As in most renewable things in life, the biggest organ in our body — our skin — becomes more beautiful when it sheds itself.
In a strict sense, we start to age the minute we are born. Slowly, imperceptibly, at first. Impatient to look grown-up, girls can’t wait to put on makeup in their pre-teens. By the time they hit 30, they don’t need makeup to look older. They are older. In fact, they start wearing less makeup in order to look younger.
When they hit 40 (or even earlier), women need more tricks than just makeup to look forever young.
Dermatologists are now saying “peeling” can and will do the trick.
I had coffee (would you believe coffee is good for the skin?) with visiting dermatologist and laser surgeon Dr. Jennifer Linder, and she told me: “The truth is, skin naturally peels on a regular basis, when dead skin cells are shed to reveal new skin. What skin peeling does is it speeds up the exfoliation process, allowing healthy, glowing skin to surface at a much faster rate.”
Thirtysomething Linder looks like a mainstay in a US daytime soap —blonde, tall and slender. She has a face that can take the closest close-ups, thanks to a combination of genes that she inherited and a skin regimen that she studied.
Linder used to be a biomedical engineer and chemist until she decided that she wanted to be a healer as well.
“There was not enough human contact in bio-engineering,” she smiles as she explains why she decided to study Medicine. “I wanted to be in a field that combined science and personal contact.”
Linder, who also paints with oil, completed medical school and fellowship training at Washington University in St. Louis, a surgery internship at the University of Pennsylvania and a dermatology residency at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
She started to do “peelings” while treating skin cancer patients, for the peelings helped in taking out the cancerous and pre-cancerous cells on the skin.
She also found peelings useful in treating her own melasma, a skin condition that manifests itself in brown spots.
Linder became acquainted with PCA SKIN, an Arizona-based company that was the industry leader in the US in the development of professional chemical peels and advanced topicals that aid in the treatment of acne, eczema, psoriasis, hyperpigmentation, among others. In 2006, Linder joined PCA SKIN.
She and her husband Richard own it now.
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Linder, upon the invitation of Filipino businessman Noy Firmacion, flew to Manila recently to meet with dermatologists, as PCA SKIN products are not sold over-the-counter in drugstores and supermarkets. The PCA SKIN peels are performed only by dermatologists in clinics or medical spas, so they are available only there.
According to Linder, a recent study shows that during recession, women of a certain income level will not reduce expenses on two things: 1. Educational toys for their children; 2. Beauty products.
Not exactly surprising, for even in the Philippines, a Third World country, billboards selling beauty products compete with billboards selling instant noodles.
Linder also said that there is a study that shows that those who have less wrinkles and frowns are less likely to be depressed, since the people they meet react positively to them (Makes sense, for we do tend to avoid “masungit”-looking people).
“When you look good, you’re good in a snap. When you’re in a good place, you’re likely to forget the bad things that come your way.”
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I asked Jennifer Linder to give me tips for great-looking skin. After all, it is the biggest organ in your body, and the most visible. Here are her tips:
1. A good cleanser makes a big difference.
2. Use sunscreen — 80 to 90 percent of aging comes from sun exposure.
3. Take anti-oxidants — from food rather than just supplements. (Coffee is an anti-oxidant, and when it reacts to the acid in our stomach, it produces hydroquinone, which Linder says is good for the skin.)
4. Quit smoking — one stick of cigarette takes away 30 minutes oxygen supply from your skin.
5. Get enough sleep — it is when we are asleep that the body recharges, regenerates, recycles events into memories (that’s why it’s good to study before a good night’s sleep, because you will retain the facts).
6. Get regular chemical peels from your dermatologist. The best peels are actually low in dosage, progressive and deliberate in their effects. “Since dead skin cells can also clog pores, leading to blemished and irritated skin, regular skin peeling is recommended for continuous skin rejuvenation,” adds Linder.
7. Use mineral makeup, the one without talc, as talc can clog pores.
(For inquiries on PCA SKIN, you may call tel. no. 435-1449 or consult your dermatologist.)
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(You may e-mail me at joanneraeramirez@yahoo.com)