Britannia Dermedics

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The 411 on Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers come in many effective forms, depending on the desired outcome. These safe, low impact and non-surgical treatments are designed to provide a natural lift and youthful plumpness back to your skin.

Botox

Botox is likely the dermal filler you’re most familiar with. It’s no surprise—Botox has been around a long time, and remains an effective and popular treatment.

Botox: • removes frown lines and upper lip lines • banishes crow’s feet • diminishes neck bands • diminishes forehead creases • is non-surgical • treatments are only 10-20 minutes • results last up to four months • is world renowned and time-tested

Juvederm VOLUMA

Juvederm has different treatment streams available, depending on your desired results. VOLUMA uses a gel filler of hyaluronic acid—a naturally occurring substance that combines with water in the skin to fill out areas that have fallen in the face and neck over time.

Juvederm VOLUMA:

• adds volume and contour to cheeks and jaw lines • softens wrinkles and fine lines, filling out “hollow” areas • works with all skin types • results can last up to a year • is non-surgical • works well in combination with Botox and Soft Lift treatments Restylane Unlike other dermal fillers, Restylane is collagen-free—a haven for those with collagen allergies. A collagen allergy shouldn’t stop you from restoring youth and diminishing wrinkles from your face. Restylane • is a non-animal based product • is non-surgical • restores plumpness to lips • fills in fine lines • has minimal downtime • results can last longer than collagen based treatments

Dermal filler treatments can be tailored to your desired results, concerns, and allergies and preferences. Don’t let time determine how your skin ages.

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Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, you may be noticing redness, dryness, itchiness, or discomfort. You don’t have to live with it! There are few reasons why you may be experiencing sensitive skin, and solutions to match each one. Whether it is genetic, environmental (dry weather anyone?), diet related or otherwise, here are a few tips to fix that sensitive skin.

Sun Exposure

The sun can be wicked to skin, especially if it’s already prone to sensitivity. Too much or unprotected sun exposure can lead to redness, tightness, and increased sensitivity—not to mention more rapid aging. Before you leave home, apply non-oily, medical-grade sun protection on all your skin, but especially your face, chest, and neck.  These areas have the thinnest skin, and are the most sensitive. Protecting your skin from unadulterated sun exposure is a hugely important step in keeping your skin sensitivity low.

Moisturizers

Apart from sun lotions, other moisturizers help lock in—you guessed it—moisture. This is important to help keep your skin hydrated and “elastic”—able to stretch and move without flaking, breaking, or disrupting the cell production beneath. Use medical-grade, scent-free moisturizers at night that aren’t too heavy. A night cream should have weight to it, but if it is too heavy it will clog and disturb your face’s delicate skin.

Get Clean—Not Mean

When cleaning your skin, be firm but not aggressive. Being too rough on your skin breaks blood vessels and disturbs the rehydration process. Be gentle and use a gentle scent-free face wash to clean without stripping your face of its moisture. Dabbing your skin instead of tugging also helps to reduce irritation, and is good for collagen production. If you’re especially sensitive to different products, try even your medical-grade skin cleanser on your arm before using it on your face to ensure there is no reaction.

Diet

Avoiding salty foods and upping your intake of water are ways to ensure your skin is getting more hydration. Drinking alcohol also causes flushing and dehydration, so minimizing alcohol intake helps keep moisture in. Vegetables with a high water content are also a great way to get nutrients that promote healthy cell production while increasing water intake for moist, elastic skin.

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We Need to Talk About Cellulite

Cellulite--no one wants to have it or talk about it. Don't shy away--there are many ways to both proactively and retroactively combat those hateful little dimples.

What Cellulite Is

Cellulite appears as fat gathers underneath different areas of our skin. The way fat is distributed around individual bodies is affected mainly by differing genetic, hormonal, and dietary factors. As fat gathers around connective tissue it causes the skin to pucker where it would instead be taut--giving hips, buttocks, and legs the familiar and dreaded appearance of unflattering dimples.

Factors

Hormonal

As women age, the body begins to produce less estrogen. Estrogen stabilizes steady blood flow throughout the body, which is key to maintaining strong connective tissue. Hormones can also mean poor circulation. In order for collagen to produce, the body needs good circulation to create this protein that is very important to the upkeep of youthful skin.

 Genetics

Our genes account for a lot, and can predispose our bodies to forming cellulite. We can have slower metabolisms that cause us to hold more fat on the body.

Diet

What we eat and how we eat it has an affect on our blood circulation, collagen production, fat storage, and ultimately the strength of our connective tissue.

Keep hydrated and eat foods that are high in water content to encourage healthy tissue formation.

Foods that are lower in bad fats are also easier for our bodies to digest and turn into energy. Avoid trans fats that get stuck in the body and form fat deposits.

As mentioned frequently in previous posts and as recently as last week--antioxidant rich foods like blueberries and dark leafy greens are one of your best allies when it comes to building skin-smoothing collagen. Antioxidants stop free-radicals from attacking blood cells and halting collagen production.

 Smoking

Smoking can indeed be a factor in the formation of cellulite. Smoking causes a reduction in blood flow, disrupting collagen reduction, and allowing for damage to connective tissue.

Options

To deal with stubborn cellulite, there are non-surgical and non-invasive treatments that target its appearance and existence on the body. Venus Legacy™ is a treatment that creates a specialized thermal reaction using safe multi-polar radio frequency and Pulsed Magnetic fields to treat cellulite and fat. Venus Legacy™ treatments increase circulation and plump your skin by stimulating collagen production. It is pain-free and requires no down-time following the treatment, which

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De-stress Your Skin

There are many ways that stress affects our quality of life. Managing your stress and simplifying your days can bring positive results to many areas of your life, including the quality of your skin. See results in a brighter face, more radiant skin, and an overall boost of energy!

How Skin Quality is Affected by Stress

Stress activates different reactions in the body, and a lot of the time leaves us looking tired and worn down.

Going off last week’s blog post, under-eye bags are largely caused by a lack of sleep. Stress keeps us up at night, causing stressed blood vessels to burst and fluid to pool under the eyes.

Flare-ups are activated by stress-related cortisol release, which in turn affects the way hormones are regulated in the body.  Regulation of hormones is one of the best ways to stop acne in its tracks.

Rashes or hives are often caused by an imbalance of bacteria (caused by a stress trigger) in your gut—where bad bacteria starts to outweigh the good.

Sweating and poor diet can affect your hydration levels. Drinking coffee or pop because you’re stressed puts your sugar levels all over the map, and causes major dehydration. Dehydration = flaky, unhealthy skin.

What to Do

You probably can’t take everything stressful out of your life. That’s okay, and there’s many ways to problem solve and keep looking and feeling happy while you manage your stress and whatever the day throws at you.

Drink water or coconut water throughout the day to keep hydrated, which is key to having energy--low energy drives us towards carby comfort meals or quick-fixes like chocolate bars. Eight glasses a day will keep you more bright-eyed and help your skin be at its healthiest.

Pack your meals with antioxidants (found in blueberries, dark leafy greens and much, much more). Antioxidants stop free-radicals from interrupting collagen production—collagen keeps your skin looking plump, full, and young. A healthy and complete diet also maintains sugar levels, helping your hormones to stay regulated while promoting restful sleep to wipe away those under-eye bags.

Exercise releases endorphins, which put you in a better mood and provide you with energy. More energy to approach the day will decrease your stress, as will concerning yourself less with your skin quality

A regular amount of sleep promotes good balance of hormones, better energy, and less anxiety. To combat under-eye bags, sleep a regular amount each night, drink less alcohol (alcohol is full of sugar and stops you from deep sleep), and prop your head slightly up on your pillow to stop gravity from pooling fluid under your eyes.

Other Help

Medical grade skin care products can help improve the quality of your skin when stress is attacking it. Hyaluronic acid in products promotes collagen production. Other treatments like Juvederm stimulate collagen production using hyaluronic acid in a targeted way, and Botox reduces wrinkles caused by stress and time.

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Banish Dark Circles

Winter is ending--and your dark circles should be too. As we age, our collagen-production naturally diminishes, but there are ways to help. Brighten up your eyes, look more awake, and go brightly into spring by treating your under-eye well.

Genetics

Genetics are part of what determines melanin and collagen in your skin, and therefore its colour and texture. The lighter in colour your skin is, as well as the more thin, the more obvious a lack of sleep becomes as blood pools under the thin skin. Right underneath our eyes are the most delicate skin on our body, and so should be treated delicately. You can't help your genetic make-up, but you can control the way you treat this delicate area to improve appearance and quality.

Touch

Treat your under-eye delicately, as it very sensitive to pressure and pulling. You can help support the quality of your under-eye by using a medical-grade skin care product that promotes collagen production while protecting from the elements. Apply with a light "dab" of just one finger for minimum interference. Avoid touching your under-eye otherwise, as this encourages irritation.

Allergies

Be proactive--with big results! Treating your allergies will reduce inflammation and the urge to itch. Especially as spring approaches, treat the source of the urge to rub your eyes by determining the cause and taking an anti-histamine. Histamines are released in the body by seasonal allergies, causing the blood vessels to become inflamed, especially in your most sensitive area: the under-eye.

Treatments

There are a range of treatments to improve the appearance around your eyes:

Skin creams and ointments. Medical-grade skin care products protect skin. Hyaluronic acid is an ingredient that stimulates collagen production, bringing volume back to sunken eyes.

Juvederm and other non-surgical treatments focus on your face help to bring back an overall brightness. Treatments are non-surgical and non-invasive, so you can get right back to the world with a brighter look!

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Vitamin C – Your New Best Friend

You’re not fighting scurvy, but you are fighting the winter blues. Last week’s tip was to pair Vitamin C and iron rich foods together for energy; this week ‘s focus is on the different ways Vitamin C can enrich your skin, energy levels, and overall health.

Sun Protection

Even in winter, we are vulnerable to the sun’s harmful rays. Topical application of vitamin C can provide protection from UVA/UVB rays and sun damage. Vitamin C has been shown to not only protect from the sun, but repair damaged skin that’s seen too many rays. Medical Grade skin lotions that contain L-ascorbic acid are the Vitamin C-filled armour your skin needs—even in March.

Another Important C—Collagen

Collagen production is aided by intake of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, fighting free radicals that are harmful to collagen production. A healthy intake of vitamin C and other antioxidants set up a strong defence against free radicals that get in the way of collagen production. When collagen can produce you gain plump, luminous, and youthful skin.

Vitamin C-rich Foods

Fresh orange juice

Tomato juice

Broccoli

Green and red bell peppers

Red cabbage

Other Benefits

Vitamin C—especially paired with iron—can be hugely beneficial to overall health. Studies show the vitamin:

    Boosts the immune system

    Helps to prevent colds

    Strengthens the cardiovascular system

    Fortifies teeth and muscles

    Prevents bruising and strengthens skin

    Diminishes dryness and promotes good cell growth

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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.

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Bye Bye Blackheads

It’s always the right time to get rid of your blackheads. In the winter they feel dry, and in the summer they feel oily—a confusing combination that leaves you frustrated. Never fear—from simple exfoliation to microdermabrasion, there are many ways to conquer blackheads and repair your skin.

What is a Blackhead?

A blackhead forms when a hair follicle becomes widened or open, allowing dirt, oils, and bacteria to get in. Your skin’s oils, sebum, can overproduce for different reasons, and become stuck in the skin without draining properly, causing bacteria to form. Sebum oxidizes as it sits in this open hair follicle, and gives it the “black” appearance that we know and hate so much.

Medical Grade Cleansers Renew and Keep Skin Clean

One of the reasons sebum can overproduce and get caught in our pores is from over-cleansing. We see oil and dirt building up in our pores, and try to fix it by using stronger cleansers or washing our face more often and more aggressively. This is a mistake—what our skin wants is routine.  Using a medical grade cleanser and lotion, cleanse your skin no more than twice a day to stop from drying it out—overdoing it will cause more sebum to produce and perpetuate clogged pores and trapped dirt!

Helpful Tips

 Be Clean!

Use a clean cloth. You are getting bacteria out when you clean, so keep your cleaning supplies clean too. This goes for your fingers as well.

Be gentle!

One of the top tips for calming irritated skin is: Just Be Gentle. Light pressure, lukewarm water—keeping things moderate helps your skin to stay relaxed and produce regular levels of sebum.  

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is a gentle way to renew your skin and help blackheads clear up. A specialized brush is combined with a professional cleanser to carefully remove the top layer of your skin, promoting healthy production below and removing layers of dirt and oils. Blackheads are a clog in your skin—microdermabrasion unclogs and promotes regular oil production levels going forward.

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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!

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Protect Your Eyes!

Protecting your eyes isn’t just about going to the optometrist and wearing sunglasses.  The appearance of our eyes is important to us, too, and it’s also one of the most delicate areas of skin on our bodies.

The First Signs of Aging

Similar to your chest and neck, the skin around your eyes is thin—it requires the most protection and the softest touch. There is less fat, collagen, and elastin in these areas than in the rest of your body, and they are therefore more easily irritated and damaged. The first signs of aging skin are found in these areas, as they can fall victim to wrinkles and sun damage.

Delicate Touch

Remember: delicate skin needs to be treated delicately. No pulling or hard scrubbing. When cleansing around your eyes, avoid pressing hard, and use only one finger, dabbing lightly so as to cut-out pulling around the eyes completely. While being careful to take the best care of your delicate skin, avoid harsh face washes and lotions.

Medical Grade Skincare

Medical Grade skin lotions and cleansers are the best idea for your whole skincare regime, but they are especially important at these sensitive areas.  These thin areas of skin are easily irritated and can become inflamed when rubbed with non medical-grade skin cleansers and perfumed, thick eye-creams. Treat your eyes to a skin care regime that will prolong the youth of your delicate eyes.

Clean Make-up

Clean make-up can make an incredible difference. Clean mascara, primers, brushes, and eyeliners are necessary to keep the skin around your eyes as clean as possible and avoid irritation. Over the years, irritation leads up to weakened skin, redness, and wrinkles. Treat your eyes like the delicate parts they are!.

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The Importance of Medical Grade Skincare Products

We are all too familiar with the importance of moisturizing in cold, dry winter months. There’s more to it than slathering on any lotion, however, as quality is of the utmost importance. Using medical grade skincare products is necessary to ensure your skin is being treated in a way that is sealing in moisture, rather than clogging your pores.

Sunscreens

Sunscreen all year long: it’s the great secret to keep your skin in peak quality now and for years to come. Putting on any over-the-counter sunscreen on your skin every day is a good start to protecting yourself from the sun, but it will quickly produce clogged pores, likely followed by irritated skin. Medical grade sunscreens such as Colorescience’s Sunforgettable mineral powder are designed to protect while avoiding clogged pores.

Collagen Production

Some medical grade skin care products actually actively stimulate collagen production. Collagen fills out our body’s fine lines that may have sagged over the years, producing the “plumpness” or fullness in our skin we associate with youth. These products seal in moisture and stop dry skin while working on the overall youthful health of your skin.

Tested by Professionals

Consider medical skin care products to be at the top of their class. They contain more active ingredients than their drugstore counterparts, and provide results by penetrating beneath the skin’s surface. Standard lotions cannot penetrate the skin’s surface and rather sit, providing brief moisture to the face or body while ultimately clogging or irritating the skin.

A Good Investment

Especially if you’ve had any skincare treatments, consider medical grade skincare products to be a great investment in your skin’s future health. Medical grade skincare products help to prolong the results of skincare treatments by supporting the structure of the skin. Medical grade can be more expensive than drugstore lines, but consider them to be of much higher quality, requiring less applications than standard brands that don’t break the surface, and providing overall long lasting results. Invest in your skin.

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A Good Time for Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal might not be the first thing you think of when you hear the word "January." However, after a few treatments the fabulous smooth effects will be long lasting. Winter is also a preferable time for beauty treatments if you are concerned with brief post-treatment redness!

What Areas Can Be Treated?

Face

Chest

Arms

Legs

Back

Bikini

Nipples

How long does the treatment take?

The number of treatments to completion varies depending on skin tone--anywhere from three to six brief sessions. When your treatments are complete you should not need to come back as it is highly successful.

How it Works

A strong, non-invasive laser breaks down pigment within dark hairs. Eventually through repeated treatments, the laser breaks down the follicle that produces the hair, stopping regrowth completely. The hair is no longer able to produce, drastically reducing the appearance of hair on your body.

Be Good to Your Skin

Laser hair removal is a few short treatments that produce smooth, hair-free skin for the rest of your days. It is a non-invasive treatment that removes the routine of shaving or waxing from your life. Opting for laser hair removal can be beneficial to your skin in that it replaces these practices which are aggravating to your skin--waxing and shaving are rough activities that cause rashes and in-grown hairs. Consider laser hair removal this winter for a smoothness that will feel good this summer and in years to come. 

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Winter Sun – Take the Time to Protect Your Skin

The skies are grey, and your sunglasses are in the glove compartment, packed away until spring. Remember the holy grail of of skin care—protect yourself from the sun year round, from New Years Day to New Years Eve.

Protect Your Face

Our faces are the most vulnerable part of bodies when it comes to sun damage. Our faces are delicate, and they get the most exposure of any body part. Use medical-grade products, such as Colorescience’s Sunforgettable mineral powder or other non-greasy treatments, to integrate sun protection into your daily routine. Your skin will be grateful come rain or come shine.

Go the Distance

Sun protection isn’t just for our beautiful faces, but for the rest of our bodies as well. Hands, neck, and chest are also incredibly sensitive to sun, due to the delicate structure our skin in those areas—they’re low on fat and need to be treated delicately. Make sure sunscreen is applied daily, every few hours if exposed to any degree whatsoever. Regular sun protection will make a huge difference when you look at your skin years down the road. Don’t underestimate the power of a little SPF.

Head to Toe, Day to Night, Summer to Winter

No matter whether it’s a cloudy, windy, grey day in Lethbridge or a blistering hot day on a Mexican vacation, one of your strongest defenses against aging, sun spots, skin cancer, and wrinkles is sunscreen. Possibly the best piece of advice you can receive or pass on is to wear sunscreen every day, under your clothes, as part of your moisturizing routine. Find the medical-grade, SPF-inclusive moisturizer that is right for your skin type and your lifestyle, and make this small step with huge benefits part of your every day life.

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Great Foods to Help Get Your Skin Back to Business

The Christmas holidays can take a lot out of us and our skin. It's understandable that our beauty routines go out the window in the face of parties, big dinners, and treats--not to mention cold weather. Now that it's January, let's get back to business and focus on some truly positive additions to our diet that will have us glowing, healthy, and happy through the years to come.

No Yo-Yo Dieting

Control of our diet has a great effect on our skin. There's a big difference between planning our diet and capital-D Dieting though, and the latter can have bad consequences on our skin health, and our happiness. Avoid yo-yo dieting and instead make a plan for foods that give you energy, give health to your skin, and make you feel good. Here are some foods to introduce into your diet for your skin's sake:

Antioxidant Rich Foods

Antioxidants prevent, as one might expect, oxidization. Oxidization in the body produces free radicals--harmful to your cell production and a cause of aging skin. Look for antioxidant rich foods that fight free radicals including:

Olive oil

Tomatoes

Yellow bell peppers

Cranberries, blueberries, blackberries

Walnuts

Dark greens: broccoli and kale

Low-Glycemic Foods

Replacing sugar-filled foods with low-glycemic alternatives prevents insulin spikes. A "sugar rush" takes a toll on our energy levels--we're up and then we're way down. The same happens to our skin, and the aggravation can result in acne, burst blood vessels, and rosacea. Low-glycemic foods are digested slowly, and keep us, and our skin, calm. Remember these allies in the fight against red, irritated skin:

Chickpeas

Oatmeal (add anti-oxidant rich berries in lieu of sugar to sweeten your breakfast)

100% Whole grains

Water! Drinking water fills the desire to reach for other drinks like juice and soda

Anti-inflammatories

Dairy is a major cause of inflammation in our skin, leading to breakouts, puffiness, and uneven textures. Look for alternatives that give you the lean protein and calcium boost you need without the blow up:

Almond milk

Carrots

Sunflower seeds, and other Vitamin E rich foods

Omega-3 rich fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines

Walnuts, cashews, and almonds

Soybeans

Avocados

These are just a small sample of the foods available to you that will give you energy, and keep your skin young and glowing year round.

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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.

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Fix a Winter Skin Rash

Your skin is red in the winter, and it's definitely not a sunburn. Rashes can come out in the winter for many reasons, and at the worst of times. The rash comes easy, but luckily, so does the fix.

Wrap Up

Your presents aren't the only thing you should be wrapping this holiday season! Dry skin is both caused and aggravated by the dropping winter temperatures. When humidity falls as the temperature drops, our skin gets tighter, but not in the way we'd like. Begin by defending yourself against the elements by wrapping a scarf around your face. Rotating scarves or washing your scarves is a good idea to keep bacteria away from your face.

Adjust the Temperature

This seems counterintuitive in the winter, but it's a rule that will be repeated to improve skin health in many ways. Brave the elements and turn down the hot water in the shower--one of the main contributors to dry skin, and also one of the easiest to control. Decreasing hot air in the car will also show improvement if your skin is dry in the winter, especially if you're spending a lot of time in the car.

Moisturize

Need moisture? Moisturize. Seems easy enough, but it is important to use a medical-grade moisturizer that will lock moisture in during the winter months--it will be heavy, but won't clog your pores.

Drink Up

You should be drinking a lot of water this holiday season. Our foods tend to get heavier around the holidays, mostly because we're dining out or cooking for large groups. Well-hydrated skin is resistant to irritation and can heal itself better if a rash appears.

Talk to a Specialist

If you find that you get rashes every winter, easily, or you just can't get rid of them, you should speak to a specialist. Identify a specific path of improvement to make you and your skin more comfortable.

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Don't Let Excessive Sweating Ruin Your Holiday Season

Excessive sweating is uncomfortable, and can be embarrassing. And it can ruin a holiday event for you, along with your clothing. Even during the winter, excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, can persist, making warm layers uncomfortable. Don’t fret---there is nothing to be embarrassed about the irregular function of your sweat glands, and there's a way out: discover many ways to combat hyperhidrosis.

What is Hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis is sweating that goes beyond what is needed to regulate your body temperature. People who experience excessive sweating often find that regular antiperspirants and deodorants do not help. Hyperhidrosis appears in:

Feet

Palms

Underarms

It presents most often during extreme temperatures, and situations which cause nervousness in people, such as public speaking, dates, arguments or exams--it's no wonder holiday parties can be a trigger. Another characterization that is most frustrating for sufferers of excessive sweating is that hyperhidrosis will present at any time, night or day, without warning or reason.

Improve Your Quality of Life

Hyperhidrosis can have a widespread and negative impact on your quality of life. Even winter is frustrating: layers of clothing are uncomfortable and ruined, confidence is shot, and sufferers often experience anxiety around when excessive sweating will present again. It does not have to be this way!

Take Action

There are ways to change your relationship with sweating. Cut back on spicy foods, alcohol, and cigarettes. These are all triggers for sweating, and while hyperhidrosis will persist through a more regular diet, a reduction of these "vices" can have a great impact on your body's temperature control.

Botox Can be the Answer

Sufferers of hyperhidrosis rejoice that Botox treatments are successful in greatly reducing the excessive amount of sweat they have come to know as a way of life. Consider the miraculous good that treatments can do for your quality of life this social holiday season and for the rest of the year, every year.