This summer I’ll be celebrating my 30th birthday, hard to believe I know 😄 One thing that I’ve learned as I’ve approached a new decade is the importance of investing (time & money) in your skin. Thanks to my friend Ledia Sotelo of Cross Medical Group [@glowingskinbyledia] who I like to call my skincare fairy godmother, my skin has never looked better! Below I’ve listed four things I’ve learned to include in my skincare regime & why I stopped worshipping the sun. 

Wear SPF!!- I know you have all heard this one before but it is SO important, sun exposure does terrible things to your skin! In my teenage years I frequented the tanning salon, applied baby oil before laying out & never bothered putting on a drop of sunscreen. Thinking back to all of the time I spent in the sun, ignoring warnings & cautions from the adults in my life makes me cringe! In my mid 20s I got serious about SPF (& spray tans😃) & started wearing it everyday, no matter the weather because guys, the sun is crazy strong. **Make sure you’re using an SPF 50 at least** Still, I ended up with sun damage & sun spots on my face, until Ledia introduced me to laser treatments. Ledia recommends: Revisions Skincare Broad Spectrum SPF 50 $70 available at Cross Medical Group.

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) Treatment- IPL is an excellent way to safely & effectively treat sun damage, age & brown spots, freckles & rosacea. After recognizing the amount of sun damage I actually had (and the fact that it more would come to the surface of my skin as I aged) I asked Ledia what she suggested I do. That is when I first learned about lasers & that they’re not just for hair removal. After one 30-45 minute session of IPL I had seriously amazing results! Ledia explained that the laser targets brown & red discoloration on the face & that over the next few days the spots would darken, come to the surface of the skin & flake off. She said that I would see results after one treatment but suggested I do three for the best results. If you have sun damage or unwanted freckles on your face, chest or back I highly suggest IPL ($450 per session.) Before & after photos below.

Chemical Peels- Glycolic acid & phenol may sound like things you should keep far away from your face however these chemicals do wonders for the skin. A chemical peel is a technique used to improve the appearance of the skin & neck. A chemical solution (ranging from mild to strong depending on your skin/needs) is applied to the skin that causes it to exfoliate & eventually peel off. The new, regenerated skin is usually smoother & less wrinkled than the old skin- but beware, the new skin is also temporarily more sensitive to the sun. I try to get a light to medium peel every 4-6 weeks, depending on the time of year. 

Ledia offers a customized chemical peel as part of her ‘Glow n Go’ treatment ($250)- my FAVORITE & her most popular service. This is a four step treatment including dermaplaning, microdermabrasion, a customized chemical peel & infusion therapy (see this post for more info.) 

Tretinoin/Retin A- Another lesson I’ve learned from Ledia is the importance of going to sleep with a medical grade product on your skin. I use a prescription tretinoin cream 1-2 times a week (my skin is too sensitive to use it more frequently.) Tretinoin tends to be a more aggressive than retinol & is best suited for those who are oily or have tolerant skin while retinol, a derivative of vitamin A, is a bit more suitable for those with sensitive skin. These products work wonders for anti aging, treating fine lines, dark spots & rough skin. Ledia suggests Skin Better AlphaRet Overnight Cream $110

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Mention this post when you book a service with @glowingskinbyledia & receive 20% off! Make sure that you are following both of our Instagram accounts to for future offers & giveaways 🙂 Call Cross Medical Group at 215.561.9100 to book an appointment with Ledia. Valid for one appointment only, cannot be combined with any other offer.