Summer Health and Beauty Tips

Look and feel your best over the summerIn a few weeks, we will celebrate the official start to summer 2015. Though Southern California enjoys beautiful weather year-round, summer is a particularly fun season. As the temperatures rise and the days become longer, health and beauty routines usually undergo a few modifications.

To look and feel your summer best, check out these tips from Dr. Abhay Gupta, a leading plastic surgeon in San Diego.

Rethink Your Makeup Routine

Powder-based products tend to look thick and chalky during the summer. Swap out powder bases and blushes for liquid foundations and crème blush products. For dewy, luminous-looking skin, mix a few drops of highlighter into your foundation and apply as normal.

Want extra staying power? Prep your skin with a primer before applying foundation. If you don’t own a specific primer product, makeup experts recommend using Milk of Magnesia!

Protect and Nourish Your Skin

Sun protection products are key during summer, and should be applied whenever you are outside for a prolonged period of time. Look for a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. “Waterproof” options protect your skin from sweat, the pool and the ocean for up to four hours.

For many people, a suntan is a summer staple. But skin cancer rates are on the rise and sunbathing is a dangerous idea. Since you won’t be tanning naturally, apply a sunless tanning product at home to safely achieve bronzed, glowing skin. Sunless tanning towelettes are foolproof, disposable and easy to pack for a weekend getaway.

Don’t forget about your lips, which may become parched in the drier climate. Choose lip salves and glosses that contain soothing shea butter and beeswax and sun protection. Shiny, shimmery lip glosses attract more UV rays, so products with SPF are necessary.

Tweak Your Diet and Exercise Routine

Tis the season for fresh produce and grilled meats. Shop your local farmer’s market for the most colorful fruits and vegetables, which get their vivid hues from healthy nutrients and vitamins.

Some exercise enthusiasts take advantage of the longer days and hit the trail or the bike path after work for an evening workout. However, many fitness experts recommend exercising first thing in the morning. It’s cooler than the late afternoon or early evening, and it sets you up to make healthy choices during the day (you don’t want to cancel out the effects of a great morning sweat session!).

Amp Up Your Wardrobe with Accessories

Summer is an excellent time to add a few key accessories to your wardrobe, like sunglasses and sun hats, which can be both fashionable and functional! Wearing a great pair of sunglasses and a sunhat reduces your risk of developing premature signs of facial aging and protects your face from the sun.

When shopping for sunglasses, ignore the color and darkness of the lenses and look for labels with UV-protection details. You want a pair of sunglasses that blocks 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B rays. Floppy sunhats, Bermuda hats and fedoras are not only stylish, but also great for protecting the tips of your ears and your hairline from the sun’s rays.

Consider Cosmetic Treatment

If you weren’t smart about sun protection in your younger days, and are now seeing the effects of sun damage — such as wrinkles and sun spots — Dr. Abhay Gupta can help. He offers a range of minimally invasive cosmetic treatments designed to minimize signs of sun damage and restore health and beauty to your skin. For example, laser skin resurfacing can reduce wrinkles and even out skin irregularities. Dr. Gupta also performs facial surgical procedures, such as facelift or eyelid lift, which offer more comprehensive rejuvenation benefits.

Alternatively, if swimsuit season has made you feel self-conscious in a bikini, Dr. Gupta can recommend a procedure to enhance your body and breasts. He often sees a summer-related rise in requests for SmartLipo and breast augmentation.

To discuss your personal needs and goals with Dr. Gupta, contact our practice today and schedule a consultation. Call us at (858) 408-6100 today to make an appointment.

Fun Fact of the Month: As a San Diego resident, you know our city is a tourism hotspot —especially during the summer! The San Diego Tourism Authority reported that 33.8 million out-of-towners visited America’s Finest City last year. Tourists collectively spent $9 billion on lodging, food, entertainment and travel while visiting our hometown.