Protecting skin from heat damage: Tip of the Day 5-13-22
Dermatologists say it’s possible to experience heat damage on your skin caused by heat from a blowdryer. Extreme heat can trigger some unwelcoming skin issues. If you suspect the dryer is irritating your skin, trying a few preventative measures before turning up the heat could help.
In an interview with Well+Good, Dermatologist Kaveri Korgavkar, MD explains, “Some hair dryers emit energy in the infrared range. Also, heat itself can damage the skin by inducing oxidative stress, which can trigger conditions such as melasma. This is more common in people with darker skin, and can be treated with regular use of antioxidant serums.”
In the same article, Dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD says extreme heat can also lead to free radical damage, hyperpigmentation, and trigger rosacea flares. Zeichner suggests making sure your skin barrier is well hydrated with moisturizers and applying antioxidants like vitamin C to help neutralize any oxygen free radicals.
To up the ante on your protection, Zeichner recommends trying a moisturizer that’s specially formulated to fight off damage from infrared and heat waves like Supergoop Superscreen Daily Moisturizer ($38).