Get the Red OUT!

A common complaint about one's complexion is redness. The explanation for this skin condition is relatively simple. When blood vessels under the skin become enlarged, the effect is visible redness.  The resulting visible skin redness can be acute, in other words a flush or a blush, and quite cute or chronic and then visible redness can be embarrassing, uncomfortable, and even painful. Depending on the underlying condition that has caused the redness, there are many potential effective ways to control or eliminate the redness with treatments and products available on the market today.  So how do you know how to pick the right one?  That correct answer can be challenge, can even hit the pocket book with sometimes less than sustainable or less than desirable results.  Since all of us have slightly different skin types we will react differently to the different products. Furthermore, our age, our hormone status, our breakout tendencies, our allergies, our medication uses and the skin care regimens we are on will all effect the results, and and you don’t really know how visible the results for homecare products will be until you actually try the product.  If you have sensitive skin (if it’s red it’s probably sensitive), then your skincare professional should be prepared to offer you a sample of the product to ensure it will not worsen your condition.   The optimal situation is to provide the services that utilizes these products professionally and offer the retail product for an at home regimen to compliment. 
Here are some recommendations that we have seen our clients get the best results: 
Redness Relief CalmPlex by Skin Medica, is a breakthrough product in the treatment of visibly red skin.  Fast acting results are seen in as early as two weeks leaving skin looking healthy and radiant!
 Epidermal Repair by Skinceuticals, This product is specifically formulated to reduce inflammation of compromised skin including environmental factors. 
 Revaleskin by Steifel, voted best product for sensitive skin by Allure 2010, this product’s main ingredient Coffeeberry an intensely strong antioxidant that is harvested and processed highest level of concentration available.  In clinical trials, patients with sensitive skin tolerated all three products well.
 Phyto Corrective Gel by Skinceuticals, This gel contains botanical extracts with anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties to help soothe and calm irritated skin.  Great after peels and waxing.!
Wild to Mild  or Line tamer  Primer by Colorescience,  These primers are sheer and help the skin tone look even and the texture look smooth.  Formulated with antimicrobial and antioxidant ingredients, they work on the surface on the skin to Correct signs of rosacea, hyperpigmentation, acne, and aging.

So don't just live with the red, Get the Red Out!

Wedding Bells!

Wedding bells are ringing! If you are recently engaged and have just begun brainstorming every detail of your perfect wedding, there is a task you should not leave out. Your skincare! This day is yours to be the center of everyone’s attention, to feel your best and all the cameras’ too. No matter what your skin concerns or flaws may be it is best to be proactive because there are really not satisfactory quick fixes late down that road. By abiding to a skin treatment regimen you can see results fairly rapidly and if you follow up with proper customized home-care to maintain the balance you create for your skin. A recommended program with an established professional will help you achieve your goals and get your skin to reach its optimal results for your Big Day. There are a variety of treatments available through physicians and medical spas that can correct a number of skin care concerns including: acne, hyperpigmentation, aging, rosacea, the list does go on and on, and you may need a diagnosis before your regimen is planed.  With proper analysis and a treatment plan, any of these conditions can be corrected and addressed in a fairly short amount of time, generally 3 to 6 months.  A customized program that offers the ability to address more than one concern is always the best.  If your skincare professional has all the information and shows genuine concern regarding your wedding time-line, that is ideal.  Aside from the big day, there are several other significant events leading up to that you will want to have your best face forward such as showers, engagement parties, pictures, etc… If time constraints are a factor, there are treatments available that might not give you the most optimal long lasting results, but can give you a reasonable improvement.  Some l treatments to consider if you have 1 month or less to get your face looking it’s best would include, microderm treaments, hydrafacials, “same day peels”  (the best is Illuminize by SkinMedica or Pumpkin by PCA), Botox (effects in 7-14 days), and perhaps even dermal filler if you don’t bruise easily.  The hydrafacial will remove dead skin cells and impurities while simultaneously bathing the new skin with cleansing, hydrating and moisturizing skin serums. If you are able to start your treatment plan 1-6 months before your wedding day, Botox, Chemical Peels, IPL lasers, and Non-ablative laser skin resurfacing, can give significant results. IPL Photofacials are an intense pulsed light treatment producing a more reflective complexion, reductions in brown spots and a cure for blotchiness and with literally  no down time. For best results with this treatment you would schedule a series of 5-6 treatments 3-4 weeks apart.  The chemical peels will improve a wide variety of skin conditions such as fine lines, blotchy pigmentation, surface level acne scars and sun damaged skin. Peels correct these issues by removing dead skin cells and stimulating the growth of new skin cells. This is also the ideal time for dermal fillers to correct, nasal labial fold, marionette line, and fullness in the lips.  If you are starting to plan your skin program 6 months or longer, all of the aforementioned treatments are appropriate, but also hair reduction, Skin resurfacing, leg vein treatments, skin tightening (for body or face).  These treatments will are sure to get your beach body into shape.  And how nice not to have to worry about shaving on your honeymoon!  All of these treatments play a different role in bringing your best skin forward. A customized and effective skincare program is key to looking and feeling your best for this day which will be among the most memorable of your life.

Pollution May Aggravate Skin Damage From Sun

Pollution May Aggravate Skin Damage From Sun

Fixing Psoriasis? Maybe Fixing Periods Or Body Weight First!

Psoriasis is a condition of the skin which usually is an eruption in a patch of red bumps and silver patches. The plaques of Psoriasis are usually not hard to diagnose, and about 2% of Caucasians and 1% of blacks will have the condition in the USA. The plaques of Psoriasis erupt for a variety of reasons, so patients who have this condition will experience times when the condition is much worse and times when it is quite a bit better. In fact the condition seems to have a cyclic component triggered by a variety of stress factors including climate changes, changes in medications or infections. Smoking has been noted as a cause, and smoking definitely has been associated with more severe cases of the condition. It is not as clear if diet, vaccinations, alcohol consumption, obesity, or massages will change outbreaks. In fact various diets are thought to reduce Psoriasis have been proposed, and as we review these diets eating healthier, and including vitamins and anti-oxidant foods are always good for your skin, so I do 'endorse' them for that reason. Massage reduces stress, so it should prove helpful as long as specific oils do not aggravate the areas, and you be sure the therapist actually doesn't massage an infected area. A gynecologist may be an important part of controlling psoriasis. There are forms of the condition that occur in the genital areas. Irregular menstrual periods are both a stress on one's body, which may be the way they can affect Psoriasis, and a factor that's more easily controlled than some of the other triggers of the condition.

Patchy Rash on Your Face For the First Time In Pregnancy

Skin can be very changeable in pregnancy. Even the breastfeeding hormone prolactin begins to rise significantly only a few days after that first ultrasound sign of pregnancy. And each hormone can have an effect on multiple factors that affect the skin. Furthermore, many women completely ditch their skin routines in pregnancy because of lack of knowledge or information regarding the products they want to use. One condition that is very common in pregnancy is called Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy or puritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. or "PUPP" that is probably the most common complaint regarding pregnant skin. It is a red and patchy rash with a fairly distinct appearance that your obstetrician probably can recognize. Sometimes it can appear to be something really weird and have target like lesions more characteristic of other rashes, but usually, just patches. It often will begin in a stretch mark, and it usually spreads. Oddly it usually spares the face, so that's probably not it. To figure out if this is just the melasma pigment changes that one sees from those high hormone levels you could have your face examined by a Wood's lamp. Allergic reactions and dry skin may also produce the red rashes of the face in pregnancy, and rosacea may be diagnosed for the first time as well.

Skin Myths : and the Reversal of Fortune

1. Smiling makes both you feel better and those around you feel better, but too many smiles, like too many squints doing facial exercises will scruntch your face into permanent furrows. We have all seen it and Studies have proved it. The fix: smile politely, smile to your friends, and consciously un-smile when alone or relaxing. And for really bad habits you have to break: eye twitching and  frowning you don't even know you do, there's Botox!

2. Potent light treatments can kill skin bacteria and heal acne, but a simple tan won't be enough skin heat to do that, but yet over time contribute to skin aging.   A glow of mineral make up with nutrients and antibacterial agents will bronze safely and to promote long lasting health in your skin you need to include healthy eating, vitamin intake, exercising, and using proper cleaning your skin can!

.3.  Exfoliating gently not washing with soap helps to cure acne. Harsh soaps are one of the biggest mistakes you can make and more scrubbing is not better when it comes to the skin. It is ok to clean grime, dirt, sweat, oil, but healthy skin cells are to be treated gently with proper exfoliating blends of cleansers. Alpha-hydroxl acid lotions that clean up old cells and generate new ones is also advisable as well. Education in this area is also invaluable. 

4.    Wrinkles can be erased with wrinkle creams. No, creams are temporary, only treatments like lasers, Botox and fillers can actually erase furrowed wrinkles.

5.   Squeezing out the pus helps the pimple to heal it soon.No, another myth, and darn, your mom was right, this even makes it worse by letting more bacteria in where you are wanting it to heal!

6.    Shaving the legs accentuates the growth of the hair. No, it is what it is as they say. Most hair growth is genetic. If you have hormone imbalances or have taken a medication with a side effect that can cause hair growth, then yes, you may see changes, but it wasn't because you shaved or waxed the area. Neither of those treatments will permanently reduce hair growth though, only laser treatments will do that.
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7.    Healing of wounds by Vitamin E ointment, is another myth! Silicone elastometer gels do work and good nutrition with Vitamin E foods will work. Good circulation to the area is helpful as well. Also avoiding infections helps your scars be pretty. Eventually poorly heaing has to be reversed with treatments like steroid injections and laser treatments.

8.    Eating junk foods causes acne. No, another myth! Not good for you, can cause weight gain, lead to cancers, and all sorts of bad things. But many other factors cause acne including your male hormone levels which can be checked by a gyno.

9.    Vitamin D is necessary. So, we should tan our skin more. No, tanning is not a good way to get most Vitamin D. Many excellent food sources of Vitamin D exist and as we get older the skin cannot produce Vitamin D as it did before anyway.
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10.    Some skin care products are effective for the elimination of cellulite. Again, another myth, just not true. You can hide it: like a self tanner or tight clothes, but to change it you have to break up both the fat underneath the layers as well as the pockets due to fiberous bands that create the dimpled look.

This original article is presented to you by MyHealthToday.com © 2010

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Do you need more heat to your skin?! We used to think tanning improved acne because we believed the skin temperature elevation at the time of tanning could kill bacteria. Tanning is not enough Hot!. Actually clearing the skin of bacteria is a cure for acne, without any of the Hot Hot!. When you get phototherapy in the visible light range with a laser or IPL treatment you generate enough heat to conquer the Staph aureus and the E. coli that that live in the skin and cause most  break outs, that's treating with what some of us like to call Hot Hot Hot!.There are some other strategies to killing off acne, don't just stop with heat though. A major weapon that white blood cells use to kill bacteria is to poison them after they are surrounded off. In fact the WBC actually engulfs the bacteria and then produces a poison pill that is sort of like scrubbing the kitchen sink! A chemical form of the Hot! The white blood cell can produce lethal to bacteria oxidants similar to peroxide and bleach.And don't think the bacteria cannot fight back. The bacteria can turn around and produce a pigment that is similar to the same compounds that give both color and anti-oxidant healthy products to  vegetables such as tomatoes and carrots. "Just as colorful vegetables with antioxidants are touted for their ability to protect us against aging or cancer, we discovered that the GBS bacteria is pulling the same trick to protect itself against our immune system," said the study’s senior author, Victor Nizet, M.D., associate professor, UCSD Division of Infectious Diseases, and an attending physician at Children’s Hospital San Diego. So what is really best is to turn to those lasers, back to the Hot Hot Hot (locally, in a safe and comfortable way with your cosmetic medicine consultant) to kill off those tricky bacteria, so they are eliminated from your skin and your acne can begin to heal.

Wetter Is Better: For Your Skin

Wetter is better: making our facial expressions can etch those smile lines into our skin, but studies also show that well hydrated skin is much less likely to become etched. We know this intuitively: think about folding a thick piece of paper: much harder to really form a crease than a thin piece of paper. How about trying the same technique wet: you may not even be able to generate a proper crease. Studies have started to look at how our skin ages and those who are well hydrated have significantly fewer wrinkles. So that even starting proper hydration at a younger age will improve the skin. And how to get that hydration into your skin is critical. Element protection, sun protection, chemical protection, and proper moisturizing is all important. Your asthetician can help you know if your skin is optimally hydrated or if the next time you select a product your skin hydration can be improved.

Red Face in Teens, Tweens or Twenties Not Likely Rosacea

Have you been worrying about the red color to your face? Did you think it was left over sunburn from not using proper sunscreen? Rosacea is a skin condition. The most common feature is a dry patchy redness to the skin, and it is a specific skin condition many do not know they have. It's important to get a diagnosis and skin care can treat and calm or make it worse and ideally should be tailored to your individual skin. Teens and young tweens do not need to be as concerned with this condition however as it usually occurs between the ages of 30 and 60. Another reason to get a consultation with your esthetician as you age is to take into consideration that you may have now developed Rosacea that you had not realized that you have had. Red face in youth may more likely be allergic reactions, inflammation due to acne, sweating or blushing.

Stand Up, There, That's a Better Smile Too!

Slumping never helped our circulation, our mood, nor our shape. Posture is critical to one's inner beauty and demeanor. Everyone knows that when we want to survey ourselves critically, do we look glance as we slouch in front of a mirror, of course not, we stand up, maybe even hold our breath, and tightened those stomach muscles. And suddenly your face brightens and your natural glow is enhanced. But posture is more than just not slouching when you drive, cook, or type. Posture can be one's bone health. At least 25% of women over the age of 50 will experience a spine fracture in their lifetime. The permanent hunch that results from spine compression fractures cannot be reversed. So when you are thinking about your skin, and your beauty, don't forget your posture, and get your physician to evaluate your posture for medical conditions that may be compromising it.