1. Protection, Protection, Protection

Becoming sun-wise by using a broad spectrum sun protection cream and staying out of the Sun between 12-3pm, protect against UVA & UVB, UVA Rays age & UVB Rays burn.

Remember the higher the SPF the higher the chemicals, look out for Titanium Dioxide a natural ingredient & remember to re-apply.

2. Don’t worry be happy!

Happy people already believe they look good, so with a strong self-esteem & high energy levels & free from anxiety. Stress & anxiety cause free radical damage and restricted blood flow and oxygen to the cells. Exercise such as dancing, walking & yoga can help.

3. Where there is smoke…there are wrinkles

Smoking robs the skin of oxygen and vital Vitamin C, doubling the rate at which your skin ages, leading to those horrible smokers lines & sallow skin.

4. Sleep well

Sleep is the foundation of our wellbeing. Human growth hormone is released to revitalise your body and regenerate cells. The way you sleep also determines your wrinkles i.e. do you favour one side? If so you will have more wrinkles on that side. Broken sleep also leads to dark circles under the eyes

5. Your skin is what you eat!

Eating the right foods gives the skin the nutrients it needs to be brighter, smoother & healthier with less wrinkles. Foods like anti-oxidant rich berries, broccoli, dark greens, natural oatmeal, salmon (full of essential fatty acids). We call these water rich foods, drinking water or herbal teas top these up. This is a great two pronged attack, your diet works on the inside and your skin creams work topically.

Until then, beauty-obsessed individuals, most especially ladies, content themselves with using effective products like Obagi Elastiderm Eye Cream. Before buying this skin care treatment though, there are four things that people should know about it.

1.    The Real Effects of Obagi Elastiderm Eye Cream

Since Obagi Elastiderm Eye Cream builds collagen and brings back the elasticity of the dermis, the skin’s condition is then invigorated and restored; hence, the reduction of those ugly wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes. This actually results from the potency of Obagi’s ingredients, which is discussed in the next piece of information.

2.    Obagi Elastiderm Eye Cream Ingredients that Should be Considered

While many anti-aging products are being questioned due to the presence of harmful ingredients, Obagi Elastiderm products offer natural and carefully formulated ingredients like Bi-mineral complex, blueberry extract and malonic acid.

Firstly, Bi-mineral complex, which is comprised of copper and zinc, is mainly accountable for creating collagen and re-establishing the dermis’ elasticity; thus, minimizing the appearance of fine lines in the eye area. It works along with a Patented Therapeutics TM technology, which is a specific technology that aims to get all the necessary ingredients enter the part of the dermis that needs the most work and ultimately encourage elastin production.

In addition, the blueberry extract takes care of the unnecessary free radicals, which are primarily responsible in denying the youthful appearance of the skin around the eyes. Finally, the stimulation of skin cell regeneration is supported by the imminent patent formulation in malonic acid.

3.    Improvements in Percentage

Research confidently shows that real improvements do happen when Obagi Elastiderm Eye Cream is used. In two weeks, sixteen percent of the subjects noticed the reduction of wrinkles around the eyes, while 23% observed an improvement in dermis elasticity.

In four weeks, almost 80% accounted fast and enhanced results, whilst more than half of the subjects seen the prominent subdual of fine lines in the eye region. After three months, even skins that were damaged by the harmful rays of the sun were noted to bring back their elasticity.

4.    Setbacks of Using Obagi Elastiderm Eye Cream

Some people find the Obagi Elastiderm Night Eye Cream to be quite expensive, costing £75. Also, not everybody could get their hands on one unless it is prescribed by a physician.

As mentioned earlier, consumers may need to wait as long as nine weeks or three months before evident effects are noted. Others may easily get tired from the long regimen of applying products . Finally, individuals may forget to wear sunscreen, which is highly recommended when using such Obagi products.

Sophia Mendelshon is the owner of the Obaging and Beauty-Spot websites, both of which focus on giving valuable pieces of information on Obagi products and beauty tips, respectively. You may check out her most recent posts on Obagi Elastiderm Eye Cream as well as home remedies to grow eyelashes.

When properly used by a dental professional, bleaching of vital teeth is extremely safe, but risks to teeth and adjacent tissues do occur even so.

For instance, hypersensitivity can occur resulting in significant discomfort for some patients. If whitening trays are not properly fitting severe burns of the adjacent gums can occur. The only way to minimise these risks and ensure patient safety is firstly for a dental professional to properly screen inappropriate candidates, then dental supervision must be provided before, during and after treatment.

A beauty therapist would not be able to diagnose dental disease or worse, oral cancer and therefore must not be providing tooth whitening to clients. They are unlikely to be able to ensure complete gingival protection from the concentrated products they are applying to the teeth. I have on several occasions seen very severe burns to the gums following this.

Many beauty therapists are using a high concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide and a light to lighten teeth. However some are even using Chlorine Dioxide to whiten teeth. This is an extremely acidic, harmful substance that results in permanent etching and damage to teeth.

Beauticians advertising tooth whitening with Carbamide Peroxide is not a new thing, despite reports of it being seen more frequently, they have been using it for some time. Carbamide Peroxide breaks down into Hydrogen Peroxide and its use is not an attempt at exploiting a legal loophole. Dentists also use Carbamide Peroxide in custom made trays as it provides for a slow release over long periods (usually overnight). In-clinic systems such as Zoom use Hydrogen Peroxide. 6% Hydrogen Peroxide is equivalent to 18% Carbamide Peroxide.

Unfortunately the current guidelines are not stopping ‘non-dentists’ from providing tooth whitening.
The European Commission announced on the 20th of September 2011 that it welcomes the new Directive on tooth whitening products.

The following guidelines are to be implemented by September 2012.

• Only tooth whitening products with less than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide may be sold.
• Products containing between 0.1%-6% hydrogen peroxide content may only be sold to dentists, and only under the following conditions:
• The first use of each cycle of the product must be completed by a dentist as a clinical examination, after which use may be continued by the patient.
• Use of these products by clients under 18 years of age is not permitted, even under supervision of a dentist.
• All tooth whitening products with hydrogen peroxide levels higher than 6% will be banned.

The situation at present is that it is illegal in the UK to supply a product for the purpose of tooth whitening, if that product contains more than 0.1% Hydrogen Peroxide. However many dentists still provide this treatment as the alternatives, such as veneers/crowns, are too destructive to the teeth.

The GDC regards tooth whitening as being the practice of dentistry. It has clearly signalled that it will seek to prosecute those who are not registered and who provide tooth whitening. Indeed to date there have already been a number of prosecutions. The current GDC Scope of Practice document indicates that hygienists and therapists may also carry out tooth whitening provided they have obtained the appropriate training and only then under the prescription of a dentist.

The new directive puts patient safety first by recognising the importance of examination by a dentist before whitening treatments are provided. This clearer law will enable easier prosecution of non-dental professionals providing tooth whitening, however in reality the lack of resources will probably mean that this law is poorly enforced.

The medical profession is generally strict about what can and can’t be done by people with various levels of qualification, but Botox and fillers seem to have been overlooked. They are invasive procedures and the treatment for lines and wrinkles we use is a prescription-only medicine. When things go wrong, and they sometimes do, (think Leslie Ash) patients can be left physically or psychologically scarred for life.

The treatment for lines and wrinkles is generally safe and well tolerated but it isn’t always harmless. Cliff Richard and Simon Cowell both suffered drooping brows after treatment, and other users have had headaches, double vision or sagging facial muscles.

In France and Denmark there are laws that limit who can do what, to whom and where, and the same is likely to happen in Mexico and Spain, yet still the British government is avoiding improving regulation to safeguard patients.

If you are considering any sort of cosmetic procedures I would urge you to check your surgeon’s qualifications first. Many practitioners “qualify” with less than half a day’s training after learning by injecting an orange. Others simply watch a video or Youtube.

The Independent Healthcare Advisory Service (IHAS) have found dozens of UK firms with no medical background offering training courses to hairdressers and beauty therapists out to boost business. They put their clients at risk by offering injections stored at the incorrect temperature and given in unhygienic shops.

About 1 in 20 of the one million Brits who have cosmetic injections every year suffer complications, including droopy eyelids from the treatment and lumps under the skin from fillers. When the injector has little or no knowledge of the facial anatomy, it can lead to permanent physical damage.

But unfortunately the problem is not just with ‘Cowboy Practitioners’. There has been a 57% increase in the number of patients seeking treatment following complications associated with DIY treatments after injecting themselves at home.

Our treatment for lines and wrinkles is a prescription-only treatment in the UK, but there are more than 5,000 internet sites offering the drug — mainly based in Russia and the Far East. A DIY kit, complete with needles and a facial map showing where to inject, is even currently being sold on eBay for just £62. The consumer watchdog Which? highlighted the offer amid concerns about lack of regulation of the sale of potentially harmful cosmetic treatments. The discovery of DIY injection kits on an internet auction site means the situation is even more serious than feared.

The pack contained needles, saline to mix with the Botox powder – made from the toxic botulinum bacteria – and a facial map showing where to inject the drug.

My advise would be simply not to take risks with your health, don’t allow anyone but an experienced fully qualified practitioner to treat you.

It started in June last year when I was feeling particularly miserable with my mirror image.  I was fast approaching my 45th birthday and my frown and nose to mouth lines were worsening.   In addition, my face looked ‘drawn’ and the quality of my skin seemed poor – grey and dull looking.

I had researched a number of local aesthetic practitioners but decided to visit Dr Claire Oliver as I had been admiring some facial rejuvenation work she did for one of my friends.

Back then, my nose to mouth lines were upsetting me considerably and I decided that this was the first problem area I wanted to address. I must admit, I was a little anxious but Dr Oliver alleviated my fears with her professional and reassuring approach.

Claire recommended a Dermal Filler called Juvederm to soften these deep folds. I found the procedure relatively quick and painless, the excitement of how my appearance would change at the forefront of my mind!  I was not disappointed – in fact I was totally amazed at the change! The lines had almost faded completely – this made a huge and instant difference to the way I looked. The after effects of Juvederm were minimal: some slight swelling, only to be expected, but this went away within a few days.  Dr Claire Oliver informed me that the filler would last at least 12 months, possibly longer – at which time I would need to repeat the treatment in order to maintain the results.

A few months later, I finally decided to take the plunge and have ‘BOTOX’ to soften my frown lines.  Again I was a little anxious and asked Dr Claire lots of questions.  Is it dangerous?  Can it travel away from the muscle and harm me? How much is injected, etc. What I learnt was very reassuring – especially the knowledge that the amount injected is so tiny – compared to say, the amount used to treat a child with cerebral palsy – it really did seem unnecessary to worry.  Like me, many people are worried about how they may feel after Botox: will I feel frozen?  Will it feel strange? Actually, for me, it did not feel odd at all, just a little different at first.   But even this wears off to the point where you just don’t notice any change – with the exception of your appearance.  It was so exciting to wake up every day and notice a smoother complexion – the lines softening and eventually, for me, disappearing.  The Botox lasted around three to four months and I have since repeated it twice, the result improving and lasting even longer with each treatment

I then decided to address the problem of my sunken cheeks. I had lost a lot of weight in my face and felt like I looked constantly tired and drawn even when I wasn’t.  Claire recommended a product called Juvederm Voluma for this. This had been part of the initial treatment plan Dr Claire had prescribed for me during my first consultation with her. All I can say is: WOW! And that’s an understatement; I really could not believe the difference!  It looked similar to a very good facelift, nothing artificial – just tighter, firmer skin. I really did look more radiant and youthful! I can highly recommend this treatment.

More next month ….my experiences of Obagi!

Disasters of over-plumped lips are regularly splashed over the pages of our magazines with the likes of Liz Hurley, Melanie Griffith, Meg Ryan, and even Kylie Minogue all looking rather strange now. But how can a treatment that when done well looks fantastic, go so horribly wrong? It makes me wonder about the Doctor administering the treatment to these individuals. Are they just concerned with taking their patient’s money rather than acting in their best interest? There have been a few times I’ve had to refuse a patient a treatment they’ve requested as I’ve felt it was unnecessary and would be detrimental to their appearance. Some people unfortunately seem to lose sight of how they look.

My patients often worry about having lip enhancement because of what happened to poor old Leslie Ash, whose disastrous allergic reaction to silicone lip implants in 2002 have made the headlines ever since.

I always explain that the permanent filler she chose to have (God knows why) is rarely used now due to the complications associated with it. I only use ultra-fine, non-permanent, Hyaluronic acid based products such as Juvederm to hydrate and gently plump the surface of the lips. Small amounts are used to create a natural result rather than give a big-lipped, WAG look. These products are very safe & can also easily be dissolved if ever needed. The procedure only takes ten minutes, can last up to six months and they have very little risk of allergic reaction.

I’m a fan of the minimalist look; most women just want a ‘natural, sensuous’ appearance. Trout pouts tend to occur when filler is injected into the very edge of the lips, giving a stiff, protruding effect. We normally inject the product into lips, avoiding the edges where it can form a ridge. The Hyaluronic Acid Filler then acts like scaffolding to support and lift the lip from the inside.

A recent study indicated that women with slightly plumper lips looked years younger than their thin-lipped peers. Hardly surprising as our lips, like the rest of our face, suffer from the effects of ageing. The lips lose volume in the same way as the rest of the face. However, the ageing process is accelerated by the fact that the mouth is constantly moving when you talk and eat, and so the constant puckering and creasing causes the skin to age more quickly and for deeper lines to develop.

The skin around the lips, which acts as the support structure around the mouth, also ages as the amount of collagen and elastic decreases. Smoking exacerbates the problem by damaging collagen, reducing volume and increasing wrinkles. The lips are also very exposed to sunlight as they’re hard to protect which means they are prone to a lot of UV damage. Depressing isn’t it?

My advice to anyone would be to never have permanent filler in the temptation that it lasts longer. If there is a problem, it lasts forever as is almost impossible to get it out. Also, as you age, the lips naturally become smaller. Permanently large lips on a 70 year old can look very odd.

But why does our skin age? Skin contains proteins called collagen and elastin. Collagen gives skin its firmness and plumpness, while elastin its resiliency. As we get older, the proteins break down, the skin begins to lose its firmness and resilience and the lines of facial expression start to ‘stick’. In addition for women, who have a thin layer of fat cells distributed all over their bodies, age causes these fat cells to shrink causing sagging and wrinkles. It’s just not fair is it?

Other factors can also increase the breakdown of collagen and elastin. Exposure to the sun’s harmful rays, pollution, bad diet, illness, smoking, and (this is the worst bit) DRINKING ALCOHOL; all can make you look years older than you actually are.

We all know alcohol is dehydrating, increasing the rate at which the body loses water. Dehydrated skin ages more quickly so regular drinking means deeper lines and facial wrinkles. Just look at Keith Richards!
Alcohol also has a direct effect on the condition of the skin in that it causes the small blood vessels to widen, producing flushed, coarse skin, open pores and broken veins.

And for the ladies, if I’ve depressed you enough already, skip this next part –we process alcohol differently to men and retain a higher blood alcohol level for longer. This makes us more susceptible to the harmful effects of alcohol (liver damage, heart muscle damage, osteoporosis & brain damage). But because we have thinner skin we are also more likely to show alcohol damage earlier than men.

Oh my God, get me a drink!

The good news is that experiments have shown that moderate alcohol intake — roughly one drink a day for women, or two a day for men — can reduce inflammation, promote healthy cholesterol levels, improve insulin resistance, and help blood vessels function properly.

So there you go, drink in moderation if you want to age well. But there are also good and a bad ways to drink alcohol.

1. Choose your best time to drink – Every time you take a sip of wine your body reacts as if it’s being poisoned. A group of enzymes (alcohol dehydrogenase) swing into action to get the alcohol toxin out of your system as quickly as possible. Your body is in peak production mode for these enzymes at 8.00 pm – so if you’re going to drink that’s the “healthiest” time to do it!.
2. Take care when drinking alcohol at lunch-time Your body deals with alcohol much less efficiently during the day as production of alcohol dehydrogenase drops.
3. Make sure you aren’t “tired and emotional” BEFORE you start drinking. Tiredness and hormonal changes effect your body’s ability to produce those all important enzymes and one drink will hit your body like two.
4. Stay away from the ice bucket – The coldness of an iced drink opens a valve at the top of your stomach – so you tend to gulp rather than sip slowly. As the healthiest of us can only eliminate one unit an hour – your body won’t be able to cope.
5. Drink a lot of water. Make sure you have at least a glass between each drink and plenty before you go to bed. Many hangover symptoms – headache, nausea, furry mouth – are due to the effects of dehydration rather than the alcohol poisoning.
6. Eat something with your drink – We all know this one. Food slows the absorption of alcohol and delays its effects.
7. Line your stomach – That old drinkers tip of lining your stomach with a glass of milk really does work. Make sure it’s full fat milk though or try full fat pro-biotic natural yoghurt. Just make sure you give it time to settle on your stomach before you hit it with your first cocktail.
8. Don’t try and keep up with the boys – especially if you’re a girl. Women produce less alcohol dehydrogenase than men and so the alcohol effects us more quickly. We also have more fat and less water in our bodies and so alcohol is more concentrated in our systems.
9. Be honest about how much alcohol you drink – Dietary guidelines set the boundaries at one drink per day for women and two for men. One drink should be a SMALL glass of wine, a single measure of spirits or a half a pint of beer.
10. Never go on a binge – excessive amounts of alcohol in a very short period of time is the worst possible drinking habit you could have. Binge drinking pumps toxins into your body at a rate your major organs – specifically the liver, brain and kidneys – just can’t handle. Spread your alcohol consumption out and keep it moderate – little and often is OK (but LITTLE is the important word here). Frequent binges are a recipe for alcoholism and liver damage – not to mention wrecked skin.

So drink wisely and choose moderation over excess – unless you want to look like a Rolling Stone!

Everyone ages differently and the great thing about JUVEDERM® is that it can be used to rejuvenate multiple problem areas in one treatment session. The reasons I think it stands head and shoulders above any of the other dermal fillers on the market are:

1. It’s long-lasting, approved to last at least one year with one treatment – much longer than some of the other Dermal Fillers available.
2. It is FDA approved (which a lot of the other products on the market are not) so you know it’s extremely safe.
3. JUVEDERM® is so much smoother than the other fillers I’ve ever worked with. Some of the other hyaluronic acid fillers are made of granular gels and can feel quite lumpy afterwards, but Juvederm has a lovely smooth-consistency that flows easily and provides a smooth, natural look.
4. It’s very comfortable due to the incorporated Local Anaesthetic.
5. It’s safe and effective for different skin types.
6. One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to softening lines and restoring lost volume.  A customized treatment plan is important for achieving the best results and there are 6 different products within the Juvederm range:

• Juvéderm^® ULTRA 2 erases moderate facial lines, especially those around the lips and corners of the eyes and those very close to the surface of the skin.
• Juvéderm^® ULTRA 3 smoothes wrinkles between the nose and corner of the mouth and around lips; it can be used very subtly to plump out lips in order to maintain a youthful smile.
• Juvéderm^® ULTRA 4 works on the most noticeable folds and lines, and improves the contour of the face.
• Juvéderm^® VOLUMA^® restores lost facial volume as in the cheeks, cheekbones, and chin, recontouring the face for a fuller, smoother, more youthful appearance.
• Juvéderm^® ULTRA SMILE is a new addition to the Juvéderm range of fillers that’s dedicated to providing full, soft, natural looking lips and to smooth fine lines and enhance the mouth area.
• Juvéderm^® HYDRATE is specially formulated to bring deep hydration to the face, neck, décolletage, and hands.

Come and find out about our great new treatments and Christmas special offers. In addition during the course of the 2 days you will be able to see exciting demonstrations of some of our treatments – some already established, some new – including Botox, cheek enhancement, nose re-shaping and jowl reduction. Everyone will receive a £25 gift Voucher and a free chemical peel worth £69 when booking a treatment in December.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

This week it’s ‘Baby Botox’!

Easy and painless, it takes 5 minutes and there is no downtime. Gone are the days of the frozen/surprised Botox look thankfully. The latest techniques are extremely effective and the recent trend has definitely moved towards a more natural result with reduced movement rather than no movement.

The Baby Botox treatment involves tiny doses so that the results are still very similar to ‘regular’ Botox treatment but more movement is present and therefore looks very natural.

The question most people ask me when thinking of having Botox for the first time is ‘Is Botox Safe’?
The biggest misconception is that it is a poison, and this it most certainly is not. It is in fact organic and completely safe. It’s been used in medicine since the early 1970’s in treating many conditions including neurology and ophthalmology and it has been used in aesthetic medicine for over 20 years.

In over 30 years of use in medicine, there have never been any reported serious allergic reactions and with such longevity we can say with certainty that there are no long-term side effects. The most important thing to remember is that this treatment is non-permanent and very safe when he the hands of an experienced practitioner. The botox is metabolised at the injection site and it does not spread to any other parts of the body. If the patient ever decides to stop having the treatment, their appearance will revert to their original state.

Find out more here>>