This is the Season…

Every season brings its own unique qualities and nuances. Each creates a mood and encourages personal reflection. Fall is making its appearance and our skin is responding. It’s a good time to reflect.

If we look at Fall in the traditional terms of life stages, here is the time for renewal and repair. Here is the perfect time to recover from the heat and sun and, perhaps, the excesses of summer indulgence and activities. It might be the best time to look and listen to what your skin is telling you. And, of course, here is the best time to prepare for the Holiday season approaching fast!

If there were times when your sun block or UV protection was not quite sufficient or re-applied often enough, if you spent extended time in the water or the wind, what were the effects on your skin? On your face, your arms, your chest?

Have a few brown spots or “freckles” appeared? Patches of crinkly skin? Lines or wrinkles? Have you had a few “break-outs” from oil-clogged pores? And finally, are you protecting your skin, now, for the Winter season that will, surely, bring its own beauty care challenges?

No one sees your skin as much as you do and no one knows it quite as well. Sometimes, that’s both the blessing and the curse. While you may be the first to notice changes, while your critical eye counts each line and worries over every wrinkle, the reverse may also be true. There are also times when we only see what we’re used to seeing. We quickly skim or scan our faces and bodies and it would take a very obvious difference to catch our attention.

Why not make a special date with your mirror? Set aside some personal time to spend fifteen or thirty minutes just between the two of you. Remove your makeup, pull back your hair and simply look at your face. You might be surprised at how lovely it is. Find your best features and enjoy them.

Then look yourself in the eyes and see what or where your attention is drawn next. Naturally and slowly, try to look at yourself as if for the first time. The good and the not-so-good. And then set about correcting it.

Dry flaky skin? Enlarged pores? Perhaps you will choose one of the wonderful VIVITÉ® skincare products. Frown lines and wrinkles? Perhaps BOTOX Cosmetic or Dysport can easily and affordably offer the solution. IPL, derma fillers, Laser skin tightening and an array of other non-invasive cosmetic treatments are available to renew, revitalize and reverse the effects of premature aging.

So your mirror has done its part; and you’ve done yours. Now might be the time for a “second opinion,” a consultation with your cosmetic dermatology physician. Point out your concerns and discuss the possibilities. Remember, most cosmetic procedures require a bit of time to reach their full effect or for even the mildest side effects to completely disappear. Celebrate the Season with the best gift of all – a fresher, smoother, more youthful and radiant-looking complexion!