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Creams of the Crop

BEST PRACTICES

Shop smart. If you're using enough sunscreen, a single bottle shouldn't last a whole season. "One ounce is the right goal for each application, as well as for each reapplication, so a 12-ounce bottle is 12 servings-and that's not a lot."

Don't dig. "A major reason for burns on the tops of the feet and ankles is that we bury our feet in the sand, and the SPF gets scrubbed away."

Patricia Wexler | Cosmetic Dermatologist

Source: Allure. May, 2013.

Skin-Care Know-it-alls 

Anti-aging Special

There are dermatologists. And then there are the medical superstars who eat, sleep, breath, and very often create the best anti-aging treatments around. These are their secrets. 

Neck Creams

Patricia Wexler loves doing a good neck lipo on her patients. But even more, she loves giving them advice on how to avoid procedures altogether.

Clear the way. "Extend your daily exfoliant, whether it's with a cleansing brush or a glycolic acid, all the way down to the top of your chest. Sloughing away the dead-skin layer allows active ingredients to absorb faster."

Get the strong stuff. "The skin on the neck and chest is thin, so sun damage is more apparent and harder to repair. Both the neck and chest require stronger formulations to reverse aging. Dedicated neck creams are more concentrated and powerful than most face creams, but some facial formulas with retinol, such as RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum, have been shown to work on the neck and chest, too."

Put peptides to work. "One of my favorite ingredients for treating damage below the jawline is tetrapeptides, like the ones in StriVectin-TL. There's plenty of science to show they help make new collagen and elastic tissue, which is what the neck and chest need to look firmer and younger."

Strengthen skin. "Niacin is a B vitamin that, until recently, we could not get through the skin barrier. Now a new delivery system, in the Nia 24 and StriVectin-TL lines, means it can penetrate the epidermis and strengthen the skin barrier. I've seen it dramatically improve the texture and tone of the neck and décolletage."

Watch your wardrobe. "When you treat skin below the jawline with anti-aging ingredients, consider the fabrics you wear. Anything scratchy, like wool, can cause irritation."

Patricia Wexler | Cosmetic Dermatologist

Source: Allure. April, 2013.

"The skin's barrier, which is known as the acid mantle, is responsible for keeping in lipids and moisture while blocking germs, pollution, toxins, and bacteria," explains Patricia Wexler, M.D., a New York City dermatologist. "To work its best, the acid mantle should be slightly acidic, at a 5.5 pH balance. When it's too alkaline, skin becomes dry and sensitive; you may even get eczema. You may also experience inflammation, which inhibits the skin's ability to ward off matrix metalloproteinases [MMPs], the enzymes that destroy collagen and cause wrinkles and sagging."

The Sweet Spot: Look for a product with fatty acids like ceramides, niacyl, and liposomes, says Wexler. One that also contains hyaluronic acid (which holds hundreds of times its weight in water) will further slow down evaporation. Oily skin responds well to light, sheer gels or lotions.

Patricia Wexler | Cosmetic Dermatologist

Source: Women's Health. March, 2013.

INSTANT CHEEKBONES
Are implants the secret to a lifted, younger-looking face? Emily Listfield investigates. 

"When you fill in the cheeks, everything is pulled up," explains New York dermatologist Patricia Wexler. "You diminish the nasolabial folds, decrease the downturn of the mouth, and reduce the hollow of the eye, all without touching any of those areas."

Patricia Wexler | Cosmetic Dermatologist

Source: Harper's Bazaar. April, 2013.

REVENGE OF THE HANDSOME WOMEN

While confidence and a heady dose of personal style certainly help when it comes to aging, there’s no denying that genetics plays a big role in the Handsome Woman’s midlife victory lap. “The more defined, dominant cheekbone that may be less attractive in youth will stand up better over time,” says New York plastic surgeon Adam Kolker. Dermatologist Patricia Wexler likens it to having better scaffolding, with more architecture for sagging skin to hang on to: “Strong bones, particularly in the cheek and jaw, help maintain the integrity of the face against the effects of gravity." Those with weaker facial structures have less support for the extra, sagging skin that inevitably comes with age, making them more prone to jowls at the jaw or deep folds beside the nose and mouth.

Patricia Wexler | Cosmetic Dermatologist

Source: More. March, 2013.

Give Your Scalp a "Facial"

Your legs aren't the only body part that turns reptillian this time of year. Winter's low humidity can make dead skin cells dislodge from the scalp. Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo ($24, aveda.com) is sulfate-free and has wintergreen-derived salicylic acid that sloughs away flakes, says Francesca Fusco, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. 

When rinsed off, the skin remains smooth.

Caffeine can help stimulate hair growth, and biotin can help fortify the hair's outer layer when it's combined with conditioners that coat the hair shaft.

A shower filter is worth the investment. Your hair will feel softer, be less frizzy, and look more vibrant.

Francesca Fusco | Cosmetic Dermatologist

Source: Women's Health. December, 2012.

IN YOUR 40s AND 50s: MINIMIZE

The good news? "The aging process for African-American skin is indeed slower-fine lines and wrinkles will occur 15 to 20 years later than what's seen in Caucasian skin," shares dermatologist Patricia Wexler, M.D. The bad news? Discoloration, dark eye circles and loss of volume will start to affect your skin drastically. These are the years to combat aging during the dip in temperature. 

Patricia Wexler | Cosmetic Dermatologist

Source: Ebony. December, 2012.

"I'm a minimalist. I'd rather have wrinkles than look silly." 

Patricia Wexler | Cosmetic dermatologist

Source: W. November, 2012.

TEXTURA COMO LA SEDA

Para tener una piel envidiable, la textura sedosa y la tonalidad pareja siempre van de la mano. Afortunadamente, la solución es sencilla: ¡exfoliar! "Una de las maneras más fáciles de darle luminosidad a la piel es exfoliarla regularmente usando un limpiador exfoliante, un peel casero o un cepillo ultrasónico",  dice Wexler. Sistema casero de microdermabrasión Resurfacing Microdermabrasion System, $65, de Patricia Wexler, M.D., y sistema para limpiar el cutis Aria Sonic Skin Cleansing, $199, de Clarisonic. 

Source: Siempre Mujer Magazine. November, 2012.