Skin Aesthetics By Alli

A well known expert once coined the phrase  “Triangle of Youth and Pyramid of Aging.”  Lovely visual… When we are young, the volume in our faces is high and lifted up. As we age, well, it all falls down around our ankles.  So, what can we do to bring it back up?  Surgery?  Facials? Or something in between?

I always, always, always start people off with medical grade skincare. My mantra is that 80% of what you look like is what you do at home.  You don’t have to spend a fortune but you must do the work with products before you start anything else.  We know Retin-A grows collagen and L-ascorbic acid stimulates the cells that produce collagen and both ingredients fend off free-radical damage.  Stem cells and peptides work miracles and help reverse much of the damage we have incurred over the years.  Starting effective skincare early is great but even if you get a late start you will still see results.  And as always, SPF every day, rain or shine, indoors or outdoors, no exceptions.

If you haven’t found a knowledgeable expert like a medical aesthetician, to guide through the sometimes confusing waters of skincare and treatments, now is the time.  Ask questions of friends and co-workers to see if they have found someone they trust and check out websites of well known medical skincare companies for authorized persons.  I use PCA Skin, and iSCLINICAL as my main skincare lineup and I am listed on their sites.  This is a great way to find offices that are required to stay up to date on science and new advancements.  

I believe in comprehensive or global therapy in terms of anti-aging treatments.  I subscribe to the idea of multiple pathways for best results.  Botox, fillers and skin rejuvenation all play a part in helping you attain your goals.  Once you’ve dipped your toe into the pool of Botox (and other like products) you might want to explore the world of fillers.  There are many different brand names and formulas so you will want your medical professional to recommend the best one for your skin type and issue.  Fillers are fabulous for putting the “volume” back into your skin.  You can create lift around the eye area, put your cheekbones back where they belong and fill in any other area that is drooping and getting it’s groove on (not in a good way!)

Filler Facelifts can work wonders and take years off your look.  Come see us at Parkway Medical Laser & Skin Centre or give us a call at (480) 348-3245  for more details.

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Feeling like a cougar lately?  And not because you date younger men but because you have brown spots on your skin?  Oh, wait…. that would be a leopard, you get the idea.   Brown spots on the skin are no fun so read on for information on why they happen, what to do to reduce them and how to keep them from coming back.

The cells that produce our skin color function to protect our body.  Due to genetics, sun damage, hormones and other issues these “color cells” called Melanocytes may produce an uneven skin tone.  Some women will experience the “pregnancy mask” called Melasma during pregnancy or during the aging process.  Blotchy brown spots arise and are called “age spots” or other not so nice monikers.  Folks that tan their whole lives will suddenly see uneven skin tone and blame it on aging but the true culprit is damage from the sun.  Certainly, we can inherit a pre-disposition for hyper-pigmentation and certain ethnic groups are prone to pigment excessively.  We all can conjure an image of the red-headed, freckle faced kid. (Shout out to my fellow Irishwomen!!)  

So, what the heck? Sunscreen must be applied every single day.  Options abound my friend but consistency is key.  Each and every day, rain or shine, indoors or outdoors, get in the habit of applying a physical SPF 30 sunscreen.  (Don’t worry about going higher or lower on the SPF scale.) No exceptions, this is not an option.  And while outdoors for longer than 2 hours, reapply your SPF.  You may notice your hyper-pigmentation fading after a few months of protecting your skin.

Serums that battle sun damage such as L-ascorbic acid (the most potent and stable form of vitamin-c,) applied under your moisturizer in the morning will quench those nasty “free-radicals” and help your SPF work more effectively.  Finally, you can speed things up with “bleaching” creams such as hydroquinone but beware of rebound spots.  Another option, my favorite, is  iS Clinical’s White Lightening.  This is not a bleaching cream but a multi-purpose miracle cream.  It fades brown spots, exfoliates, hydrates and keeps the pigment from happening in the first place. (No rebound spots!)

Once you have established an effective skincare system you will want to find an experienced medical aesthetician to set up a treatment plan for your skin.  Dramatic clearing of these dastardly dots is possible in the hands of an experienced technician.  Lasers and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) use light energy to penetrate the skin and are absorbed into the pigmentation thereby destroying the “target” while sparing the surrounding tissue.  The spot should darken to look like coffee grounds and in a couple of weeks flake off revealing a more even skin tone.  Make sure you find a reputable office that will consult with you and do the appropriate prep work such as test spots to make sure you don’t end up burned. 

A combination of serious skincare and effective treatments will give you clear and healthy skin.  Spots belong on a Dalmatian, not on your face!

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Being a self-professed makeup/skincare junkie I have hordes of makeup that I refuse to part with.  I tell myself at some juncture I will use each eyeshadow and lipstick no matter how inappropriate for my coloring.  As I get older and wiser and short on free time, I am purging myself of unflattering makeup and keeping only what I know makes me look my best.  Or at least like I am not a reject from a John Hughes movie.  

It all comes down to the color wheel.  Remember in school when we learned about primary, tertiary etc?  ROYGBIV anyone?  All you need to find the perfect compliment to your eye color is, well, complimentary!  Complimentary colors are directly across from each other on the color wheel.  For blue eyes, orange.  For green eyes, purple.  Brown eyed girls have a wider array of options so I tell my clients to decide what the overall color is.  If you have hazel eyes that appear very green, go with green. 

Don’t let the oranges and purples scare you either.  I don’t want you going for Bronco’s orange and telling people I told you to wear it.  Think bronzes and coppers or terra cotta and warm browns.  These will make blue eyes pop.  Green eyes can try burgundies and aubergines and play with brighter purple liners.  Forest green and baby blue on brown eyes.  Layer colors and try intense pigments in small amounts for best results.

Jane Iredale has come out with Eye Steppes that are fantastic!  They come in a cute mirrored palette with all the colors you need in one kit.  Play with your own application method or go online to http://janeiredale.com/index.html for application tips.  The point is to have fun and try lots of colors and application methods till you find what you like best.  And if you still want to occasionally wear the electric blue and pink, save it for the eighties costume party!

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News flash!  Fall is here!!  Really?  Well, as far as makeup goes the fall season is upon us with the new color palettes.  For all Jane Iredale enthusiasts, I have broken down some of the main trends and will give you the low-down on how to achieve these looks with Iredale Mineral Makeup.  Before applying any of these lovely faces, make sure you have the “canvas” primed by applying Absence Oil Control Primer.  This base will keep oil at bay, fill in pores and lines and keep makeup on longer.  Next, pick your fave foundation apply with a moderate hand.  No need for spackle ladies, just a nice, fresh finish.  Don’t forget to spritz your canvas with one of the Hydration Sprays to set your foundation.

The first look for fall focuses on a bright, vibrant lip in tangerine colors with a minimal eye.  Jane has several bright shades in this range.  If you want to go for it try the PureMoist Lipcolour in Nicole.  Skip the liner and apply a light layer for best results.  If you want a toned down version of this lip try Just Kissed in Sydney.  For the lilac eye I love Eye Gloss in Lilac Silk.  With just a touch of mascara it is the perfect balance to the stronger lip. Finish with PurePressed Blush in Whisper. 

Another beautiful visage coming our way this fall is a strong chocolate eye and pinkish lip.  Apply deeper shades of brown and don’t be afraid to layer.  The Daytime kit is perfect for this look as you can apply a base color in Oyster all over, followed by Almond or Cappucino on the lower lid up to the crease and finish with Dark Suede in the crease.  Use the Charcoal as a liner and smoke it out.  Don’t forget the Purelash Extender & Conditioner with Longest Lash in Ice Black for amazing lashes.   Just a pinch on the cheeks, I love the In Touch Cream Blush with real cocoa in Connection for the right amount of color.  Apply this with your fingers or the Foundation Brush.  Keep the lips soft and muted to balance the look.  I love Spice Lip Definer followed by PureMoist LipColour in Daisy and a layer of PureGloss in Pink Candy. 

Finally, my favorite look of all.  It is truly simple but sophisticated and easy to apply.  Everyone can wear it and it takes very little time. Apply a layer of Eye Gloss in Champagne Silk.  Apply a coat of PureLash Extender and Conditioner followed by Longest Lash in Ice Black.  Make sure your brows are perfect with the Bitty Brow Kit in either Brunette or Blonde.  This kit has 3 brushes to comb the hair, add a brow pommade and the perfect shade of powder brow color.  Dust your cheeks with the PurePressed Cheek color in Mocha using the Dome Brush.  Top of your look with Berry Lip Definer all over your lips as a base followed by an application of PureMoist Lip Colour in Carmen or Halle.  Add a touch of shine with PureGloss in Black Currant.  Classic!

There are more options out there so try them all and see which suits you the best.  Book an appointment me, the Jane Iredale Expert, and try them all!

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We all want healthy, radiant and glowing skin, right?  How do we know when to draw the line before we end up looking more like an oil slick and less like a dewy magazine model?  How do oily-skinned girls get their glow on without having to touch up every hour on the hour?  Do we skip foundation or do we layer on the products?  Believe it or not, you can have fresh, blooming skin that lasts.

Make sure you begin with skincare that cleanses and exfoliates, without harsh detergents that strip the skin and can cause rebound sogginess.  I hear from certain clients how much they miss that “squeaky clean” feel.  You must retrain your thinking from equating foaming cleansers with unadulterated clean to PH balanced, detergent free gel washes that dig out all dirt, debris and oil but leave the dermis soft and flexible.  You don’t need to use a toner and a little moisturizer goes a long way.  Don’t skip the hydration though, you need a barrier between your skin and the elements.

Layer on a primer, after your skincare and before your makeup.  These fantastic preliminary brews are made to soak up oil, fill in pores and wrinkles and give your foundation something to adhere to.  Next choose a mineral foundation ,whether it be powder or liquid, to even out your skintone.  Mineral foundations like Jane Iredale’s Amazing Base Loose, Pure Pressed and Liquid Minerals are pure minerals that allow oil and sweat to seep through.  They won’t mix with your natural sebum and create a drippy mess.  Finish with a mattifying powder, I love the new Jane Iredale Beyond Matte.  HDTV friendly (skin looks amazing close up,) refines pores and eliminates shine.  It comes in 4 shades; Translucent: for use on all skintones, Lilac: to brighten sallow tones, Peach: to warm up pale skin and Dark: for ethnic skins or as a bronzer.  Spritz with one of Iredale’s 3 Hydration Sprays to instantly set your makeup.  Literally, you can rub your hand along your cheek after spraying and you will not wipe off your makeup. 

Keep the radiance going with mineral blush.  Try a cream for a change and apply it to your lips and eyes.  Finish with a touch of lash conditioner followed by mascara and you are glamalicious and GREASE free!!

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Has fun in the sun taken it’s toll on your skin?  Is the golden glow of your youth turned into leathery leopard skin?  Are you feeling dry and dull and unable to get your skin back it’s lustre?  Summer is wonderful for many reasons but once you have climbed up and over the hill your skin may not recover the way it used to.  Here are some tips to get your membrane’s mojo back.

The first step in your recovery is to schedule a peel or microdermabrasion.  Your medical aesthetician will advise you on which one is best suited to your skin.  These will resurface and take off the dead and dull layers.  Next, you want to ask her/him to recommend skincare to keep the exfoliating going and bring back the glow.  I prefer medical grade botanicals that heal, hydrate and fade out the damage.  You may have a myriad of issues, redness and irritation, dryness and fine lines and/or brown patches.  There are great products out there that address all of the above without chemicals. 

After you’ve removed the “roof off of the house,” you should look into photofacials to reduce brown spots that the peel and microdermabrasion couldn’t lift.  Because you’ve removed the dead layer of cells, the energy from the photofacial will be able to reach deeper into the skin’s layers to more effectively lighten pigmentation. 

And finally, now is not the time to stop wearing your sunscreen!  You may not realize it but SPF should be worn every single day, year round.  You incur radiation when it’s cloudy and even indoors!  Make sure you are using physical block or a sunscreen that encapsulates the chemicals to ensure you do not accelerate nasty skin cancers.  My absolute favorite right now is isClinical’s SPF 25 Treatment Sunscreen.  It contains Olive Leaf for inflammation and encapsulated chemical sunscreen with the physical for the most perfect finish.  It’s hydrating and sheer and not at all greasy or heavy.

Now  you can look forward to the end of summer and face the fall with a new fabulous lustre!

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Lately I’ve been asked about the efficacy of scar creams and which ones I recommend.  A scar is the result of an injury to the skin and many times will soften and fade over time.  There is no factual evidence to suggest home remedies such as onion skin, cocoa butter or vitamin e oil make any difference and can cause irritation, making the scar and surrounding skin look worse. 

Some over – the – counter products available for scar reduction rely on anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine and anti-ulcer properties to soothe and soften the appearance of a scar.  These are great qualities but will not diminish a scar.

Botanical ingredients are anti-inflammatoryand are helpful as mentioned before and should be included in a product.  The big story here is peptides.  Peptides are small enough to penetrate deep into the layers of skin and help create collagen.  Collagen creation is the key to improving the width, length, and thickness of a scar. L-ascorbic acid, copper, and tri-peptide growth factors are proven to assist in collagen synthesis and should be included in your chosen product.

We carry 2 products clinical proven to reduce scar tissue.  IsClinical’s Super Serum Advance and Talsyn-CI. Follow the manufacturer’s directions and don’t forget to book a consultation with a medical aesthetician for advice.  You can expect to see changes in about 3 months.

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Wow, I’ve finally reached the end of this peel.  This was so easy!  I tend to whine but in all honesty, I’ve had many, many peels and this one was very doable on all levels.  No prepping, very low uncomfortability during the peel and only a couple of days looking crazy.  I was able to sail through quickly and because of those lovely Post Peel Towelettes, the sheets of skin were almost all gone by today.  Just a bit of flakiness around my hairline.  I am not overly irritated, in fact, I look less red than before the treatment. 

Let’s talk about results shall we?  Phenomenal!  Words come to mind like “baby’s bottom” and yes, “Porcelain!”  The fine lines around my eye area are diminished, the sun damage on my temples came off with the peeling and low and behold, my pores are much smaller now.  I am no longer able to carry my spare change in them.  Yay! 

I am so happy and am plotting my next peel.  I am told I can do a series of three a couple of weeks apart or have this done a couple of times a year to maintain my skin.  I will always need to use  medical grade skincare, as no matter how many treatments I do, the skin still piles up and aging marches on.  The VI Peel really takes the “roof off the house” so my skincare will penetrate much more deeply, thereby making my serums much more effective.

Bonus!  My makeup looks better than ever on my newly smoothed skin. 

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This morning I awoke to 80 year old skin.  Especially around my eyes.  I’d like a little less Phyllis Diller and a lot more Heidi Klum thank you very much.  My face feels very tight and when I smile a million little lines pop up and if I smile really big the lines split open and hang there begging to be picked at.  This is the hardest part of the VI Peel. For those of us who enjoy acting like our knuckle dragging, hirsute, primate relatives, it is great fun to pick and peruse our significant other’s pores.  My boyfriend recognizes the look in my eyes and stays far away till I put the extractor tool down.  The only career for me was aesthetician so I can clean skin all day long.  In the case of the VI Peel, no matter how tempting and how much the skin begs to be peeled off like a bad sunburn, you must resist.  To do so might cause scarring, hyper or hypo pigmentation and besides, it really hurts! 

I have put my magnifying mirror away along with my tweezers.  Sigh..  I will keep my eye on the ball and focus on winning the game.  My reward will be beautiful, radiant and healthy skin and isn’t that what we all want?  I am using SPF 30 in the morning and going over the top with Jane Iredale’s Pressed Powder in Ivory.  This covers well without being too obvious.   I also carry the Powder Me SPF in case I am outside for more than 2 hours. 

Tonight I wipe down with my 2nd and last Post Peel Towelette.  Tomorrow will hopefully see the end of the crazy peeling, I can’t wait to see my porcelain brow and I imagine myself morphing into Nicole Kidman.  (Pre Tom Cruise, post Dead Calm.)

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This morning I awoke to my slightly rufescent complexion and admired the tightness of my ruddy skin.  I have two “pillows” under my eyes, like I had been out all night and imbibed too much.  That said, I have no irritation or peeling skin at this point. 

I am quite impressed with the way my skin feels already.  I have a tenacious pimple that has lingered since 2006 and try as I might I have not been able to uproot the rascal.  I notice this morning it appears to be on the way out.  It’s the small things in my life that make me happy, sad but true.  I anxiously await for molting to begin and am hoping it doesn’t start till after the Health Fair I will be involved with.  I’m a bit worried about stepping outside in the inferno called Arizona.  Ouch!  Never fear, I have my trusty Jane Iredale Powder Me SPF!  SPF 30 that is so easy to use as it has a soft sponge applicator and mirror.  I carry it in my purse to reapply as needed.  Plus, the SPF comes in Translucent and Tanned, both are gorgeous and soft focus the face gently  hiding imperfections. 

I powder my face and head out to talk to the masses.  I honestly can say I did not think about my face the whole time I was at the fair.  I questioned a few people later and no one could tell I had crazy face under my makeup.  Understand, the way my mind works I am now worried that I won’t have an adequete peel if I don’t look terrible.  I think a lot of women are like that.  We assume it has to hurt and look awful for the treatment to be worthwile in the end.  The VI Peel is completely different.  Not only did it not hurt but the peeling is supposed to last 2-3 days.  I have seen on my co-workers the velvety smooth results, the proof is in the pudding, I mean peel!

Per the directions on my instruction sheet, I am to wash and apply the Post Peel Towelette at least 1 hour before bedtime.  Here’s the magic: this tiny little towelette contains ingredients proven to lift off the dead cells faster than the skin could do on it’s own.  This has a bit of a sting, nothing more.  Afterwards I am more red and I feel super tight.  I am still not applying any sort of cream.  The instructions say you can use 1% Hydrocortisone for irritation if necessary but redness and dehydration are part of the process and a great indicator that you are getting the best results.

That’s it for Day 2!  I’m off to bed to dream about shedding  my skin to reveal my new fabulous self.

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