A New You for the New Year

A cold winter is a great time for a skin peel. With lower temperatures and freezing winds, skin can feel tight, flaky, and dry. Quality diminishes with harsher weather, and your skin just doesn’t have the youthful look and feel it should. A good skin care routine doesn’t have to go down with the temperature. Give yourself a fresh start this new year with Pearl Laser Resurfacing.

What it Does

Pearl Laser Resurfacing is a non-surgical skin treatment that targets and improves:

• Acne and acne scarring
• Wrinkles and fine lines
• Sun Damage
• Uneven skin texture

How it Works

Pearl Laser Resurfacing is successful because it works two-fold to improve your skin: first removing damage and then stimulating new growth. First, a light treats the top layer of your epidermis allowing damaged skin to gently peel away. Secondly, your skin regenerates a new top layer of young, healthy skin. Lastly, the light stimulates collagen production deep in the skin, filling out wrinkles and improving the quality of your new youthful skin.

Minimal Downtime

There is almost no downtime after Pearl Laser Resurfacing compared to other light treatments–not to mention the treatment avoids the invasiveness and recovery related to plastic surgery. You can bounce back to your routine almost immediately, and go forward into the new year with youthful skin and a fresh, healthy glow.

Keep Your Energy Up

Maintaining energy in the winter is a difficult task, especially if you are working long hours. There are many treatments to bring energy back to your skin. At the same time, help your skin maintain energy by being holistically supportive—sleep, routine, and diet are all important to bright skin and energy to take you from dawn to dusk.

Water

Keeping hydrated is good for almost everything and should be a priority every day. Proper intake of water promotes good collagen production for dewy, radiant skin. Not only does water give your skin energy, but helps maintain blood volume levels, enabling oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to your cells at the best rate. This consistency helps you to wake up, stay awake longer, and feel more energized throughout the day. Energize inside and out by keeping a routine with your water intake.

Change Up Your Wake Up

A lot of us are reliant on coffee as a reason to get out of bed and stay out of bed. Taking the leap and quitting coffee can be a big move towards a more energetic life, believe it or not. Replace coffee with a lower caffeine beverage such as green tea to level out the “caffeine high” and maintain energy levels for longer throughout the day.

Best Energy Foods

Getting a good supply of nutrients throughout the day is a sure fire way to improve skin quality and boost energy. Here are some areas to check off:

• Go for complex carbs. These provide energy more slowly than simple carbs, providing nutrients for longer periods of time, without the “high highs” and “low lows.”
• Get more iron. Dark green vegetables are packed with iron, which is key to energy. Combine iron-filled greens with vitamin C (such as in bell peppers) to absorb the most you can from the vegetables.
• Limit refined sugar intake. A lot of alcohol or refined sugars (such as in candy and juice) taps out your energy resources and makes your body work harder to build it back up.
• Don’t cut out fats. Healthy fats (such as in avocados and salmon) are key for antioxidants to link to and start dispensing health benefits to your cells.

You don’t have to focus on your skin and your energy at different times. Find healthy patterns in your life by doing practices that are good for your whole body, inside and out.

Say Goodbye to Fungus!

Toe nail fungus. It’s not uncommon, and it’s no fun at all. Sure, you can hide your toes all winter, but why hide? You deserve to be comfortable and confident in your own skin in all respects. Rid yourself of embarrassment about how your toes look, as well as the discomfort that comes with toe nail fungus.

What does toe nail fungus look like?

Toe nail fungus, or onychomycosis, will present itself in a few ways.

• Discolouration (yellow, white, black, and/or green streaks and spots)
• Brittle, thick nails
• Unusual growth direction
• Separation of the nail from the nail bed

No more discomfort

Toe nail fungus is not hard to deal with, but it is important to take action early to rid yourself of the discomfort. Keeping your nails in good shape stops the fungus from spreading and causing you pain as the nail thickens or grows towards the nail bed. Toe nail fungus can make wearing shoes uncomfortable–and you really should wear shoes in modern Western society. Consider laser toe nail fungus removal as a simple, non-invasive way to clean up your nail beds and get happy, healthy feet back.

How laser toe nail fungus removal works

Laser Genesisplus. Laser fungus removal takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. It heats and vaporizes the fungus, and requires no freezing or medication. There are no side effects and no downtime required following the treatment, so you can get back to your day right away.

How to prevent toe nail fungus

Laser treatment is a highly effective fix for toe nail fungus, and prevention of fungus is simple.

• Sleep without socks on – prevention of unnecessary moisture is key to reducing the risk of bacteria forming and infection occurring. If you do sleep with them on, wear clean and loose fitting socks to allow your feet to breathe.
• Wear flip flops in public spaces such as pools or public showers.
• Use sanitized tools when shaping, cutting, or cleaning toe and finger nails.

Be comfortable in your own shoes again!

Winter Is The Ideal time

Remember summer? Yes, that short season that comes and goes rapidly?

 

Although summer seems so brief, it certainly can leave a lasting impression. Sun damage accumulates over the warmer months, and after spending time outdoors, you are left with the results – hyperpigmentation, brown spots, increased wrinkling and  tired-looking skin.

As we age, our skin doesn’t bounce back from over-exposure to the sun in the summer as quickly as it did in our youth. The result? Age spots (which are really sun damage), spider veins and sagging skin.

Some good news about winter

It’s the best time of year to have certain skin care treatments performed. Laser treatments can leave your skin sensitive to the sun, so the ideal time to undergo a treatment such as IPL Photo Rejuvenation or skin resurfacing is winter, when you spend more time indoors.

With more intense laser resurfacing, sun exposure is a complete no-go, as your skin is extremely vulnerable to damage. Exposure to any sun prior to and after an IPL Photo Rejuvenation treatment is also discouraged. If you have a tan, even a slight one before a procedure, the laser treatment can burn your skin, and it is mandatory to avoid the sun afterwards.

IPL Photo Rejuvenation is effective for treating:

• Face
• Chest
• Shoulders
• Arm
• Hands
• Freckles
• Photo damage
• Diffuse redness
• Tiny veins
• Hyperpigmentation and brown spots
• Appearance of rosacea (but will not remove it entirely)

It’s also best to have other laser treatments performed during the colder season for the same reason – sun sensitivity afterwards. If you’re considering laser hair removal or tattoo removal, now is the best time.

Why Use A Primer?

Adding another layer to the products you already apply to your face seems counter-intuitive. How can it be good for your skin to have more products applied on a daily basis? Seems like it would irritate your skin, clog your pores and if you’re prone to it, promote oil production.

In fact, the opposite is true: using a primer daily protects your skin.

How do they work? Here are some good reasons to add a primer as part of your daily skin care regime. The bonus is your skin will become healthier and your make-up application will be smoother and remain intact longer.

Why use a primer?

Primers do more than make oily skin look more matte or give your make-up staying power. Applied properly, a primer, which goes on before foundation or makeup, will highlight cheekbones and reduce facial redness and fine lines.

Protection

Using a medical skin care grade primer protects your face by acting as a barrier between your make-up and your skin. A primer will also protect your face from sun damage (which leads to dryness, aging skin and facial redness). Look for a medical grade primer containing sun protection.

Treat your skin right

By using a good primer in conjunction with the rest of your skin care routine, you will seal in the moisture, hydration and healthy ingredients your moisturizers contain. By promoting hydration, your skin will be more balanced and there will be less likelihood of oily skin breakouts or dry skin. A primer will help promote even skin tone and texture.

Refresh Your Life With a Peel

Dry skin is all too common during the winter months. While we can’t change the weather, we can change the way we pamper our skin. Don’t settle for uncomfortable, dry skin. A peel is a quick appointment away to a new and healthy complexion.

Dramatic Results – Without Dramatic Treatments

Microdermabrasion and chemical peels penetrate the skin to reveal what’s beneath–without the discomforting and invasiveness of surgery. The ZO Ossential Stimulator Peel is designed to remove dry, dead skin and leave behind new, radiant skin that feels just as healthy and young as it looks. Better than going “under the knife,” the ZO Ossential Stimulator Peel stimulates cell activity to make your own skin do the work and renew itself.

What the peel does:

• Reduces excess oil
• Improves and evens out skin texture
• Exfoliates to remove dead skin cells
• Stimulates collagen and elastin production to fill out fine wrinkles and sunken lines
• Renews hydration in dry skin

Long Lasting Benefits

The peel removes dead skin cells that get in the way of healthy production, allowing for brighter, softer, and radiant skin to produce.  A cocktail of antioxidants is delivered by the peel, working to promote the longevity of your softer, higher quality skin. After a few short treatments, your skin is at its full potential to continue to improve, glow, and protect itself from the sun!

Retinol – Why it’s important for Skin Rejuvenation

What is Retinol? Retinol is another name for vitamin A. For skin rejuvenation, Retinol is a superb ingredient for connecting to almost any skin cell and initiating the process to tell it to act like a healthier, younger skin cell.

Retinol is also an antioxidant, so it interrupts the free-radical damage process that causes your skin to look and behave older. It helps with prevention of wrinkles and increases production of collagen.

Other benefits:

It is also effective for managing acne and eczema, improving skin discoloration and minimizing wrinkles from sun damage.

The science behind Retinol

Retinol can be broken down into more potent compounds, which are referred to as retinoids. Although vitamin A, retinol, and retinoid are often used interchangeably, each of them has diverse actions. Some forms of retinol can be used freely in cosmetics, while others (retinoids) are only available by prescription.

To help clarify it for you:

• Retinol is a cosmetic ingredient any cosmetics company can include in its products, meaning it doesn’t require a prescription. Other forms of cosmetic-grade vitamin A that you see in cosmetics include retinyl acetate, retinyl palmitate, and retinaldehyde.
• Retinol is effective because it breaks down and is converted into retinoic acid after it has been absorbed into your skin. Retinoic acid is the compound that has the ability to affect skin cells and their behavior.
• Both the cosmetic forms and the prescription forms of vitamin A may result in skin irritation, but the highest risk of irritation is with the prescription forms (retinoids) because they are stronger.
• You can reduce or eliminate the irritation caused by retinol by using effective skin-care products without irritating ingredients.
• Prescription retinoids contain retinoic acid (also called tretinoin), the active ingredient in Retin-A and Renova, adapelene, the active ingredient in Differin, and tazarotene, the active ingredient in Tazorac.
• All forms of retinol have similar, although not identical, roles and provide impressive benefits for skin rejuvenation, which is why they are so widely used in skin care products.

You need a combination of products

Retinol has many benefits, but it’s important to remember that no single ingredient can take care of all your skin’s complex needs. To provide the best care for your skin, you need a well-formulated sunscreen, an exfoliation product, a gentle cleanser and a serum or moisturizer loaded with antioxidants.

Keeping skin looking healthy and young requires combined ingredients and products to work together to create a powerful skin rejuvenation routine.

Restylane: Who it’s For, Where it Targets, and How it Works

What it’s For

Restylane is a non-surgical skin rejuvenation product, used in the same manner as alternatives such as Juvéderm. Many people have different skin sensitivities or are allergic to collagen, and Restylane is a non-animal based, collagen free, and FDA approved alternative used to add volume to, decrease wrinkles from, or contour the face.

Restylane is used to:

• Add volume to lips.
• Fill in wrinkles and fine lines such as crows feet, under-eye, forehead frown lines, and mouth laugh lines.
• Contour around the eyebrow, cheekbone, and nose

How it Works

Restylane is an alternative to collagen-based fillers such as Juvéderm for people with allergies. Both are hyaluronic acid fillers, which is a natural part of your skin’s composition. This attracts fluid to the area, adding volume and tightness to the targeted areas of your skin.

More about Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance produced by your body. High concentrations of hyaluronic acid are found in the fluid surrounding your eyes. It acts as a passage through which nutrients can go from the bloodstream to skin cells, increasing the youthful look of skin by “plumping” up the active areas. It is also used to help people with arthritis to provide extra comfort in the joints.

Effective

Restylane has shown to be just as effective as the alternative, producing results immediately.

Benefits

• Collagen free for those with allergies
• Unlike surgery, Restylane has minimal bruising and recovery time
• As hyaluronic acid is naturally occurring in the human body, there is no risk of allergic reaction and thus no allergy test needed before hand
• As stated before, Restylane is a non-surgical anti-aging treatment, and is thus less intensive, invasive, can be reversed, and has few side effects

Holiday stress and your skin

It is a busy time of year, leading to skin that looks tired and stressed. How can you get through the season with skin that keeps its beautiful glow?

1. Exercise on a regular basis. Not only will it keep oxygen flowing to your skin, it’s crucial for your overall health. Don’t stop exercising because you are busy—fit in somewhere—just keep moving!

2. Minimize rosacea  flare-ups by avoiding these triggers: stress, cold weather, spicy foods and alcohol.

3. Make sleep a priority. We need seven to eight hours of sleep each night—our skins rejuvenate, our muscles repair and our minds relax while we’re sleeping.  Say no to a few events.

4.  Feeling good about yourself can reduce stress. If you notice you’re losing volume in your face, try a derma filler, or even better a combination of Botox and derma filler to plump up wrinkles and add volume for a more youthful appearance.

5. Watch your alcohol intake. It’s easy to overdo it during the holiday season, leading to more calories and bloating. Alcohol can also be a factor in facial redness.

6. Hydrate. No matter what else you do, don’t forget to keep sipping water throughout the day.

Remember to take care of yourself during the holidays—it’s easy to put self-care at the bottom of the list when you’re busy.

All the best over the holiday season from the team at Britannia Dermedics!

Look great after a flight

It’s the time of year when we do a lot of traveling. We’re visiting friends and family over the holidays or we’re escaping cold weather and heading off to somewhere warm and tropical.

How do you protect your skin while traveling?

Hydrate. The most important thing you can do is moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.  Just before you get on the plan, apply a rich moisturizing cream. Always stay hydrated by drinking lots of water before and during the flight. Avoid caffeine and sodas as they rob your skin of moisture.

Cosmetics. Keep your make-up to a minimum. Focus on lips, and cheeks as eye makeup can smear and flake. If you must, wear foundation but no powder as it can dry out your skin.

Finish right. Just before landing, apply some concealer under the eyes, and then touch up blush and lipstick.

Instant camouflage. If it’s been a long flight and you’re exhausted, wear sunglasses.

More on Foot Care: Prevent Aging, Improve Circulation, and Up Your Energy

Toe nail fungus is not the only cause of declining comfort and confidence with our feet. Toe nail fungus is treatable with good foot hygiene and laser treatment–safe, non-invasive, and bacteria-killing. A myriad of problems that we encounter as our feet age, weather changes, and our favorite shoes turn against us are also easily dealt with by knowing the cause of our discomfort. We’re on our feet all day, and it is important to remember that beauty goes hand in hand with comfort.

Common Problems

• Corns, Calluses, and Bunions The most bony parts of your feet rub against your shoes, causing corns and calluses that are uncomfortable and frustrate us throughout the day. Bunions are the result of swollen joints and require rest, shoes with looser toes, and staying away from pointed-toed heels. A discussion with your doctor is a good idea if you are in long-lasting pain.

• Ingrown Toenails Ingrown toenails, like ingrown hairs, occur when the toenail (like the hair) begins growing back into the skin. Cut your toenails straight and keep them and your cuticles clean to get away from ingrown toenails which can cause pain and infection.

• Dry Skin Like other sensitive skin on your body, use a gentle cleanser or soap to keep your feet clean. Your feet do a lot of work for you throughout the day, so make sure they get the TLC they deserve. Use a hydrating lotion of your feet, heels, and legs to improve comfort and promote clean, healthy, and comfortable feet.

• Bad Circulation Bad circulation is genetic, but can be improved. Avoid crossing your legs (this also helps prevent the appearance of spider veins) to improve flow, and rest your feet by propping them up when possible. Blood rushes to your feet and can cause discomfort, tingling, and/or loss of sensation in the feet. This is also a cause of…

• Swollen Feet Swollen feet can be a result of bad blood circulation. Follow the same tips as above, and make sure to give your feet time to breathe and relax. Wear breathable materials on your feet (cotton socks) to keep air coming in and out throughout the day and relieve pressure.

Universal Tips to Live By

As we age, the fatty pads of our feet lose their cushioning, just as our collagen production goes down, showing “thinning skin” on our most sensitive areas: face, hands, neck, and chest. Improve your comfort by wearing shoes that are comfortable and support your arches. Our arches also sink as we age, and this is normal. We don’t have to wear orthotics to continue functioning the way we used to, but listen to your feet! The comfort of our feet directly affects the rest of our comfort, influences our posture, and comfort is the key to a clear mind. Be good to your hard working feet by giving them time to relax and keeping your feet, toes, and heels clean.