Welcome to How to Be a Redhead 
As we learned a few weeks ago, celebrity dermatologist, Howard Murad, M.D., FAAD has devoted his life to making beautiful, healthy skin attainable for everyone. He is the founder of the incredible skincare line, Murad Skincare Inc. One trouble many redheads face is combatting redness of the skin. We spoke with Dr. Murad once again to ask him how we can help control and perfect the skin:
1. From the Inside Out: “Skincare is systemic, not local; thus, it cannot only be managed topically, but must be cared for internally also. Firstly, those with sensitive skin typically have thin skin which allows it to be more susceptible to inflammatory processes, so it’s important to minimize the damage to the barrier function of the skin. To do this, I recommend loading up on antioxidants and eat your water to ensure proper hydration. Yes, that’s right – eat your water! It’s important to keep skin hydrated from the inside out; load up on lots of anti-oxidant-rich raw fruits and veggies like cucumbers and pomegranates, which will release this hydration slowly throughout the course of the day. Foods containing amino acids like pumpkin seeds help promote healthy collagen production, good fats like walnuts and olive oil to help rebuild cell membranes and reduce dry, flaky skin, as well as anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories; are all great for minimizing the effects of redness and sensitive skin. Carrots, sweet potatoes and broccoli are packed with anti-oxidants that help protect against free radical damage and will also help to hydrate the skin internally and protect cells from environmental damage which can further irritate sensitive skin.”
2. Identify the Bad Foods: “Track what you eat and evaluate how your skin reacts during the few hours after consumption.”
3. Lower Consumption of Spicy Foods: “Lower the spice level in your diet as spicy foods can trigger inflammation. Also, look for less active seasonings like thyme, ginger and turmeric to add extra flavor to your meals. Avoid ‘hot’ spices such as white and black pepper, paprika, red pepper and cayenne, which may increase symptoms.”
4. Sunscreen: “Make sure to load up on sunscreen that is at least a 30 SPF or higher, this may seem high but sensitive skin has specific needs and must be protected at a higher level than ‘normal’ skin.”
5. Makeup: “Additionally, you can cosmetically offset the redness and mask it with green-tinted topical products and makeup. Once blended into the skin, it creates a subtle glow on top of red skin to balance out its appearance.”
6. Lower Stress Levels: “Lastly, I strongly recommend stress management and a focus on your emotional well-being. While stress may not directly cause redness flare-ups, it can aggravate the hormones that do. It’s important to proactively and consciously manage stress levels in your life; plan for deadlines and important projects ahead of time, take time out of your hectic schedule for a day at the spa, the park or simply take a few minutes every morning to meditate. Like I always tell my patients, give yourself permission to be happy!”
READ: TREAT ROSACEA WITH MIRVASO, BREAK UP WITH YOUR MAKEUP
Rock it like a Redhead!
