Take care of that man's skin

 

 Holiday help for tired skin is not for women only. The men in our lives need a little pampering too.

There are lots of ways to help your man incorporate good skin care habits.

• Especially in winter when staying hydrated is crucial to keeping skin healthy and to prevent drying, you can encourage drinking plenty of water simply by packing a bottle of water in your man's bag each morning. He'll be 16 ounces closer to the 64 ounces he needs daily.
• Nobody knows your man's face like you do. Splurge on a skin care system suited to his lifestyle and skin type. Keep it simple for the man who isn't used to a skin care routine - gentle foaming cleanser and moisturizer with sunscreen to start.  You can promote deep cleansing facials by giving him the treatment.
• Make sure the meals you both eat are balanced and nutritionally sound. It may sound simple, but junk food means junk skin. Take your multi-vitamins.
• Exercise (sex counts!) gets the heart rate up and improves metabolism. Sweating clears pores and detoxes the body. Get your man moving.
• Sleep eight hours a night. The body rejuvenates itself during sleep.
• Avoid excessive alcohol intake. Too much alcohol dehydrates and robs the body of Vitamin A, an invaluable anti-oxidant.

Skin care expert gives anti-aging tips

Today's post introduces skin care expert Vladimir Byhovsky, who will be appearing as a guest columnist with tips on how to better preserve and care for your beautiful skin.

Even if  you don't see it happening, your skin sheds 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells roughly every minute. 

Daily the skin loses a layer of these dead cells and renews itself about every 28 days.

While it is the body's largest organ, our skin is often taken for granted.  We forget beautiful skin is not merely an accident of genetics, but can be cultivated through proper nutrition and nurturing.

Skin care expert Vladimir Byhovsky says any anti-aging regimen starts with sun protection. "If you want to prevent premature wrinkling or skin discolorations, you need to first stop exposing yourself to the sun," says the medical professional and spa owner.

Byhovsky, whose Studio Esthetique is a premier NY medical spa and skin rejuvenation center, recommends limiting your time in the sun and using the highest SPF sunscreens in addition to a routine skin maintenance regimen.

"If you do not protect from sun, you are jeopardizing your skin’s health," says Byhovsky.

Skin cancer, wrinkles, freckles, age spots, dilated blood vessels, changes in the texture of the skin, blotchiness, and the prune-like skin texture you see in elderly sun worshippers are all results of an overexposure to the sun, he says.

The sun produces ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays that are responsible for such common skin problems as sunburns, premature aging, pigmentation and skin cancer.

UVB and UVA rays are part of the sun’s spectrum wavelengths that are shorter than visible light. UVB rays are more active in the summer months. UVA ray are more constant throughout the year.

The shorter UVB rays quickly burn the mid layers of the skin. Depending on the skin type it takes anywhere between 10 – 30 minutes. The damaged cells send signals to the bottom layer of the epidermis, which responds by forming melanin. Melanin is what makes the skin look "tan".

To be effective, Byhovsky says, sunscreen - minimally 30 SPF - should be reapplied at least every two hours. 

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends seeking shade when possible, avoiding sunbathing, and wearing wide-brimmed hats as well as sunglasses and protective clothing.