Feeling beautiful is important for our self-esteem and mental health. A little boost of beauty does a lot for our mood and state of mind!!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Martha Viera about getting back to our beauty treatments, her guidelines for our "new normal" skincare routine and to get back to beauty, safely.
Dr. Viera is a Venezuelan-American doctor, certified by the American Board of Dermatology. She completed both, her internship in general surgery, and residency in dermatology at the University of Miami. Her practice is in Coral Gables and Doral.
She is an amazing beauty expert that shares new, innovative content, and skincare routine tips. Her work and mine complement each other beautifully, as she described it: “we both work with shades and shadows: as I do with fillers, you do with color”
During quarantine, many of us have stayed indoors. Dr. Viera described seeing what she calls “Quaren-TAN”. When you are in front of any screen, you are exposed to UV rays (mostly blue light), photoaging occurs due to the blue light oxidizing skin cells. This ”tan” is characteristic in that skin acquires a very unflattering greenish tone.
Now that we are getting back to our beauty routine, we talked about the medical cosmetic treatments that she does to help her patients regain their pre-quarantine glow. The most popular is Aquagold ”A lot of people want deep hydration and this is a facial that I call ”on steroids”. I mix various protocols using a device that has gold microneedles: I put inside plasma, pectin playlets, mix it with vitamin C, Botox, or hyaluronic acid. And the patient’s skin looks wow! A week later you see even more amazing results.”
When comparing paper and fabric masks, she explained that paper masks are proved to be more effective protection and are better for sensitive skin, as long as you dispose of them after every use. “There's a study about fabric masks made of polyester and cotton where they actually protect you from the sun and are effective protection from the virus. However, they're not as effective as the surgical PPE.” In some cases, reusable masks cause more sensitivity due to the materials they are made of, or also from the detergent they washed with. When using reusable masks remember to choose breathable materials and wash them every use.
She also reminded us that this is a very new situation and studies have not been conducted properly yet, so many questions remain unanswered.
As for our hands, The American Academy of Dermatology recommends applying a moisturizer every time after you wash your hands. When your hands are overly dry, it can be a serious condition, the skin may “crack” which is an open door for infection
Being careful when choosing products is key to keep our skin Healthy and Beautiful. During the quarantine, some patients decided to treat themselves with products that were not right for them, and Dr. Viera has seen many allergic reactions.
To prevent this, Dr. Viera shared her essential recommendations:
“If you don't have a skincare routine, you have to start from the one thing: Sunscreen. Especially if you're staying home, spending more time indoors, in front of blue light, which causes photoaging. I recommend a sunscreen that's mineral-based with zinc or titanium. If it also has iron oxide, even better, since it protects you from blue light.”
Many of her patients who are used to regular treatments and are very detail-oriented, were thrilled to return to their beauty treatments. Dr. Viera told us about her safety protocol
“ I prepared a very robust protocol, complying with the CDC and the American Dermatology Society guidelines:
- I space out appointments so there are no people in the waiting room next to each other.
- I have them wearing a mask as possible. I have my PPE, my personal protective equipment: my mask, my face shield, and I protect my hair with a surgical cap. Everyone should wear these when performing an invasive procedure.”
Other precautions she shared “We are cleaning everything after each patient. Taking temperatures of patients as they come in. We have a questionnaire before I see them. And, we are also prioritizing on shorter procedures to minimize the time of the interactions.“
As we have to wear masks daily it is important to adjust our skincare routine to it. Dr. Martha Viera also referred to new cases of various skin reactions to mask allergies from mask materials, with acne worsening (“Maskne”) and rosacea.
To avoid and treat these situations, Dr. Viera recommends using a lightweight moisturizer like Vichy Mineral 89, which has natural hyaluronic acid and it has eleven minerals to help calm the skin. Thermal water sprays are also a great ally to reduce inflammation and to boost hydration. Avoid using irritant treatments under your mask, use those only the days you will not be wearing your mask. Always use sunscreen even under your mask and only use very light makeup and skincare under the mask. (I highly recommend watching this video for more tips)
A great add on to your sun protection as per Dr. Viera’s recommendation is adding an antioxidant. “I always recommend vitamin C. There are other antioxidants, but do not complicate yourself, vitamin C. There are four types of vitamin C, and you have to be really careful. You have to make sure that the containers are dark because vitamin C, especially the ascorbic acid, can get very unstable and irritate your skin very much. That's why you should seek a medical professional dermatologist that tells you the right one for your skin type.”
She also recommended Retinol, or vitamin A, at night, to help cell regeneration and boost collagen production. Layering is key for proper absorption, use the thinnest more liquid products first, and finish with your sunscreen during sunlight.
This conversation summed up a lot of our skincare questions, from the right sun protection (indoors and outdoors), daily skincare routine, facial treatments to boost our skin health and general precautions during this “new normal”
You can learn more from Dr. Viera on her social media or visit her practice in Coral Gables.
PS: Great Skin comes with great products. I linked my recommendations thought the article and concentrated them on this list. Some of the links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
