Using peels and products to even out summer skin tone damage
NEW YORK -- Summer is wrapping up and now is a good time to survey the damage the sun did to your skin, especially on your face.
"How was your summer?" said Dr. Dendy Engelman, of Manhattan Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery.
It's a question that would normally not make you squirm, but when Dr. Dendy Engelman is asking, Ranchel comes clean.
"These are my areas of concern," Ranchel said.
She's there to try and undo the damage she did to her skin over the summer.
Even the most loyal sun screen users can't escape hyper pigmentation.
"No one is immune, if you're fair skinned maybe you are more prone to dark spots, but I see in other skin types whether you're Latin or African American," Dr. Engelman said.
Dr. Engelman says some over-the-counter products do the trick.
"It contains caffeine which helps constrict the veins," Dr. Engelman said.
There's a treatment that's done in office.
"We use a combo of acids in order to specifically to get the pigment and then over the next week it just flakes away," Dr. Engelman said.
Ranchel feels a little tingling but is otherwise comfortable. One treatment typically does the trick, but patients can do multiple sessions but no more than once a month.
Eyewitness News saw a photo of Emmy before her peel, and then met her on day six.
"When I look in the mirror I noticed evenness, it's not a specific spot necessarily," said Emmy Brooks, a patient.
It's a subtle change. You'll notice fewer dark spots on the patient's cheeks, chin and forehead.
"If it's superficial pigment, we can get very similar results with over-the-counter options, but it just may take longer," Dr. Engelman said.
Here are some of her top picks: Boots no. 7 makes an at home peel, serums, sunscreen, cleansers, and everything costs less than $65.
So whether you pick up these or head to the office, Dr. Engelman says caring for your skin must be a priority.
"January 1st to December 31st we have to protect our skin," Dr. Engelman said.
