So I don’t know if I have ever mentioned that I have the best job in the world. Honestly, the best! Not just because I get to do what I love all day but because I am pushed every day to learn more and to do better. I’m encouraged and motivated by my coworkers and my bosses. Dr. Brad and {especially} Dr. Sandy encourage us to take care of our skin and so it is no surprise that our christmas gift from them was a skincare regimen they recommend for almost all skin types. This week’s guest post is from Autumn, one of our awesome skin care product experts talking about this regimen.

Autumn is one of Johnson Dermatology’s longest standing employees. She has worked there longer than me even. She has always been a big part of products at Johnson Dermatology so her wealth of knowledge about them is abundant. Not only does she have personal training from Dr. Sandy but she has attended some of the largest learning conferences in the industry. Simply put, she’s a pretty big deal. I’m jealous of her skin and make-up on the regular. She is young, hip and smart which is the perfect combination for someone you’re trusting to guide you on products. Because we all trust her at JD we asked her to write about the products we got for christmas, how to use them and what they do. So here is a behind the scenes look at the skin care regimen that has all of us at JD looking so flawless.

AM regimen order used:

AHA/BHA cleanser

TNS Essential Serum (1 pump covers your face, neck, & chest)

Lytera

TD&R

PM regimen order used:

AHA/BHA cleanser

TNS Essential Serum

Lytera

Retinol

Product benefits:

AHA/BHA cleanser – This cleanser has 2 different acids so some of you may not be able to tolerate this cleanser twice a day. This cleanser will help lighten any discoloration by gentle exfoliation

TNS essential serum- This product is unique in the way it is packaged. It has 2 separate chambers. One chamber provides you with the growth factor and the other chamber provides you with 7 different antioxidants and 3 peptides. Growth factors help stimulate collagen growth.  This product will help improve fine lines, wrinkles, tone, & texture.  NOTE: when using this product we tell patients to use their “bunny ears” to pump out the product so that you get 1 full pump of each product.

Lytera- This is a lightning and brightening product. It helps lighten any discoloration and helps even out one’s skin tone.

Total Defense & Repair (TD&R) – This product is also known as a superscreen.  What makes it a superscreen? It not only protects against the UVA & UVB rays it also provides Infrared protection. The infrared rays make up a larger percentage of the sun’s rays than the UVA & UVB rays together.  We like to tell our patients that this product “protects & corrects”. While protecting your skin from the sun’s rays it also helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Retinol –This product is often referred to as the “little black dress” in your skin care routine. It passively exfoliates the top layer of your skin bringing the newer skin to the surface sooner. It helps lighten dark areas, shrinks your pores, and enhances the tone and texture of your skin.

WOW! Thank you Autumn for sharing your knowledge with us. I love how Autumn never tries to sell products to us or our patients, she just educates us on how they work and why they work. The result is we spend our money on products that WORK! For the first time in my life I have just a few products in my drawer instead of a drawer FULL of junk and dull, boring skin. Next time you’re at check out with Autumn go ahead and pick her brain!

Can’t wait for next week? Yeah, me either! Just loving this skin care series!

Hope to see you all this week for your last minute Christmas skin needs! We will be turning wrinkles into twinkles with lasers, botox, fillers, products and more on Monday through Wednesday, hope to see you there!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night, Nina

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SKIN CARE CONCIERGE GUEST POST SERIES

Skin care and the products you use are probably my most frequently asked about topics. People are constantly asking me for do’s and don’ts of products. It’s a crazy sea of choices out there and even I feel overwhelmed sometimes. That’s from where this series was brainstormed, the idea of “I can’t get through them all alone”. It’s literally impossible for one person to know every single skincare product out there. That’s why at Johnson Dermatology we have a team of skin care concierges. Dr. Sandy has created a dream team of  experts who together, are better at helping you than one person alone. So I asked our concierges if they would write a guest post on my blog talking about their favorite topic with our patients. AND I’M SO EXCITED TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU!!! Over the next 4 weeks you are going to get some amazing info and you don’t want to miss out!

The first guest post is from one of our newest skin experts,Kaylee. Between going to school full time to obtain her bachelor’s degree in Management and Marketing and being a round the clock mom to her chocolate lab, weego, Kaylee finds time in her busy schedule to educate patients at Johnson Dermatology on the benefits of great skin care and the difference it can make in the way your makeup looks and feels. Kaylee has been trained on proper makeup application and techniques and loves helping ladies find the right colors and products that will enhance their features and benefit their skin the most. So without further ado, to kick off the guest blog posts from the skin care expert team at Johnson Dermatology here are Kaylee’s EXCELLENT makeup tips to make makeup a SUCCESS! You’re spreading JOY with this one Kaylee!…….

When it comes to makeup, there are girls who love it and girls who hate it. I for one am a girl who loves it, although, it hasn’t always been that way. Growing up with four sisters I was the “guinea pig”. I was the sporty girl and makeup just wasn’t my thing. But with me being the youngest, you can imagine how my days after school went. With N’Sync playing in the background and with some willingness (but mostly not) I was plucked and prodded and made up like a pageant girl. It was really…“tearin’ up my heart.” Hahah…sorry, that was a crappy boy band joke. In junior high and high school, the extent of my makeup was a sheer powder and in my stubborn ways, I was not willing to use anything else. But recently, over the past couple of years, I have become a makeup fanatic. And lucky for me, I was able to have someone train me on the dos and don’ts of makeup. Along the way I’ve come up with some of my own techniques. Here are some tips on how to achieve a flawless, natural look!

Take care of your skin- The number one rule of thumb to keep your makeup looking flawless is proper skin care. Cleanse morning and night. Take your makeup off before bedtime. Use retinol regularly. A clean face will prolong the wear and look of your makeup. A quick way to remove your makeup is the Magic Mitt by Jane Iredale. The magic mitt is made of micro-fibers and fits over your hand to quickly lift up makeup and oils by using nothing but water. How easy is that?!

Invest in your brushes- I know it’s so terribly painful to spend $25 on one makeup brush, but in the end you’ll love yourself for it. Having good quality brushes really makes application quick and easy for you. Don’t forget to cleanse your brushes regularly! This will prevent buildup of bacteria.

Know the product you’re putting on your skin and make sure it’s right for you- There’s nothing worse than trying a new makeup and having your face breakout a day later. Do your research by asking your dermatologist. Our clinic’s favorite makeup line is Jane Iredale which is a Talc-free, mineral makeup that allows your skin to breathe while still giving you great coverage!

Get a color match- If you’re unsure if a color of powder or liquid foundation is right for you, ask a professional. Here at Johnson Dermatology, we do free color matches to ensure you have the best color for your skin tone.

Less is more- A lot of the time in the makeup world, less is more. You don’t need 12 lbs. of makeup caked on your face to achieve any look you want. A powder or a sheer foundation will do just the trick of creating a flawless look without it looking like you have a ton of makeup on. Top it off with mascara and a lip color and you will be set!

Know your best feature and flaunt it-Whether you have gorgeous green eyes or full lips, find what your best asset is and enhance it with some color. Jane Iredale offers a wide range of color in both eye shadow and lip product. My personal favorites are the Luscious Lip Crayon (this is awesome because it doubles as a lip liner and lipstick) and creating an eye look to go with it using 3 of Jane Iredale’s single eyeshadows; Allure, Supernova, and Merlot.

Last but certainly not least….RETINOL, RETINOL, RETINOL-Say it with me! This is the “little black dress” of the cosmetic world. Everyone needs it! It’s going to passively exfoliate your skin (without having to use a harsh scrub) by bringing a new layer of skin to the surface, all while helping unclog pores, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles and improving skin tone and texture. Tell me who wouldn’t benefit from this?! Retinol will keep your makeup looking fabulous throughout the day!

Wasn’t that awesome? Hope you enjoyed meeting Kaylee as much as we enjoy her every day at Johnson Dermatology! Thank you Kaylee so much for helping me educate patients on good skin care products and make-up. I am so lucky to have you by my side saving skin daily! You guys, next week is a post about the skin care regimen every single employee at Johnson Dermatology uses! It’s a behind the scenes look into why you walk into our clinic and see all that good looking skin! If you want the secret, stay tuned!

Have a merry skintastic week, Nina

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Most of my patients have at least one brown spot. Sun damage or brown spots are a common problem for which my patients commonly come to me seeking advice. Right now is the perfect time to be working on your skin tone and fading away those brown spots. Before you start working on getting rid of discolorations on your face you should have them checked by a dermatologist. There are some skin cancers that often times can be mistaken for a normal freckle, liver spot, pimple or wound. Women commonly suffer from melasma which is brownish-gray patches often found on the forehead, cheeks and upper lip exacerbated by sunlight and/or hormones. Right now(winter) is the time to get aggressive with melasma. Unfortunately, most people come to me when they are tan and their melasma is worse during the summer when treatment options are more limited. Most patients’ goal should be for melasma to stay the same during the summer and to improve during the winter. With this cycle melasma will fade as time goes on instead of getting worse and worse over the years. After you #getnaked for a good skin cancer check here are some things your dermatologist may recommend for you to help with unwanted benign discolorations.

1. Sun protection- This includes sun protective clothing, sunscreen, avoiding the hottest part of day and seeking shade when possible. My favorite sunscreen right now is SkinMedica Total Defense and Repair. It protects against UVA, UVB and infrared rays. It also has antioxidants in it which improve fine lines and wrinkles. Oh and did I mention it comes in a tinted too?!?! It’s 3 products in one and feels like a powder going on, not a greasy sunscreen.

2. Retinol- Because what doesn’t retinol do? It will help take away damaged skin, including lightening and brightening those brown spots. Everyone not pregnant or breastfeeding should pick up one of these. I use a pea size drop of the SkinMedica Retinol 0.5 mixed with equal part of moisturizer to my entire face every other night during the winter for good tolerability.

3. Lytera- Lightener and brightener extrodanaire. This is my favorite product to put on at night. It’s smooth and creamy and luxurious. I use it for all the post inflammatory discolorations I have left over from acne. I use it morning and night. Next time you are checking in at the clinic, nonchalantly examine Daisy’s skin (she’s one of our AMAZING front office staff that helps you check in). She loves Lytera. We can show you her before and after pictures of Lytera after just 4 weeks and it’s crazy how lightened her brown spots are!

4. Chemical Peels- We do a lot of trichloroacetic acid peels at the clinic which are a middle of the road peel. It penetrates deeper than  a light peel but doesn’t have the downtime of a deep (phenol) peel. You can’t be tan when you have a peel done. Chemical peels can cause discolorations or scarring so I highly recommend you have your peel done with a dermatologist experienced in chemical peels. TCA peels can help with discolorations, blemishes and fine lines.

5. Heliocare-This is a pill you take that is made from the extract of a fern called polypodium leukotomos. It’s an antioxidant that helps protect your skin from sun damage. It’s not a sunscreen so you still need that but it does help your skin be protected from the damage the sun can cause.

6. ATV laser- Certain skin types and certain brown spots can be lasered. Some are not good candidates. Melasma isn’t treated effectively with laser but if your problem is just one small brown spot then the laser may be a good option for you. You do have a blister-like sore and as it heals it takes the spot with it.

7. Hydroquinone- This is a prescription “bleaching cream”. You can only use it for 3 months and it can’t be used during the sunny months of the year or it could cause discoloration. Most people don’t like the smell of it but I still keep it in my bag of tricks.

8. Make-up- Sometimes you just need a little mineral based make-up to cover those spots up. Our cosmetic concierges have an awesome make-up room with great products at JD.  If you’re in the market call and schedule a free consultation with them to check it out. Jane Iredale really does have my heart.

I hope these tips help you all out. I would love to evaluate all your skin needs. Cosmetic Dermatology really is a happy place. We are concentrating our efforts on spreading JOY this December at Johnson Dermatology so I will leave you with this Swedish Proverb…..

Shared joy is double joy!

Hope I’ve shared the skin joy with you this week, Nina

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