Your Skin Kept Receipts: Why September Is the Perfect Time for a Skin Reset

I got a text from a patient recently thanking me for something I almost didn’t think twice about.

At a recent appointment, I noticed a suspicious-looking spot on her forehead. It didn’t look quite right to me, so I told her I thought she should have it checked by dermatology.

She did.

It was basal cell carcinoma.

Thankfully, basal cell carcinoma is highly treatable when caught early. But her message was a pretty powerful reminder of something I never want us to lose sight of:

Taking care of your skin is about a lot more than wrinkles.

Your skin is an organ. Treat it like one.

We spend a lot of time talking about pigmentation, fine lines, collagen and looking younger.

But your skin is also your body's largest organ and its first line of defense against the outside world.

And one of the biggest threats to it?

UV radiation.

Here's the part I wish everyone understood:

A tan is not a sign of healthy skin. A tan is your skin responding to UV injury.

UV radiation can damage the DNA inside your skin cells. It also accelerates the breakdown of collagen and elastin and disrupts pigment-producing cells—which is why years of sun exposure eventually show up as brown spots, uneven tone, rough texture, laxity and wrinkles.

And here in Colorado, we're playing on hard mode: UV exposure increases with altitude. So no, I'm not telling you to become a vampire. I'm telling you to be a responsible Colorado sun goblin.

Wear the hat. Sit under the umbrella. Go hiking. Ski. Drink your margarita on the patio. Just protect your damn skin!

The four things I want you to do:

1. Wear sunscreen. Every. Single. Day.

Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ and reapply regularly—especially when you're outside, sweating or swimming. I honestly don’t care if you use the cheap sunscreen on sale at the check-out line…as long as it’s not expired. The best sunscreen is ultimately the one you'll actually wear consistently.

2. Physically cover up.

Hats, sunglasses, shade and UPF clothing are wildly underrated. And yes, UV damage can affect your eyes too.

3. Get an annual skin exam.

Put dermatology on your preventive-health checklist alongside your physical, dental visits and other routine screenings—especially if you have significant sun exposure or other skin-cancer risk factors.

And if something is new, changing, bleeding, not healing or just looks weird, don't wait for your annual visit.

4. Take care of the damage that's already there.

Professional laser treatments can help address the visible effects of cumulative UV exposure, including pigmentation, uneven tone, rough texture and changes in overall skin quality.

Our Ultra laser is FDA-cleared to treat actinic keratoses (AKs)—rough, sun-damaged spots that are considered precancerous and can potentially develop into squamous cell carcinoma.

In other words: sometimes healthier skin and better-looking skin happen to be the same goal.

So, why September?

Because prevention is always the goal—but we can't undo the sun exposure we've already had.

September is a great time to take a closer look at what summer left behind and start addressing the visible effects of cumulative UV exposure.

Our End-of-Summer Skin Reset is designed to do just that.

• Laser Resurfacing & Pigment Correction | Face + Neck $250 off → $2,149

• Laser Resurfacing & Pigment Correction | Face Only $175 off → $1,549
  

Plus: Receive complimentary travel-size NOON C-Foaming Cleanser + OMG Cream ($86 value) to support your skin through post-treatment recovery and beyond, along with the included ZO GSR Kit ($150 value).

$236 in complimentary skincare with every treatment.A series allows us to take a more strategic approach to improving pigmentation, texture and overall skin quality over time.

Your skin doesn't need punishment for enjoying summer. It needs a plan.

The goal isn't to hide from the sun. It's to enjoy your life without pretending your skin isn't keeping score.

You only get one skin. Take care of it.

— Liya Flage, DNP, FNC-P & the Nevé Team