Ways To Increase Overall Health

For years we have heard from our doctors to exercise, eat right, and to take care of ourselves. Sometimes this is easier said than done, as people are busy with work and family. However, keeping your health in check does not only mean keeping your waistline down. Having healthy radiating skin is one of the first steps to feeling and looking healthy. The experts at Short Hills Dermatology will explain various ways on how to increase overall health and well-being.

The Importance Of Elevating Your Legs

After a long day, after work, when the kids are asleep and you’re free to wind down, it can feel so good to lie down and stretch out your legs. But if you’re reclining on your couch with your legs straight out in front of you, you may be causing damage to the veins in your legs. And your leg veins might already have been under pressure all day from too much sitting, standing, wearing ill-fitting body shapers or too-tight clothing. And all of that pressure on your leg veins can worsen your spider veins or varicose veins.

Whenever you can get off your feet during the day or at night, just prop up some pillows under your legs – the entire length of your legs is ideal, not just under your ankles (which doesn’t support your knees and thighs) – so that your legs get a good rest, positioned 6 to 12 inches above your heart.

Elevating your legs for good leg vein health isn’t just a task to be done at the end of the day. If your job requires you to sit at a desk, in front of a computer, for hours on end, you can use your break time or lunch hour to bring a few yoga class bolsters or pillows into an empty meeting room that has a couch and give your legs a midday pressure break by lying back and elevating for a short time.

Leg elevation, you’ll find, will reduce swelling in your legs, perhaps make the day’s foot pain subside, and make your legs feel much better. This is one self-care task that will very quickly become a part of your daily routine, one that feels terrific right away.

How To Get Better Looking Legs

After hours of being upright, blood has been flowing down into your legs, putting extra pressure on leg veins, which can cause or worsen lumpy, blue varicose veins or spider veins in your legs. Not only do you have puffy legs but you’re also developing leg vein issues that will worsen over time.

If you’ve noticed leg veins and some moderate swelling in your legs at the end of the day – or maybe all day long – it’s time for the easiest self-care step possible: put your feet up for a while.

Yes, that’s an effective and relaxing way to help ease the pressure on your leg veins and direct the blood that has been building up in your legs back upwards for better circulation. So when you do have time to recline, arrange some pillows in a comfortable formation to get your legs elevated 6 to 12 inches above your heart, and you’ll start to feel better immediately. Some women even bring pillows to work, to grab a quick rest on a couch in the break room, with their legs up for a break in the middle of the day. Make it a new health rule to elevate your legs every day, and especially every evening when the weight of the day has been pulling you down for hours.

Remember that it’s a fully reclined position that best helps alleviate leg vein issues and reduce leg swelling. It’s not enough to sit in a chair and put your legs up on another chair. Incorrect positioning might even put extra pressure on your leg veins, making your leg issues worse.  As you practice good self-care with leg elevation, it’s smart to discuss your leg vein issues with your doctor so that a treatment plan can be made to reduce the appearance of varicose veins and spider veins, and your doctor also needs to know if you experience any dramatic leg swelling, which can be a sign of a more serious health issue.

Minimize Risk Of Skin Cancer During Summer Months

Skin cancer is the most common form of all cancers, with melanoma being a particularly dangerous and deadly form of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma may account for less than 2% of all skin cancer cases, but it causes a majority of skin cancer deaths. And melanoma rates have been rising in the past thirty years. The message?  You need to take skin cancer prevention seriously.

Apply sunscreen religiously. Invest in a high-quality sunscreen of SPF15 or higher, with both UVA and UVB protection in the formula. Your dermatologist can help you create a sunscreen plan, such as purchasing and applying sunscreen on your skin, scalp, lips, ears, hands and anywhere else you’re exposed to the sun

Treat overcast days like sunny days. UV rays can still reach you when it’s overcast or cloudy. Just because you’re not looking up at cloud-free sky doesn’t mean you’re safe from skin cancer-causing UV rays.

Ways To Tell Your Loved One It Is Time To See A Dermatologist?

You may have spotted a little scaly patch on your daughter’s arm or a mole on your son’s neck. These spots are certainly a cause for concern, and there’s no question that you’re taking your kids to the dermatologist to have those skin issues looked at and treated. Use good timing. You know when your spouse is distracted, like when he first comes home from work and needs to decompress, and when he’s more likely to hear what you’re saying. You know when your teen can hear you (i.e. when he’s not playing video games or doing homework.) In these prime times, you have more of a chance to get your encouraging message to your loved ones. Avoid telling stories, like ‘So-and-so said that her daughter got acne laser treatments, and it worked so well!” Your teen won’t like that you discussed her skin with your friend, and those walls are going up. The same goes for your husband. He won’t appreciate his wrinkles or his acne scars being the topic of discussion at your book club.

Talking To A Trusted Dermatologist About Your Overall Health

Although dermatologists are known for helping the appearance of the skin’s surface, they can also aid you in finding ways to increase your overall health. Tricks such as elevating your legs can help reduce the appearance of veins and help with any swelling. Keeping your skin safe from damaging UV rays is imperative; make sure to apply sunscreen frequently, even on cloudy days