There is no question that this is a tough time for us all.  During these unprecedented times, there seems to be little we can do to control our environment or to better ourselves and our family, but that would not be entirely true.

The good news is that we can and do have control of our outlook and how we view what’s going on around us.  In fact, many studies have proven that positive thinking helps with handling stress and has a direct impact on our health.

The health benefits of positive thinking range from lower stress, fewer skin issues, lower depression rates, and mental distress while improving our resistance to sickness, improving cardiovascular health, and providing an overall better psychological and physical sense of wellbeing.

This all sounds great, but how do I apply positive thinking in an environment such as the COVID-19 pandemic?  Here are a few suggestions to consider:

• Identify & Stop Negative Self-Talk
• Think in Terms of the Glass Half-Full vs. Half-Empty
• Try Not to Personalize Situations Which Are Out of Your Control
• Avoid Catastrophic Thinking
• Create a Gratitude Journal
• Identify Topics to be More Positive About
• Try Humor!
• Find the Silver Lining
• Practice Positive Thinking

There are many great resources and articles written about the power of being positive as well as health care professionals who can help you along your positivity journey. It is important to mention that sometimes situations and events are larger than we are, and require perhaps more than just a positive outlook.  If you are having trouble sorting out your emotions and feelings or have experienced loss during this time, please seek the support of family, friends, and professional care.

December is a busy month between holiday shopping, get-togethers and keeping your regular life going; life can get stressful at this time of year. Stress in the body and mind can often show on the skin. Here are some tips for the Holiday Season to keep your skin healthy and beautiful.

Sleep: lack of sleep can increase our cortisol levels, which can lead to blotchy and broken out skin. Try hard despite the harried pace of the season to sleep 8 hours a night.

Holiday sweets: an increase in sugar can spike insulin levels, also leading to stressed bodies, minds, and skin. Try to keep the sugar intake to one or two treats maximum.

Lack of exercise: exercise on a regular basis naturally increases our endorphin levels, which combats stress. Being overscheduled during the holidays often leads to a decrease in our regular exercise routine and an increase in our stress. Do your best to get at least three hour-long workouts in each week. Your skin will thank you!

Alcohol and moisture: heavy imbibing during December can dehydrate the body and cause dry skin. Make sure to drink two glasses of water for every alcoholic drink you consume to keep a healthy balance for your skin. In addition, use a moisturizing cream on your whole body as soon as you step out of the shower.

What About Skincare Gifts for Those Hard to Buy for Friends and Family?

1) Skincare products:
Many products sold on the market look great and are packaged well but have no scientific evidence of actually transforming the skin. Dermatologists have been trained to study the science behind various skincare products and to determine which products are actually “medical grade” or “transformative” in our skin. Make sure you are not just falling for good marketing and ask your dermatologist to recommend products that actually transform your skin into stronger more beautiful skin.

One of the best gifts of the holiday season is a custom skin care package created for you or your loved one:
At Torrey Pines Dermatology we have custom skin care packages created by Dr. Richards for acne, rosacea, pregnancy, melasma, skin rejuvenation and men’s skin.

2) Skin care procedures:
To more quickly rejuvenate your skin and body consider a gift of an Active FX package for skin rejuvenation or a SculpSure package to help remove those pesky fat deposits prior to the New Year!

For more information, please call us at 858-362-8800, see our monthly specials, or follow us on social media for exclusive promotions.

Skin problems like scars, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and poor skin texture are very common, and our patients in San Diego are no exception. Some of our patients desire to see an improvement in their skin but are not aware of some of the latest developments and innovations in the field of cosmetic dermatology. Our experienced cosmetic dermatologist at Torrey Pines Dermatology will be happy to help you on your journey to smooth, better-looking skin in San Diego. Contact us today to learn more!

Laser Skin Resurfacing

Today’s medical lasers have seen stunning advancements in their sophistication lately that has paid enormous dividends to dermatology patients. The incredible precision offered by laser technology means that only unwanted skin tissue is affected by the treatment, leaving nearby skin tissue intact and greatly speeding healing times.

Laser skin resurfacing is safe and effective for the removal of lines, wrinkles, scars, and hyperpigmentation. The treatment is typically quite fast and involves very little downtime so that you can resume your normal activities right away in most cases.

Chemical Peels

A chemical peel procedure is a medical-grade treatment that can help enhance the appearance of your skin due to aging, scars, or sun exposure. Although an individual chemical peel’s ingredients may vary, they all work in the same basic way. A chemical solution is applied to your skin by our cosmetic dermatologist to remove varying portions of the outer skin layer to promote the formation of new skin that displays fewer imperfections.

Microneedling

Microneedling is another type of skin rejuvenation treatment our cosmetic dermatologist can perform that involves the controlled injury of outer skin layers. The treatment can be used to minimize the appearance of scars, wrinkles, and rough skin texture.

A microneedling procedure begins with the application of a topical numbing solution to enhance your comfort during your treatment. After that, we move the microneedling device over your skin repeatedly. This forms hundreds of tiny, virtually invisible punctures in your skin to trigger a skin rejuvenation process.

In addition to making a fine treatment in its own right, microneedling can be used in conjunction with the application of topical skin care ingredients to increase their penetration. The outer skin layer normally possesses a barrier that allows only tiny molecules to pass through. Microneedling forms channels that increase skin penetration and effectiveness.

Sculptra

Sculptra is a skin care innovation that involves the injection of a substance called polylactic acid. This synthetic substance is somewhat similar to that found in your body when your muscles are exercised vigorously. Once injected, this polylactic acid is gradually replaced by your own body’s collagen. Since collagen is associated with youthful skin, an increase leads to skin that displays fewer lines, wrinkles, scars, and blemishes.

The Sculptra treatment involves a series of injections given over the course of a few weeks. In between treatments, you will need to massage the treatment area to ensure that the product is distributed evenly and does not form lumps.

To learn about these services and everything else our cosmetic dermatologist can do for you in San Diego, contact Torrey Pines Dermatology to schedule an appointment!

Thinking about saying goodbye to your razor may sound like something that will potentially ruin your social life. If you do not have the ability to shave away unwanted hair, you are likely going to feel embarrassed. You will constantly cover areas of your body where you have that unwanted hair growth. At Torrey Pines Dermatology, we would like to tell you how you can say goodbye to your razor, as well as all of the unwanted hair you have on your body. Call us today to find out how we can help you.

Laser hair removal is a treatment that is designed to disable hair follicles in areas that receive this laser treatment. When the hair follicles are disabled, no new hair growth is possible. If you go through some kind of hormonal change in the future, like weight gain or a pregnancy, you may have some regrowth in some areas of your body. However, besides major hormonal changes that you could experience in your life, you are not likely to ever see hair growth in areas where laser hair removal treatments were done. For many of our clients, any hair growth that they do experience in the future is usually different. For example, hair that was once coarse, long, and dark will grow back much thinner and lighter. This is great because it will not be quite as noticeable as the hair was in the past.

The hair on your body goes through different growing cycles. At any one time, only about 25 percent or fewer of your hairs are going through an active growing phase. In order to get the best results, we need to use a laser on hairs that are going through an active growing phase. So this means that you will have to come back to our office at least four or five times in order to have the hair in a particular area treated. This will give us the opportunity to treat as many active hairs as possible. This will give you the longest lasting and best results.

Shaving with a razor definitely has its benefits. It allows you to remove embarrassing hair. However, it usually does not produce satisfying results. This is especially true if you have sensitive skin since you are used to dealing with things like razor rash, ingrown hairs, and other sensitivities. You can say goodbye to your razor with laser hair removal. Contact us at Torrey Pines Dermatology, proudly serving the San Diego community with an office located in La Jolla, to find out more about laser hair removal.