatologists see and treat. Sometimes removing small things like moles, scars and spider veins can make all the difference in your confidence and appearance. If you’ve got any dermatology-related concern, don’t hesitate to ask us questions or book your appointment online.