If you ever wondered just where to spend and splurge, or keep and budget when it comes to beauty, two leading dermatologists Susan H. Weinkle, M.D. and Heidi A. Waldorf, M.D. shared with me their expert tips on getting the most out of your beauty budget. So get yourself informed with the latest information:
Key:
The three essential items to keep your skin in top shape now– in order to avoid expensive corrective procedures later–are
- sunscreen
- antioxidant moisturizer
- a product containing retinoic acid.
Products where to invest and where you can save money
Worth the Price
Prescription retinoids (tretinoin, tazarotene, adapalene) nothing else has been shown to do as much for photoaged skin; and one tube should last several months
Certain cosmeceuticals (idebenone, coffeeberry) your dermatologist knows what works and what you’re more likely to tolerate
Option to Thrift
Cleansers if you need to save, a gentle over-the-counter non-drying lotion cleanser will do the job.
Sunscreen drug store options with appropriate ingredients abound, and you need to use a lot of it.
Eye cream if you’re trying to save, you can use your face cream for your eye area too.
Augmenting in-office treatments at home
Get more bang for your buck use a home microdermabrasion system between professional treatments
Non-invasive treatments work best when accompanied by an effective at home regimen of sun protection and some combination of retinoids, anti-oxidants and/or peptides.
Don’t work against your treatment: avoid cigarettes, tanning, and picking.
Ask your dermatologist for a prescription to slow hair growth while you’re undergoing laser hair removal
When is do-it-yourself okay and when do you need the doctor
DON’T:
Pop your own pimple or ingrown hair you’re just spreading the inflammation
Mix together at home peel kits with other ingredients the combination can increase the depth of penetration dangerously
Play with at home lasers and gadgets when you’re tan you risk skin discoloration and scarring
DO:
See your dermatologist for a painful acne cyst a dilute cortisone injection can reduce it in 1 2 days
Gently exfoliate once or twice a week but avoid anything sharp (if it hurts on your hand, don’t use it on your face)
See your dermatologist for laser or light treatments she can confirm it’s safe and appropriate for your problem
Reasonable investments for Long-term beauty
The current long-lasting fillers are cost-effective. A recent study of hyaluronic acid showed that once you achieve your optimal correction, keeping it up requires only half the original volume used once or twice a year. For patients who can’t pay for full correction the first visit, there’s the option to gradually achieve correction over several months each treatment builds on the last because the prior filler isn’t gone and new collagen has been formed.
Tightening procedures utilizing lasers and radiofrequency cost far less than surgery, can put off the expense of a surgical lift for several years and don’t require a lot of time off from work.
Botulinum toxins continue to be a safe and effective way to look fresher without downtime and for about the cost of hair and nail maintenance.
Unless otherwise specified, a product review is based on a product sent by a representative of the company.
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The Budget-Crunched Beauty Tips by Elke Von Freudenberg [ Beauty Blog ], unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.