Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Get Your Winter Glow On

Feeling pasty and pale this winter? Ditch the idea of turning to the damaging effects of indoor tanning, and save your money on those expensive (and very temporary) spray tans! Turns out, you can eat your way to golden skin—Whether it’s carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins or squash, if it’s got a high levels of carotenoids (and these yellow and orange vegetables do!), it’s great for your skin color!


Dr. Ian Stephen and colleagues at The University of Nottingham conducted research earlier this year that showed that eating a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables gives you a healthy glow that mimics that of the sun. But even better, they claim that eating lots of fruit and vegetables is actually more effective. Their paper was published in the Journal Evolution and Human Behaviour.


Here’s what they found...


Those who eat more portions of high-level carotenoid fruit and vegetables each day have a more of a naturally golden skin color. Carotenoids are antioxidants, which are important for our immune systems, combatting those damaging compounds produced by the stress, strain, and disease. How do you know if what you’re eating has carotenoids? Color. If it’s red, orange or yellow, it’s just the glow-getter you’re looking for!


The researchers report that when test subjects compared suntanned skin and carotenoid-colored skin, they preferred the natural glow of the carotenoid-colored skin. Their conclusion? “... if you want a healthier and more attractive skin colour, you are better off eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables than lying in the sun."


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Your Botox Best

Getting the best out of Botox? It’s simple. The general guideline is to go in to your doctor’s office every 3 to 4 months for re-treatment. But whether you’re cost conscious or simply have trouble committing to appointment dates months out, you may want to wait until you know it’s time for a Botox brush up. The question is, how do you know?


Without a doubt, the easiest way to maintain your wrinkle-free results, is to follow the standard guidelines and plan to schedule your appointment on a regular basis. However, according to Dr. Few, there are a couple of tell-tale signs that signal a green light for your next treatment.


First, you may notice that you involuntarily find your eyebrows lifting along with your entire brow. This is a case of your elevator muscles (the ones that pull the brow up) coming back to life before the depressors do (the muscles that pull the brow down and work with the elevators to maintain balance).


Second, you may experience a slight twitch around the eye.


In either case, Dr. Few explains these as “signs of your muscles waking up after being asleep for awhile.”


And even if you are the type who commit to a regular schedule, knowing when it’s time to re-treat will come in helpful if and when an adjustment in your schedule may be needed. Consider this: Recent research has shown that over time, that you may need fewer treatments per year to maintain your results.


A study published in the medical, peer-reviewed journal Dermatologic Surgery this June treated fifty women between the ages of 30 and 50 for two years. They found that if patients receive Botox every 4 months for 2 years, treatment can be reduced to as little as every 6 months.


In this case, knowing whether it’s 2 or 3 treatments you need could mean having an extra $500 in your pocket. And that, ladies, you can take to the bank!


Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Your Best Winter Skin Yet

Ladies, it’s time to leave dehydration to fruit snacks. This winter get your skin fix by knowing the facts.


Winter brings with it a double skin drying whammy: cooler temperatures and artificial heat. Add some unprotected sun exposure to the mix and you’ve got the perfect recipe for parched winter skin. But you don't have to accept these unwanted seasonal skin symptoms. With three simple points, you can NO to dehydrated winter skin and YES to your best winter skin yet.


1. Recognize it. You know your skin is dehydrated when it feels dry and tight. Severely dry skin often looks scaly and flaky. But beyond discomfort and lack of aesthetic appeal, skin in this condition is also more susceptible to premature aging and wrinkles.


2. Understand it. In the winter months, dehydration can cause an imbalance in your skin’s pH levels, compromising the skin’s ability to produce sebum and retain moisture. The skin becomes dry and accumulates dead cells, yet another barrier to the products you apply topically for moisture.


3. Prepare it. Whether it's your favorite over-the-counter facial scrub or glycolic acid treatment or a lunchtime peel at your cosmetic surgeon's office, preparing your skin is the first step in preparing your skin for optimal condition. The second step? Using the right products, of course! Consider a physician-developed line such as JF Aesthetic, which is formulated to balance the skin and retain or restore the skin's natural moisture barrier.