Jeffrey Ayers | Medical Spa | Salt Lake City, UT
The treatments I avoid in the summer include:
BBL, and I am not talking about Brazilian Butt Lift. I am actually referring to Broad-Band Light. The BBL Hero is Sciton’s answer to intense pulse light that is safe with nearly every skin type. Despite being highly selective in offering this treatment during the summer, I generally avoid the BBL and similar technology, due to safety concerns and the potential lack of efficacy, especially with recently tanned skin (even sunless tanning products).
The sun and the heat activate the melanocytes increasing the dark pigmentation we are trying to eliminate. I have also seen patients who have been treated during the summer months who either develop hyper (or hypo) pigmentation. So why spend the money for an amazing anti-aging procedure if you are unable (or hesitantly willing) to stay out of the sun and protect that investment?
Aggressive laser resurfacing procedure (like Co2, Erbium, or others). These devices provide amazing results but do require a fair amount of pre/post-treatment including sun avoidance. Big hats and high-quality sunscreen are very helpful but are often overlooked or underapplied. If you plan on traveling to a location where you are trying to get that golden glow (aka – tempting skin cancer), I would wait till the tan fades and you may be less likely to soak up the rays (late fall, winter, and early spring).
My favorite in-office treatments and self-care you can enjoy all year round include:
Applying sunscreen is the most amazing “self care treatment,” you can do year-round (even on a cloudy day). I can not preface this enough. Although I sound like a broken record, I will not even sell an antioxidant serum or retinol if my client isn’t willing to consider (or uses regularly) a high-quality sunscreen. Having had numerous skin cancer surgeries for basal cell, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma – I’m that man on the beach with the long sleeve sun protective shirts, big hat, and white legs covered often in zinc and titanium-containing sunscreen.
That being said, my favorite sunscreens are:
- Alastin Hydratint can be used as a foundation.
- Elta MD UV Aero, which gives me peace of mind when chasing down my kids to get this on their bodies.
- Skin Better Tone Smart. This is a unique compact design with a creamy mineral-based sunscreen. Easy to stick in your tote, handbag, or backpack.
- Color Science Sunforgettable. How often do you hear “reapply your sunscreen often,” but don’t because you are wearing makeup? This product comes in multiple tones and is a convenient retractable brush with the powder built into the handle. When reapplying a lotion or cream isn’t going to work out, you can powder your face, behind your ears, neck, and back of your hands. For men not wearing a hat – you can powder that bald spot too!The most obvious treatments you can do in the summer include proper exfoliation with treatments like microneedling, clinical facials, and dermaplaning. As the environment changes (humidity, heat, dryness, sun exposure, etc) our skin’s response changes also. Exfoliation treats irregularities of the skin and prepares it to accept the restorative benefits of our anti-aging skincare – all the while looking fresh, especially when exposed to the harmful rays of the sun.
