Every year in December the questions start swirling – what is on everyone’s wish list, and what do I want for myself? We asked our staff at Van Dyke Laser & Skin to list their favorite gift ideas for this holiday season, should you need a little inspiration. Each idea keeps your health and beauty in mind, and even gives a little boost to your spirit! Who knows, you may want to slip this entire list under the pillow of your special someone – you know, as a little hint-hint!

The concept of Black Friday is fascinating, really. We, as a country, created an entire dedicated to getting the most “bang” for your buck. Retailers started this eons ago, and ever since, Black Friday has evolved into a holiday of its own.

Three years ago (and just two months into the recession) I was brainstorming with my marketing-genius son, Brian. It was the day before Thanksgiving and the topic of conversation was how to give back to our patients, and how to give them a gift they would truly want. Brian exclaimed “BLACK FRIDAY!” It sounded crazy to me, but why not? We sent out an email to all of our wonderful patients with the promise of a great value on everything we offered. The only requirement was that patients had to prepay over the phone during a 2 hour window to take advantage of the huge savings. We staffed the phones, held our breaths and when the appointed hour arrived…well, inundated doesn’t even begin to describe it!

We killed two birds with one stone. We delivered a great value, offering full-service treatments with our highest level of professionalism (this isn’t Groupon, where often times the savings gets passed along to the consumer in degraded service). Second, we stimulated our local economy during recessionary times.

Three years later, Van Dyke Laser & Skin is strong and healthy. Black Friday has now become a tradition in which we thank our loyal patients from the bottom of our hearts. It’s the perfect end to the Thanksgiving Holiday. Thank you for being a part of the Van Dyke Laser & Skin family!

Summer in the desert is over so we no longer need to worry about too much sun, right? Wrong, the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation can harm your skin, regardless of the temperature. The majority of the UV rays that hit the earth, in fact, are ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, which are present in about equal intensity throughout the year. Sun protection is a year-round commitment!

The vast majority of skin cancers are linked to UV exposure. Melanoma, the deadliest form, is continuing to increase in number. Over 68,000 cases were diagnosed last year (including in one of my golfing buddies). Babies born this year have a one in 50 risk of developing melanoma in their lifetime. Nearly every hour in the US someone loses their life to melanoma (including my aunt who died months after the initial diagnosis).

So, what can we do??

SkinCancer.org has some great suggestions for us all.

Fall brings with it many outdoor spectator sports. Here are some suggestions to healthy skin all year round even for the football fan.

• Wear Sunscreen

  Sunscreen is a must. Choose a product with an SPF of 15 or higher, and some combination of the following UVA-blocking ingredients: avobenzone, ecamsule, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide. Apply a full ounce (two tablespoons) of sunscreen to the entire body, including a nickel-sized dollop to the face, 30 minutes before heading outside. Reapply every two hours, or immediately after sweating heavily. And don’t skip the sunscreen if it’s overcast: Up to 80 percent of the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation) can penetrate clouds — and harm your skin.

• Dress the Part

  The more skin you cover, the better. Long-sleeved shirts and long pants protect the skin on your arms and legs, and are perfect for the changeable fall weather. If you’re worried about overheating, look for clothes made of breathable materials, like certain microfibers and specially-treated athletic wear. For cooler days, densely-woven, dark-colored fabrics (like deep blue denim) are heavy enough to keep you warm, and lightweight enough for comfort.

• A baseball cap may be your idea of a hat, but a hat with at least a 3” brim all around (such as an outback or bucket hat) will protect your head, neck, and shoulders — the parts of the body that sustain the most sun damage, and the most common sites for precancers and cancers.

• Cover Your Eyes

  Between five and 10 percent of all skin cancers occur on the eyelid, and UV radiation can also lead to eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Protect your eyes with a pair of UV-blocking sunglasses. For the most sun protection, choose larger-sized frames that shield the eyes, eyelids, and surrounding areas, or a wraparound style with side shields.

• Look for a pair of sunglasses that block 99-100 percent of UV radiation (the sunglasses’ tag or packaging should say this). Make sure your shades fit comfortably. Sunglasses that slip down your nose don’t give as much protection.

• If you’ll be watching a sport on a solid-color surface (like grass or Astroturf), brown-tinted lenses provide great color contrast and visibility.

• Sit Strategically

  If possible, sit in the shady section of the stadium or field — under an awning or overhang, if possible. If you can’t find a seat out of the sun, consider bringing a portable shade structure or an umbrella with you.

I used to think 40 was old, now I know 50 is not, nor is 60 or 70. Who doesn’t know healthy, vital active men and women in their 80s and even 90s? When I passed my 55th birthday I realized that I was exiting the demographic that cosmetic company’s target. What? Am I no longer visible? At what second in time did my cosmetic desires become irrelevant to the marketers? I was insulted, incensed and not a little depressed.

But I don’t think age is only a number, I have proof. My practice is full of the over 50 crowd and our needs, wants desires may not be the same as they were in our 20s and 30s but we still care about how we look. It is now about making our outsides match our insides. I feel great and I want to look great for the stage that I am in in life.

I introduced CoolSculpting into the practice in March of this year. It literally can freeze fat and make it go away. CoolSculpting is great for treating stubborn areas of fat that does not respond to diet and exercise. As expected there was a huge interest from the public (because it actually works). Not expected was the large number of men and women over 70 who showed up wanting the treatment. Maybe the naked dancing days are over but they still wanted to look better in their clothes. And if fat reduction is not needed Thermage Body does a nice job of tightening up saggy, crepey skin on the arms, legs and tummy.

I find that what we all want is to feel good about what we see in the mirror. We have the ability to look great for our age. We call it skin rejuvenation. Consider laser skin resurfacing, remarkable improvement in sun damage and wrinkles can be achieved with CO2 laser treatments(Active FX, Deep FX and Total FX). Sure there is some downtime (about a week of redness and some swelling) but there is no better way to clear away the years with a single treatment.

I would be remiss if I did not include the fact that loss of volume is a huge factor in making us look “old”. We all suffer from shrinkage of facial fat, muscle and bone. Too bad the skin doesn’t shrink too. The solution? Add the volume back. SculptraAesthetic can do this. It involves several treatments of injections over several months to replace years of lost volume.

I used to think 40 was old, not so, there are so many things that we can do in our 50s 60s 70s and beyond. If you feel good, you can look good.