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Everyone is advised to wash our hands frequently and thoroughly to protect ourselves from COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands with soap and cold or lukewarm water for at least 20 seconds to rid our hands of germs. When we’re out and about, without access to soap and water, using a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is a good alternative. Whether using soap and water or hand sanitizer, we’re advised to clean the fronts and backs of our hands, between our fingers, and around our nails.
That’s good advice to protect yourself from disease, but what about protecting the skin on your hands from the dryness that frequent handwashing and sanitizing can cause?
How Frequent Handwashing and Sanitizing Can Lead to Dry and Cracked Skin
Soap and water wash away germs, but they can also strip your skin of the natural, protective oils that act as a shield on the surface of the skin and help it retain moisture. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be even harsher on the skin, as they have a powerful drying effect.
However, dry skin is not a good enough reason to wash your hands less frequently. The science behind the disease-prevention effects of handwashing is strong. But you also need to take good care of the skin on your hands. Dryness can lead to rashes, itching, flaking, and even cracks in the skin. These effects are not only uncomfortable, they can leave you vulnerable to superficial skin infections.
How to Wash Your Hands to Avoid Dryness
Use a mild, moisturizing soap. Any type of soap will remove germs if you wash your hands thoroughly. That includes dish soap, moisturizing soap, and “natural” soap. The ingredients in moisturizing soap, such as glycerin, lanolin, and hyaluronic acid, help to counteract the drying effect of washing. Soaps with natural moisturizing ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, or jojoba oil can also help reduce skin dryness. Liquid soaps can be less drying than bar soap.
Added chemicals and fragrances in some soaps can irritate the skin. If you have sensitive skin, eczema, or a history of allergies to any cosmetic products, take special care to choose a mild soap without irritating ingredients.
Wash hands with cold or lukewarm water. Hot water is no more effective in removing germs than cold water, and it is much harder on your skin.
Pat your hands dry with a clean towel. Don’t rub or scrub at your hands to dry them. Just dab to get the excess moisture off, as rubbing can further irritate skin that is already at a disadvantage from the washing.
Moisturize Immediately After Every Handwashing
Right after you wash your hands, while they are still slightly damp, apply a thick moisturizer to your skin.
Creams and ointments are better than lotions for moisturizing, and moisturizers that come in a tube or jar are better than those that come in a pump bottle. Effective ingredients to look for include mineral oil, petrolatum, lanolin, or glycerin. Some prefer to use natural moisturizing oils, such as coconut oil or shea butter. If you have sensitive skin or allergies, look for a fragrance-free hand cream that doesn’t include chemicals that might irritate your skin.
Moisturizers restore the protective barrier that natural oils in your skin would normally provide without frequent hand-washing. Despite the name, moisturizers don’t add moisture to your skin. Instead, they help your skin retain water. They also soothe irritated skin and restore a smooth texture to skin that is rough or flaky from dryness.
Try Extra Nighttime Treatments
If the skin on your hands is still dry or irritated, even with gentle washing and regular applications of moisturizer, you might try an extra treatment at night. Before you go to bed, apply moisturizing cream or ointment — petroleum jelly is a good choice — and cover your hands with cotton gloves. The gloves help keep the product on your skin and provide an extra layer of moisture retention.
Learn More About Skin Rejuvenation In a Personal Consultation
Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery have developed an impeccable reputation for stunning, natural-looking plastic surgery results and skin rejuvenation treatments. Contact our practice today at (310) 746-5475 or send an online request to schedule a consultation.
Mommy Makeover
Giving birth is a most fulfilling experience for a woman, but it does take a toll on her physical appearance. Pregnancy can cause development of fat pockets in certain areas, loss of skin elasticity, and uneven body contours. During breastfeeding, your breasts may increase in size, and eventually sag when the lactation ends.
Pregnancy also causes changes in the abdominal region. Your abdominal muscles may sag, skin may stretch, and in some cases, the lower body may also lose its sharp, youthful contours. These conditions can be effectively reversed with a mommy makeover cosmetic surgery, which will restore your pre-pregnancy figure.
At the time of your initial consultation, the surgeon will determine whether you are a fit candidate for a mommy makeover. plastic surgeon Dr. David Kim provides mommy makeover surgery to patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA and surrounding locations.
Your Body Fat is Resistant to Diet and Exercise
After your pregnancy, if you have been struggling to get rid of excess fatty tissue deposits in certain areas of the body, or have loose skin and distended breasts, you may want to consider a mommy makeover plastic surgery. It may be difficult to eliminate loose skin and stretch marks through diet or exercise. If the fat bulges are stubborn and resistant to natural fat loss efforts, you may be a candidate for a mommy makeover.
You are not Planning another Pregnancy
Although you can have children after your mommy makeover cosmetic surgery, but it will compromise the aesthetic effects you have achieved through your surgery. Therefore, an ideal candidate for this procedure would be someone who has no plans for another pregnancy in the foreseeable future. You should also not have any plans to undergo a major weight loss surgery after a mommy makeover as that will again leave you with loose skin.
Normal or C-Section Delivery
You can be a candidate for a mommy makeover, no matter whether you had a normal delivery or through a C-section. The C-section delivery may leave some scarring around your abdomen, which can be improved with a mommy makeover. If you have had hernia after childbirth (particularly if you had twins or triplets) it can also be resolved with a mommy makeover surgery.
At least Six Months have Passed after Childbirth
Childbirth is a major physical event for your body, and you need time to nurse your baby and allow your body to recover naturally. It may be ideal to wait for about six months before you consider a mommy makeover surgery. During this period, your breasts, abdomen, and other body areas will settle into their natural shape. This will allow you to discuss a more appropriate and comprehensive mommy makeover plan with your surgeon.
Other Pre-requisites
You should be in good general health, and not have any underlying medical conditions that could interfere with your surgery or recovery. You should be committed to avoid smoking for a few weeks before and after the surgery as per your surgeon’s instructions.
Candidates with realistic expectations will achieve the best satisfaction levels after their mommy makeover surgery. Cosmetic surgeon Dr. David Kim receives patients from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA, and nearby areas for mommy makeover surgery.
Schedule a Consultation with Beverly Hills California Plastic Surgeon Dr. Kim
For more information on the surgical and non-surgical procedures and treatments by Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim. Click here to contact us today.
Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.
Dermal fillers are an easy and effective way to treat yourself to a younger and more attractive look. They can add volume to your cheeks, enhance your lips, fill the hollows under your eyes, and soften facial lines and wrinkles. But the improvements they make aren’t permanent. The natural substances used in fillers, such as hyaluronic acid, are gradually metabolized by your body. Depending on the filler used and how you care for your skin, you may need refresher injections after six months to two years.
Are there things you can do to make your filler treatments last longer? There certainly are. We’ll explain some of the key ones here.
Protect Your Skin from the Sun
The UV rays in sunlight have a powerful aging effect on the skin, causing roughness and discoloration and speeding the development of lines and wrinkles. They can also accelerate the breakdown of the substances used in fillers. Protect your skin and your investment in fillers by shielding your face from excess sun exposure. Avoid being out in the sun during peak exposure hours (between 10 am and 3 pm). If you do need to be out in the sun, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and wear sunglasses and a hat with a wide brim.
Practice Healthy Skin Care
Keep your skin moisturized by drinking plenty of water and regularly applying a high-quality moisturizer. This will enhance the effects of the fillers and slow their absorption by your body. If you’re not sure which moisturizer to use, your plastic surgeon or filler provider can recommend skincare products that will complement your specific filler treatment.
Manage Your Stress
High levels of stress trigger the release of hormones that speed the skin’s aging process. You can’t eliminate stress from your life, but you can learn ways to manage it. Pay attention to the signs of stress and practice stress-lowering techniques such as meditation, yoga, or simply deep breathing. Habits of positive thinking can also help, such as learning to accept what you can’t control and reminding yourself of everything you are grateful for.
Eat Healthy Foods
Eating a healthy balance of foods, including whole grains, lean proteins, and several servings of fruits and vegetables a day can extend the effect of fillers while improving your overall health. Highly processed foods and added sugars can increase inflammation in your body, which can speed up the rate at which your fillers are metabolized.
Get Regular Exercise, but in Moderation
The speed at which fillers are absorbed by your body is closely related to your metabolism. Regular exercise is important to good health and the health of your skin, but overdoing it with intensive exercise can shorten the life of your filler treatment. If you’re an athlete or avid about your fitness, that may be an acceptable trade-off. Just keep in mind that you may need refresher treatments sooner if you step up your workouts.
Plan for Maintenance Treatments
The best way to extend your filler results is to plan for regular maintenance or “top off” treatments, rather than waiting until your results wear off. This will keep you looking fresher and younger in a consistent way. You might also combine maintenance filler treatments with injections of Botox, which can extend the filler results by reducing muscle movement.
Learn More In a Personal Consultation
Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery have developed an impeccable reputation for stunning, natural-looking cosmetic treatment and plastic surgery results, attracting patients from all over the world. Contact our practice today at (310) 746-5475 or send an online request to schedule a consultation.
Mommy Makeover
The mommy makeover procedure is typically undertaken as elective surgery for cosmetic improvement, which means that you will need to pay for its costs out-of-pocket. This is a customizable procedure, and the costs may vary significantly between patients. To make an informed choice, you should discuss the costs involved in detail during the pre-operative consultation.
Various financing alternatives will be available to you to pay for this cosmetic surgery procedure in easy monthly installments. With financing support, the cost is not a prohibitive factor for many women seeking to regain their pre-pregnancy bodies through the mommy makeover procedure.
plastic surgeon Dr. David Kim provides mommy makeover surgery to patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA, and surrounding locations.
Variable Costs
During the pre-operative consultation, your surgeon will assess your unique aesthetic and anatomical needs and then recommend a suitable combination of procedures to be included in your mommy makeover surgery plan. The overall cost also depends on the procedures that form a part of your individualized mommy makeover.
While some patients need only minor surgical correction in the breasts or tummy area, others require more significant enhancement in many areas such as the butt, thighs, abdomen, breasts, and upper arms. The procedure costs in every case will depend on the complexity and extent of the surgery involved.
Today many women choose to add minimally invasive or non-invasive cosmetic body contouring or skin resurfacing procedures involving laser, radio frequency, ultrasound, cooling techniques, or injections along with their mommy makeover plastic surgery procedure. Each individual procedure’s cost will add to the total costs of your mommy makeover.
Cost Effectiveness
Your upfront costs of a mommy makeover costs will possibly be higher than the cost of an individual cosmetic surgery procedure. However, a mommy makeover will have a better cost-effectiveness. The reason is that in mommy makeover procedures, costs associated with surgery such as surgical venue expenses, anesthesia costs, surgeon’s fee, and recovery related costs are incurred only one time.
In a combined procedure such as a mommy makeover, you will undergo the recovery process only once. Therefore, the overall recovery time will be reduced and the post-operative expenses will be reduced in comparison to a situation where you undergo separate surgical procedures at different times.
Cost Factors
The cost of the mommy makeover surgery will be affected by some key factors such as the practice location, surgical venue costs, anesthesia costs, and post-op expenses. The costs of the procedure will likely be higher in busy metropolitan cities and prime urban centers in comparison to small, interior towns.
The fee charged by your surgeon will depend on their experience, qualifications, and reputation in the field of aesthetic surgery. The mommy makeover procedure can be performed at an accredited surgery center or a hospital, and the costs and benefits will vary in each case.
Financing
You may consider financing your mommy makeover through third-party medical care financing companies. These firms offer patients competitive rates of interest, faster loan approvals, and convenient monthly installments for elective surgery procedures such as a mommy makeover.
Cosmetic surgeon Dr. David Kim receives patients from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA and nearby areas for mommy makeover surgery.
Schedule a Consultation with a Beverly Hills California Plastic Surgeon
For more information on the surgical and non-surgical procedures and treatments by Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim. Click here to contact us today.
Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.