The 2016 Best & Worst Cities for Your Skin reports on how 150 major U.S. cities score and ultimately rank in 17 metrics, including environmental issues that affect skin quality, such as air pollution, smoking rates, temperature extremes and UV index; access to and cost of aesthetic skin procedures; skin cancer rates; and access to dermatologists.
The listing not only could help cosmetic surgeons better understand the skin health strengths and weaknesses in their communities, but also where access to skin care centers and retailers is limited or abundant.
"Just like skin health is vital to preventing skin cancer, the same environmental insults that lead to the development of skin cancer can also lead to photoaging-accelerated development of dyspigmentation, wrinkles, sagging and volume loss," Kira Minkis, M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian tells Cosmetic Surgery Times. "Therefore, similar to skin cancer prevention, multiple personal and environmental factors should be taken into account to optimize skin health for the cosmetic minded patient: sun protection, avoidance of smoking, good diet and water consumption, accessibility to a dermatologist."
The ranking, by WalletHub, found the Texas cities of El Paso, San Antonio and Austin were ranked first, second and third, respectively, as the overall best cities for skin health. Minneapolis, Santa Rosa, Calif., and Plano, Texas rounded out the top six winners. Port St. Lucie, Fla., came in last place, or 150 overall, as the worst U.S. city for skin. Akron, Ohio, Shreveport, La., and St. Petersburg, Fla., came in at 149, 148 and 147, respectively.
Read More: Cosmetic Surgery Times
 
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