One of the most common topics in the skin care field is exfoliation, and with good reason. Exfoliation is the removal of dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, and various exfoliating processes and products are a staple of our services at Brian J. Williams, M.D., P.C.

Even beyond a dermatologist’s services, though, exfoliating is a vital part of everyday skin care. Let’s take a look at exactly which areas it benefits most.

Dry Skin

Many people struggle with dry skin and rashes, and the main culprit here is often dead skin. Dead skin makes up many of the flakey areas you simply think of as dry, and exfoliating these areas will remove much more of this dryness than you may have anticipated. For any skin that’s then left over and still dry, you can hit it with moisturizer.

Ingrown Hairs

Waxing is a popular form of hair removal, but it leaves open the risk for ingrown hairs. This is because waxing causes individual hairs to be pulled from their roots, which are far below the skin – sometimes the regrown hair won’t be able to grow back up through the skin from that root, and the resulting red spot signals an ingrown hair.

Exfoliation takes off that top layer of dead skin, though, and removes these issues. The hair is free to grow back up through the skin as it normally would.

Blemishes and Breakouts

Exfoliation draws congestion away from the pores, removing the primary cause of acne breakouts. For people who have issues with blemishes, it’s the preferred option to a skin-strip that many people automatically look to. Exfoliation also eliminates dead skin left over from breakouts, and this helps break up pigmentation issues as well.

Tanning

If you like a bit of color on your skin, exfoliation is an absolute must – both in the sun and in the tanning booth. UV rays hitting dead skin isn’t what you want; it causes uneven tanning or blemishes, or in some cases simply does nothing. Exfoliation kills the dead cells, though, and gives you an even tan. Be sure to take the right safety precautions when tanning, as exfoliation does not protect you from sunburn and other UV damage.

Want to learn more about exfoliation, or any of our other skin care solutions? Speak to the experts at Brian J. Williams, M.D., P.C. today.