5 Great Skin Care Tips for Healthy Skin

A great article by the MayoClinic with 5 tips to healthier skin!

1. Protect yourself from the sun
One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.

For the most complete sun protection:
Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. When you're outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.Seek shade. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.

2. Don't smoke

Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles.
If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.
3. Treat your skin gently
Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin. To keep it gentle:
Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than hot — water.Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps and detergents can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers. Shave carefully. To protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction the hair grows, not against it.Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.Moisturize dry skin. If your skin is dry, use a moisturizer that fits your skin type. For daily use, consider a moisturizer that contains SPF.

4. Eat a healthy diet
A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn't clear — but some research suggests that a diet rich in vitamin C and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote younger looking skin.

5. Manage stress

Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect.

Lengthen Those Lashes with Latisse!

Latisse is a prescription liquid solution made by Allergan (makers of Botox, Juvederm, and Vivite Skin Care) to enhance your eyelashes. Over the course of 16 weeks your lashes will transform from short and stubbly to longer, thicker, darker lashes.

The solution, Bimatoprost Ophthalmic, is applied to your lashes every evening before you go to bed. You will apply the solution only to the upper eyelashes at the root, similar to how you would apply eyeliner. While you are sleeping, Latisse will absorb into the upper lashes as well as the lower lashes.

Latisse comes in a dropper bottle with 90 drops, along with 60 applicator brushes. Typically this should last you about two to three months.

If you have leftover product on your brushes, you can sweep it into your eyebrows to tint them, or to fill in areas where they are thinning out.

Stop by our office to talk to one of our licensed paramedical aestheticians to see if Latisse is right for you. Take the opportunity to enjoy the perks of our July special of 2 boxes for $200. Along with that purchase you will receive a voucher for a complimentary Vivite Vibrance Décolleté Therapy to reduce uneven pigmentation.

** This promotion expires on July 31, 2011.**

VI Peel

Chemical peels are a great way to exfoliate your skin, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The VI Peel by Vitality Institute is a chemical peel unlike any other. It is comprised of highly active ingredients, including phenol,(an anesthetic and acid), to turn back time on your skin.

This aggressive peel will help clear up acne, and other impurities in the skin, correct and lighten hyperpigmentation and/or melasma, and help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Your skin will feel extremely tight following the peel, and will subside in a few days.

Vi PEEL at North Valley Plastic Surgery

Typically, two days after the treatment your skin will start to proliferate (shed). You will not want to pick or pull at the skin, because that can cause unwanted hyperpigmentation. The changes in your skin will be noticeable within 7 days of your peel. Collagen production is promoted, and you will notice tighter, firmer, and plumper skin.

The benefit to this treatment is it can be done on anyone, any age, and of any skin color.

Although phenol has been known to "de-pigment" darker skin, the percentage in this treatment is modified, so there is no chance of "bleaching" your skin to a lighter shade. You will, however, notice a nice change in the hyperpigmentation (i.e. freckles, liver spots, age spots, and/or sun damage).

Give our office a call to schedule your VI Peel during your next lunch break 480.991.6877.

Why is Skin Cancer an Arizona Epidemic?

In days past, tanned skin was a faux-paux; while those with porcelain white skin were admired. Nowadays, this couldn't be farther from the truth. People with sun-kissed skin are admired and complimented; while, porcelain white skin is seen as taboo.

People are drawn to Arizona for the 300 days of clear, blue skies and brightly, shining sun. What people do not realize is that skin cancer in Arizona is, and has been, a growing concern. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizona is ranked #2 in the world, just behind the gold coast of Australia, for skin cancer.

Unfortunately, this year alone, one million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States, alone!

Living in Arizona it is important to be aware of the two types of sun rays that penetrate through the earth's atmosphere: UVA and UVB.

The UVA rays are mainly aging rays that cause damage to DNA and collagen cells; while, harming the dermis. The UVB rays are mainly burning rays that stay in the epidermis, or superficial layers. UVB rays cause your melanocytes to produce melanin (tanning capabilities) and can cause a burn, which can lead to the beginning stages of skin cancer.

In our sunny desert climate, the most important hours of the day to use sunscreen is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Even on a rare, cloudy day the sun's ultraviolet rays penetrate through the clouds, causing your skin to burn.

Those who burn easily are at a greater risk of developing skin cancer. Certain characteristics can make you more susceptible such as: blue eyes, red or blond hair, or if you are prone to freckles and/or have light skin.

There is one easy way to protect yourself and prevent damage to your skin: using an FDA approved sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays like the Anthelios line from La Roche-Posay.

The Anthelios sunscreen holds the patent technology of three sun filters: Octocrylene, Parsol 1789, and Mexoryl SX. The Anthelios sunscreen gives you complete broad-spectrum protection.

Don't become a statistic because you forgot to use your sunscreen. Your insurance likely covers a skin exam. Call to schedule a skin exam with our dermatologist today.

Michael Drums and DJ Gable

This was for Kevin Dow's birthday bash in the Shaker Room at Martini Ranch on October 12.

Michael Campbell and DJ Gable

Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease - In The Bedroom

Carmen Electra’s Aerobic Striptease: In The Bedroom is a 75-minute workout routine that is not only easy to do, but it allows one to work out in the privacy of her own bedroom. The only item a person needs is a bed, a pillow, and a wall. This video improves one's flexibility and confidence by incorporating simple moves and sexy combinations with fitness.

When the video begins, one has the option of doing the entire exercise in one session, or one can do the warm-up/stretch separate from the “in the bedroom” section. Having the option is nice because maybe one doesn’t want to do the entire video, so being able to have the options is helpful.

The warm-up consists of some basic dance moves that warm up the legs, arms, abdomen, and back. During the warm-up, there is encouragement and Carmen constantly reminds one to breathe and counts out the motions so one can keep up. Carmen mentions that if the stretching is too much for one to handle, she gives ways of how to lessen the stretch to a more comfortable level. The last section of the warm-up incorporates a few Pilates moves that add an additional stretch and finishes warming up the muscles to prepare for the workout. The warm-up is about 35 minutes long, and the background music is complementary to the moves.

The striptease portion is about 40 minutes long and consists of hip popping and swaying and other sexy moves that will cause “the temperature to rise in the bedroom.” In this video she shows the moves, then she adds the counts, and the last part is adding the music. The routine is slow and easy to grasp and she makes an effort to incorporate the bed and use moves that are not too racy. In order to do this section of the video, no dance background is necessary. The moves are very simple and the background music that is used is upbeat and sassy. There are two different songs that are used and each one has a different tempo to change the pace of the routine.

The nice benefit of this video is it has slide breaks where it has a picture come up with either “ready on 8,” “let’s try that with the music,” “from the top,” or “moving on” so the performer is always aware of what is coming up next. By the time the video is over, one feels rejuvenated and sexy. The workout is much more intense in the warm up/stretch segment, but after stretching, one is ready to get sexy and learn a few moves from the master of the striptease aerobics.

Other videos that have the same type of workout by Carmen Electra include: Carmen Electra's Advanced Aerobic Striptease, Carmen Electra's Fit to Strip, or Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease Collection - Carmen's Fitness Collection.

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/01/20/153807.php (link to publication)