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”
Lockdown
“Quaren-TAN”
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.
Back to Beauty
Regaining your Pre-lockdown Glow
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.”
Masks
Paper Vs. Fabric
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.
Care
For Our Hands
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
New Normal
Skincare Routine
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.”