“Wear sunscreen!”

You’ve heard it before from your friends, doctors, and nearly every beauty magazine on the shelves. The importance of wearing sunscreen every day, inside or outside, is no secret. But if you’re a fan of BOTOX® Cosmetic, this news may help you remember to apply early and often.

The sun’s harmful rays can actually lessen the effects of your BOTOX treatment, according to a recent article in NewBeauty magazine. These findings could particularly be true for Houston, where we see a whopping average of 204 sunny days a year!

You may think of your skin as an impenetrable barrier against the sun, but that’s not the case. UV rays do pass through to just below of the surface of your skin, exactly where The BOTOX neurotoxin is placed. As a result, when those rays come in contact with BOTOX, the treatment’s potency may decrease more quickly. The article did a great job of explaining how UV exposure actually speeds up the metabolism of BOTOX, in other words, the way that your body breaks down and removes the product. The sun has other effects too: those same rays degrade collagen, which is necessary for healthy, even-toned skin and firmness.

I provide my BOTOX patients with an effective treatment with healthy natural-looking results. You can see some of these results below and in the before-and-after photo gallery on my website. Receiving your treatment from a qualified, experienced practitioner is critical for a good result, but it still can’t stop UV rays or prevent future sun damage.

So what’s the best way to prevent exposure to damaging sun rays? Apply a medical-grade sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to your face and neck each morning and again throughout the day. Using high-quality skin care products, such as those available at my practice, will help make sure you’re getting the best ingredients and protection for your skin.

Plus, with consistent use of sunscreen, you’ll get added benefits such as preventing skin cancer and sun spots from developing, while maintaining a youthful, even skin tone. And if you are a BOTOX user, you’ll help those results last as long as possible.

Here’s a little bonus tip for our BOTOX patients: Sunscreen is important, but don’t forget the hat and sunglasses. The glare of the sun causes us to naturally squint our eyes and furrow our brows, activating the muscles that create crow’s feet and the vertical lines between our eyebrows. Those are exactly the same muscles we treat with BOTOX. Forgetting your hat and sunglasses will only cause those muscles to work harder, worsening the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes and forehead.

If you’re not a consistent sunscreen user, there’s no better time to start integrating it into your routine, especially before the summer months hit. And if you are a consistent user, remember that your sunscreen has an expiration date, and it may be time for a new bottle.

Not sure which SPF product is best for you? The skin care experts at our practice are ready to help you find the perfect fit for your lifestyle and skin type. Give us a call directly at (713) 850-0240, or request a consultation online, and we’ll help you find the perfect products for your skin!