May 21st, 2013
A lot of people ask me if there is a way for them to get the “perfect tan.” There sure is but you’re going to have to throw out some old notions about tanning. Sun tanning is not the way to get the perfect tan. Lets face it sun tanning is the equivalent of trying to fix your meals over an open fire instead of using the microwave. Let’s be clear about what sun tanning is.
A tan is skin damage. Just as a wound will scab over, a “tan” is your skin’s response to damage done by the UV A/B rays of the sun.The stuff that causes you to turn that nice bronze color you like is called melanin and it’s your body’s reaction to exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The moment UVA/B rays hit your skin they start doing damage to your DNA. Now that doesn’t mean that you’re going to mutate into a 3 eyed four armed person anytime soon but what that does mean down the road, if you sun tan, or worse still purposely age your skin prematurely in a tanning bed, you have a huge risk of….skin cancer. Sorry to put it so harshly but I have to see way too many people who wouldn’t dream of making a left turn on a red light, or put all their money into penny stocks, or running around soaked in gasoline with a lit match in their hands…but they’ll go lay out in the sun. Yes it is that much of a concern. People die from over exposure to radiation. Well sun tanning is exactly that!
Let me put it another way that may be more personal an immediate. Would you like to look 80% older? 80% of facial aging is caused by exposure to the sun’s UV rays. Damage to the skin begins after only 1 outing (New Eng. Jrnl Med. Vol 337,#20,pp 1419-1428, 1997). Damage accumulates quickly and shows up in your mid to late twenties with blotchy, leathery, wrinkled skin and even skin cancer. Short term pretty for long term old doesn’t sound like a good deal to me!.Come on! Just like you wouldn’t cook food on a wood fire if you had a microwave you wouldn’t harm yourself to look tanned if you could look tanned and still keep your skin from the effects of aging.
You don’t have to turn into a vampire to protect your skin. Okay so we’ve ruled sun tanning out as a form of melanogenesis (the fancy name for tanning). What does that leave? Safe tanning! Safe tanning is the use of products that usually contain a moisturizer and DHA (dihydroxyacetone). Now before you sun worshipers flip over to another page lets look at the advantages of safe tanning:
1. You can safe tan even if you can’t sun tan. DHA, the active ingredient in bronzers works by saturating the dead skin cell layer of your skin. Tans you by turning the protein in your dead skins cells brown. So you don’t have to suffer from that “fluoresent tan” you got from work or from the short term pain and long term risk of being a “weekend” sun tanner.
2. Safe tanning is completely safe. The FDA has recognized the safety of DHA for over 30 years. Plus your skin won’t age, wrinkle, and have the texture of a catchers mitt because of sun exposure. You can just look brown without the risks. Imagine yourself at 20 with a tan…now imagine yourself 10-20-30 years later with a tan but without skin that looks like an old wet tea bag….Yes it will make that much difference!
3. Safe tanning is temporary or permanent. Safe tanning products affect the outside dead layers of skin. There’s no long term commitment like sun tanning where you have to spend hours and hours dangerously exposed to the sun’s DNA mutating radiation. You can “cheat” on your tan but be true to your good looks! The top layers of skin will flake off…with the tan in 5 to 7 days with maybe a few remnants hanging around for a week or two. Unless of course you keep using the safe tanning product. You can have a tan in the winter without going to some tropical location. You can make it part of your skin regimen or you can just use it for the sunny months.
4. You control the tanning process. If you want to you can have a safe tan tomorrow. No more time wasted nuking your skin until you glow in the dark. You can also tan gradually. Several products now allow you to build up a tan gradually if you want. You can also decide what body areas to tan. Maybe you only want to tan your face and arms. You can also tan all over. Unless you live in a glass house you don’t have to worry about being ogled or arrested for exposing yourself. You never have to worry about tan lines! You can also match your tan to your skin type.No matter how tan you are it can all be gone in about a week if you change your mind.
5. It’s easier to use sun screen. There’s nothing worse for you melangenaphiliacs (sun tan lovers) than wearing sunscreen that protects your skin and leaves you with that nice pasty, fish belly white look. Safe tanning allows you to be brown and protect your skin. You no longer have to trade short term pretty for long term prematurely old skin.
6. Products are better and more plentiful than ever. When bronzers first came out you could tell who was using them. The looked like they’d over dosed on orange juice. Well bronzers are one of those little things that computerization has actually improved. The product blends and refinements are much more refined. The producers are much more sensitive to subtleties of individual taste and skin color. If you only want a light sun kissed golden hue, you can have that.
7. Chose your price point. You may find an excellent product at a drug store price or you may want to pay to have an expert airbrush product on to your skin. (An acquiantance of my husband had this done. Mike was certain the guy had been to the Bahamas.) Both products are going to be using DHA as its active ingredient. The only difference is what satisfies you as far as appearance and cost are concerned.
The secret to a perfect tan…is not to tan at all! A “tan” is your skin’s response to damage done by the UV A/B rays of the sun. A tan is skin damage. 80% of facial aging is caused by exposure to the sun’s UV rays. Tanning beds are worse. We all know to wear SPF 30 and sunglasses. Here is my prescription for a perfect tan…skin bronzers:
Dr. Mudd’s perfect tan:
- Avoid spray bronzers unless you are really experienced.
- Don’t be afraid to mix products: What looks good on your legs may not look good on your face and chest.
- Pick bronzers that fit your skin type: Garnier and Piz Buin are brands that have grading types.
- Avoid streaking: The secret here is to exfoliate and moisturize the skin for about a week before bronzing. Dry skin is porous and soaks up bronzers creating streaks.
If you’re already suffering from sun damage there is help:
- BBL Therapy-Broadband light therapy is ideal for removing the blotchiness of sun damaged skin. Check out the “Gallery” section on my website to see the dramatic difference BBL can make in rejuvenating sun damaged skin.
- Rejuvenation Mesotherapy- Fights the effects of sun related aging by tightening and firming loose skin and restoring a natural youthful glow. Most patients notice improvement before leaving the office and more later as the skin rejuvenates itself.
- Botox® - This is what one of my patients dubbed Botox® and it certainly is effective in removing sun created wrinkles.
- Dermal Fillers – There are various non-animal based compounds like Restylane® and Belotero® that can restore fullness to heavily wrinkled areas that have developed over a life time of sun exposure.
- HydraFacial Treatment — Hydrafacial is a simple and safe way to keep your skin infused with moisture during the hot dry months of summer.
You can have great looking skin and fight the damage the sun may have already done. Look great for years… not just for a season!
May 17th, 2013
“Do I have skin cancer?” May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. This is an important topic because with a little knowledge and care skin cancer can be prevented if you act early. If you’re like me, we used to bake out in the sun. We were told it not only looked good but it was healthy for us…well they used to think cigarette smoking was good for you too. Over 80% of skin damage and aging in adult skin is the result of tanning. Remember, a tan is just an indication of skin damage; not skin “health.” There is nothing “good for you” about getting a tan. (Help your kids…don’t let them tan no matter how much they beg. When they are your age they will thank you.) If you’re wondering if you have sun damaged skin and the potential for skin cancer you can take this quick test:
Did you have a tan or burn a lot before the age of 18?
Does your skin look uneven in tone?
Do you have a mottled look to your skin (mixed white and dark dots)?
Do you have “age spots” or moles in areas that have been exposed to the sun?
If you’ve answered “yes“ to any of these you’ll have some level of sun damaged skin which will not only affect your looks but could affect your health as well. Beside the early wrinkling, cell damage, injury to your elastin and collagen and a reduced capacity to regenerate skin cells, you’ve probably got those ugly “age spots.” I want to concentrate on those right now, because those unevenly pigmented areas could be potential skin cancer. How do you know? You just have to know your ABCs:
- Asymmetry: Does the mole or spot look different on one side than on the other?
- Border irregularity: Are the edges notched, uneven, or blurred?
- Color: Does the mole have a variety of colors (A mix of tan, brown, and black)?
- Diameter: Is the spot bigger than the size of a pencil eraser?
- Evolved: Has the spot evolved in shape, size, or color since you last checked?
Do you have skin cancer? If you notice any of these ABCDE’s get to your doctor ASAP. It may be nothing but as my hubby is fond of saying, “If there is a doubt, there is no doubt.” Get it checked out.
May 3rd, 2013
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
It’s almost Mother’s Day and what are you getting your favorite “Mum?” The same old same old –flowers and dinner out? Maybe this is the year to step it up a notch. After all you only have one Mom and it’s not like she’s never done anything for you. (Imagine the stinkiest diaper ever…yeah Mom changed that on you!) Now it’s a little pay forward time, and what better gift than to repay Mom with than by returning a few of the years you’ve scared her out of. (Remember learning to drive? That time you were really sick and she worried to death about you?)
I have a few suggestions:
- Forever Young ™ Broad Band Light (BBL) – Get Mom started now and with an annual BBL treatment she’ll look like she only aged 1 year out of 8! It’s the ultimate gift for all those years she lost worrying about you! Check out the science.
- Ultherapy — Tone and tighten up the face and neck.
- Dermal Fillers and Botox – Return volume to the skin and get rid of pesky lines and wrinkles to have that smoother, softer look.
- Hydrafacial™ — A simple easy way to luxuriate her skin while building and revitalizing it.
If you’re not quite sure what Mom would like why not consider getting her a New You Gift Card and give her the gift of choice! That way she gets what she really wants. You could also schedule a together and get a little something for yourself too.
April 19th, 2013
Squalene is one of the most common lipids (fats) produced by your skin cells and acts as a natural moisturizer. It makes up 10-12% of the sebum excreted by your skin. Squalene is a natural part of the synthesis of cholesterol, steroid hormones and vitamin D in your body. Squalene is produced by all plants and animals to a greater or lesser degree. Plant sources for Squalene include many vegetable oils, olive oils, olives, wheat germ and rice bran. Squalene is found in abundance in cartilaginous fish like sharks. For a while sharks were being caught just for their Squalene but that practice has pretty much stopped since abundant forms of animal based Squalene has been founded in other crustaceans like shrimp that are more prolific. That means you don’t have to worry about damaging the environment by using a Squalene based product.
Sqaulene and Squalane…the Difference
One problem with Squalene is that as a lipid its very susceptible to oxidation so when you put it into a skin product it can lose its “umph” quickly if you don’t pay attention to the expiration date. SqualAne (it has an “A”) was developed to solve this problem and give the product more shelf life. Squalane is a saturated fat form of Squalene. However Squalane doesn’t have the same strength and effectiveness as Squalene. There is a trade-off for having longer shelf life. Sort of like the difference between Retinoids and Retinol.
Why is Squalene in my skin products?
Because Squalene is very much part of your skin’s make up it works very well with your skin’s natural chemistry. Squalene used in concentrations of less than or equal to 0.1 to greater than 50% rapidly penetrates at a rate of 2mm per second but is slowly absorbed into your skin so it gets in fast and moisturizes for a long time. Your Squalene levels peak in your early 20’s; by your 50’s it’s only about 5% of your sebum…that’s more than a 50 % reduction! Squalene prevents skin spots, UVA/B damage, heals cracked, chapped skin, softens rough skin texture, and promotes cell growth all without leaving an oily residue. Squalene has also shown itself to be effective in the treatment of eczema, psoriasis, and is good for post-procedure skincare.
March 22nd, 2013
Determining if olive oil is good for you is like deciding if gasoline is good for your car…its great in the tank but I wouldn’t recommend you pour all over the outside of the vehicle. Olive oil is an omega-3 fatty acid which is generally considered good for you overall health. Unlike the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids that are found in cold water fish like cod or salmon, olive oil is a “smart” monounsaturated fat. In the world of fats monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, should make up the bulk of your fat intake. Polyunsaturated fats should be in the “2nd class” of fats and you definitely saturated fats coming in dead last. Unsaturated of either type can lower your “bad cholesterol”. Saturated fats that come from animal products and palm oil are the source of dietary related high cholesterol. Olive oil has the highest amount of monounsaturated fat; higher even than canola oil (rapeseed oil).
Olive Oil: FDA Approved
The FDA allows olive oil to claim that as a monounsaturated fat it can reduce heart disease IF its limited to about 2 tablespoons per day AND it must replace saturated fats in your diet. Olive oil is rich in Vitamin E, oleic acid, and has squalene – all stuff which sounds good for your skin. But before you go taking a bath in olive oil let’s look at the science to see if there are potential drawbacks:
1.) Olive oil is moderately comedogenic. That means that olive oil isn’t exactly good for acne.
2.) Olive oil has squalene BUT… Squalene is good for your skin just like gasoline is good for your car, BUT gas is good for your care ONLY if it can get to the right place (the engine). The same is true with squalene. It’s only good for your skin if it can get to it. Unfortunately the squalene in olive oil is not quickly or efficiently absorbed. Your skin is a semi-permeable membrane. It’s like a giant coffee filter that keeps out certain sized particles. In the case of the lipid (fat) molecules in olive oil they are too big to easily pass through the epidermis. So the squalene isn’t going to get to your body by rubbing it on. Your skin is designed to allow water-soluble products through with special carriers. Now that doesn’t mean that olive oil won’t moisturize your skin. It will but other more developed products designed to work with your skin will be more effective and won’t have the issues of being comedogenic. You’re safe to put olive oil on say your hands and lips. But if you have problems with acne then any oil landing on your face from your lips and hands could become a problem. For the results, external application of olive oil on the skin really isn’t worth the limited return you’ll get.
Lose weight…and fat
Where olive oil excels is when you put it into our “gas tank” ie you eat it. Olive oil is a MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid) so it helps with your “good cholesterol”. Research in Austria and Germany has shown that adding some olive oil (the 2 tablespoons that the FDA suggests) in place of saturated oils also stimulates a full or satiated feeling even more than butter or canola oil. The aroma of olive oil helps inhibit glucose absorption in your blood which slows the return of your feeling of hunger. Frequently people complain that low kcal foods like greens and vegetables don’t work because they don’t feel full. (That’s when you eat 3 of those “100kcal” snack bags…been there too!) A light coating of olive oil on vegies before baking or grilling will help you twice….once through the smell and again when you consume it and it keeps you from banging unnecessary kcals. Another plus of olive oil is that as you mature you lose subcutaneous fat in your face, giving you a gaunt look. Your cheeks lose their fullness. If you restrict your fat too much your skin will look slack and dull and even your hair will suffer. You need to have some fat in your diet, especially good MUFAs that are good for your inner workings and also will help to keep you cheeks filled out as well.
So use some olive oil on those low kcal foods and feel fuller and more satisfied as well as help your skin with anti-oxidants and squalene from the inside.
March 8th, 2013
The difference between retinoids and retinol is a case where similar is not the same. The simplest way to distinguish the two is to say that retinoids require a prescription while retinols (think “no longer scripted”) can be purchased over the counter (OTC). This rough distinction tells you that retinoids have a higher concentration of the active ingredient (retinoic acid) compared to weaker concentrations offered over the counter. Retin based skincare products are worth understanding not just because they are widely available but because of their proven ability in clinical tests to tighten pores, prevent and reverse UVA/B damage, reduce wrinkles, increase blood flow in skin, fight acne, increase cell turnover, boost your collagen and even skin tone. That’s quite a bit from one product. So it’s worth knowing more so you can make wise decisions with your doctor about which retin product is right for you.
That’s where the “simple” distinction seems to end for consumers. There are a lot of retinoids and retinols on the market available with different brand names, from different companies, as well as different types (natural or synthetic), different concentrations (.25%,.5%,.1%) and formulations (gel, cream, or pill). It’s enough to give you wrinkles! Let’s introduce a little clarity to all this confusion.
How retinoids work.
To clear away the confusion you need to understand how retinoids do their work. Your skin can immediately use retinoic acid; the stuff that gets you all those wonderful results. Your skin can ONLY use retinoids that are either purely retinoic acid or can be converted to it. For example let’s suppose you buy an OTC product with retinol in it. Retinol is not retinoic acid. Your skin has to do some work to convert retinol into retinaldehyde which is then converted into retinoic acid which your skin can use. So retinol is weaker a product with either retinaldehyde or retinoic acid which requires less or no conversion. Another problem arises though for you the consumer because as the conversions take place its uncertain how much of the retinoid is actually converted to retinoic acid. So you can’t be sure using a retinol just how much “work” your skin is doing. Just remember that the fewer conversions needed to get to retinoic acid the stronger the retinoid.
Many OTC products claim to have retinoid effects (e.g. “age defying”) but they have retinyl palmitate in them (often marked as “Vitamin A”). Retinyl palmitate is weaker than retinol because it takes 3 conversions before you have retinoic acid. Every time you add a conversion you weaken the effect and increase the uncertainty of how much retinoic acid will be available to your skin. Now this won’t hurt you but because the available concentration of retinoic acid isn’t there don’t expect a lot of “age defying results.” The retinoic acid just isn’t there. You find retinly palmitate in a lot of OTC moisturizers. Again, it won’t hurt you, but if you’re looking for retinoid results it may not hurt your skin but it is hurting your wallet.
Also if you are using a prescription retinoid and a moisturizer with retinyl palmitate or retinol the combination may be just enough to cause irritation, redness, etc. Before changing your prescription I may have you check and change your moisturizer. The retinol or retinyl may be just enough to be too much when combined with a prescription retinoid.
Other factors affecting the strength of the retinoic acid are concentration and formulation. For example Tazarotene, the strongest prescription retinoid can come as .05% and .1% concentrations. It can be formulated as a gel (weaker effect) or a cream (stronger effect).
Which retinoid is right for me?
The type of retinoid and the percentage strength that is best for you depends on several factors:
- Skin type.
- Skin condition.
- Your age.
- Reasons for use. (Some retinoids are better than others for acne or anti-aging.)
All of these factors combine in determining what your skin needs and can tolerate. Generally you want to use the retinoid that gives the best result and the least irritation. Just because one retinoid irritates your skin doesn’t mean you have to give up; there are lots of brands and strengths. When you start using retinoids do so gradually. If you use them intensely all at once, you may have the right concentration but your skin hasn’t had the opportunity to adjust. Also, as your skin matures you may need to alter the retinoid you use. Listed below are retinoids based on general strength levels with some company or product names so you can get some idea of what you may be getting. There are so many products that there is no way I could begin to come up with an actual list that included everything available. The list runs from weakest to strongest.
Retinyl palimitate
- Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair
- Derma E Refining
Retinol
- Neutrogena Ageless Intensive
- Replenish
- RoC
- Skin Ceuticals
Retinaldehyde
Prescription Required:
Adapalenne (synthetic retinoid)
Tretinoin (retinoic acid)
- Retin-A
- Renova
- Avita
- Tretinoin
Tazarotene (synthetic retinoid)
Isotretinoin (synthetic tretinoin) The topicals are not as strong. These are primarily stronger oral forms used for treating acne.
You can see from this list and this article why getting a good skin diagnosis from a qualified physician is essential to the selection of the right retinoid for your skin. With a good diagnosis you can avoid a lot of hassle, irritation, wasted money and get right to the results you want.
February 22nd, 2013
Patients often will ask “How can I look better immediately?’ Whether it’s because of a business meeting, a presentation, an event, a family portrait or simply because they’ve had too many red-eye flights, here’s a list of things you can do that will let your skin bounce back immediately:
- Exfoliate. Use a small, soft granule scrub to remove dull skin and reveal the next layer. Don’t overdo the rubbing. That’s what the granules are for, so gently massage your skin with the pads of your fingertips. Vigorous rubbing will stretch and irritate your skin and you don’t want that.
- Use a retinoid. If you already know what concentration and strength is right for you then a retinoid will help tighten your pores and skin, and give your skin some glow. Remember that retinoids are prescription strength. (Don’t know the difference between retinoids and retinol? See this this post.)
- Plump. Use a hydrator and a product with hyaluronic acid. The hydrator will add moisture and the hyaluronic acid will absorb it causing your skin to plump, which will diminish the appearance of wrinkles, give you a revitalized appearance. Seal it all off with a dab of moisturizer. (What’s the difference between hydrators and moisturizers?)
If you have time to stop in at the New You Center we can do a couple of things to rev up your skin right now:
- HydraFacial®. It’s not the facial, that’s not a facial. It’s actually a way to get various rejuvenating serums into the upper layers of your skin. It’s great if you need some pep in your skin’s appearance but don’t have lots of time.
- Glycolic Peel. The peel acts to exfoliate deeper than you can do at home and reveals a bright fresh layer of skin.
- Mesoskin Rejuvenation. This is the best in class response and doesn’t take long at all. You’ll see a renewed freshness immediately because it places all the nutrients your skin needs to look fresh and dewy right where your skin needs them. It really is like “feeding” your skin. The best part is you’ll look great now and you’ll skin will continue to unfold its fresh look for the next 3-31/2 months.
So there’s lots of choices for you if your skin needs an immediate pick me up. You don’t have to walk around with tired looking skin.
February 12th, 2013
This blog post is a little longer than most, but it has important information on how you can look 9-17 years younger…If that caught your interest…keep reading…
Telomeres: The Little Copy Machines of Your Body.
Telomeres may be the next big thing in skin rejuvenation. As many of you know the cells of your body are constantly replacing themselves. Each cell has genetic instructions written on the chromosomes of its DNA which allows it to divide or “copy” itself. What you may not realize is that your cells have a “limited copy life.” Just like if you make a copy of a copy, you begin to lose the clarity of the original; the same holds true for your body’s cells. Every time they copy or replicate themselves your cells lose a letting something and that something is the end of your chromosome “cap” which allows replication called the telomere. The average cell divides or copies itself, 50-70 times. Then its metabolism slows down and the cell enters an inactive phase called senescence where cell death (apoptosis) begins. That’s where you begin to see the symptoms we refer to as skin aging. The longer the telomere the more times a cell can divide. (Telomeres are longer when you are younger.) Your telomeres help to keep your DNA from mixing with any cell it sees coming along. Telomeres prevent aberrant or uncontrolled cell growth, like cancers, but also have the effect of limiting how long your cells live.
After Age 30, Your Telomeres Get Shorter.
After age 30 a decline in skin cell division is automatically triggered and this decline can be as much as 50%! What that means is that your skin looks more “chronologically gifted” as non-dividing and inactive skin cells begin to outnumber the robust and rapidly dividing skin cells. The incremental loss of your telomere’s ability to replicate means your skin becomes thinner, tears more easily, and less of the supporting collagen and elastin are produced. In addition the underlying fat layer thins resulting in a reduction in fullness; you skin begins to sag. The inactive or dead skin blocks the active skin cells more and more. Your skin finds it difficult to produce moisture and stay hydrated. Dryness makes the problems worse and with the reduction of active collagen and elastin, in combination with a lifetime of building the strength of certain facial muscles, wrinkles start to appear.
Five Processes that Shorten Your Telomeres (And Age You).
Cosmetic dermatology is just beginning to understand the role telomeres in skin aging. More and more the science of cosmetic skin care is “going cellular” and focusing on agents and therapies that can relieve more of the symptoms of premature aging. There are four processes that we know of that help speed up the shortening of telomeres:
1. Proliferation. You really can’t help this. Your skin has a rapid turnover rate compared with other cells in your body. But for that reason you need to be all the more careful not to aggravate the other 3 processes.
2. Oxidative stress. Oxidation, or “body rust” creates free radicals which accelerate cell death. Eating lots of foods with antioxidants like those green leafies have the added benefit of helping your telomeres last longer. Keeping your blood pressure and stress levels down help not just your skin but all your cells last longer.
3. Glycation. Glycation is when sugar adheres and slows DNA from doing its job.
4. UV exposure. We know that exposure to UV rays damages telomeres and so prevents your skin cells from being able to replicate as long as they might have.
5. Smoking. Smoking is a real telomere killer. That’s why “smoker skin” ages faster.
Here’s the real pay-off in keeping your telomeres long and strong. Scientists know the average telomere length and can estimate how much older a person is biologically. People who have stressed telomeres as a result of the 5 processes listed above were biologically 9-17 years older!
How to Keep Your Telomeres Long and Strong.
1. Be proactive when you are younger. Building good habits (listed below) and taking proactive skin care habits mean you’ll go into your 30’s and 40’s with longer telomeres.
2. Exercise. People who exercise have longer telomeres. It’s not clear if it’s the exercise or the reduction in physical stress that causes the person’s telomeres to be longer, but does it matter?
3. Fish oil. Those Omega 3 fatty acids help telomeres stay longer. Eating cold water fish 2-3 times a week or taking a fish oil supplement is an easy thing to do to keep looking young.
4. Low stress. People with less stress, i.e, lower blood pressure, adequate rest, and good mental health tend to have longer telomeres.
5. Cut the sugars in your diet. Lower sugar in the diet reduces glycation and allows the cells to do their job. It is thought that this is why some studies have shown that excessively low calorie diets in rats allowed them to live longer. You don’t have to starve to have your cells live longer; just cut the sugar.
6. Reduce your UV exposure. It’s not like I haven’t been telling you this for some time. UV exposure really zaps your skin cell’s ability to replicate and act young. See more about protecting yourself from the effects of UV rays.
7. Get a yearly BBL (Broad Band Light) treatment. This is real cutting edge stuff. You can look at the BBL page to see the science here, but there is even more supportive studies coming out about the effectiveness of BBL. BBL actually activates the genetic structures in your skin that make them act like they did when you were younger. It’s not clear what effect it might have on telomeres yet, but from the results it’s certainly not shortening them!
8. Look for skin care products with compounds that protect telomeres. The compounds you want to look for in your skin care products are teprenone, caprylic acid (found in coconut oil) squalane, and hyaluronic acid.
9. Don’t smoke or quit. By doing so you’re literally allowing your body cells to live longer.
You can look years younger if you take good care of your over-all health. Eating right and getting exercise actually makes your body last long as the telomeres stay longer, meaning your cells stay active longer. And there are specific things you can do to keep your skin active and younger acting and looking too! Call us about your BBL appointment today. Once a year, for an hour will give you back 8 years.
January 22nd, 2013
A lot of people don’t make a distinction between a hydrating product and a moisturizer and often times use the terms as if they were the same thing. They’re not! Hydration ADDS moisture to your skin, something that’s especially important this time of year. The nice thing about a hydrator is that it’s a great day time “pick me up” for your face during a long day. All that dry hot furnace air and cold dry outside air can make your face look and feel as dry as the Sahara. That can give your skin a dull and tired look. Ugh! Who needs that. I’ll put on a dab of the Neocutis Hyalis Hyaluronic Refining Serum and that helps to rehydrate and re-energize my skin as well as take care of any fine wrinkles temporarily.
Your moisturizer serves as a kind of moisture “sealant.” It doesn’t add moisture but keeps your skin from losing moisture. An expensive mistake people make is to put moisturizer on dry skin. That may make your skin feel good immediately but you’ll soon find yourself putting more product on. That is because dry skin has lots of cracks and valleys that you are simply filling in with moisturizer. Basically you’re filling in dryness. That means you are using more of your product to get less of a result. Whenever you put on moisturizer make sure you’ve done one of two things first:
1. Apply a hydrator.
2. Make sure your skin is damp.
You’ll find that your moisturizer will go further and you won’t need to use nearly as much since it is sealing in moisture instead of filling in dry cracks. Make sure you do the same thing for your sensitive lip skin as well. The quickest way to a crack free pucker is to moisten the skin before applying your lip balm.
This a great time of year to get a HydraFacial™ which is a serum infusion therapy that’s unlike what the name implies, a “facial.” Our HydraFacial™ is a clinical strength unit so you’ll be getting the benefit of not only deep hydration but cleansing and moisturizing too. Check out what HydraFacial™ has to offer you. And read the blog about how its helpful specifically for winter skin. It’s quick, easy and makes your skin feel and look great!
January 15th, 2013
The time from the day you get a cosmetic procedure until the day you notice the results – what I call “wow day”—is a critical period of time for your outcome. People are naturally excited and anxious to see how it’s all going to turn out, but being patient and following the medical directions we give you is really important. Here are some steps for getting more “wow” out of your procedure:
1. Discover the choices first. You can improve your outcome on your first visit. Often times people hear about a particular therapy and come in saying, “I know what I want…that’s for me!” While it’s good to be excited about change, it’s important to realize that these are medical procedures designed for certain applications. From a medical standpoint what’s important to me is “what’s best for you?” You should get a diagnosis and explore the range of choices before deciding what you want. You may find that what you thought you wanted really won’t do what’s best for you. You want to avoid situations where someone is selling you a procedure simply because that’s all they’ve got to offer in a particular category. Although it’s hard sometimes, I have to say, “no” because what a person wants will not be what’s best for them medically and in the end won’t make them happy. I’m sorry if people get upset with me at times, but I’m just not willing to compromise on your care. Don’t accept less from anyone else.
2. Understand what’s involved. After you’ve decide on what’s best for you make sure you understand all that’s involved; the pre-procedure test, the procedure day, downtime and what to expect as results for your body. We go over all this with you, but again sometime in the excitement of change, important information can get forgotten. Slow down and make sure you understand everything. Think about it. As my hubby is fond of saying, “Slow down and you’ll get a more harmonious outcome.” We want your experience to be a harmonious one.
3. Enhance your calm. Before, during and after the procedure, we’re here for you. We do a good job of letting you know what to expect, but we are dealing with a human body. There is no such thing as “average.” If you feel there is something a little off or you have a doubt give us a call. Be as specific as possible about what you’re experiencing. This can be a little difficult because when you are self-reporting you’re talking about you! We don’t want you to stress. That just slows down healing time, and we don’t want your “wow day” to be put off one moment. Take a few minutes, breath deep and write down what your concern is. This will make it easier for us to respond.
4. Keep your follow up appointments. Follow up appointments aren’t meant to be a inconvenience. They are part of the global value you’ve purchased. They let us track your progress via photographic record and professional evaluation. Not only are you getting to share your experience with us, but your experience then acts as feedback and learning. Your follow ups actually help us to help others like you!
5. Follow your after procedure instructions. If this means wearing a support garment than wear it. Make sure you get your prescriptions filled and take them all. Following the post-procedure guidelines we give you improves your healing time and speeds you to “wow day.”
6. Do your part. If you’ve had shape work done then you need to do your part by following a responsible nutrition and movement plan. If you’ve had skin work done then take care of your skin with a good daily skin regimen which includes daily UV protection. I can do my part but it’s up to you to do the daily maintenance.
7. Consider combining a longer and shorter term therapy. People who get a longer term procedure and a shorter term procedure at approximately the same time are more patient with their body. For example a person who gets fractional laser for lip lines may also get Botox and dermal filler. This way while you’re waiting for the one result you can enjoy the other. You may want to get Meso Facial Rejuvenation after LaserLipo so you can enjoy seeing your skin getting that fresh dewy look while middle whittles away. You can schedule these shorter term procedures during your recheck appointments.
8. Be patient with your body. Everybody is a little different. Often times our body is smarter than we are when it comes to unfolding results. It’s just the law of biology. I wish I could speed it up for you…but that requires a level of medicine that’s not quite available. You can’t force the results you want from your body. You just have to let it do its thing…it knows what its doing.
Remember that every day after a procedure, you’re getting a little closer to your result. Most importantly trust your body to do good things for you…and it will!
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