I hear a lot of patients express frustration about skin care. Skin care can be one of the most meaningful investments that one can make in his or her skin, but it can also be a frustrating experience. It can be frustrating, because despite using skin care products, patients do not see the improvement they expect. This can be frustrating and many people feel they do not have any good options. 

Medical Grade vs Over The Counter Skin Care

One of the reasons that patients often feel that they don't have any options to treat the areas of concern is because they have tried over the counter products that are not effective. There are many skin care products available and many of these skin care products are big on promises that are not backed up with good results. In addition, many of the products that are heavily marketed, may lead the skin with other side effects. For example, a product that aims to treat dry skin may leave the skin feeling oily or greasy. Because of these concerns, many patients do not follow through with proper skin care, because they think that the only options are over the counter products. 

Without question, medical grade skin care can improve a patient's skin making it more beautiful, youthful, and treat the issues that bother people. Whether we're treating acne, dry skin, age spots, sunspots, wrinkles comma etc., medical grade skin care can lead to dramatic improvement in a patient's skin.  

How To Combat Dry Skin

Dry skin is one of the number one concerns that people have about the health of their skin, both on the body and the face. As a facial plastic surgeon, I help people improve their confidence by addressing concerns about the face and try to improve areas that can cause stress and anxiety. Too often the skin is overlooked. Many people with dry skin think that there is no treatment for the areas of their skin that they dislike. This is definitely not true! There are many great skin care products that can improve the skin and lead to beautiful skin that is age defying.  

Another thing that is important to me, as a facial plastic surgeon when talking about medical grade skin care is that I want to see results. When I recommend a medical grade skin care product to a patient or client, I want them to get a surgical type of result. I want them to see a true difference in their skin.  

When treating dry skin, we need to consider ways to help improve the health of the skin. It is not as simple as simply adding more moisturizer to the skin. We need to treat the skin so that any underlying conditions can be corrected and remedied. My recommendation for treating dry skin for my patients who see me for medical grade skin care is as follows:

Cleanse the Skin

First, we need to start by properly cleansing the skin. This is, of course, important to make sure that the skin is healthy and free of debris. Removal of built-up cellular debris, oils, dirt, etc. is very important to help provide routine maintenance of the skin, but is also important to help treat and minimize the potential for the development of acne, wrinkles, sunspots, etc. Find a cleanser that is strong enough to remove all the areas of concern, but gentle enough to not cause skin breakdown or other issues.  

Tone the Skin

The next step is to tone the skin. Many people do not understand the importance of a toner for the skin. Toner helps even out the pH of the skin, which is important in and of itself, but is also important to ensure that the other medical grade skin care products work properly. In addition, toner helps soothe, hydrate, and nourish the skin.  

Antioxidant

The next step is Vitamin C serum, preferably with Ferulic acid. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are necessary to help minimize the effect of free radicals, which damage tissue. A serum that contains vitamin C can help counteract the damage that has already happened and can also help prevent further damage.  

Hyaluronic Acid

One of my favorite serums to add on top of vitamin C serum is a topical HA preparation. HA, or hyaluronic acid, is a powerful hydrator. The hyaluronic acid molecule absorbs over 1000 times its weight in water. In other words, applying hyaluronic acid to the skin helps add and maintain over 1000 times its weight in water to the skin. I recommend FormRx Filler in a Bottle.  

Moisturize the Skin

The next step is to moisturize. Find a moisturizer that gives good hydration but does not leave your skin feeling oily. We designed FormRx Complete Moisturizer in this way. It is strong enough to hydrate the skin but will not leave your skin feeling oily or slimy.  

Retinol

Finally, one of the most common elements of a medical grade skin care routine is a retinol or retinoid component, including tretinoin. If you have problems with dry skin, you may be nervous to try this medication. It can dry out the skin, which can be annoying to some people. However, by discussing it with your aesthetician and learning how to use it properly, this critical step in improving your skin, in terms of both wrinkles and pigment, will leave your skin looking more refreshed and more youthful. Having a healthy skin glow often results from using retinol. Without retinol, you may find that you do not get the results that you would otherwise like to obtain.