My beauty rituals...

You've been asking… here's my beauty routine…

It's quite easy actually: as I wake up, I clean my face with an "eau micellaire", like Bioderma's, which is great and won't dry your skin. Then, before going out, I use a hydrating face cream (always with sunblock, no matter if it's winter and cloudy outside!) or one of the new BB (Blemish Blend) or CC (Color Corrector) creams, plus an eye-contour. Over both creams I apply my make-up, but only if I have to go out... if not, I prefer to stay as naturally as possible...

I recommend that you use some kind of moisturizer on your neck and cleavage also, with creams rich in different nutrients. In any case, I try to go for natural and hypoallergenic products, and I'm not into particular brands, I prefer knowing what they are made of... 

Before going to bed I repeat my ritual with the cleanser and toner to remove the day-long dirt and the remains of my make-up... I NEVER go to sleep with my make-up on! At night I use a Vitamin C serum or a cream with peptide or hyaluronic acid. I try to change them every three months.

I must confess that I am a huge fan of masks and facials. They invigorate your skin, renovate blood circulation and help make-up look better on you! All brands have their own masks. It's a matter of trying till you find the right for you...

During summer, I try to have a friendly relationship with the Sun. I am not one of those extremist that avoid it completely hiding under the shade, nor do I enjoy exposing myself during the dangerous hours of daytime.  The perfect combo reads as follows: a little sunbathing (with protection!) during the morning or late afternoon (never between 12 pm and 5 pm) with the use of self-tanners to achieve the desired hue. There are so many brands and varieties that's all a matter of trying till you find the one that best suits you. 

If you are disciplined and constant and start taking care of your skin at an early age, then there won't be any need for surgeries. Think of it as an investment. Surgeries won't be able to fix what we have neglected over the years.

What we all fear...

It's true. We all hate it. Just mentioning it gives us the thrills: double chin.

Its presence (terror!) can be due to many reasons: the natural shape of the face, bad postures, overweight, lost of elasticity, dramatic weight-loss treatments, sun exposure or excess of fat or skin.

Do not panic... Fortunatelly, there are things to be done! My dermatologist, Norma Palkovska, explains that "there are several treatments in store. But what's really important is to receive appropiate massages, with the proper toners, gels and products designed specifically for the chin. A good professional will be able to perform certain exercises to protect and restore the shape of the face."

You know it now: investigate and choose the treatment you like best according to your needs.

Any doubts, you can reach Norma at  4 807-6165 / (15) 5 388-1751

Thermage Total Tip...

A couple of days ago, we received a call from our friend Velia Lemel, to tell us about a new procedure in the Thermage treatment (we wrote about this on a recent post). I found it extremely interesting, so I asked her to write it for us so we could post it here... 

"Recently, Thermage has developed a new treatment to achieve better definition in the face outline and reduce the double chin. It's really a new “Tip” which allows a higher intensity in the radiofrecuency and warming of the tissue, without increasing the feeling of uneasiness. This is translated into a mayor production of collagen, because it delivers twice as much bulk heating volume than with a conventional tip. Results can be seen much earlier than expected. 

The positive aspects of Thermage's “Total Tip” is that our patients will be able to improve the contour of the face, jawline and neck, but also work on the appearence of the eyelids and the eyebrow area. 

For those who have never heard of it, Thermage is an advance treatment which has been in the market for more than 10 years now. Approved by the FDA and the European Community, it has been applied on more than one million patients around the world. It's a treatment that advances constantly in the search for better results, more comfortable procedures and state-of-the-art machinery. The skin receives a full renovation through Thermage because it is able to reach its inner layers, which makes it totally effective." 

You can reach Velia and her proffesional staff at her Institute in Tagle 2786.

The cold weather has arrived...

There's no denying it. The cold weather is finally among us. But, as I always say, it means the arrival of the perfect time to apply special treatments and skincare products which, during the months of summer, it's impossible to accomplish. 

Being tanned for sure makes us feel beautiful, but our skin suffers terribly due to sun exposure.

I asked my dear dermatologist, Norma Palkovska, to explain to us the procedures we can take to correct the damages of summer: 

"UV rays alter the DNA of the cells, blocking the flow of information between them and the correct balance between water and lipids, both essential to a flexible and hydrated skin.  This is why, after a lovely summer, we find our skin opaque and coarse to touch. 

Fortunately, with the proper treatments, it's possible to recover such beauty: one must treat the skin and eliminate spots, wrinkles and flaccidity.

The ideal combination involves a chemical peeling and then a hydrating treatment. This is done at first at the dermatologist's, but then it must be continued at home, with specific products, to complement and enhance the professional work. 

A great variety of firming and moisturizing creams, gels and serums can be found in the market, most of which can help regain the beauty of our skin. It's just a question of will."

It's true. Let's use these months of cold weather to work on our beauty...

¡Thank you, Norma!

Norma Palkovska

4 807-6165

2013 Beauty Resolutions...

I’ve been thinking that when a new year begins, it always offers a chance to try new things and improve others, to re-invent us and excel in new ways… The first months of the year always bring us the illusion that we still have many months ahead to be able to achieve all those things we promised we would when raising our glasses to toast with our love ones.

Together with Velia Lemel I decided to give to you some Beauty Resolutions for 2013.

Our skin is our contact with the world… It’s, in other words, our personal card to society. It’s a complex organ that reflects the health of the rest of our body, the way we feel or how our environment affects us. It is of extreme importance then that we take the necessary steps to take good care of it. We bring you, then, our 2013 Beauty Resolutions…

1. Have an appointment with a professional so he/she can recommend you the treatments and products appropriate for your skin type. A good exam will diagnose the specific needs of each patient, optimizing results which will be more cost-efficient.

2. Always use sunscreen, to prevent premature skin aging (seen in the lost of elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles), spots or even harms that can lead to skin cancer. This is why dermatologists always say that sunblock is the best anti-aging cream.

3. Choose healthy habits, such as quitting cigarettes. Smoking produces numerous hazards to our skin, amongwhich are the worsening of certain skin diseases as psoriasis, bad skin regeneration, dryness and skin marks. Those who smoke look older and have dark spots under the eyes, a less luminous skin and more wrinkles.

4. Have a balanced diet and an appropriate workout routine, both allies in the quest for a healthy and firmer skin. It is important to increase the intake of complex antioxidants such as vitamins E. C, betacarotene and green tea extracts, in your daily diet or as dietary supplements. The latter can be found as pills or drops, but also in many cosmetic products.

Ok, then. So we have the resolutions! All we need now it to charge ourselves with energy and will to fulfill them. There is nothing more rewarding than reaching the end of the year knowing you were able to achieve all the things you proposed…

Last but not least, I asked Velia to share with us some tips and treatments that we can put into practice this year…

- Laser Q-Switched: it’s a simple and effective treatment against age marks (spots on the face, neck and hands). It’s a specific treatment to avoid superficial or deep pigmented scars, even in summer.

- Thermage:  this is a treatment that can improve the look of eyelids. With energy released through radio-frecuency, it helps produce collagen, resulting in an instant rejuvenating effect. It needs no special cares afterwards and the patient can continue with his/her normal daily routine. It can be complemented with special eye contour creams.

- Fillers: this is an effective, quick and useful technique to work on skin aging and the changes it promotes (dryness, wrinkles, flaccidity). The hyaluronic acid (a non-animal product) is used to fill wrinkles and revitalize the skin. As it helps retain water, it’s a way to keep the skin hydrated.

- Mother-Cell creams:  these vegetable-origin products are used to give vitality to the skin. They give protection to the mother-cells of the skin and delay their aging process. This treatment can be combined with other products containing different active principles, such as retinoic acid, caviar creams, etc.

Thank you very much, Velia!!