Strengthen Your Summer Skin-Care Routine
Sponsored by Turó Park Clinics.
Image courtesy of Turó Park Dental and Medical Center.
As the largest organ in the human body, our skin plays a fundamental role in our overall health and well-being—as well as our appearance. Our skin is a key factor to a healthy immune system, acting as a natural barrier against the world around us by protecting the body from harmful external factors. Focusing on your skin health will not only help you look beautiful, but you’ll also feel better and have a stronger immune system.
Summer brings a whole range of skin-care challenges and is the time of year when special attention to skin care is most essential. Dermatologist Dr. Luis Novoa of Turó Park Medical Center offers important dermatological advice for during and after the hot summer months.
Skin Care Challenges Specific to Summer
We all want clear, glowing skin in the summer. However, the reality is that hot weather, humidity and extra sun exposure more often than not result in sweat-induced clogged pores, sunburns and dark spots. As the weather gets warmer and humidity increases, our skin produces more natural oils from the sebaceous glands and, of course, more sweat. This oil can then get stuck on the surface of the skin leading to blocked pores. As a result, acne breakouts are one of the most common problems that occur in summer.
Image courtesy of Turó Park Dental and Medical Center.
More importantly, we’re all aware of the harmful nature of ultraviolet (UV) rays for our skin. As our skin tries to protect itself from sun damage, it increases the production of melanin, which is the photo-protective pigment in the skin that results in a tan. Overexposure to UV rays is linked to a number of harmful health conditions—more on that below.
Other problems that can result from spending time in the sun can include itchy skin, prickly heat, sunburn and rash. If you suffer from any of these challenges, don't worry because the team at Turó Park can provide care and helpful tips to maintain beautiful, healthy skin while enjoying the summer sun. The good news is that it is possible to prevent these common summer skin concerns through strengthening and personalizing your skin-care routine by consulting a dermatologist.
Top Summer Skin Care Tips
Finding the right approach to skin care for you depends on your age, skin type, skin tone and any relevant health conditions, such as acne, rosacea and eczema, so it’s important to personalize your routine.
Consistency is key. With consistent use, the perfect skin-care regimen will work for you year-round, but there are a few tweaks you can make to help minimize the seasonal side effects that summer can have on your skin. Dermatologists can help anyone who has any concerns, is looking for recommendations or needs regular checkups. Below are a few tips to keep in mind when developing your very own routine.
Image courtesy of Turó Park Dental and Medical Center.
The Importance of SPF
First and foremost: sunscreen. There is a reason dermatologists emphasize the importance of applying sunscreen with an adequate sun protection factor (SPF). Before you go outside you should always put on a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays with an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply a thick layer on all exposed skin and focus on consistent reapplication, especially after swimming. Don't forget about hands, feet, ears and lips!
It can be fun to get out and enjoy the sunshine, and the vitamin D provided by the sun can support your overall health. However, too much sun can be damaging to the skin. Avoid sun in the middle of the day, from about 10:00. to 15:00—the ultraviolet rays which cause sunburn are strongest during this time.
Image courtesy of Turó Park Dental and Medical Center.
Keep Your Skin Hydrated
Even though you may be spending more time in the water, have oilier skin or sweat more in the summer, your skin still needs to be moisturized. Moisturizers reestablish the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of your skin) which protects you from harmful pollutants and chemicals, and prevent further skin irritation or dryness.
However, in the summer your moisturizer does need to be more lightweight than usual. Choose a product that is lighter on the skin, possibly a two-in-one moisturizer with SPF protection.
Vitamin C Serum
There are a wide range of vitamin C serums and oils available, and many dermatologists recommend using them throughout the year. Vitamin C can help prevent hyperpigmentation, improve the appearance of fine lines and boost collagen production. Its antioxidant properties also help reduce damage caused by the sun's rays. Layer a few drops on your skin between cleansing and moisturizing.
Eat a Balanced, Healthy Diet
Treat your skin kindly and optimize your nutrition by eating antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables such as berries, figs, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach. Healthy fats from oily fish and nuts also contribute to a varied, well-balanced diet. Also try to lower your intake of irritants like dairy, sugar and gluten.
Stay in the Shade
Turó Park’s experts recommend that their patients wear sun-protective clothing, wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses when in the sun. Be mindful to expose as little of your body as possible to direct sunlight. Find shade where you can and remember to avoid the midday sun whenever possible.
Image courtesy of Turó Park Dental and Medical Center.
UV Overexposure and Skin Cancer
Overexposure to the sun has a range of consequences that can be mitigated by developing good skin-care habits and through paying careful attention to and avoiding excessive sun exposure.
Called photoaging, sun exposure causes premature aging of the skin, characterized by freckling, fine wrinkling and dilation of capillaries, all of which develops into irregular pigmentation (liver spots) in later years. Wrinkling and loss of skin elasticity occur much earlier when skin has been overexposed to the sun.
Eye disorders are a lesser known effect of sun exposure, notably cataracts—characterized by blurred vision—which are the leading cause of blindness around the world. Turó Park’s ophthalmologist recommends wearing UV sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to lessen exposure to UV rays. Excessive sun exposure can also lead to corneal sunburn, growths on the outer surface of the eye, retinal-tissue damage as well as other eye diseases.
As mentioned before, our skin plays a major role in our immune system. It is now believed that UV radiation can suppress our immune responses hindering the body's ability to fight certain diseases such as skin cancer.
Most importantly, overexposure to UV rays from the sun causes skin cancer. In Spain, 2,000 new patients are diagnosed each year with skin cancer, with more than 700 deaths as a result. It is a growing problem in Spain with an increasing incidence of skin cancer over the last 50 years. Most skin cancers appear after age 50, but skin damage begins at an early age; preventing overexposure to the sun from early childhood and throughout our lives is essential in preventing skin cancer later in life.
Image courtesy of Turó Park Dental and Medical Center.
Melanoma Screening for Early Detection of Skin Cancer
Skin cancers are by far the most common cancers in humans, 10% of which are accounted for by melanomas. Unfortunately, melanomas are responsible for the majority of deaths from skin cancer because of their high metastatic potential. They affect all age groups, with a peak in rates in people between 30 and 50 years old.
Early detection is a priority as it offers a better chance for a cure. It is recommended that each person get their skin checked annually for suspicious moles that could be cancerous, especially for people with fair skin, a history of high sun exposure or a family history of skin cancers.
If you notice any changes in your moles, freckles or skin, get in touch with a dermatologist as soon as possible for a quick and easy screening.
Frequent Dermatological Checkups
Annual dermatological checkups can help you in a wide variety of ways in just one session, including:
- Advice for tailoring an adapted and personalized skin care routine.
- Recommendations for menopausal skin-care routine changes.
- Treatment for any protrusion, redness or itching on your skin, increased moles or unusual hair loss.
- Diagnosis and management of conditions such as rosacea, acne or eczema, with a suitable treatment plan.
- Melanoma screening for the early diagnosis of skin cancer.
For optimal results, be sure to adapt your skin-care routine to your skin type. Consulting a dermatologist is the best way to get a fully customized skin-care routine, so now’s the time to make an appointment.
Contact Turó Park!
Turó Park’s highly qualified and experienced specialists warmly welcome you to the clinic to receive reliable annual checkups, early diagnosis, personalized treatment plans, follow-up treatments and more with a collaborating team of specialists.
- Dr. Luis Novoa, Dermatologist
- Dr. Rob van der Veen, Oculoplastic Surgeon & Ophthalmologist
- Cathy Morghese, Nutritionist
Turó Park’s doctors, dentists and specialists are all multilingual, speaking English, French, Spanish and Catalan among others.
The specialists at Turó Park Clinics focus on improving your well-being with their advice, treatments and professionalism in your native language.
You can book your appointment seven days a week, online or via WhatsApp: +34 651 130 683.
You can find out more about all the clinic’s services and book an appointment via the website at turoparkmedical.com and follow on Twitter: @park_turo, Facebook: @turoparkmedical, Instagram @turoparkaesthetic and LinkedIn.
Sponsored by Turó Park Clinics.
