by Q Pro-team | Nov 3, 2011 | 1.1 Resources & Tips
Treating scars is easier than you think with laser scar removal
Why go through the expense and hassle of hiding your scars with makeup and clothing when you can reduce them with laser scar treatment that’s fast and easy.
Fractional laser scar treatment is the more comfortable alternative to surgery for acne scars and surgical scars, with remarkable results on any skin type, including very light and very dark skin.
Pulses of fractional laser light break down scar tissue, triggering new tissue to form in its place. It’s a fast and simple procedure with little to no downtime and minimal discomfort.
You’ve lived with the embarrassment of your scars long enough. Choose laser scar treatment today – and watch those scars fade away!
Free yourself from worrying about your scars with laser scar removal!
IDEAL FOR SCARS ON ANY SKIN TYPE.
by BBC News | Oct 7, 2011 | 1.1 Resources & Tips
Tattoo remorse: 10 of your most loathed or loved
The Magazine’s recent piece on tattoo remorse prompted lots of you to email examples of those you loathe and those you love. Here are 10 of the best.
Some are regretted, even hated. Others are loved and cherished, said Lucy Townsend in the article. Both categories are represented here.
1. When I was in my early 20s I got the barcode from a condom packet tattooed on my arm. I don’t regret it, but I do still wonder exactly what made me do it. Bill Wignall, Leeds.
2. I have a tattoo on my left forearm, it’s a cross with the words mum and dad on it. I had it done when I was 17. Since then I have risen into middle/senior management where the sight of a tattoo is unthinkable. I have to cover it all the time wearing long-sleeved shirts. I am now approaching 50 and for the last 20, or so, years painfully regret the thing. Philip Hoden, Lincoln.
3. When I first went to get a tattoo I was living in Sheffield and went to a tattooist in Hillsborough. When I explained that I wasn’t sure what to have, he said: “If you are not sure then don’t have one.” A brilliant and honest piece of advice. Five years later, when I was sure, I went back to the same shop even though I had moved back to Essex. On my upper arm I now have the Essex County Cricket Club crest with “100% Essex Girl” written underneath it. I love it. Sally Stracey, Southend on Sea.
4. Una vita – vitate is tattooed on the inside of my left forearm. I just have to look at it on the bad days to remind me we only have “one life – live it”. Not only a good motto, but a beautiful artistic piece of calligraphy. Stylish but discreet. Andrew Shaw, Peterborough.
5. I remember a workmate giving another worker a “home” tattoo. He must be the only man in Scotland with the unique tattoo of SCOTTLAND (with two Ts) on his arm. Andrew, Hawick, Scotland.
6. I have two gingerbread men, one done up like a devil on my left and the other like an angel on my right. I still love them. Someone asked what I would do when they went out of fashion, my answer is I didn’t choose a faddy design. I went out of my way, as many people with tattoos do, to make my ink as unique as possible. Kat, Thornaby.
7. I have a tattoo which is made up of the sheet music to my favourite Boyzone song – Isn’t It A Wonder? – around my right ankle. People think I’m mad, but I point out that if I want to I can tell them it’s Bach or the Rolling Stones instead of the actual truth. If I was that bothered – and I’m not! In addition, I have “SPDG 76-09” underneath it to commemorate the life of Stephen Gately. Both of which are much less conspicuous than a friend of a friend who has portraits of all five lads from the group across her back. Angie, Nottingham.
8. My grandfather had an American flag on his forearm. When my dad asked him why he had it he responded: “To always remind him of the stupidity of youth.” Kate Kreke, Kingsbridge.
9. I have a few tattoos and only regret one, it is of a woman with one of her nipples showing. It really seemed like a good idea at the time. Mark Morris, Telford.
10. Just over two years ago, I went through what one might call a “rough patch” to put it mildly. I took a day off work and decided I’d use the day to get my first (and thus far only) tattoo. It was just what I needed – something personal, just for me, that no one could take away or ruin for me. I got a big, bright, colourful cupcake on my right hip. It didn’t fix all my problems, but it did cheer me up and still does to this day. Sophie, London.
by Marie Claire | Aug 12, 2011 | 1.1 Resources & Tips
Top 10 Skin Myths Debunked
Are you approaching your regimen all wrong? Dermatologists expose common blunders that could be sabotaging your complexion.
MYTH 1: A complete skincare routine must have three steps.
TRUTH: Cleanse, tone, then moisturize has been drilled into our heads, but feel free to skip the second step, says Cambridge, Massachusetts, dermatologist Dr. Ranella Hirsch: “People think that toning an oily complexion will make it better, but oil is protective and the body produces it in response to injury. When you strip your skin, it reacts by making a ton of grease.”
MYTH 2: You need to cleanse your face at least twice a day.
TRUTH: Using a face wash in the morning is just an excuse to go through more product, according to Hirsch, who advises avoiding antibacterial soaps at all costs because they’re too harsh for your face. “In the morning, the best thing is water and your fingers, not a cleanser,” she says.
MYTH 3: Scrubs make skin glow.
TRUTH: Overexfoliating leads to extra oil production, so the glow you see the first week will eventually turn into a greasy mess. “Skin is actually a good exfoliator on its own, so I rarely recommend manual scrubs,” says Hirsch.
MYTH 4: Dryness causes fine lines.
TRUTH: People confuse dryness and flaking with wrinkles, says Hirsch, who suggests smoothing things out visually with a little lotion: “Just moisturizing will make wrinkles look better. The lines are still there, but you won’t see them anymore.”
MYTH 5: You should buy your best friend’s favorite eye cream.
TRUTH: “Everyone has different eye issues, so one size does not fit all,” reveals New York City dermatologist Dr. Anne Chapas. If you have puffiness, choose a gel (heavy creams can boost swelling) with caffeine and store the tube in the fridge to maximize benefits. If you have dark circles, look for a product with a lightening ingredient like vitamin C and a collagen-builder like retinol.
MYTH 6: Leaving a mask on overnight gives you more for your money.
TRUTH: Masks deliver a potent dose of active ingredients or moisture quickly into the skin, but you can overdo it, causing irritation or breakouts. “You should use things as directed. Rarely do you outsmart the people who have done the clinical testing for a product,” says Hirsch.
MYTH 7: Wearing foundation with an SPF means you’re being sun safe.
TRUTH: You should still apply a sunscreen underneath, says Chapas. “Unless you’re slathering on a mask of makeup, you’re not getting enough protection. You need to wear an SPF of at least 30 on your face every day, and nobody puts on enough foundation to get that SPF value out of it.”
MYTH 8: Nano-size titanium dioxide sunscreen causes cancer.
TRUTH: “The majority of studies show that titanium dioxide nanoparticles are not absorbed through the normal skin,” explains Dr. Chapas. “There are animal studies that show a link between nano-size titanium dioxide and organ damage, but the mice tested were ingesting or inhaling multiple times the amount that you would put on your skin. As far as we know, nano-size sunscreens that are applied topically are safe.”
MYTH 9: The more wrinkle cream you apply, the better your results.
TRUTH: Morning and evening applications are a waste of money, says Hirsch. Most active ingredients work really well once a day, and antiaging retinols should be used only at night (because they’re broken down by sunlight). Plus, slathering on too many retinols will cause irritation and make your skin look worse, leading to redness, peeling, and inflammation.
MYTH 10: The best way to get rid of blackheads is extractions.
TRUTH: Pulling and pressing on pores can cause scarring, warns Chapas. “After extractions, skin just fills right back up with oil. Using retinols and gentle acid peels at home is enough to unclog pores.”
by MSNBC News | Jul 4, 2011 | 1.1 Resources & Tips
Confused over sunscreen labels? Help is on the way
Help is on the way to consumers confused by the jumble of sun protection numbers and other claims on sunscreens.
Currently, standards of protection apply only to one part of the sun’s spectrum, ultraviolet B rays, which cause sunburn. Under new rules published Tuesday, they will also have to protect against the more penetrating ultraviolet A rays associated with skin cancer.
Sunscreens that don’t protect against both ultraviolet A and B rays and have a sun protection factor, SPF, of at least 15 will have to carry warning label: “This product has been shown only to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or early skin aging.”
Currently, the FDA only requires testing for ultraviolet B rays that cause sunburn. That’s what the familiar SPF measure is based on.
But the new regulations require testing for the more dangerous ultraviolet A rays, which can penetrate glass and are most commonly linked to wrinkles and skin cancer.
by Sarah Treleaven | Jun 24, 2011 | 1.1 Resources & Tips
What do wrinkles say about your health?
Most of us ladies go out of our way to avoid wrinkles, especially once we hit our thirties. We avoid the sun. We eat skin-friendly foods, like avocados, salmon and olive oil. We finally give up our social smoking habit. And we start to realize that five vodka sodas in one night doesn’t exactly leave us fresh-faced and dewy come morning. But did you ever stop to think about what your wrinkles might be saying about your health?
According to a recent story by Dr. Douglas Fields in the Huffington Post – “Brain Aging: The Truth is Skin Deep” – there’s new research that indicates that the state of your skin indicates the state of your brain. The more wrinkles, the more rapidly our brains are aging.
Like skin, the rate at which your brain ages depends on both genetics and external factors. And there’s considerable overlap between that factors that cause both the skin and the brain to age rapidly. Hormones play a sizable role, and a deficiency has been attributed to dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment. Environmental factors also play a role, particularly excessive sun exposure. While we’ve all seen the premature leather-face ravages of not applying our SPF, that very same sun damage stimulates the body’s immune response, which triggers inflammation – a big factor in premature brain aging, including Alzheimer’s disease. And finally, there’s a biological reason that skin and the brain age at similar rates: both sets of cells develop from the same embryonic tissue.
So what can we do to keep our brains as young as possible? Fields says that both physical and mental exercise can help. And you’ll do well to stay away from the cause of premature brain aging: alcoholism, cardiovascular disease, exposure to toxins, stress, infection and injury. As with most things related to longevity, it’s part healthy living and part genetic lottery.
by Q Pro-team | May 4, 2011 | 1.1 Resources & Tips
Embrace the freedom and confidence with permanent hair reduction
Liberate yourself from the constant need to shave and wax unwanted facial and body hair in order to feel and look your best. With light-based permanent hair reduction, just a few simple treatments is all it takes to permanently minimize hair growth, revealing clear, silky skin that’s ready to bare every day—and all year long.
Unlike shaving that lasts days, waxing that needs to be repeated every few weeks indefinitely, or electrolysis that’s tedious, permanent hair reduction is a lasting solution that takes away the everyday hassle of dealing with unwanted facial and body hair.
The secret lies in the light-based technology that targets and destroys hair cells responsible for hair growth without harming surrounding skin. It’s a simple approach to permanent hair reduction that’s fast, easy and FDA-cleared.
Best of all, treatment sessions take just minutes and are practically pain-free. It’s the hair removal solution you’ve been waiting for.
Permanent hair reduction is ideal for:
- Faces
- Underarms
- Arms
- Legs
- Back
- Bikini area
- Chest
Permanent hair reduction is available for any skin type and most hair colors.
