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!!

Getting ready for Summer: Thermage.

As summer approaches, we panic. It's time to reveal our body so we feel the need to work on those areas we neglected during winter. Legs, cellulitis, those extra kilos... Luckily enough, everything can be mended!

Some time ago, at Fundaleu's Gala, I had the pleasure of chatting a bit with the amazing Velia Lemel, a beauty doctor and one of the sponsors of our blog.

I told her I wanted her to give us tips and advices to get ready for summer and suggests us certain treatments.

I give you today what Velia sent me about Thermage.

For those who don't know, Thermage, known worldwide as the "lunch lifting," is the IT treatment to work on the face and body. It's known like that because many use the free hours of lunch to take a session. 

Thermage is perfect when looking for a "touch" that erases the signs of tiredness, reduces flaccidity, recovers the contours of the face and lifts the double chin. Results are immediate: a younger looking skin, soft and luminous. 

Thermage has been around for 10 years now and it's been FDA approved.

Where can it be applied?

In the face and neck, to lift the skin of the neck, but also improve the look of eyelids, front and eyebrow-area.

It can also be applied on the body: abdomen, legs, knees and arms, all areas with loose skin due to age or pregnancy. In hands, combined with IPL, it recovers their firmness and softness, eliminating spots along the way.

What is it about?

Thermage applies energy through radiofrecency, producing a contraction of the existing collagen and stimulating the formation of new collagen for even 6 months after the treatment.

For who is it recommended?

For all those who want to avoid or postpone going into surgery. It's in men and women between 35 and 70 years old where best results are obtained. For those women starting in their 30s, it works as a preventing treatment for flaccidity and, after giving birth, it helps stretch loose skin and reduce the look of stretch marks.

How many sessions are necessary?

What's revolutionary about Thermage is that it's simply a one-session-only treatment, of an hour and a half. You can immediately go back to your normal activities. No one will notice you've been at the Beauty center.

What do you feel during treatment?

Just a mild burning sensation, followed by an immediate freshness as result of the refrigerating mist used to make you feel more comfortable. 

When can you see the results?

You will immediately feel your skin firmer and more luminous, but is is progressively that you'll witness the mayor changes. The treatment can last up to two years, depending on your natural aging process, your genetics, your skin type and sun exposure.

Thermage can be applied any time of the year, to any skin type or color and it's not necessary to avoid sun exposure right after.

Thank you very much, Velia!

Dra. Velia Lemel

Dermatologist

Member of the Argentine Society of Dermatology

Director of Dra. Velia Lemel, Piel & Láser

4 807-7800 / 0800-444-7435

Tagle 2786

The smile...

I know I've already posted an entry on the importance of dental health. Brushing, flossing and using mouthwash are all necessary steps that we should put into practice at home everyday.

However, from time to time, we must always consult a professional for deeper cleansing treatments or more precise methods of whitening. They can also give us advices on the new plastic procedures that can help us achieve a perfect smile.

As there have been lots of improvements lately on this matter, I asked my dentist, Dr. Darío Toucedo,  to tell us about this new developments and how they can help us.

Doctor, can we achieve the perfect smile?

"Our teeth and smile work as our personal card, fundamental both in our daily and professional life. They both speak of our health and of the importance we give to personal grooming. Nowadays there are different techniques to achieve a perfect smile. Combined, these methods can result in beautiful outcomes that also benefit the patient in its overall health: cavity-free teeth, correct bites and healthy gums. 

The choice of treatment is decided after a careful analysis of the patient's dental health. This is essential and must be requested. There are no quick miracles. According to that diagnosis, a treatment is arranged with the patient. Solutions are not immediate and we must be conscious of this. But the sacrifice is worth while.

Some treatments combine, for example, handmade caps with porcelain crowns. Caps change the shape and color of the tooth without wearing it out. Thanks to the latests improvements on this matter, these caps look no different than our natural dental pieces. 

Sometimes, however, prior to all these, a complete dental make-over is suggested through braces. When so, the new transparent porcelain brackets make the treatment less invasive to the patient. However, of course, there are no magical solutions. Patience and confidence in your dentist is required, knowing that the final result will strengthen your self-steem and personality."

Thank you, Doctor!

And don't forget to smile...

SPA YOO Punta del Este...

Dear readers!
I wanted to let you know that for a few months the SPA at the Yoo Punta del Este will be collaborating with our blog. In fact, a couple of weeks ago I went to have a look and even had some pictures taken. It's fantastic. The Spa will use, for their treatments, Givenchy products, which makes it the first Spa to use the brand in South-America. I asked the specialists to give us tips and details to publish the coming weeks in this section. For the time being, I give you the list of services, amenities and treatments offered by the Spa, in case any of you visits Punta del Este shortly. You can see them by clicking here. It's worth while!

Send in your questions to the specialists, so they can give us key answers!

Sleep...

If you want to stay healthy, there's nothing as getting good night sleeps...

Dinning frugally will help you fall asleep more easily. Your aim should always be 8-hours-a-night! That's the minimum amount required for our body to restore itself from a long day, avoid stress and protect your immune system. A restful sleep will make you look your best, bring light to your skin and remove dark spots from under your eyes. When your body does not relaxes, it will present a tendency to accumulate fat and burning them will become a hard task. A good night sleep will help maintain your weight or even burn it, because  when deprived from sleep we produce more appetite hormones...

More and more scientific studies have been proving the link between sleep disorders and mental illnesses. Disruptions during sleep increases the amount of hormones related to stress, which generates anxiety during the day and troubles to process and react to emotional stimulus. If we are in a mood or anxious, we eat more, we mistreat those around us and will be far from looking and feeling our best.

I'm kind of a Cinderella-type: I try to get back home as early as possible and go to bed before 1 a.m., because I do enjoy early day-starts. So, if I can sleep more than 8 hours, still better for me!

A nice smile can get you (almost) anything...

A nice smile is sooo important... It brings light to our face and speaks of us. Impeccable teeth confirm that we dedicate time to personal grooming and that we lead a healthy life. Our mouth and gums reflect multiple health disorders, even cardiac problems. The shape, size and color of our teeth evolve with time and many of these changes are hard to notice. This is why an appointment with your dentist is a must every now and then. With professional cleaning, at least every 6 months, you can reduce the risk of gingivitis (gums are responsible for tooth attachment), cavities and dental plaque. And if you don't have them perfectly aligned, you should wear braces to correct them. It is uncomfortable, I know, but it's worth it. You can even have clear braces which is a more cosmetic alternative and pass almost unnoticed. Nothing to do with what braces used to be! I used them when I was a girl of 6 or 7 years old and then again during my teens.

At home, my cleaning routine includes brushing my teeth three times-a-day, that is, after every important meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and flossing before going to bed. If I feel something bothering or what might be a caries, I run to my dentist! 

It is true also that it's not enough to just brush your teeth to have them pearly white. You must avoid all those things containing tannin, such as coffee, tea, red wine, blueberries and cigarettes. If yours are already yellow, there are plenty of professional techniques to whiten them. Do not trust magical solutions, for they usually harm the natural enamel of the teeth, making them porous. I whiten them constantly and brush them with a special product to achieve longer effects. A white smile is worth more than any lifting or anti-wrinkle treatment and it makes any woman look beautiful. 

Please remember that these healthy habits and cares should always be put into practice for ourselves only, to feel good about ourselves and because of the joy and confidence we feel when we look good. If we do not take care of ourselves, we send the message that we care little about our persona. And if this is so... how are others going to respect us?

Alcohol, caffeine... and other enemies to beauty.

We have already talked about smoking... But there are other issues to fight and put behind.

Let's see.

Alcohol. How awful is to see a woman that drinks too much! How her features, her face, her whole beauty vanishes under the abuse of drinks!

I don't want to sound moralist, but there are so many mistaken concepts on social behavior that I wish to clear a few out: since when drinking and smoking is a synonym of fun? Why do we have to hide behind the smoke of a cigarette or a drink to have no inhibitions at a party? Are insecurities that strong? I have smoked and I have drunk champagne and all, but I have realized that those habits can turn into addictions and I've fought hard to avoid them, learning to know myself through years of therapy.

Caffeine. Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and beverages as Coke and chocolate. It is a central nervous system stimulant and thus it affects our inner balance and vital energy. If you get to have a good night sleep and an organized lifestyle, caffeine is no longer necessary to stay alert.

Salt. One of the reasons why we women suffer from cellulite, overweight due to water retention and swollen eyes in the morning is well known by all of us and it's called SALT. On a lunch in Paris, actress Jacqueline Bisset once confessed to me that when she had to play an older role, she just ate with abundant salt the night before.

Salt is everywhere: on vegetables, meat, sea produce, industrial food, bread and of course, any meal you order at a restaurant. But, what is salt? Basically it is a dietary mineral composed of sodium chloride which is responsible for regulating water balance in the body. In great amounts it becomes risky to our health, generating renal, metabolic and cardiac diseases. Its presence on food has two reasons: seasoning and preservation.

I've become an expert on the subject. World Health Organization recommends a daily intake of no more than 6 grs, so it is important to regulate the amount of salt we voluntarily add to meals. 

I always prepare my meals with no salt although that might mean less flavor. I've learned to replace it with some drops of lemon juice, basil leaves, mint or parsley. In fact, I do not miss it at all and I get to enjoy the real taste of food.

As you can see, diet is a key issue for me. I've been a vegetarian for as long as I can remember. My mother used to play tricks on me to conceal bits of meat in my meals... As an adult I've learned to accept chicken meat and continue to avoid the intake of red meat...

I'll tell you more about this... you'll see...

Bye, bye cigarrettes...!

I will never get tired of fighting against cigarettes... and I used to be a smoker.

However, I've always been a guilty smoker: I've always felt lousy about my habit. I smoked, with some gaps in between, for 12 years. But one day, on June 5th 1995 (I shall never forget that date!) my guilt became stronger than the pleasure, self control and attitude I thought I had with a cigarette on my hand and said goodbye. I do admit that it was tremendously difficult, but my will to quit it was stronger. And I did it.

Let's say things the way they are: nothing ages and wrinkles the skin, ruins your teeth and dries your hair (not to mention how it affects our organism) than a cigarette! Nicotine makes it strongly addictive and absolutely cancerous, and although everyone knows this, I get to see more women smoking all the time! In fact, statistics say that we women smoke more than men.

Sorry to disappoint:  smoking's no longer cool, girls.

So I insist, it is important to leave behind an addiction that takes everything away and gives little in return. There are many ways to do so and it's never late to try. Hypnosis, patches, books, therapy, laser... even chewing-gums can help. Choose the method of your convenience and be strong. If it becomes too hard, you can always ask a pro for help.

And do not be afraid of the extra weight you might gain in the process. Anxiety is difficult to control but the worst lasts a few months. Visiting a nutritionist can be of help. A balanced diet, exercise and yoga can help you cope with those extra kilos so that you can free your mind.

Remember that if you quit, bad breath will be a thing of the past. your skin will look brighter and the benefits for your health, infinite! It's a tough war and I do know it to be, but it's worth defeating it.

Another motivation: I once read on a magazine that if you saved the money spent on cigarettes,  you could buy plenty of stuff: jeans, make-up, books, accessories, VIP passes to concerts or theaters... 

You'll be amazed to see how much money we dedicate to such a mean habit.

Go for it!