Spooky sun damage!

Summer is technically over, so I wanted to access the damage. I "practice safe sun", but I am active, so the sun still gets me! Just thought you guys would enjoy. It's also a good time of year for this, since it is almost Halloween!!!

I took this photo at work. We have a Reveal Imager. It's a special camera that can photograph your sun damage among other things. You can see all of the melanin present in the skin, but the patches of it are what we are looking for here. That is the sun damage that I can lift with lasers or chemicals, to return my face to being one uniform color. You can even see my blackheads if you look really close (tip of the nose). I generally start my consultations with this flattering photo and decide what we should do based on what we see.

Permanent Make Up- Brows

I take a unique approach to permanent eyebrows with the SofTap® Method instead of the traditional permanent make up gun. I can do both but prefer the look of SofTap®. That being said, I will do what the client prefers.

SofTap® is a hand method of permanent make up, where I take a device that looks quite similar to a paint brush, and implant ink just below the skin's surface. This is the pen I use most commonly:
 

 

I chose this method because I can place each and every hair stroke exactly where I want it. I can achieve almost any look with this method, from a light brow to a solid brow and/or hairline strokes.

<<Light Brow
 
 

Solid Brow>> 

 

 

Great example of hairline stroke below...when people are happy with their brows, it's hard to get them back in for a true after picture SO here is one immediately following treatment:

The week following treatment, your color will be more bold than the finished look as your skin absorbs the pigment. That will lighten with time and complete the transition 6 weeks out. It will be slightly swollen and red for about 48 hours. As you can see in the pic below, here is the progression. Before (bottom row) is just her natural hair, the middle is immediately after and the one on top is the powder finish look of  SofTap®.

 

It is more comfortable than the traditional method and does well with a topical. 

 

Because it's a superficial ink deposit it is common  to do 2 treatments spaced 6 weeks apart.

 

It is expected to last 3 years or more, depending on how the client cares for it. The ink will fade over time and you would just come in for a touch up to refresh color once that happens.

 

 

Below is a small clip of me actually doing the treatment:

 

 

 

Laser Hair Removal on olive complections.. is it safe?

Laser Hair Removal (LHR) should be an easy, more permanent solution to getting rid of unwanted hair. 

I have recently had a number of Asian & Pakistani individuals come see me for LHR that expect the laser to burn them in order to be effective. That is just not the case! Apparently, these chain med spas aren't equipped with the correct technology for darker skin types, and I burning people. They are also saying it's normal, when it's not! So I would like to educate you well enough to know what you need. Darker skin types can be safely & effectively treated with a 1064 laser. When you call around looking for laser hair removal, ask for a 1064 laser. It's common practice for the educated consumer!

Ok, now some information for everyone: 

DESCRIPTION

A non-surgical method of permanently reducing or eliminating unwanted facial or body hair by using low-energy lasers on the skin.

AVERAGE COST

$200-$500 per treatment cycle, depending on size of area treated.

LENGTH OF PROCEDURE

Several minutes to several hours, depending on size of area treated.

RECOVERY TIME
None, just stay out of the sun for one week before and after treatment

TREATMENT FREQUENCY

You will need to go in every 4-6 weeks. Several sessions will be needed because not all hair follicles will be disabled in each treatment. The number & thickness of each hair will be reduced after your first treatment! You have to keep them in the correct time frame to achieve lasting results. 

RISKS

Temporary redness, swelling surrounding each follicle & possible skin sensitivity. Every person reacts differently, but the reaction is typically so mild that you don't mind it.

DURATION OF RESULTS

Partially permanent. One or two follow-up treatments may be necessary on an annual basis.

Find a reputable clinic with experienced and knowledegable staff, who perform a lot of laser hair removal on a daily basis and also treats people with your skin type on a regular basis. If you accidentally get a tan prior to treatment, notify your technician & they will either modify the settings or reschedule you (depending on how it looks). If you get a tan within one week after your laser treatment, you run the risk of dis coloring your skin, so be careful. For this reason, fall is ideal for starting LHR. Again, darker skin, is more prone to burns or irregular pigmentation if the wrong laser is used.

Also, remember, you get what you pay for! These discounted coupons are scary! 

Do they regulate their machines? Are they experienced? Don't be afraid to investigate! 

This is your skin and the potential side effects can be permanent! 

product junkie

Magic Mitt Demo

This handy little Magic Mitt is perfect for on the go. I typically use it to remove my eye make up only, but it came in handy on a road trip. One Sunday before heading home (to The Woodlands from Austin) my brother & I went stand up paddle-boarding for a few hot and sunny hours. I had to hop straight in the car and drive 3 hours home but didn't want to do it with my sunscreen caked face. I had this little guy on me, so I stopped and washed my face with it , reapplied sunscreen and got back on the road. I had to share because it is just the coolest! 

Click above and you can see how it works.You wet it, and start rubbing your make up off. When finished, hand wash it and hang it to dry between face washes. It dries so quickly that it doesn't harbor bacteria, so it won't make you break out & the fact that you don't need cleanser is even more convenient! It's pretty neat!

Clear + Brilliant

Aging skin is a fact of life, however, you can modify it to a certain degree. One of my favorite treatments in the Woodlands Wellness arsenal is Clear +Brilliant. Combining this treatment with the collection of skin care tricks, at any age, will help you recover the glow, luminosity and smoothness you deserve to have.

Regardless of your age, lack luster skin is from a variety of contributing factors such as sun damage, lifestyle or environmental conditions. Clear + Brilliant laser is a safe and unique treatment that uses fractional laser technology to address early signs of aging while also preventing them. A quick procedure with this laser (45 minutes) refreshes your skin from the inside out by replacing damaged areas with younger looking tissue. You will notice a radiant glow, reduced pore size, improvement in pigmentation, illuminated skin tone and a super soft, renewed skin texture. This treatment is also wonderful because it makes your products work better. 

If you're an old school microderm lover, this is for you. It's like having 4 micros at once with one day of redness & a month of that revitalized glow.

It is fast and effective with minimal downtime, so it is perfect for a busy lifestyle. In a perfect world, a series of 6 treatments will give you the best results, and they are done in 2 to 4 week intervals. You do see results from one, however. Complimentary consultations are recommended to discuss personalized options. Clear + Brilliant is appropriate for men and women of all ages and all skin types.

And yet another sexy pic of me, post treatment. On the left is before make up & the white around my eyes is the skin I did not treat. I usually do treat that area, but wanted you to be able to see the difference. On the right I easily covered the redness & went to work.

Fresh beautiful skin prepared here daily

Treatment vs product

 

Just as nutrition is to exercise in fitness, skin care is to treatments.

 

In diet and exercise, you know that 90% of results still come from your diet. You can work out all you want and get ok results, but modify your eating habits and your body changes quickly.

 

Well, it’s the same for your skin.  Most of your results are achieved from topical solutions (products). They dictate the daily behavior of your skin. Without them, your skin will return to its natural state.

Think of sunscreen for example. If you are in the sun, your skin changes color. With a good sunscreen, it does not. Imagine what topical retinoids can do! Btw, if you are in your 30's and aren't on retinol, it's time to start. In your 20's you need antioxidants to prevent sun-damage. In your 40's & beyond you want both. It's that simple!

Summer Anti Aging

Skin care in the Summer months can be tricky because exfoliation is key, but staying out of the sun while exfoliating becomes tricky. I love Skinceuticals Advanced Brightening System for this reason. All you will notice is that your skin is glowing- not peeling- and starts to look amazing within days! It helps regulate discoloration, but doesn't irritate.

Morning Regimen~
1. Cleanse your skin (Clarisonic & Purifying Cleanser are my preference)
2.The Retexturizing Activator- 2 or 3 drops applied to full face. Let it dry (does not take long)
This is a mild, superficial exfoliation + oil free moisturizer; great for pore minimizing! This one does exfoliate so skip this step a day before heading to the beach or waxing. Poolside sun counts too!! 
3. Phloretin CF- 3 or 4 drops full face
Phloretin is an antioxidant that will make you glow & is non-irritating; it's gentle to your skin and feels like moisture as well
4. Spf 50- the greatest, oil free, greasy free sunscreen ever.
Worn under your make up! Or alone.... It is tinted :)

At night~
1. Cleanse
2. Retinol- just gives your skin the best anti aging in a bottle- Vitamin A. Be careful because this step does exfoliate so skip this step a few days before heading to the beach or waxing. Poolside sun counts too!! It will magnify sundamage.
3. Advanced Pigment Corrector- will even out skin color. It's safer than Hydroquinone and still effective.

Enjoy!!!! Let me know what you think. Or email me questions.

Exfoliation Baby

Different Ages have different stages of aging. Understanding the stage you are currently in will help you know what you need. This is a broad overview, of course, and as individuals there are other factors

I can not speak to, but its a good place to start. 

For you lucky ducks in your 20's: Prevent and Protect

Your cellular turn over is still moving at a decent pace, so no need to worry. Prevention means "preserving" the way your skin currently behaves by wearing sunscreen, washing with a Clarisonic and NEVER sleep in your make up please! Sleeping in your make up ages you 7 days. No tanning beds on your face! Wear an antioxidant daytime (Phloretin for normal skin and Blemish +Age Defense for acneic skin) and sleep in a gentle AHA night cream or light Retinol. AHA for dry skin will help stop break outs, clear up dry patches and make your skin glow. For oily to normal 20 somethings, Skin Medica makes a good 0.25 Retinol that is super gentle and Skinceuticals makes a 0.5 that is well tolerated in normal skin. Retinol can also minimize pores, help with blackheads and clean up pimples.

The rate at which our cells turnover (move from the innermost layer to dying and sloughing off) slows at age 30. This cellular turnover is directly related to collagen & elastin strength and production. That is why the proper amount and type of exfoliation are required at any stage. These are my favorite three: microdermabrasion, hydrafacial or chemical peels. You want an aesthetician to guide you as to which is best for you, but I can put it in perspective for you. 

Microderm is great for men (mechanical exfoliation) or oily skin and it yeilds results for about a month. This doesn't mean all skin doesn't benefit from it, it's just best on oily on men skin (they have thicker skin than we do, typically). 

Hydrafacial is a great treatment for dry, mature or sensitive skin. It can have a chemical portion added to it to make it more aggressive and it does make you glow period. It also infuses the skin with serums that leave you looking firmer for about a month, and the glow lasts

that long too.

Chemical Peels rock for all skin types. The deeper you go, the better the results. They improve pore size, overall tone and texture! They can also improve discoloration. My favorite brand of peels are from Skin Medica because they are safe on all skin types. If you have darker skin, chemical peels get tricky and Skin Medica will take care of you. When I say darker skin, I mean natural olive pigment (like myself) on up to really dark. Just make sure the person taking you though your treatment is experienced. 

Just barely peeling- 2011

Please don't do at home peels and think it's going to be as good as what you get in office. It's not as strong and won't yeild the same results. You could totally hurt yourself if it were the same strength.

Chemical Peels

Lately I have had a few people ask about how to take care of, or improve their skin.

Here are a few things you 30-somethings can do.

I love chemial peels! They tighten your skin a little, minimize pore size, improve discoloration and just brighten skin over all. They do literally make you peel and depending on the depth of the peel, is depending on how many days this will go on for but also how much improvement you will see. Here is a photo of me after having a VI Peel. It's a moderate depth peel and I peeled for 10 days total. I peeled once and thought I was done at day 5, but started peeling again at day 6. lol Once complete, my skin was great for about 3 months. Due to skin type, your level of peeling will vary and so will the level of improvement. One thing about chemical peels is that you will see a change for the better, no doubt. You also have to follow the after care religiously to get the best outcome.

 This is from 2010 when I worked in Bastrop, TX. As you can see, I am peeling.

^Do you see how much I love you!? ^ Not my most flattering photo! ^