3
The Basic Lancer Anti-Aging Method
After I ask new patients, “What can I do for you?” I follow up with the question, “How do you care for your skin at home?” For years, we have had patients bring their skin care products with them for their first consultation. Usually, people fall into one of two camps. There are minimalists, men and women who tell me they use a facial cleanser or soap and put on a little moisturizer before bed. This approach will do nothing to preserve their skin and keep it looking young. On the other end of the spectrum are the product junkies who cannot resist the extreme claims and promises of the beauty trap sales machine. They are always trying the latest elixir promising to stop the clock, spending a fortune at cosmetics counters and drugstores. Their skin care regimens are elaborate and time consuming, but despite their efforts, nothing seems to give them the results they want.
I prescribe the Lancer Three-Step Method—Step one, Polish; Step two, Cleanse; Step three, Nourish—to all of my patients, regardless of how sophisticated they are about cosmetics and how far they have gone with invasive procedures. The Lancer Method is simple and delivers on the promise of transforming your skin. You will achieve a vibrant glow and youthful fullness to your complexion for a moderate investment of time and money. The Lancer Method works so well, actually reversing the natural slowing of cellular function, that some people see improvements in as little as three to five days. You will rejuvenate your skin at home by naturally restoring a system that becomes damaged by time and lifestyle. The principle of the Lancer Method is to stimulate your skin to repair itself.
AN ANTI-AGING BREAKTHROUGH
The Lancer Method is so effective because it revolutionizes skin care. What is unique about my method is that it:
- Works for all skin types and ethnicities.
- Targets the epidermis, signaling a cascade of reparative action down to the dermis.
- Actually triggers skin cells to turn over more quickly, so skin repairs itself.
- Helps to address a range of skin issues and complaints, without the use of harsh chemicals or drying irritants.
- Increases oxygen transport throughout all skin layers.
ONE METHOD FOR ALL
One of the hallmarks of the Lancer Method is that it isn’t based on the usual skin types—oily, dry, combination—as so many other programs are. While versions of the method have been optimized for sensitive or acne-prone skin, the action and the effect of these products are the same as the rest of the line. At Lancer Skincare, we treat problems based on inflammation. Inflammation is the body’s self-protective response, triggered by the immune system to destroy harmful “invaders.” Inflammation is at the root of all skin problems, from acne in a teenager to lines and wrinkles in a more mature face. Though acne and aging might seem unrelated, they are actually on the same spectrum of inflammation, causing breakouts in the teenager and precipitating collagen breakdown in the older person. From wrinkles to rosacea to hyperpigmentation, inflammation leads to complexion imperfections and aging. When properly controlled and induced, inflammation can also be harnessed to help repair the skin. This controlled inflammation, also known as controlled stimulation, is the crux of the Lancer Method. You are providing the environment for your skin to rejuvenate itself.
Another crucial aspect of the Lancer approach is the care we take in understanding a patient’s genetic history—more specifically, his or her family’s varied ethnicities. Globalization is a major aspect of the times in which we live, and as a result, complexion is no longer a telling sign of ancestry. Every shade of skin has a different reaction to injury, aging, and ingredients. As you will read in chapter 5, the Lancer Ethnicity Scale was developed in order to understand more fully how patients’ genetic history may affect their reaction to a given treatment or procedure.
If you have acne, rosacea, or sensitive skin, you will use different skin care products for the Lancer Method, but the regimen remains the same. Read the specific chapter for your condition in part 2 before beginning the program.
THE LANCER METHOD TARGETS THE EPIDERMIS
The Lancer Method overturns traditional skin care by shifting the focus from the dermis to the epidermis. Most anti-aging skin care products and regimens available today focus on the dermis. One reason many dermis-focused skin care systems are not effective is that the ingredients, no matter how exotic, are unable to advance change as effectively as the skin’s intrinsic system does. Even if those ingredients have therapeutic powers, they often do not reach the skin they are trying to treat. All those expensive ingredients in anti-aging creams and serums will not be able to do the work of restoring and repairing the skin if they cannot reach the dermis. The skin must be stimulated to repair itself!
TO LOOK YOUNGER, YOUR SKIN NEEDS TO BE EXFOLIATED EVERY DAY
With the Lancer Method, you will start by exfoliating or polishing the epidermis, the skin’s top layer, to lay the foundation for transforming your complexion. Dermatologists tend to pay cursory attention to exfoliation, treating it as an adjunct to cleansing. Most experts recommend a gentle cleanse, followed by a toner to remove residue, then the application of a super-nutrient skin cream, and finally sunblock. I view exfoliation—or as I like to call it, polishing—as the key to perking up your skin cells, which get sluggish as you age. Polishing is a crucial step to restarting the repairing activity of your skin cells.
A NEW ORDER
The first step of the Lancer Method is polishing, followed by cleansing, and then nourishing. This change in the traditional order of skin care allows for a deeper cleanse, more efficient delivery of active ingredients, and more robust cell renewal. Let me explain in construction terms. Say you want to replace a tile floor. If your epidermis is the floor, then exfoliation is the gentle lifting process that breaks up the old, worn-out tiles. Next you have to scoop up and sweep away the debris, the cleanse step in the Lancer Method that washes away exfoliant, excess oil, and dirt. Finally, new, fresh tiles have to be laid, and that is accomplished in the Lancer Method by the nourish step, which stimulates rapid self-repair of the skin.
THE LANCER METHOD USES CONTROLLED INFLAMMATION TO REFRESH YOUR SKIN
Exfoliation creates “controlled injury.” Gentle exfoliation sends a message to the dermis that repair should begin and fresh cells are needed, expediting the turnover of cells in your epidermis. When you are young, facial cell renewal occurs at a rapid pace, which is one of the reasons young skin looks so vibrant and dewy. As you age, the process slows down. The controlled injury achieved by exfoliating turns back the clock by reenergizing the repair process, giving skin a younger, fresher look.
Controlled, repetitive, mechanical stimulation reaches deeper than the epidermis to improve the appearance of your skin. Controlled stimulation of the epidermis signals a cascade of responses in your body. A complex repair process kicks in as if you had a true injury. When the stratum corneum barrier is “damaged,” pathways of inflammation are activated by the cytokines produced by the immune system, growth factors, and other hormones. Epidermal growth factors are proteins that regulate cellular growth and activity. These messengers produce an immune response to the injury—or perceived injury—activated to repair the wound evenly and quickly. Epidermal growth factor supports cell renewal by increasing the production of proteins, fibroblasts, collagen, and blood vessels, as well as boosting circulation—all of which keep your skin looking young. Ultraviolet light slows down the production of epidermal growth factor, which directly affects your skin’s ability to repair itself. This is one of the main reasons unprotected exposure to sunlight ages your skin prematurely.
When you exfoliate, you are signaling controlled inflammation in the skin. The injury your skin experiences is like muscle aches after a hard workout. No pain, no gain, as my trainer likes to remind me. You need controlled injury or inflammation to produce the desired result—younger, dewy skin. The inflammation you have created by exfoliating causes the arterial capillaries to dilate. These blood vessels contain oxygenated blood, which is red and carries more oxygen to the skin. You can see this in the slight pink flush of your skin after polishing. Increased oxygen metabolism in the dermis sets in motion cellular activities that decrease the external signs of aging. When blood vessels stretch, the inside of the vessels release hormone signals that stimulate the fibroblasts. The inflamed cells swell and are distorted. This revs up the engine inside the fibroblasts, preparing them to produce collagen. The process is like a dormant factory going into production. This controlled inflammation creates powerful anti-aging action in the skin.
Exfoliation ultimately stimulates the body’s mechanism for rebuilding collagen, the key to restoring your skin. The Lancer Method relies upon the anatomy of the skin to oxygenate itself and to build up growth factor, collagen, glycerol, hyaluronic acid, and other youth-promoting elements that otherwise diminish with age.
THE PRODUCT JUNGLE
Just walk into the skin care aisle of the local drugstore or the first floor of a department store or leaf through a fashion magazine. The number of beautifully packaged products making big promises is daunting. Confronting the overwhelming selection of skin care products is like being lost in an overgrown jungle full of exotic plants, vines, and flowers, and you do not know the way out or where danger might be lurking. The choices out there are dizzying. There are countless products claiming transformative powers, and some of them are fine. How do you begin to pick the best from the overwhelming number of choices—those cleansers, creams, serums, and lotions that will be effective? I will guide you through the overabundance of products and help you make the right choices.
This chapter contains my recommendations for the highest-quality products, from my own Lancer Skincare products to other luxury brands, from moderately priced products to very affordable ones. Knowing what works cuts through the confusion the beauty trap creates. Cosmetics companies are always pushing new ingredients that they claim are miraculous. I can tell you that they are not. Since most product labels read like a foreign language, I will provide you with the active ingredients to look for and those to avoid.
EXPAND THE TREATMENT TERRITORY
If you want to continue wearing low-cut necklines and avoid having to rely on turtlenecks and scarves to hide your neck, you have to take care of the delicate skin below your jawline, namely your neck and décolletage. Too many people focus on their faces and ignore those vulnerable areas that are exposed to just as many damaging UV rays as the face. The fact is, your neck and chest need as much attention as your face, if not more. Both areas tend to show signs of aging before facial skin. The skin of the neck and décolletage is thinner and does not have as much collagen to begin with. There are fewer oil glands in these areas as well. The skin of the chest area is more sensitive than other parts of the body, has less elasticity, and has little fat tissue to act as a cushion. These physical characteristics explain why the neck becomes lined and saggy and the skin surrounding the cleavage can develop lines, wrinkles, blotches, redness, and hyperpigmentation.
With the Lancer Method, you take care of your skin “from the dinner table up”—your face, neck, chest, shoulders, and upper back—twice a day. We will get to the hands and arms later. You should apply the three-step method from your hairline to the sun-shielded area of your chest, including your shoulders and your back. You never know when you are going to wear a strapless dress or one that is cut low in back. Treat these areas the same way as your face, because you want the skin of your face, neck, and chest to match. A turkey neck and crepey décolletage will age you no matter how good your face looks. Do not forget your arms and hands, particularly if you drive a lot. UV rays can do damage through your windshield.
MAKEUP REMOVAL
If you wear makeup, you will have to remove all cosmetics before you polish at night. There is no reason to buy makeup remover. Invest the money you save in higher-quality products. The aestheticians at Lancer Skincare use olive oil or grape seed oil to remove makeup. If olive oil feels too heavy for your skin, grape seed oil is much lighter. Keep a travel-size plastic bottle filled with oil with your skin care products. Squirt a quarter-size amount of oil onto the palm of your hand and apply with your fingertips to your face, to your neck, and as far as your makeup goes. Gently wipe off your makeup with a soft tissue. Rinse your face and neck with warm water and leave your skin damp, not wet. Now you are ready to polish.
Another option is to use your cleanser to remove your makeup, then polish and cleanse again. If your cleanser can get rid of sebum and pollution, it should be able to remove your makeup, even mascara. Just remember to follow the three steps after you remove your makeup.
THE LANCER METHOD: POLISH, CLEANSE, NOURISH
The Lancer Method changes the order of your skin care routine. With most skin regimens, you cleanse and then moisturize. As you now know, polishing is the important first step in the regimen, followed by cleansing, then nourishing. You will be polishing only once a day—that is all you need to stimulate your skin. I suggest that you exfoliate at night before you go to bed. Your skin repairs itself more efficiently while you sleep. During your sleeping hours, other processes in your body slow down. With fewer demands, your body can direct more energy to healing and restoring your skin.
If you exfoliate at night, you skip that step in the morning, but the number of steps remains at three. You will replace the polish step by adding protection at the end of your morning routine. Sunscreen should not be reserved for the beach. Applying sunscreen to your face, neck, chest, hands, and lower arms—and all areas of your body exposed to the sun as you go through the day—is a crucial defense against skin aging. Daily protection is so important that I have built it into my simple skin care routine. You should keep your sunscreen with your skin care products and carry some with you during the day so that you can reapply.
THE BASIC LANCER ANTI-AGING METHOD
My skin care routine is simple and will not take you more than ten minutes a day. That small time investment will yield big results. Many people see improvements in their skin in a matter of days.
Unless you have cornrows, dreadlocks, or helmet head, you would not go through a day without brushing or combing your hair! You do not give a thought to running a comb through your hair. Skin hygiene is equally important to your appearance over the long term. Make it automatic, habitual—an essential part of your grooming. Incorporating this three-step morning and evening routine into your day is not challenging. When you see what a difference the Lancer Method makes, taking care of your skin will become a pleasure.
To restore your skin’s radiance, refine your pores, correct unevenness in your skin tone, lift your complexion, and reduce the signs of aging, this is all you have to do:
A.M.
1. Cleanse
2. Nourish
3. Protect
P.M.
1. Polish
2. Cleanse
3. Nourish
That is it. This is all you have to do to treat your skin on a daily basis. Even the busiest person can manage this. You might find it hard to believe that such a simple program delivers the promised results. Try it. You will become a convert to the Lancer Method.
Step 1: Polish
Polishing is a skin energizer, and the key to the Lancer Method. I prefer to use the word polish over exfoliate, because it provides a good visual image of how removing dead skin cells is like taking the tarnish off silver. Polishing allows fresh, radiant skin to shine through. The number one benefit of this step is that skin instantly feels smoother and silkier. Of course, polishing goes deeper than that. This step changes the physiology of your skin to make it act younger. The restoration of your skin’s radiance is a sign of all the work going on below to support cell renewal and to increase collagen production in your dermis.
You can exfoliate your skin in two different ways: mechanically and chemically. Mechanical polishers could be anything from a loofah or rough washcloth to a scrub with tiny grains or crystals that rub off dead cells. Chemical polishers are made of enzyme-based ingredients from plants like papaya and pineapple that dissolve dead cells. A combination of both tiny scrubbers and enzymes works best. Loofahs and washcloths do not do the job as well. Mechanical polishers can harbor bacteria unless you launder them after every use.
Polishing Technique
The secret to polishing is to be gentle. You are not trying to rub your skin raw. Let the product do the work. The best place to exfoliate is in the shower, because you will be exfoliating your face, neck, chest, shoulders, and the top of your back. Rinsing off is much easier in the shower. If you do not shower at night, you should still polish at the end of your day. Just rinse off at the sink. Polishing should take sixty to ninety seconds. You might want to set a timer the first few times so that you know what a minute to a minute and a half feels like.
You may need to ease into a polishing routine. If you have never exfoliated the skin of your face or haven’t done so for a long time, your skin may react by getting red and dry. Do not be alarmed if this happens, because it’s a sign that the exfoliation is working. If your skin gets dry and flaky, polish every other day until your skin adjusts.
When exfoliating, cleansing, or nourishing, always work upward, against gravity. Start with your jawline and work to your hairline. Then work up from where the lighter skin begins on your chest, up your neck, to your jawline. Do not forget the sides of your neck and your upper back.
Just follow these directions every night:
- Dampen the skin on your face, neck, and chest with warm water.
- Place a small amount of polish—about the size of a pea—on your fingertips. Make sure to use enough polish, with repeat portions when necessary. Ten pea-size droplets may be needed just for the face!
- Beginning at your chin, gently massage your skin in a circular motion. Pay special attention to your chin, nose, and forehead, where blackheads and whiteheads tend to develop.
- If you have lines on the sides of your lips, push out the folds with your tongue and work that skin.
- Push your nose aside with one hand and gently polish the crease at the outer side of your nostril. Repeat on the other side.
- Do not forget your lips.
- Do not polish the sensitive skin around your eyes.
- When you have finished your face, start at your bra line or where your skin is white and work up your chest, neck, and jawline with the same circular motion. Use more polish if necessary. Do not forget the sides of the neck.
- Polish your shoulders and your upper back as well.
- Rinse with lukewarm water. A polish film will remain, which is part of the interlocking chemistry.
You have now set in motion a process of rejuvenation at the cellular level.
What to Look for in a Polisher
I prefer a polisher that uses a combination of mechanical, natural, and synthetic exfoliants. The mechanical scrubbers are often sea minerals, and chemical polishers may be fruit extracts. Most products are made with either one or the other type of exfoliant. If faced with a choice, go for the mechanical exfoliants, preferably one made with sea minerals. If there is a sample, feel the polisher before you buy. The scrubbers should be superfine. The product should not feel like sandpaper and should have enough emollient to feel comfortable on your skin. That is the mark of high-quality chemistry. Large mechanical exfoliants can abrade the skin, causing irritation.
If you prefer to use the type of polisher that dissolves dead cells, look for one with natural exfoliating enzymes. Lancer Skincare uses natural phytocompounds, which are plant-based enzymes. Fruit-based enzymes are less irritating and have more predictable reactions with a wide range of skin types. Since exfoliation is central to beautiful skin, a very high-quality polisher is worth splurging on.
Step 2: Cleanse
If you think of exfoliating as going into a mine and blowing up the rocks surrounding the gems, cleansing is moving in a cart to carry all the debris away. Cleansing helps you to get rid of everything that you have loosened up by exfoliating. Many cleansers contain some chemical exfoliating ingredients. If you use such a cleanser, you will extend the polishing process, further refining the stratum corneum and prepping the skin for nourishment. For most people, I am an advocate of using a cleanser with exfoliating ingredients.
When you cleanse, you want to remove any makeup and sunscreen that remain, plus dirt and bacteria. You do not want to strip your skin completely, leaving it dry and irritated. Though cleansing helps to dissolve sebum and other greasy substances that get trapped in the pores, you still need to keep the skin’s natural oils intact. It is a balancing act, but a good cleanser will help you find a happy medium. One surprisingly good option is simple baby shampoo, a gentle but thorough cleanser you can use on your face and body.
What to Look for in a Cleanser
Your goal is to find a cleanser that is non-irritating, non-inflammatory, and soothing, but still thoroughly cleans your skin. Stay away from heavily scented cleansers. After washing your face, your skin should feel free of any filminess, but not so squeaky-clean that your face feels taut or itchy. Washing with soap will make your skin feel that way. Soap strips the skin of natural oils and can leave a residue at the same time. To clean your face gently, it is worth getting a facial cleanser specifically formulated to clean deeply without stripping the skin. A good cleanser can be used on your entire face, including eyelids, neck, and chest. If you usually use a bar of soap or a spritz of liquid soap to cleanse, it’s time to change that habit if you want your skin to look younger.
I do recommend using an exfoliating cleanser. Look for salicylic acid or alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) on the label. Even though cleanser remains on your face for a short time, these ingredients will help to remove dead cells and give a boost to the cell renewal process.
To avoid creating a product that is overly drying, many cosmetics companies add substances that promote water retention, called humectants, and other moisture-gathering compounds to their formulas. The problem is that these cleansers often leave a film on the skin. For anti-aging purposes you should choose a stronger cleanser without the moisturizing add-ins.
Most cosmetic cleansers employ synthetic cleansers called syndets that are pH-neutral and do not leave a film on the skin. Two that you will commonly see are sodium cocoyl isethionate, derived from coconuts; and sodium palmitate, from palm trees. The Lancer Method uses sodium PCA to adjust the pH of the skin to prepare it for nourishment, and to bind water to the skin’s surface. Our formula also uses aloe vera glycosides, which accelerate cell renewal. A rice protein and an amino acid compound regulate water channeling through the aquaporin on a cellular level, ensuring that skin is smooth, hydrated, and soothed.
If possible, try the product before you buy a cleanser. Rub a little on the soft skin on the inside of your arm. If the cleanser does not cause redness or irritation, the product will most likely be fine for your face, neck, and chest.
Cleansing Technique
It should take you only sixty seconds to cleanse your face. No matter how tired you are, remember that going to bed with clean, freshly nourished skin will allow your skin to regenerate while you sleep. Maintenance is the key to younger-looking skin. You should use the same technique as you do for the polish step:
- At night, your skin will already be damp from having just been polished. In the morning, wet your skin a bit before cleansing.
- Place a pea-size drop of cleanser on your fingertips and work it onto your face first from the jawline up. Starting just below your jawline and moving upward, massage your face, including your eye area.
- Add more cleanser if needed.
- Rinse well with tepid water and pat dry.
- Working up from your bra line, repeat for your chest, shoulders, upper back, and neck.
The skin is an organ of absorption. Your face is exposed to many harmful pollutants, chemicals, and bacteria, which are absorbed through the skin and cause uncontrolled inflammation. Keeping your skin meticulously clean will reduce the toxic load in your body, and preventing the buildup of toxins is a very effective anti-aging strategy.
Proper cleansing prepares your skin to absorb the nutrients you will apply in the next step.
Step 3: Nourish
This step gives new meaning to the phrase feeding your face. When you use a well-formulated product, you are delivering important nutrients your skin needs to repair and protect itself from the aging process. Though most nourishing products help the skin retain moisture, their main role is to deliver anti-oxidants, vitamins, and other anti-aging ingredients to the stratum corneum and the layers below. In addition, Lancer Skincare Nourish contains firming and anti-inflammatory ingredients. A good nourisher will quench and control inflammation.
When you open up the doors of the skin, which you do by polishing and cleansing, you allow active ingredients to penetrate, provided that the product is well formulated. Nourishers also seal the skin, locking in the ingredients that help heal the controlled injury, giving the skin the nutrients it needs to rebuild itself.
What You Want in a Nourisher
Nourishers come in many forms, including lotion, cream, and serum formulations, and they are called by many names. They may be labeled as “reparative lotions,” “anti-aging creams,” or “anti-wrinkle treatments.” The single most important ingredient of the nourishing step is anti-oxidants. There are many anti-oxidants used in skin care products, and one is not necessarily better than the next. The various anti-oxidants use different metabolic pathways to protect the skin. Vitamin C and vitamin E are two anti-oxidants commonly found in nourishing products. Provided they are present in adequate amounts and in stable forms, these vitamins are very effective.
Vitamin C helps stop free radicals created by sun exposure from doing damage and may even provide a barrier to the sun’s rays. Vitamin C protects collagen and stimulates the fibroblasts to produce more. Look for vitamin C in the form of L-ascorbic acid, which offers the best anti-aging results.
Vitamin E is another efficient free radical scavenger, fighting inflammation. It also functions to keep the skin moisturized. Vitamin E is a preservative as well, used to keep cosmetics from spoiling. It usually appears on the ingredients listing as alpha-tocopherol. If you see it on the list, make sure vitamin E is close to the top. Otherwise, the anti-oxidant might be in the product as a preservative. There may not be an adequate amount to make your skin younger.
A good nourishing product may include peptides and pentapeptides. The peptide group of amino acids, the building blocks of protein, has a range of anti-aging effects. When collagen breaks down, it forms peptides; the peptides signal the skin to make new collagen. Topical peptides have been shown to do the same.
Finally, select a nourisher that feels good on your skin. I recommend avoiding heavily scented creams and serums, because the fragrances can cause your skin to react. If your nourisher feels luxurious and your skin feels soft when you put it on, you will look forward to using it rather than conveniently “forgetting” this step. When you take care of your skin, you should feel pampered. As the benefits begin to show, the Lancer Method will be an intrinsic part of your grooming routine that you would not dream of skipping.
Nourishing Technique
At night, nourishing your skin is the last step. In the morning, nourishing is followed by protecting your skin. In either case, you have prepared your skin to receive anti-aging ingredients that will help to preserve or restore its firmness and visibly diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles. You will use the nourishing cream, lotion, or serum on the same area of skin you treated in the previous steps.
- Place a pea-size drop of nourishing cream, lotion, or serum on your fingertips.
- Working from the jawline to the hairline, apply your nourishing product gently in circular strokes.
- Most nourishers can be applied to the delicate skin around the eye.
- Add more nourisher if needed.
- Repeat the process from your bra line or where the skin is lighter on your chest up to the jawline.
- Be certain to do the sides of your neck and upper back.
Step 3 Morning Routine: Protect
Sun exposure accelerates skin aging—it is as simple as that. You can use the best of serums, creams, and lotions, but they cannot do their job if you continue to expose your skin to the sun without protection. You are wasting your time and money. The damaging effects of UV rays will counteract the healing action of the peptides, anti-oxidants, and other ingredients, and sun damage will prevail. Protection from UV rays must be part of your daily routine.
The degree of skin aging that results from UV rays is determined by your skin pigmentation and total lifetime sun exposure. The pigment melanin provides some protection against the sun. People with darker complexions have more melanin than those with fair skin, which is why it takes them longer to burn. The skin protects itself from the damaging effects of the sun by increasing production of the dark brown pigment melanin—in other words, tanning. Though fair-skinned people show more aging skin changes earlier than people with darker, more heavily pigmented skin, even the darkest skin is damaged by the sun. With dark skin, melanocytes can become overactive, producing a blotchy, mottled complexion. All skin is susceptible to sun-induced wrinkles. No one is exempt—everyone must use sunscreen, even if burning is not an issue. The good news is that the moment you start to protect your skin, you will put the brakes on additional damage and start to reverse what you have already accumulated.
Beyond aging, skin cancer is a real consideration. Figures from the Skin Cancer Foundation are startling:
- One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in his or her lifetime.
- One in three cancers diagnosed in the United States is skin cancer.
- Eighty percent of skin cancers occur on the head, neck, and hands, which are most exposed to the sun.
- The incidence of people under thirty developing melanoma is increasing faster than any other demographic group, soaring by 50 percent in young women since 1980.
Not all skin cancers are deadly, but dealing with them might require surgical removal, which is costly and can result in scarring. Sun exposure increases the risk of the most serious form of skin cancer, melanoma. The Skin Cancer Foundation has announced that melanoma rates are rising. Melanoma does have a good survival rate if you catch it early, but that rate falls to 15 percent if the cancer advances. Using sunscreen daily will help protect you from developing skin cancer.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ALL-DAY PROTECTION
There is a broad array of sun protection products currently on the market, and that is a good thing. But with all these new products come hype and confusion, and when it comes to protecting your skin, you need the facts. Do not be fooled by the claim that a sunscreen will give you “all day protection.” To start, SPF stands for “sun protection factor” and refers to how long you can stay out in the sun without burning. This number is calculated by comparing the time needed for a person to burn unprotected with how long it takes for that person to burn wearing sunscreen.
SPF sunscreens help to protect the skin from short-wave UVB rays, not long-wave UVA rays. It is important to use full-spectrum sunscreen that will protect your skin from both long-wave UVAs and short-wave UVBs. As you will recall, UVBs are the rays that cause sunburn, and UVAs are those that cause sun damage.
SPF is meant to indicate the maximum sun exposure time the sunscreen will allow without burning. So if you typically burn in 10 minutes without protection, wearing an SPF of 15, you would theoretically be able to stay in the sun for 150 minutes without burning. The SPF number is not an exact measure by any means. The effectiveness of sunscreen depends on your skin tone, how much sunscreen you apply, the time of day you are exposed to the sun’s rays, and your activities.
It might be logical to think that an SPF of 30 is twice as good as an SPF of 15, but that is not how it works. An SPF 15 product blocks about 94 percent of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97 percent, and an SPF 45 product blocks 98 percent. Sunscreens with higher SPF ratings block slightly more UVB rays, but none offer 100 percent protection. SPFs used to top out at 30, but the race is on among sunscreen makers to create stratospheric SPFs. Do not let extremely high SPF numbers lull you into a false sense of security. The difference between an SPF 100 and an SPF 30 is marginal. When it comes to preventing signs of aging, you have to be hypervigilant about protecting your skin from the sun.
MAKE A COMMITMENT
The ability to look younger is in your own hands. The Lancer Method is state-of-the-art skin hygiene that you can practice at home. You have to commit to doing the routine twice a day no matter what. The Lancer Method does not demand a lot of your time: Just five to ten minutes a day is all that it takes to awaken your skin. To see improvement, you have to be consistent. I can always tell whether my patients are following the program. The effects of the Lancer Method are that noticeable. Without dedication to your skin routine, the dead cells you remove through the polish and cleanse steps will accumulate again, and cell renewal will slow considerably. Skin is alive, which is why you can change and improve it. If you stop taking care of your skin, it will revert to its previous state.
You now know how to perform “Lancer Magic.” To transform your skin, the steps you have learned need to become second nature to you. Whether you are in a great rush in the morning or have been out late and just want to fall into bed, doing the three steps has to become automatic. You would not go out in the morning without brushing your teeth. Similarly, the Lancer Method has to be part of your regular routine. Incorporating the three steps into your life twice a day will be easy, especially when you see the results.
When I developed my theory of do-it-yourself controlled stimulation to make positive changes in the skin, I was confident that the Lancer Method would work. I was less confident that the available products could trigger the self-healing actions necessary to stimulate the skin to behave younger. I developed my own products for Lancer Skincare with the idea that skin care products could do more. I operated on the premise that if I took ingredients proven to have therapeutic value, used them in the right proportions, sequenced them appropriately, and wrapped it all up into formulations so sensuous that people would enjoy using them, the combination of the Lancer Method and the products could dramatically improve my patients’ skin. I am not shy about saying that I know my own products are among the highest quality you can get, but my method will work with other products available on the market as well. Of course, you can also use other skin care products and still obtain good results with the Lancer Method if you follow the guidelines in this chapter. I want everyone to benefit from the Lancer Method regardless of budget. That is why I recommend acceptable products you can find in your local drugstores, price clubs, and department stores.
As the skin of your face, neck, décolletage, and shoulders improves, chances are you will start to notice signs of aging on the rest of your body. The Lancer Anti-Aging Method for Body will help you restore your skin from head to toe.