Bye-Bye Wrinkles — Hello Second Skin

Face-On - Face-Off — wearing a second skin mimicking ideals of youth and beauty to mask reality sounds like a plot of a sci-fi movie, or does it? Thanks to the experts at the MIT lab, who put in a steady ten years of research to create second skin, it is now a very real phenomenon. This bottled miracle in a jar will be soon available to the public to wipe off wrinkles as easy as 123 — 1.The material (currently being called XPL) is applied to the face like any cream 2. It is activated with a catalyst gel and 3. Voila you have an immediate tightening effect, which mimics the mechanical and elastic properties of healthy, youthful skin while banishing imperfections and smoothing out wrinkles. The petitioners searching for the fountain-of-youth see this as a major breakthrough in our fight against wrinkles and more. 

What is XPL?

Second skin (XPL) is a silicone-based polymer that when applied on the skin as a thin coating, mimics the mechanical and elastic properties of healthy, youthful skin. It works in two stages. Firstly a polymer gel containing alternating silicon and oxygen atoms is applied across the skin to create a perfectly fitting mask. Second a liquid platinum catalyst is applied on top, which encourages new bridges to form between the atoms, in the same was a vulcanized rubber is created. The chemical reaction immediately causes the material to harden yet staying very flexible at the same time, this reaction tightens and compresses the skin underneath erasing eye-bags and wrinkles.

The material (XPL) has been tested rigorously at MIT labs for safety and effectiveness in several studies where it has shown to hide eye-bags and ameliorate skin wrinkles with the added bonus of improving skin hydration. These results automatically qualify the second skin as a super-hero product, which not only covers up the skin defects giving up the illusion of perfect skin but also improves skin hydration working as a top-of-the-range moisturizer. At night it can be peeled off as the effect last only 24 hours.

Acting as an invisible layer covering skin vulnerabilities the prospects of using “second skin” in dermatology could be limitless it could be employed to help treat skin conditions with barrier defects such as eczema and other types of dermatitis, even used as under occlusion drug delivery system and of course it can also be adapted to provide long-lasting ultraviolet protection or camouflage system for pigmentation disorders.

Braun Beauty Unboxed

As a dermatologist I feel that today’s modern girl needs to be in-charge of her own self-preening-and-pruning routines and to do so successfully she needs to have efficient tools at her disposal as well as the right knowledge about her skin and hair needs. Braun one of the world’s leading Tech Giants pioneering in at-home beauty and self grooming devices has been at the cutting edge of innovations always playing a crucial role in giving the power of self-grooming back in hands that need it. In order to empower girls to take charge and be in full control of their skincare and hair removal needs Braun recently held the “Beauty Unboxed” event in Dubai. This fete ceremonialized the unveiling of the new Silk Expert IPL (at-home permanent hair reduction device) as well as served as a saturnalia to highlight Braun Silk- épil 9 (home epilation system) and Braun Face Spa (facial skincare device).

The venue for the event — the Royal suit at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai served wonderfully as the perfect and pristine backdrop to emblazon Braun’s beauty and self-grooming devices to the glamour-loving Middle Eastern media and consumers. More than fifty social & print media editors and writers bore witness to the unveiling of the brand new Braun Silk IPL device. An introductory session explaining the ins-and-outs of the gadgets followed by Q&A conducted by the lovely Laura Buckwell and the two leading dermatologists from the region Dr. Hala Fadli and yours truly (Dr. Shazia Ali) evoked the event in a big educational as well as fun way. The freshly stirred, enlightened and intrigued audience ensued canvassing female skincare and grooming needs over extravagant cups of Mary Antonitte style high tea and snacks. Afterwards everyone got a chance to test drive Braun’s latest gizmos first-hand. Question were popped, myths were busted, and all in all everyone went home ready to take charge of their own beauty needs empowered by Braun.

Braun Silk Expert IPL:

The latest self-grooming gadget powered by Braun — the Silk Expert IPL (Intense Pulse Light) is specially created for at-home permanent hair reduction. It has been approved by the US FDA for efficacy as well as safety, and is currently the fastest and safest IPL technology for permanent visible hair removal in the market.

How Does It Work? — IPL works by focusing special wavelengths of light on the pigment (melanine) in our hair. The brown or black color in the hair absorbs the light and singes the root leading to permanent hair reduction. It works on all hair types and colors, except blonde and white.

Safety And Efficacy — The safety of the device is ensured by special touch sensors, which only fire when the device is in full contact with the skin, preventing scattering of light and accidental eye damage, hence you don’t even need to wear protective goggles while using it.

The device is also fitted with unique SensoAdapt™ skin tone sensors, which continuously reads your skin tone (80x per second) and automatically adapts the light intensity for best efficacy and safety. This feature ensures that there is very little to no chance of getting skin burns or pigmentation when using the device.

Braun Silk- épil 9

Silk- épil 9 is the most trusted hair epilator in the market that gives you up to 4 weeks of hair-free skin, as it plucks hair out from the root. It is fast, efficacious and most easy way to remove hair compared to any other methods available for at home hair removal e.g. waxing, threading or shaving. All my patients tell me once you experience Silk- épil 9you can never go back to halawa (and the mess!!).

Braun Beauty Face Spa

Braun Face Spa consists of brush exfoliaters for the face specially designed for all skin types including sensitive skin. It also comes with the “Beauty Sponge” attachment to help apply your daily skincare products (moisturizer, anti-aging serums, etc.) or makeup more efficiently.

To bring you into the insider circle I’d also share with you the myth busting Q&A session that took place at the “Braun Beauty Unboxed” event.

Epilation Myths:

1. Epilation makes the hair grow back thicker.

Dr. Shazia: False! Your hair texture (size & width) is determined by genetics and your hormones levels — not by your choices in hair removal methods. Epilation and specifically Silk- épil 9 pulls the hair from the roots so it doesn't affect the growth and the texture of your hair or skin at all.

2. You have to wait for a particular hair length to epilate and hair grows back sooner.

Dr. Shazia: True while waxing and threading — False while epilating with Silk- épil 9. This epilator is fitted with special micro-grip tweezer technology that can pluck even the teeny tiniest of hair follicles (up to 0.5mm) bringing you to a new level of epilation precision. With the Silk- épil 9 you also get the new added exfoliation brush that when used before or after epilation guarantees that tiny hair are not buried under the skin and are properly exposed for epilation, thus preventing the in-grown hair, and ensuring smooth silky skin throughout.

3. Long-lasting yes, but the trade-offs with epilation include red dots and ingrown  

Dr. Shazia: Sure, when you yank/pull body hair from the root, tiny red dots will appear but that only proves you’re human. This skin reaction fades away in just an hour or two. By using the epilator in your bath you can reduce the red dot phenomenon as the softer skin and relaxed pores show less red reaction. Additionally you can use the cold gel pack that comes with the epilator to reduce redness as well. Using exfoliation brush before epilation also reduces red dots and pain, which is why the new exfoliation brush will definitely be your hero.

4. You can’t do anything to reduce epilation pain.

Dr. Shazia: False — I think this is the biggest myth when it comes to epilation. The Silk- épil 9 epilator head is specially designed to vibrate while you epilate this feature confuses the nerves and reduces the pain. Silk- épil 9 also provides you with a gel pack that when popped into the freezer and used before and after epilation helps reduce pain very efficiently. Being able to use the wet option of the Silk- épil 9 epilator in the shower helps relax the pores and soften the skin, which in turn helps reduce the pain and you can have a more comfortable and soothing experience.

Skin & Beauty Myths:

1. Exfoliation is enough to maintain younger looking skin

Dr.Shazia: This is a bit of a myth, maintaining healthy youthful skin calls for more than one step. Proper cleansing, regular exfoliation and persistent use of skin moisturization as well as anti-oxidants makes up the foundation for healthy skincare. The best way to ensure your anti-aging products are giving you the biggest bang for your buck is by ensuring they are being soaked up by your skin properly hence deep pore cleansing and exfoliation every week are very vital. The new exfoliation brush from Braun face Spa swipes away dead skin cells leaving skin soft and clean without damaging your skin, which is exactly the right way to keep your skin feeling and looking young.

2. If I have sensitive skin, it is not advisable for me to exfoliate

Dr. Shazia: That’s partially true — if you have sensitive skin you should not use regular exfoliators containing crystals or brittle particles as they can damage the skin. But Braun sensitive face exfoliation brushes are completely safe to use because when they were being designed Braun took into consideration the sensitive skin as the key focus for treatment. The sensitive brush from Braun Face does not over rub or strip the skin and is the best solution for delicate, dry and sensitive skin that requires a softer touch so you can get a gentle cleansing treatment that is luxurious and thorough yet not damaging.

3. Blackheads relate to cleanliness and can be scrubbed away.

Dr.Shazia: Blackheads are usually related to sebaceous skin, hormones and bad diet as well as bad skincare routine. In case of oily or combination skin if you do not scrub away sebum, and dead skin on regular basis blackheads become predominant. You can keep them under check (even eliminate them completely) by proper deep exfoliation on regular basis using the Braun beauty brush as your champion.

Bonus Round — “Makeup Myths” –

1. Using makeup to contour the shape of your face (nose, cheeks, chin, etc.) can look funny.

Dr. Shazia: Believe it or not people can always tell when you’ve overdone the ‘corrective’ shading.  If you are not a contouring expert: blending dark and light shades of color, highlighting, and contouring can look funny as if you have stripes on your face (I call accidental makeup with color skid marks). Proper blending is the secret to perfect contouring and to master this art “Braun Face” with its Beauty Sponge attachment can come to your rescue, it absorbs just the right amount of product to let you build your color in layers instead of slathering it on all at once and you can use the rounded edges for hard-to-reach spots or delicate areas around the eyes for a perfect foundation look. The same brush can also be used to apply moisturizer to your skin for a complete glam look.

The most important message in the end is that you need to clean and maintain the brushes and beauty sponge on regular basis. Discard old ones and replace them with fresh ones every few months to make sure proper skin hygiene is maintained. This will also guarantee the best results with all the different brushes and sponge.

Final Message — Girls take joy in your beauty self-reliance and bask in the glory of all the self-grooming gadgets available at your tips that empower you to be In-charge Of your own beauty.

Chasing The Curse Of Unwanted Facial Hair

Why does my peach-fuzz seem as if it’s on steroids? A genuine and common question asked about by a good chunk of the female population worldwide - Today I plan to get you to the bottom of this fuzzy conundrum (no pun intended), my didactic motivation here is to get ya’all acquainted with the root causes and solutions (both medical as well as natural). Another indirect and underlying theme of this communiqué is to sire a general awareness for all those who don’t have to deal with a de trop 5-o'clock shadow on daily basis: to be more sensitive towards other dames-in-distress’s legit medical problem (which they have no control over).

 

Looking at the literature reviews you’d be surprised to know that around 20-22% of women across the globe are affected with the unwanted facial hair (UFH) growth on their mustache and chin area. These stats makes UFH a universally undesired yet a common problem. In most cases there are no major health issues related to it, but UFH does act as a source of constant distress, leading to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and ultimately a reduced quality of life for many ladies. Looking at some of the common causes we uncover that in most cases the raison d'être is idiopathic pinpointing to ethnic background or heredity. Arab, Mediterranean Indian, and Hispanic populations are more commonly affected compared to the Caucasian or Asian females. The problem also tends to run in the families, so if your mother, sister, or another female relative has it your chances are stacked.

In a small percentage of women, UFH may be caused by excessive androgen (male hormone) production, increased sensitivity to circulating androgens, or other metabolic and endocrine disorders. Some medications can also lead to UFH e.g. minoxidil, anabolic steroids, testosterone, cyclosporine etc.

Hirsutism: If the increased hair growth is triggered by medications, or underlying hormonal imbalance its classified as hirsutism. It can be slowly but dramatically improved by a three-pronged approach to treatment:

1.    Mechanical hair removal

2.    Suppression of androgen production

3.    Androgen receptor blockade.

To find out what is the exact cause in your particular case, it’s always advisable to see a doctor, who can work methodically on your case with a detailed history of your condition, appropriate blood test as well as ultrasound or MRI scans of your ovaries and adrenal glands.

Treatment Options

Dermato-Cosmetic Treatments - Plucking, waxing (including the sugar forms), epilation, depilatories, bleaching, shaving, electrolysis, laser hair reduction or intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments all make good choices to remove the physical hair.

Eflornithine 13.9% (Vaniqa®) Cream is a topical treatment that does not remove the hairs, but acts to reduce the rate of growth at root level. It is FDA approved for treatment of unwanted facial hair on the mustache and chin areas and can be used in combination with other treatments options for mechanical hair removal such as lasers and IPL to get best chance for successful hair removal.

Drugs Used For The Treatment Of Hirsutism - If upon investigation the excessive hair growth turns out to be a symptom of adrenal disorders or PCOS you may need medical treatment. Drug therapy in the form of anti-androgen medications helps salvage the inner problem, it includes as per case Hormonal suppressers e.g. oral contraceptives, long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormonal analogues and insulin sensitizers as well as peripheral androgen blockers e.g. spironolactone, cyproterone acetate, flutamide, or finasteride. Birth control pills can also cause the cysts on the ovaries to shrink. These drugs are usually a long-term solution for hirsutism. Most ladies report improvement after three to six months of drug therapy.

Herbal Remedies For Hirsutism - If you’re opposed to taking drug therapy there are certain herbal remedies that can also potentially counteract the increased androgen hormone production that usually causes hirsutism.  

• According to the research done in the University of Maryland Medical Center medicinal herbs such as saw palmetto, black cohosh, chaste tree or spearmint tea have anti-androgenic effects. 
• Research from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has shown that symptoms of hirsutism due to PCOS improve if you take cinnamon, chromium or green tea. 
• Other natural supplements such as: inositol, N-acetylcysteine, B-complex vitamins, calcium-D-glucarate and diindolylmethane (DIM) have also been found useful while treating hirsutism. 

The typical dosages are 1 cup twice daily of spearmint tea, 160mg twice daily of saw palmetto, 20mg to 40mg per day of chaste tree or black cohosh, 200mg daily of calcium-D-glucarate, 100mg twice daily of inositol, and 1.2g per day of N-acetylcysteine.

(Disclamer: Ask your physician about the dosage that's right for you before taking any herbal or natural supplement for abnormal facial hair growth.)

Food Modulation - A healthy diet that's rich in antioxidant foods helps to reduce your hair growth, advices the University of Maryland Medical Center. 

• Cutting down on calories especially in the evening and following a low glycemic diet helps hirsute women, as excess insulin in the bloodstream can lead to a sharp increase in circulating androgen and insulin-like growth factor, which have been associated with hirsutism in women.  
• B vitamins, especially vitamins B2, B3, B5 and B6, may be particularly beneficial for hirsute women. Vitamin B2 helps convert dietary fat, protein and carbohydrates into energy. Vitamin B3 helps maintain normal blood sugar levels and vitamin B5 may help with weight loss due to its ability to control fat metabolism. Vitamin B6 plays a critical role in maintaining hormonal balance.  
• Foods rich in Chromium (romaine lettuce, onions, tomatoes, whole grains, and potatoes) and Magnesium also help in hirsutism.

Final Earful - It takes time for the treatments to take-effect hence while battling with the deep-rooted UFH patience and poise are always good virtues to lean on. And remember hairy or hair-free you should always be cool and confident.

NATURAL Is The New Gold Standard

Aesthetic medicine is basking in its golden era and the range of products available these days to fight aging and enhance beauty are quiet impressive allowing smart options for the connoisseurs of beauty to deliver beautiful as well as NATURAL results. When it comes to aesthetic trends and choices, present always reflects on the past and unfortunately we did experience an era of over done and over stretched “Stepford Wives” results not so long ago. The concerns and misperceptions since created are still holding women and men back from getting aesthetic treatments. 

Beauty industry and aesthetic doctors are working hard to clear those concerns of late and promote NATURAL looking results. For the concept “Less Is More” and “Natural Is The New Gold Standard In Aesthetics” to succeed we need thought cohesion between consumers, doctors, and the aesthetic industry.

Galderma a global leader in aesthetic solutions recently commissioned a first-of-its-kind “Break The Ice” survey to gauge public opinion on wrinkle relaxing injectable toxin results. The survey revealed that 74% of American women and men ages 30-50 would be more interested in treatment if results looked natural, not frozen. Though majority of participants in the survey agreed on the fact that a person with frown lines between the eyebrows looks stressed (39%), old (36%), even angry (24%) and many participants acknowledged the fact that their face looks older than they feel, very few showed interest in taking action to learn about treatment options that have natural-looking results. Less than 40% said they would be comfortable talking about their interest in treatment with a healthcare specialist.

Breakthrough Moments & Breaking the Ice

The survey highlighted the fact that digital technology has transformed people’s perceptions of facial aging. More than 70% participants acknowledged the fact that the use of technology, made them realize their face looks older than they feel. For many, these digital wake-up calls were triggered while seeing themselves in selfies (43%), tagged photos (33%) on social media or “Throwback Thursday” posts (33%) making them self-conscious of their frown lines.

Results from the Break the Ice survey show that a good majority (64%) of men and women noticed frown lines between their eyebrows as they age, first seeing these lines on average at age 34. Confirming the fact that we constantly notice age and beauty in faces we encounter, 77% reported noticing frown lines on others, such as their friends, family members and coworkers. A surprising 74% reported thinking about their face looking older one or more days a week. Men and women are more aware of their frown lines when they catch a glimpse of themselves in the mirror (70%) and get ready in the morning (56%).

Knowing that so many people worry every week about their frown lines and aging faces, but looking at their answers so few are comfortable discussing treatment options – even with a healthcare specialist is indeed unfortunate.

In today’s golden era of aesthetic medicine no one should feel old, sad or self-conscious when safe treatment options are available that can make people feel youthful, happy and refreshed with natural-looking results in little to no downtime. Looking at the reflection of yourself, if frown lines and wrinkles bother you, you now have choices available to you to lose those lines without losing yourself. Natural aesthetic results are within reach of anyone who just wants to enhance their look – not change it completely. With the right healthcare specialist and the right products, people can get the natural-looking results they desire.

NATURAL is the new gold standard not only while using toxins to freeze the wrinkles, but also while using hyaluronic acid fillers to refresh and renew and rejuvenate signs of aging. Restylane® fillers, Restylane Skinboosters™ and Emerval fillers are great product lines that help doctors to deliver NATURAL results while restoring youthful skin and facial contours. Proof In Real Life is another beautiful campaign celebrating the golden era of NATURAL aesthetic results.

I applaud Galderma’s efforts in breaking the ice and getting public engaged in a dialogue about perceptions of aging and beauty while keeping focus on NATURAL results. These campaigns represent a vital investment in aesthetic industry’s mission to deliver, in partnership with healthcare professionals, insight-driven education for consumers that empowers aesthetic choices and self-confidence.

Your Shinny Smooth Locks Might Be The Cause Of Your Recent Skin Breakouts

As the trend for polished silky smooth hair has gained popularity, so have the reports of acne and skin breakouts shown a sharp surge — Is this a pure coincidence or is there a real relationship between the two? Lets investigate,

you recently started getting acne eruptions — on skin examination the acne flare-ups are seen around the forehead, sides of face, jaw-line and back — areas right adjacent to the hair-line. Looking at your skin and hair care products your skincare products are not labeled “Oily-combination skin” and you’re also using hair straightening and frizz-fighting hair products. In dermatology we call this phenomenon “Pomade acne”; acne flare-ups caused by certain chemicals used in the hair products. In the past it used to be a common reporting among African women with very curly hair who were using hair-relaxing pomades. With the rise of silky smooth hair trend now pomade acne is making a huge comeback in all skin types and in both men as well as women.

Hair leave-in products like “smoothing serums”, “anti-frizz serums”, heat styling sprays, “heat-protectants”, “thermal setting sprays”, and “shine sprays” contain silicone-derived ingredients and oils to control frizz, add shine, and detangle the hair. They work by coating the hair cuticle making it look and feel smooth. These leave-in hair products have become an essential part of the daily hair styling routine for people with difficult-to-manage hair, especially those who have naturally curly hair or who are experiencing frizzy hair due to damage caused by hair dyes and harsh hair styling procedures.

Men who like slick hair and are using hair waxes and pomades to style their manes are also reporting acne breakout as these hair products also contain greasy wax-based ingredients that can clog pores, trap bacteria, and cause inflammatory breakouts.

Most people don’t correlate their acne breakouts with their hair products until a skincare specialist points it out. Common culprits in hair products include PVP/DMAPA acrylates, cyclopentasiloxane, panthenol, dimethicone, silicone, Quaternium-70, oils, and petrolatum. These oily, waxy, hair products rub off on the face directly or indirectly through the pillow at night. Ladies who wear hijab also notice acne on the areas covered by the hijab as the cloth soaks in the hair product and later it is rubbed off to the facial skin blocking pores and casing acne.

Makeup (foundations, primers, and popular “BB” creams) that promises more coverage and smoother pore-less skin is also known to cause acne. Heavy-coverage skin foundations and concealers contain cyclopentasiloxane and dimethicone and are well known culprits as they contain the same ingredients as the hair products. They serve a similar purpose: smoothing the skin and smoothing the hair. Both should be avoided in acne-prone patients.

How To Prevent Pomade Acne?

The only way to eliminate acne caused by hair products is to completely eliminate the hair product from the daily routine. However, you can’t live without your hair products, here are some tips to reduce the breakouts:

• Choose a hairstyle that keeps the hair away from the face, or wear hair up to avoid prolonged contact with the face, particularly while sleeping. 
• Change pillowcase often (every day if possible), especially for side sleepers. Regardless of the fabric, pillowcases trap oil, dirt, and bacteria.
• Wash your hijab every day if possible to avoid hair products being absorbed by the head-scarf and rubbed of on the face.
• Shower at night and sleep with clean hair and clean skin.
• It’s always better to style hair before applying makeup. When done with the hair wash hands thoroughly to remove all hair products before touching the face skin. Always wash face before applying makeup.
• Cover the face prior to applying any hair sprays.
• Cover the hair at bedtime with a hair net if you still have hair products in it; however, tight head coverings can stimulate sweat and cause scalp breakouts.

As a general rule, anyone with difficult-to-control acne, recalcitrant acne, or acne in areas on the cheeks or hairline should eliminate these hair products in their daily routine or avoid skin contact with these products. Additionally using daily skincare suitable for oily and combination skin keeps natural skin oils under check.

Scoop, Chisel And Contour – Always Bet On Fat

You might hate your love handles or the muffin top but believe it or not all your unwanted flab is laced with a potential to bring forth youth and beauty. Yup you heard it right, your unsightly spare tires can come in handy any time to buoy up your mission to defy aging or simply to enhance your facial/body contours when you feel like fitting-in perfectly with the mold called the “Golden Ratios Of Beauty”.  Fat grafting is a simple procedure where we take fat from an area where it is unwanted and graft/inject into an area where you need volume or contouring. In the recent years the procedure has seen a sharp rise in demand as natural vs. artificial choices are becoming popular with the aesthetic consumers.

A Short Recountal Of “Fat Transferring”

The first evidence of fat transfer was recorded in the 18th century, but it never became widely accepted until modern liposuction techniques were developed. Too many complications as well as unpredictable results (how much fat would “live” after the transfer) prevented the procedure from gaining mass acceptability. The trend began to change when in the early 1990’s Dr. Sydney Coleman, a New York City based Plastic Surgeon, began publishing papers describing standardized techniques for fat extraction, processing, and injection. Since that point in time the procedure’s popularity has increased tremendously along with a wider variety of clinical applications.

Currently aesthetic surgeons around the world agree that fat grafting is an ace up any surgeon’s sleeve and in aesthetic inner circles we lovingly call it liquid gold.

The Grafting Process

The process of fat grafting involves three steps: extraction of the fat from the donor area with liposuction, cleaning/processing of the fat, and finally reinjection of the purified fat into the area needing improvement. Fat is taken from the donor area (stomach, hips, and thighs) using special liposuction techniques with thin cannulas. The fat is either “decanted” or “washed” to separate out the viable adipose fat cells to be used in the graft. Depending on the areas to be injected it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to complete the procedure.

Common Areas of Fat Grafting

Simply put, fat can be used anywhere dermal fillers or implants would be used. Previously neglected areas including women and men’s shoulders, breast, pectorals, hips, legs and stomachs can be easily injected to create definition.

I mostly use it for facial rejuvenation to restore a more youthful appearance by adding volume to the areas below the eyes or nasolabial folds, cheeks, nose, temples, lips, jawline and even the forehead. Breasts are the new frontier; the breast size can be enhanced by one or two cup sizes using fat. It can also correct breast symmetry, repair radiation damage and correct deformities from lumpectomies or breast reconstruction. The demand for buttock enhancement, also known as a Brazilian Butt Lift is skyrocketing with a reported 84% increase in 2015. Buttock augmentation can change the size and shape of the buttock while sculpting the hip-waist ratio for a more feminine (or masculine) silhouette. Hand rejuvenation is becoming more popular to not only plump up the volume and padding on the hand, but also improve the texture and appearance of the skin.

How Long Does The Results Last?

Fat over time has proven itself to be truly a versatile material that allows us to reframe and reshape different body parts with long lasting results. Looking at fat distribution in body and how it changes over time one interesting fact has been lime lighted through research - as we age we lose fat from hands, face, breast and buttock but we don’t lose it where we want to lose it from– waist, inner outer leg and love handles. This fact works to our advantage to remove fat from where it will never disappear and put it where we need it. As research has backed the fact that fat cells follow a certain genetic predisposition and the fat taken from these new areas should live forever.

High Demand, Few Experts

It is important to note that extracting fat is a very technique dependent procedure. Applying the fat is the ultimate artistic procedure. Demand is high, but the results vary from one injector to another. Few practitioners are considered experts, so it is critical if you’re considering the procedure done choose doctor with the experience, training and eye of a sculptor. In my humble opinion a conservative approach involving delicate handling of fat while extracting and multiple fat grafting sessions over several months gives the best results.

Happy V Day — You & Your Skin

Flawless skin is the key to looking beautiful and youthful for always and forever. If you want to join the forever-beautiful kin show your skin some dedicated love and claw-on to good skincare habits as early as in your 20’s — Eat right, exercise regularly, and use sunscreen vivaciously. As you approach your 30’s commit to your skincare more rigorously — add regular exfoliation, antioxidants, energy-based devices and so on to keep your skin youthful, perky and taught. And as the tide of time takes you forward, keep building on these healthy habits you’ve already adopted. A consistent and quality skin care regimen is the single best step towards maintaining youthful, healthy and beautiful skin.

Wear Sunscreen Proudly — You have probably heard it a gazillion times but you can never underestimate this golden skincare advice. Sun damage is not a pretty sight — think wrinkles, loss of elasticity, pigmentation and dryness; and in some cases, it can be downright deadly in the form of skin cancer. Get a broad Spectrum UVA/UVB product with an SPF of 30 or above. Use it regularly — Never leave home without it!

Retinoids A Night Keeps Wrinkles At Bay — To prevent wrinkles and other signs of premature aging, this vitamin A derivative is your clinically proven best friend. Word of advice before initiation — it's not uncommon to have an initial irritation reaction to retinoids, as they change the skin's growth rate, increase skin cell turnover, and cause skin exfoliation. If that happens reduce how much you apply or change other products in your beauty routine e.g. vitamin C or alpha hydroxy acids and in few days the skin will begin to normalize.

Splurge On Vegetables And Fruits — You are what you eat, so why not nibble your way to beautiful skin? Pack in the antioxidants to fight free radicals and prevent inflammation.  Science confirms: it will make a difference. Clinical studies have shown that catechins from green tea, anthocyanins from dark berries and red cabbage, bioflavonoids from citrus, carotenoids such as lycopene and lutein from tomatoes, reservratrol from red wine and genistein from soy offer potent secondary antioxidant protection in the skin. By including these types of foods more often in the diet, the antioxidant defenses in the skin can be optimized.

Cut down on sugars and carbs they make your skin age faster by process of glycation.

Acknowledge The Importance Of Fatty Acids — Within the skin, fatty acids make up an integral component of cell walls that help maintain cell structure and function. Clinical studies show that the healthy balance of fatty acids in the skin dramatically decreases with aging and increased oxidative stress, such as that caused by chronic sun exposure. Therefore obtaining the right amount (and type) of fats through diet or supplementation is critical to maintain healthy skin as we age. Aim for a balanced intake of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (typically at a ratio of about 4:1). Excessive amounts of the omega-6 fat (arachidonic acid) found in egg yolks, poultry skin, and organ meats from animals fed corn-based diets have a pro-inflammatory effect in the body including the skin. Conversely, fish oil rich in the omega-3 oils eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA) inhibit the production of inflammatory metabolites. Due to their ability to modulate inflammation, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are effective in the management of inflammatory skin conditions, such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea.

Younger Skin Through Exercise — Exercise not only appears to keep skin younger, it may also even reverse skin aging in people who start exercising late in life — that’s what a surprising new research at McMaster University in Ontario has deduced. Exactly how exercise changes skin composition is not completely clear, but in a portion of the study comparing skin samples of participants, the researchers checked for alterations in the levels of certain substances created by working muscles called myokines; these substances are known to enter the bloodstream and jump-start changes in cells far from the muscles themselves. The scientists found greatly augmented levels of a myokine called IL-15 in the skin samples of volunteers after exercise. The skin samples of the group with younger looking skin, showed almost 50 percent increase in IL-15 after they had been exercising than at the start of the study. The researchers suspect that additional myokines and substances are also involved in the skin changes related to exercise. You heard me — get up and get moving in the name of youth and beauty.

Have A Sublime Valentines Day!!