With the warm weather on the horizon, it is time to shed those extra layer of clothing and start showing off some skin...but what is the best way to get hair free and stay that way longer during the summer? Dr. Amir Larian, Research Fellow at Mount Sinai Department of Dermatology, talks about hair removal and the best way to keep your skin looking great. Here's a hint, SPF SPF SPF! Watch to learn more.

Transcript of Interview with Dr. Amir Larian

Sherrina:   New York moms, it’s difficult to maintain your own beauty when you are running around and working so hard to meet everyone else’s needs.  Today we are fortunate enough to sit down with Dr. Amir Larian, research fellow at the Department of Dermatology at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.  Dr. Larian, it is summertime, and some of us are a little bit hairier than others—me!  We find it hard to keep ourselves hair-free during the summer, especially when we love to go swimming and go to the beach.  Can you give us your best recommendations for staying hair-free this summer?

Dr. Larian: Sure.  One thing that we do here is laser hair removal.  It is one of the most permanent things you can do.  It is a bit costly, so not everyone can afford those treatments.  We do have some things that you can try at home, like the products we have here. 

The first is a wax.  Waxing keeps the hair off a little bit longer than the rest of the products because it takes out the full hair follicle.  It can be a bit irritating, so that’s what women have to worry about.

Sherrina:  And painful.

Dr. Larian:  And painful!  Next are the creams that take off the hair.  They can be very irritating that takes care of the hair by absorbing it.  These are probably the worst option out of these three.

There is traditional shaving.  If you can’t tolerate the pain and irritation with wax or cream, obviously shaving would be the next option.

Sherrina:  How do we avoid those ingrown hairs we get from shaving?

Dr. Larian:  It depends.  Some people have them more often than others. One of the basic things is to use a good shaving cream or gel that will moisturize the skin and give your razor a nice, smooth glide.

Sherrina:  Something I forget to wash my face at night.  I know it is an awful habit, especially with all the pollutants in New York City.  Would you talk a little bit about cleansers and which ones are good and which ones are not so great for the skin if I do find ten minutes to myself?

Dr. Larian: Sure.  Cleansing the skin is the first step to keeping a good complexion.  You always want to keep your skin clean.  There are many different cleansers out there.  For people with  sensitive skin, the best are those that are noncomedogenic, meaning they don’t cause pimples.

Next, you should get something that is fragrance free.  A lot of people get irritated by the fragrances that are in these products.  You can look for those when you are checking out labels.  Neutrogena has a couple of great products for those who have more oily skin and are worried about acne. 

Acne-control products are great.  They have different ingredients, such as benzyl peroxide and alpha-hydroxy acids.  Those help acne.

Then there are the cosmeceutical lines, meaning the products that are available but not approved by the FDA.  They don’t have as much research behind them, but they do promote the antioxidants, which are the new thing.  Antioxidants decrease fine lines and wrinkles and protect against sun damage.

Those are the basic products.  Again, if you have sensitive skin, I would recommend cleansers that are noncomedogenic and fragrance free.

Sherrina:  Items that promise to diminish or eliminate lines are not approved by the FDA, are they?

Dr. Larian:  Right.  Those are products that are not FDA approved.  They don’t go through clinical trials that will do double blind studies so that they can really test the effectiveness of the product.  Since we don’t have that science behind them, it is a little bit harder to tell.  Prescription products are stronger, so we know it is getting to the skin.  With some of them, it depends on the penetration and how well the patients are using them, but in general they are not FDA approved for those conditions.  You just have to be careful and smart about the products that you use.

Sherrina:  There are body washes out there that promise to give you soft skin all through the day, even if you don’t add another layer of moisturizer.  Is that true?

Dr. Larian:  I would say it is not going to last all day.  You will feel fine immediately after you use them, but I would use the same principle as you would for a face wash.  You want to make sure it is not irritating.  A lot of these are personal preferences.  Some of the claims they make are not tested or FDA approved.  They are marketing schemes, so you want to use what works the best for your skin and makes you feel better.

Sherrina:  Dr. Larian, last but not least, let’s talk about moisturizing your face.  I have noticed that a lot of products that I find in the drug store today actually cost more than those you find in a department store.  Items like Garnier and L’Oreal are upwards of $25 to $30.  Are they worth it?

Dr. Larian:  They can be if they make you feel better.  Some of them are marketed better. However, some of them can make you feel better.  It is not the active ingredient that does it, but the delivery vehicle other ingredients make your skin feel more moisturized and you can look better  I would say that these products are not going to have a long-term effect, but in the short term your skin does look healthy because it is so well hydrated. 

Some of the products do have a little better benefit because of their quality.  You just have to remember that it’s not going to give you that long-term benefit.  You can get similar effects from the cheaper products, so you don’t always have to spend more money.  Some of the price of the product is in the marketing.

Sherrina: I guess the old adage is true: SPF, SPF, SPF.  We have two products here that have SPF 15 in them.  Is there really a difference in products that have a higher SPF?  Do you get to a point where you have diminishing returns?

Dr. Larian: We recommend an SPF of at least 15.  That covers about 93% of the sun’s rays.  Once you get to SPF 30, it is not double the coverage, but you get closer to the 100% mark that we want.  If you have an SPF of at least 15, that’s great. 

There are a couple of things you should remember.  Apply it before you get out in the sun.  You also need to wear it when the sun is not out, because even on a cloudy day, 80% of the sun’s harmful rays can get through clouds and hit your skin.  You can get the harmful rays indoors, too. 

Getting into the habit of wearing it every day is a good thing to do.  You always need protection.  I would recommend at least an SPF 15 and then reapply.  Even if it is a combination product like these are, you want to reapply at least every two hours,  If you are out and active, if you are sweating, or in water, you want to do it more often than that.  Put it on every time you come out of the water or every time you towel off.   These products are great because they combine the SPF with other things.  For example, there are a lot of makeups that have SPF.  You always want to make sure you have lip protection, as well.

Sherrina: Lip balm.

Dr. Larian: Exactly.

Sherrina: We are going into the summer, and we all want to look tan and buff.  Talk to us a little bit about tanning creams.

Dr. Larian: One thing I would say is there is no safe way to tan through sunlight.  A tanning bed is also not a safe way of getting a tan.  The safest way, I would say, is these tanning creams.  They do darken your skin.  They give you a nice hue.  Some products are obviously better than others, but it is a great alternative to tanning out in the sun.

Sherrina:  Great!  Do you have any other last-minute advice for moms? 

Dr. Larian: My advice is:

• Moisturize.  The best time is when you get out of the shower.  You can trap the moisture in.
• SPF.  If you can remember the SPF and blocking your skin from the sun, that will give you    the best protection in the long run.

Sherrina: When you get out of the shower, should you towel off or moisturize first?

Dr. Larian: Towel off until you are a little bit drier.  You don’t want to be fully wet, but you want to moisturize when you are slightly damp, because that is when you will trap the most moisture in your skin.

Sherrina: Thank you very much.  Well, New York moms, I hope the information Dr. Larian shared with you will help you look and feel better this summer.  As for me, it’s time for me to start walkin’ on sunshine!