Well the weather outside is frightful, but your smile doesn’t have to be! Cold weather is known to dehydrate your lips causing them to crack, flake and even bleed. Ouch! As if that isn’t bad enough, chapped lips can be quite painful. The key to maintaining a moist mouth is prevention. Stop dryness before it starts with our list of Q Tips for dry lips:
Get Rid of Flakes
It may be tempting to pick at the flakes that are plaguing your pout, but this can lead to bleeding, tenderness and irritation. Try moisturizing your lips with a hydrating balm, then gently buff away dead skin with a moist toothbrush. We recommend PCA Skin’s Gentle Exfoliant, which is mild enough to slough away flakes without irritating the sensitive lip area.
Pick Products that Work
Before you start compulsively reapplying your Chapstick every 5 minutes, consider investing in products that have been proven to penetrate your pucker, not just coat your lips. Look for ingredients like shea butter, hyaluronic acid and castor oil – all of which will ensure a moisturized mouth. PCA Skin’s Peptide Lip Therapy is packed with peptides and amino acids which help build collagen, improving the overall appearance of your lips. Who doesn’t want more of that?
Stay Hydrated
Last but not least, we want you to stay hydrated! Don’t skimp on your H2o intake. Drinking enough water is essential in keeping your lips soft and supple. You may also want to check your kitchen cupboard for some hydrating home remedies. Coconut oil, olive oil and honey all have moisturizing agents that will to keep you from cracking. And whatever you do, don’t lick. It may seem like a quick fix, but in reality saliva actually dries out your lips.
Kick start your lip care regimen now and before you know it, you’ll have soft, kissable lips just in time for summer!
You are what you eat: 5 Super foods to get you glowing from the inside out
Let’s face it: everyone wants a youthful, radiant complexion… but where do we start? The old adage ‘you are what you eat’ couldn’t be more accurate, beautiful skin does truly come from within.
Being the largest organ of your body, your skin needs nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants to maintain optimal health. Studies have shown that certain foods can actually enhance and promote a younger looking appearance and even help to fight off various skin concerns such as acne, psoriasis and more.
Here are 5 super foods to help keep your skin in check.
Yogurt
Packed with probiotics which help to fight redness and reduce inflammation, regular consumption of yogurt may help to improve chronic skin conditions such as acne, psoriasis and rosacea.
Yogurt also contains lactic acid which works as an active moisturizer for the skin. Many use yogurt as a home remedy to treat dullness and dryness.
Q Tip: To make your own ultra-hydrating mask, coat desired areas with a thick layer of plain yogurt and let it absorb for 25 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and reveal soft, supple skin.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are high in vitamin C which is one of the most beneficial ingredients for the skin. Not only does it build collagen (which is vital in producing younger-looking skin), it’s also a powerful antioxidant – an essential for preventing cell damage.
This fruit’s red pigment (lycopene) helps to protect skin from sun damage kind of like a sunscreen working from within. Make them a part of your mid-day snack, your skin will thank you for it!
Walnuts
This superfood tastes great and you only need a handful of them in order to reap their benefits. Eat them on their own or toss them into your favourite salad for fuller, healthier hair, brighter eyes and more beautiful skin.
Packed with vitamins B and E, walnuts help to lower stress levels and balance your mood. This powerful vitamin combo also fights free radicals, thus slowing the aging process.
Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids and loaded with astaxanthin. This powerful blocker of free radicals prevents damage to cell membranes and DNA which causes the skin to age. While fatty acids like omega-3 have healthy advantages, they also aid in keeping dry skin hydrated from the inside out. Studies have shown that eating one serving every five days can prevent precancerous rough patches called actinic keratoses from developing.
Honey
Honey can do wonders for your skin. Not only is it extremely hydrating, it is rich in antioxidants and has anti-aging benefits. For hundreds of years women have used honey to keep their skin soft and smooth. It has the ability to retain moisture and lock it into the skin.
The advantages span far beyond vanity. Skin concerns such as acne, eczema and psoriasis are just some of the chronic inflammatory conditions that this natural ingredient can help to improve.
Q Tip: Want a homemade zit-zapper? Try applying a thin layer of organic honey to the area and leave on for 30 minutes. You’ll be in the clear before you know it!
Remember, like any new skincare regimin, you need to give it some time to see visible results. Making a healthy lifestyle change can be challenging at first, but like all things that are hard going the results will be well worth it!
I came to Q Esthetics for acne scar treatment on my cheeks. At 39, these scars still bother me and play with my self-confidence. I have spent countless amounts of money and tried a wide variety of treatments from peels, microdermabrasion, IPL, pro-fractional laser (ablative) and the results were very minimal.
So to everyone out there who shares the same experience please try a treatment of non-ablative laser resurfacing at this clinic, you will not be disappointed! After just one treatment I had 60% ++ results. It’s the best treatment for me. I can’t wait to see results from treatment number two! It’s expensive and a bit uncomfortable, but it’s WORTH it. I can walk out without makeup now because that’s just how confident I feel. Thank you Nazila.
Losing your hair can do a number to your self-esteem; and both men and women suffer from hair loss. Luckily, there are plenty of options available to help you fight balding.
Laser Light Therapy
Laser light therapy stimulates blood flow to the scalp while also boosting the protein synthesis needed for hair regeneration. Laser therapy is a great choice for men and women who experience increased shedding and want to renew their hair as well as promote additional re-growth. 80 percent of people treated by light therapy have experienced a significant decline in shedding as well as a reduction in hair loss altogether. While Laser Light Therapy is extremely effective, there are other components to consider when treating hair loss.
Nutrition
Genetics are always a factor when it comes to hair loss; however, nutrition, hormone balance and stress are also important contributors. Eating a balanced diet is important to your overall health, (and that includes the health of your hair) so try to avoid eating foods that increase hair loss. Greasy, sugary and spicy foods are among the worst culprits for thinning. To maintain a healthy head of hair it’s important to sustain a diet, rich in protein that also includes vitamins and minerals such as biotin, silica, iron and zinc.
Home Care
Did you know that it has been scientifically proven that your hair and body require copper to be at their best? More shampoos today have been formulated to include active ingredients known to slow, stop and reverse hair loss. Tricomin is a therapy spray, shampoo and conditioner that includes “Copper Peptide Technology”. This technology is one of the most unique and successful methods of treating hair loss. FDA trials have proven that it stimulates hair growth and also showed positive results in test studies on people who used it twice daily for 24 weeks.
With the right hair care regimen, nutritious diet and the regular use of home care, you are sure to see an improvement in the condition of your hair.
3 Skin Care Mistakes You’re Making & How to Avoid Them
You’re diligent about your skincare regimen. You invest in all the necessary products:a good retinol, a hydrating night cream and of course, your favorite serum. You always make sure to exfoliate twice a week and avoid scrubs that are overly abrasive or strip the skin of it’s natural oils. Although it seems you have your routine down pat, chances are, you still aren’t using your products correctly. Here are some of the common mistakes our medical estheticians encounter most often:
1. Not Removing Your Makeup Before Bedtime
Whether you fall asleep on the couch or just don’t feel like washing your face; not removing your makeup before you go to bed can wreak havoc on your skin. Makeup can trap dirt and oil in your pores, clogging them overnight. Furthermore, makeup tends to contain ingredients that disrupt your skin’s regeneration, which primarily takes place while you sleep. Cleaning your skin is vital to maintaining a healthy complexion. To preserve your healthy glow, avoid cutting corners. Your face will thank you for it!
2. Not Putting On Sunscreen
It’s no secret that all skincare professionals swear by this rule. Ultraviolet radiation can cause skin damage any time you leave your house – it gets through your clothes and is just as damaging in the winter. The harmful rays destroy collagen and deplete the skins outer layer of essential nutrients. Skin cancer is a very real concern; even after a few severe sunburns as a child your chances of developing it increase significantly. As if the big C isn’t scary enough, UV radiation also results in wrinkles, hyper pigmentation and sunspots, which add YEARS to your appearance.
Sunscreen is a key player in your anti-aging regimen. When used correctly, it can significantly help to protect your skin from damage. Look for a sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection, which means that it blocks both UVA and UVB rays. At Q Esthetics we carry top of the line, medical grade protection such as PCA and Elta MD. Don’t skimp on your sun protection, it could save your life!
3. Not Applying Moisturizer to Acne Skin
Finding the perfect balance for acne skin can be tricky. Even oily skin can feel tight and flaky if you don’t moisturize – especially if you’re using topical acne medications. Yet moisturizing too heavily can leave your skin feeling greasy all day long. Our clients often assume that stripping the skin with harsh products or keeping it dry is the key to a clear complexion. In reality your skin will go into overdrive to produce more oils, which can clog your pores and cause those pesky breakouts. Determining which ingredients to look for or avoid in a moisturizer can be challenging. So what’s a breakout-prone person to do? Start by booking a complimentary assessment with one of our trained medical estheticians who are qualified to develop a personalized plan to treat your skin.
Acne drug users need to know birth control options
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Women using a popular acne drug that causes birth defects need better information about how to keep from getting pregnant, a small study suggests.
Isotretinoin – first marketed as Accuttane – is one of the most effective treatments for acne. But isotretinoin is known to lead to severe birth defects. A program known as iPledge is aimed at preventing pregnancies among the drug’s users.
The iPledge program hasn’t been very successful, however, and the new study suggests it should focus on highly effective birth control methods.
“What we found is that people need a clear message about what birth control would be most effective, and currently the iPledge materials don’t make it clear to most women who enroll in the program,” Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz said.
See more information about this issue @ https://bit.ly/1fn97o1 and https://bit.ly/1fn9dMq JAMA Dermatology, online November 20, 2013.
New hair growth is beginning after hair loss treatments
Very happy with results overall. There has definitely been a reduction in hair loss and new growth is beginning. I advise using the shampoo and follicle spray along with the treatment. Staff is wonderful! Many Thanks!
Do you know you can still get a sunburn in the winter? We recommend you wear sunscreen of at least SPF 15 or higher to protect your skin even in Canada’s winter.
If you have unfortunately got sun damage, we are proud to provide a wide variety of treatments, suitable for all skin types, colors and ages. Each is tailored to treat your specific skin conditions:
In today’s cosmetics industry, doctors and companies often use before-after pictures to present the performance of their products or services. Though most of these before-after pictures are real, there are always those who unethically use misleading or false photos to make claims. Fortunately, with some basic knowledge of digital image editing, most of these false images are not difficult to spot.
Here are some tips to help you determine whether or not the before-after pictures you find online are genuine:
1. Amount of pictures – A website which provides a large number of before-after photos is more likely to be trustworthy because it is very difficult, risky and expensive for anybody to make a large number of fake pictures.
2. Copyright – Pictures with watermarks or are otherwise copyrighted by the company showing them are more trustworthy than those without any form of protection claims.
3. Different persons – One common method to make fake before-after pictures is by using different persons in the “before” photos than in the “after” photos. It is easy to exploit differences in skin tone, skin texture and bone structure, etc. Please pay attention to any inconsistencies between the before and after pictures.
4. Posture – Another way to make misleading pictures is to use the same person in different postures. For example, a woman who shows her loose and sagging stomach when standing in the “before” picture may have a firm and smooth stomach when lying flat in the “after” picture.
5. Lighting – Differences in lighting can often be exploited to exaggerate differences between the “before” pictures and the “after” pictures. A good set of before-after photos should present the person in the same or similar lighting conditions in both photos.
6. Post-processing – The most common method to produce false before-after pictures is through digital editing with a program like Photoshop. One common sign of image manipulation is if the “before” and “after” photos are impossibly similar – for example, if the person has the exact same outfit, expression, posture, and the clothes have the same wrinkles, etc. In this case, it is very likely that both images are just different versions of the same photograph. Some other signs of image manipulation include perfect curves, overly smooth skin, and unclear edges.
We hope these tips will give you more confidence when judging the truthfulness of before-after pictures online. When in doubt, remember that before-after pictures are not the only way to evaluate a doctor or company.
Lycogel Application Tips – Fall 2013 issue of Beauty Next Magazine
Check out these application techniques from our favourite full-coverage camouflage & concealer as featured in the Fall 2013 issue of Beauty Next Magazine!
1. Make sure your skin is well cleansed and apply a moisturizing skin primer. We recommend PCA Skin Hydrating Serum.
2. Once your skin care products are absorbed, you can apply Lycogel Breathable concealer using a sponge and small amount of product on those areas that require a little extra coverage such as scars or blemishes. Make sure to blend thoroughly.
3. Next, start applying a thin layer of Lycogel Breathable Camouflage on one side of the face blending well as you go along. One pump should provide enough product for each side of the face.
4. For fuller coverage, a second layer of Camouflage can be applied using a light patting motion, but only on areas where extra coverage is needed.
Remember less is more! Use very little product on a sponge and apply in light layers – this will achieve a much more effective coverage than slathering on a heavy layer.
