With Thanksgiving behind us, we are quickly approaching the holiday season!  There are several skin and body care tips that can help keep you looking your best, while at the same time, keeping your skin healthy and young.

Whether you go on vacation this year or stay near home, you are always exposed to ultraviolet rays when outdoors.  With innovation and advanced technology, we have changed the paradigm to protect your skin against harmful sun damage, free radicals and environmental toxins.  I believe that the best protection is achieved by using a broad-spectrum sunblock (that protects against shortwave UVA and longwave UVB light) along with a high-potency antioxidant cream (containing active agents such as resveratrol, idebenone and vitamin C, and coffeeberry).

Whether you are skiing with your family or on the beach enjoying the sunshine, do not forget that the strongest sun exposure occurs between the hours of 12 noon and 4 pm.  These are the times you should minimize your sun exposure.  If you get sunburned, new red light LED sources are available from your dermatologist that can accelerate healing, reduce redness and decrease the potential for damage to your skin. 

During the winter holiday season, especially in colder climates, our skin gets drier.  So it’s important to stay away from hot showers which dry the skin and to be sure to apply generous amounts of moisturizer to your entire body while your skin is still damp. Moisturizers with SPF are always a good bet because they automatically protect your skin.

There are also several procedures that can make your skin look better with no downtime.  It may be a Botox treatment, filler treatment with Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse or new generation collagen fillers such as Evolence that can get rid of those unwanted folds and lines.  These will all give immediate results and give you a refreshed, youthful appearance.

To make your skin look fresher, consider a light chemical peel, laser peel, microdermabrasion or an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) photo rejuvenation treatment.  These are all easy, virtually painless, and have little to no downtime.  But remember; you should do such treatments at least two weeks before a big event or celebration. 

Dr. Neil Sadick is one of the most renowned dermatologists and researchers whose multiple discoveries have strongly influenced and transformed the future of dermatology. He is a Professor of Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College and President of the Cosmetic Surgery Foundation. Dr. Sadick is author, or co-author, of more than 500 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has contributed more than 75 chapters of medical books. Read more at www.sadickdermatology.com.

The holiday season is a stressful time of year, and this year many families are feeling the crunch, making it even harder for those who are limited in their resources for giving gifts to their loved ones. In an attempt to help ease the stress, many writers and bloggers have published articles aimed at helping people by giving them suggestions on everything from books to make-it-yourself holiday baskets.

Yes, I know that gifts are optional. But let’s be real, it doesn’t matter who you are, Christmas means presents — especially for kids. Now most families will try to make sure that they have something for their little ones, but parents will also feel the guilt of not being able to give something to each other.

Now, I thought about this scenario for a while and then told my wife I did not want any presents. Not because of the money, but because I am so sad about some of the current problems we are all facing.

I sat there and reflected on the sad state of affairs this holiday season, when just like in the movie, Moonstruck, she hit me on the side of my head and said, “Snap out of it!”

So then I began to think about the perfect gift for me this Christmas. And that’s when it came to me…the perfect gift for me would be something that would bring me joy, make me feel young, and last for a long, long time. Now I know what you’re thinking — but that’s not exactly what I had in mind. My perfect gift this year would be to reconnect with a long lost friend.

I told my wife that if she wanted to give me a great gift this year, it would be to find my best friend from high school. Now this guy was my buddy, who for all four years was always at my side, and with whom many of my fondest high school memories were shared. But somehow college, medical school, residencies and life in general had separated Joe and me for almost 30 years. Let’s face it — I had forgotten about Joe. But this Christmas season, while thinking about my perfect gift, I remembered him.

Three days later, my wife called me up and said, “I found him and it only cost me $9.95.” She had gone on the Internet and tracked him down through one of the many Web sites, that for a small fee, offer a lifetime of priceless memories. So she got his number and left a message, and for the next few hours, all of my kids waited around with me to see when Joe would call.

Later that evening, Joe called me back and for those 15 minutes of conversation with my old friend, I felt like I was in high school again.

Memories are good, but when you can make those memories a reality, they make you feel the way all holidays should make us feel: Great.