Secrets of the World Wide Sisterhood

Vi Peel

Just a quick update.....I got a Vi Peel last weekend.  It peeled all week long.  Yeah, it was miserable. By Tuesday, most had peeled off, but then, my face turned really red and got super tight.  The corners of my mouth were even cracking.  And then, on Friday it started peeling again.  And peeled until Sunday.  Today, it looks really good.  This is probably one of the best peels ever.  Most of my sunspots on my face are gone.  My neck and chest look really good, too. I really don't think it effects fine lines and wrinkles too much, but it works wonders on texture.  I'm going to start using my LED light again this weekend.  I also purchased Coppertone's new SPF 70 lotion and I am determined to use it this summer.  I'd like to get a little tan and use a lot of self-tanning lotions.      

Body by Thermage

As we age, not only our faces age, but our bodies do, too. Sure we can diet and exercise and keep the weight off, but what about the crepey, wrinkled, sagging skin caused by loss of collagen.  Lotions and creams can keep the body hydrated and improve the look of aging skin, but sometimes that's not enough.  Nothing can tighten loose skin, except a procedure called Thermage.  The Body Shape procedure by Thermage helps tighten, firm, and shape arms, thighs, buttocks, "love handles" and tummies.  The Celluliteprocedure by Thermage helps improve dimples and smooth skin texture and long lasting results. Hands by Thermage is a great way to help restore firmer and smoother hands and eliminate unsightly age spots.  Combined with IPL dramatic results are achieved.  Body by Thermage procedures generally show some improvement on the patient immediately and continues for up to six months.  And another great thing is that there is little or no downtime.  You can quickly return to your daily activities and you do not have to avoid the sun as with laser treatments.  How does Thermage work? Its capactive radiofrequency (RF) technology safely heats the deeper layers of your skin, stimulating existing collagen and promoting new collagen growth.  What does the procedure feel like?  When the energy is applied, you'll feel a deep but brief heating sensation, which is an indication that collagen is reaching effective temperatures for tightening.  To protect the surface of your skin, a cooling spray is delivered before, during and after each application of energy.  Is the procedure safe?  Thermage has an excellent safety record.  Of course, as with any procedure there's always some risk.  Side effects are generally mild and may include redness, swelling blisters, bumps and rare instances of surface irregularities.  How long will the results last?  The procedure stimulates new natural collagen production for up to six months following a single treatment.  Results can last for years depending on your skin condition and natural aging process.  The average costs starts at approximately $400 per treatment.  Call your local plastic surgeon to see if he/she performs this procedure.  It's time to get ready for summer!!! 

Creating Fuller Lips

Because the skin on the lips is thin and holds little moisture, it tends to age quickly.  When collagen, oil and water diminish from the lips they can shrink, wilt, and droop.  It is very important to replace those nutrients through the help of your doctor or with products.  The fuller your lips are the more support they provide for the surrounding skin which minimizes those lip lines and wrinkles.  Injectables and fat grafting can make lips look and feel fuller, but semipermanent makeup can create the illusion of fuller lips by contouring the lip line.  It is usually a one hour treatment.  The lip line is injected with pigment that's customized for your lip and skin tone.  The results can last from one to three years and is usually about $850.  You may also opt for hyaluronic acid injectables like Restylane, Juvederm and Parlane.  This is performed in a plastic surgeon's office or doctor who has been trained in this procedure.  Your own fat can also be injected into the lips.   Fat injections last longer than the other injectables.  For a quick fix, try a lip-plumping gloss.  I love Victoria's Secret Lip Plump. I use it every day.  Moisturizing is one key to keeping your lips looking young, full, and plump.  Most people ignore their lips when it comes to aging.  In fact, very people even use a separate sunscreen on their lips.  It is very important to moisturize and keep the lips hydrated.

The Secrets to Flawless Skin

It doesn't matter if you have no wrinkles at all; if your skin tone is bad, your skin looks aged.  Evenly toned and softly textured skin is the secret of a youthful appearance.  As we age, the skin tends to look dull because the cell turnover rate slows down.   Years of abuse to the skin, from sun exposure, environmental pollutants, and even your diet can speed up the process of aging skin.  Probably the most important things you can do for your skin is always wear a sunscreen and make sure your skin is hydrated.  But once the damage is done, there are some ways to reverse the damage.  You must exfoliate your skin frequently.  I use an exfoliating cream at least twice a week.  Not only does it slough off dry, dead skin, but it also helps my products absorb into the skin much better.  Also, exfoliation is crucial for maintaining healthy-looking skin because it can reduce dark spots and uneven skin tone.   You should also use a cleanser that contains high-performance active ingredients like glycolic and salicylic acids.  They help to encourage faster cell turnover in the skin, thereby potentially lightening and possibly removing superficial pigmentation.  I, personally, like Glytone products. You can purchase them from amazon.com.  Their cleansers are really good. Age and liver spots are commonly found in mature skin.  These are a buildup of pigment cause by years of sun exposure that continues to grow.  They can range in color, from light brown to dark brown, can be flat or raised, are are normally found on the surface of the skin, but in some cases the damage can go deeper.  Sometimes they must be treated by a doctor.  There are several bleaching creams on the market to treat the spots.  Tri-Luma is a prescription-strength bleaching cream that contains hydroquinone.  It may be partially covered by insurance.  Light chemical peels may also treat discoloration from acne, light sun spots and malasma.  I have been getting chemical peels for several years.  They are definitely worth the money and downtime.  You will see a difference after just one peel, but it takes a few to get the results you will want.  If you cannot tolerate the chemical peels, microdermabrasion is a great alternative.  However, I have found that results do not last as long.  Biomedic has an intense at-home peel if you don't feel comfortable going to a physician's office for them.  You can purchase this from spalook.com for $80.  Just because your skin has been damaged doesn't mean you have to live with it.  There is a lot you can do to improve its appearance.  Keep in mind, leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale are rich in the antioxidant Vitamin E, which is essential for smooth, healthy skin.    

Facial Fat Loss

Have you noticed that people who are over age 35 and who lose a tremendous amount of weight always seem to look older?  It's because losing too much weight can speed up the process of losing facial fat.  Once you lose facial fat, you lose the scaffolding that holds up your face.  Once you lose facial fat your face looks droopy.  In fact, natural aging causes fat in some areas of your face to decline and descend which leaves your face looking skeletal, concave and saggy.  There are deep compartments of deep fat, which is the second layer of fat responsible for giving structure and fullness to your face.  They are located in the middle of your cheeks and under the eyes.  Facial fullness here, gives your face a more youthful appearance.  When fat is lost from under the eyes, it can cause a sunken and gaunt appearance, making you look tired and older.  Hollows, which cast dark shadows, can also start to form.  They eyes take on an indented, round appearance and in some cases, you can actually see the underlying  bone.  As you lose fat in the cheek area, the result is flat, gaunt cheeks that can appear hollow, and more apparent nasolabial folds, which are the medium to deep lines that run from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth.  So what do you do?  Do you eat as much as you can and stop working out so your face will be fatter and younger looking.  Besides, the fat also fills out the wrinkles.  No, you should try to maintain a healthy and steady weight.  And there are also solutions for adding fat to areas that have become void of fat.  Fat grafting, micro-fat grafting or autologous fat transfer involves harvesting fat from one part of the body (like the buttocks, hips, or thighs) before it's processed and then reinjected into the needed areas to add back volume and shape.  One of the main benefits of fat transfer is that your own body bat is used, so there is no risk of an allergic reaction or rejection.  About 30- 50 percent of the fat transferred stays permanently.  It not only provides long-term results, it looks natural. Some report that fat grafting may encourage collagen growth within the tissue. Wow, just one more problem to think about as we age.  Oh, well.  At least there is a solution!        

Procedures for a Flatter Stomach

In some cases, diet and exercise can only do so much to flatten your stomach and surgery is the only option available that can really help.  If you've tried everything and feel than your last resort is to have abdominal liposuction, at least you can be sure that it is the only solution proven to remove fat from the stomach and surrounding areas.  However; not everyone is a candidate for liposuction, especially if you have a significant amount of extra skin. Liposuction is a relatively quick procedure and has a relatively short recovery time, it may take anywhere from three to six months before seeing the final results.  It costs between $1500 and $5000 per area.  If you have excess fat and excess skin, you may choose a combination procedure that entails both liposuction of the stomach and a tummy tuck.  Liposuction makes the area flatter and the tummy tuck makes it tighter. There are two noninvasive procedures now available in Europe as well as other countries outside the U.S. They are LipoSonix and UltraShape.  They target fat within the body to break it yup without the need for surgery.  LipoSonix uses ultrasound energy to disrupt fat cells, without damaging the skin or underlying tissues and organs.  UltraShape is a no-downtime treatment that uses noninvasive ultrasonic technology to break down and liquefy fat cells, leaving the surrounding skin, blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue intact. Both can be used on the tummy as well as on the thighs and love handles.   

Improving Skin Texture

I am the first to admit that I have been a sun lover since I was a teen.  People tried to warn me about the dangers of sun exposure, and everyone told me I would look like a leather boot by the time I was 30 years old.  Well, I'm 43 and I don't look like a leather boot--thanks to advances in science and technology.  My skin isn't great by any means, and there are a lot of people who look worse. But, on the other hand there are people who look better.  I've spent a lot of money on products, and peels, and botox, and you name it.  If I would have spent less time in the sun, I would have spent less money on trying to improve the damage.  However, over time, the texture of our skin naturally changes.  Your skin will eventually start to age regardless of sun exposure. (Sun exposure just speeds up the process.) Hydration, collagen and elastin are all important factors for smooth, soft, young-looking skin.  When hormones, pollution, diet and lifestyle come into play, they can diminish these key factors, causing dramatic changes in how our skin feels.  According to an article in New Beauty, Gravitational pulling coupled with loss of fat and a breakdown of skin constituents like collagen and hyaluronic acid lead to changes in the texture of the skin and the formation of lines and wrinkles.  Also, moisture levels drop and water is lost from our skin as we age. Drinking plenty of water helps hydrate the skin, as well as using deep-hydrating creams and masks.   Antioxidant-rich fruits, like raspberries, blueberries and strawberries, as well as those with vitamin C, can also help heal and smooth weathered skin. Dull skin and a muddy complexion is caused by a buildup of dead skin that stays on the surface for long periods of time.  Erbium lasers and fractionated laser treatments deeply penetrate the skin to increase cell turnover, diminishing the look and feel of dull, lifeless skin.  But, erbium and fractionated lasers require downtime or at least a week.  Topical retinoid, glycolic peels and microdermabrasion can also increase cell turnover. Even if your skin was completely wrinkle-free, if your skin texture is bad, you will look older.

Younger-Looking Chest

Has the aging process affected the way you feel about your chest?  Normal aging, sun exposure, and other environmental assaults can cause freckles on your chest and crinkly, weathered skin.  Luckily there are treatments for this problem.  You could have a series of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or Fraxel laser treatments.  Ablative and non-ablative frantionated laser treatments improve skin texture nicely, and work well when used in combination.  While ablative laser treatments are not downtime-free, non-ablative ones typically are.  IPL (non-ablative lasers) penetrates the skin without visible wounding to the skin's surface to treat sun damage.  The average cost is $200-$500 per treatment, depending on the size of the treated area. Fractional laser treatments use a laser of microscopic thermal light to restructure layers of skin, improving or erasing fine lines, uneven pigmentation and scars.  The average cost of this procedure is $1200 to $5000.  I have been using my Evis MD Platinum hand-held LED on my chest.  It is non-ablative.  I'm seeing some improvement of my sun spots.  You can order these directly from sight by clicking on the box.  I've also had chemical peels on my chest.  Probably the best one was the vi peel.  You can find these on ebay.  If you haven't ever had a chemical peel, you probably shouldn't attempt this one at home.  It is very strong--and very effective.  But, your first experience should be in a doctor's office since you don't know how your skin will react.  Isn't funny how most of us never thought about an aging chest?  We were always warned about keeping sunscreen on our faces, but no one ever really stressed the importance of sunscreen for the chest!!  I know I always tried really hard to get a dark tan on my chest and used very little sunscreen.  I'm lucky mine doesn't look any worse than what it does.  And now I'm trying really hard to spend as much time on my neck and chest than I do on my face. 

Evolence

Evolence is the newest collagen-based filler cleared by the FDA this past summer.  The great things about Evolence are that it doesn't require a skin test like the old, cow-based collagen, the treated areas are immediately smooth after the injections, it typically doesn't bruise, there is a low risk of swelling, and there is next to no downtime.  Evolence is approved to treat mild to moderate nasolabial folds and marionette lines.  It mayalso be used to treat wrinkles and folds in the area between the eyebrows, hands, filling acne cars and even nasal sculpting.  However, because of its thick consistency, it should not be injected around the eyes or into the lips because it can cause lumps and bumps in these areas. Hyaluronic acid fillers, like Restylane and Juvederm are still the best options to treat the lips and under the eyes.  Facial rejuvenation is becoming more and more advanced each year.  This is so exciting!    

Botox Without the Needle.....Yeah!

I love Botox.  I've gotten those painful injections for several years now every three months.  I dread the appointment, but at the same time....I can't wait.  In case you're not familiar with Botox, it is actually a form of botulinum toxin which is injected into the skin to paralyze the muscles to prevent crinkling and wrinkling.  The procedure is very quick. You are in and out of the Dr.'s office without any downtime.  But, many people are still scared of having a toxin injected into their skin.  And, I was too, at first.  But, I was desperate.  I tried just about every product on the market that claimed to erase wrinkles.  Nothing worked completely.  Some products improved the appearance of wrinkles, but they never were completely gone, until I got Botox injections.  For those of you who are still a little uncomfortable with the needle, there is a new product that is currently in phase-two trials for both hyperhidrosis of the underarms and facial cosmetic purposes.  Its code name is RT001 and it is a facial cosmetic applied at your doctor's office in a single session.  It is left on the skin for 30 minutes, and then removed with a series of cleansing wipes to ensure that there is no product left behind on the skin.  Revance Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company, just published studies in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, anticipates that the results and duration of the topical will be much the same of what can be achieved when Botox is injected into the skin. They do no believe that Botox injections will fall to the wayside once a topical application of botulinum toxin type A becomes available. There will be cases where injections are necessary, but for those who are scared of needles and the injection, will hopefully soon have another option.  There are several other companies researching and testing this application.  So, keep your eyes and ears open........hopefully Botox without the needle will soon be a reality.