Downtown Magazine Fall 2018 Issue

Elle|Lui|Home|Nouvelle Beauté
People of Celtic and northern European
heritage, especially those with blue or green
eyes, light skin and blonde hair, need to be
more careful than people with darker skin.
Having said this, it does not mean that dark-eyed,
dark-haired people are immune to sun damage.
The fact is, even brown-eyed brunettes and those
with dark skin must use sunscreen religiously.
It may take longer for the damage to appear, but
eventually it will.
Not only can sun exposure cause skin cancer — by
far the most common type of cancer in humans — it
also ages the skin prematurely. If you look at, say,
Christie Brinkley, you can see how using good sun
protection over a lifetime pays dividends. While
you can’t stop or turn back the clock, there are
steps you can take to keep your skin healthy
and youthful.
Sunscreen and SPF
Proper use of sunscreen now will help prevent
discoloration, lines, wrinkles, brown spots, and
aging. So use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least
30. If you plan to be in the sun for extended periods
and have a lighter skin type, an SPF of 50 gives
added protection. At the same time, it is smart to
wear good sunglasses with filters shielding against
UVA and UVB radiation and infrared rays. Wear a
big, glamorous hat and apply a leave-in sunscreen
product to your hair. Ultraviolet rays wreak havoc
on hair’s molecular structure, turning silky strands
into straw in no time.
Always apply a lip protectant with an SPF of 30
or higher. Lips have no melanocytes — the cells
that produce pigment — so they are especially
vulnerable to burning. Over time this leads to
wrinkles and thinning of the lips themselves.
Moreover, this is a common site for skin cancer to
develop. Do not let this happen to you! Lipstick is
not enough.
Babies and children under six should use
physical — zinc oxide, titanium dioxide — as opposed
to chemical — oxybenzone, octinoxate octisalate,
avobenzone — sunscreens, so check the label.
Remember to protect children in their strollers
and carriages, and consider attaching a parasol or
sunshade when possible.
Hair Removal and Tanned Skin
Though beach days are now a thing of the past,
people still travel and take dips in the pool. Many
people benefit from the confidence boost and
convenience factor that laser hair removal
provides, but it is important to avoid treating
tanned skin with lasers, so you might have
to give it a few weeks — even self—tanner
must be removed before treatment, as
the laser’s energy will be absorbed
by the pigmented skin rather
than the hair. Make sure to seek
advice from a well-trained
doctor who either operates
the laser him- or herself
or has well-trained
estheticians. DT
112 DOWNTOWNNYC AUTUMN 2017
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAROLD JULIAN, MAKEUP: KECIA LITTMAN, MODEL: BRUNA HJORT