Anti-aging mistakes to avoid
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- If you know something is going to hurt you, you probably wouldn't do it -- yet every day, by taking no action, many of us leave ourselves open to one of the most common forms of cancer.
KDKA's John Shumway is here with what doctors say are our common mistakes.
The biggest mistake is ignoring the threat we face daily from the sun.
We might love the sun, but it can be lethal. It can brighten our day, but dermatologists say that avoiding the sun is key unless you want to wrinkle up like a prune.
Dr. Shilpi Khetarpal with the Cleveland Clinic understands that we're not going to avoid the sun, so she says to avoid the protecting mistakes, like not reapplying sunscreen throughout the day.
Dr. Khetarpal says we should be applying sunscreen every morning.
"At least a 30 SPF or higher and then putting it on every two hours," Dr. Khetarpal said.
The second coat doesn't have to be creamy sunscreen.
"You could find like, a brush-on one," Dr. Khetarpal said. "You can keep it in your purse or in your car and then just reapply simply with that."
That rule doesn't end with the seasonal change, as well.
"Even if it's a cloudy day, we're getting exposed to sun rays, like when you're driving and there's even like, visible light rays through our computers and our phones," Dr. Khetarpal said.
When it comes to fighting aging, Dr. Khetarpal says that most people forget to use a retanoid to stimulate collagen.
"Collagen is a losing battle," Dr. Khetarpal said. "We all lose about 1% a year starting in our 20's. It's what makes our skin look like a rubber band or you know, like elastic and youthful and kind of stretch back.
She says most warriors in the fight against aging don't put on a topical antioxidant first.
"Topical antioxidants not only reverse signs of aging, they protect us from the elements and they've also shown to help with pigmentary disorder," Dr. Khetarpal said.
She says you don't have to break the bank buying products and that spending more isn't necessarily better. Many drug store generic products are fine, it's the ingredients that count.
When it comes to to antioxidants, look for Vitamin C or ferulic acid. With retanoids, over the counter options include retanol, retanolic acid, and adapalene.