Botox has been used as a non surgical treatment to improve wrinkles and fight aging.
A typical Botox treatment consists of injections of Botulinum toxin being placed under the skin. This toxin essentially paralyzes the normal actions of the skin, resulting in a smoother and firmer appearance. Botox treatments do wear off, so periodic refreshers are needed to retain a more youthful look.
Recent warnings published by the FDA suggest that Botox may have more dangerous side effects than previously thought. There are a range of reported adverse reactions, including respiratory failure, and, in a few cases, even death.
Sometimes you want the look of smoother, firmer skin, and you want this quickly, without pain or a long recovery time. For instance, you may be getting ready for a holiday party and want to look younger, more well-rested, and overall sexier. With some of the newest instant effect treatments on the market, you can get better looking skin in less than five minutes.
These treatments are often creams or light lotions which you apply to your face, and which act to tighten the skin. Common ingredients include caffeine, which simultaneously flushes excess water. You might use this type of treatment when you want to get rid of puffy eyes.
Mud therapies have been documented as a home remedy as far back as the 11th century.
Mud therapies are becoming popular due to their capacity to relieve various kinds of medical issues; including the the inflammation associated with arthritis, the soreness which accompanies intense exercise, and in other medical arenas such as wound treatment and skin detoxification.
Although spa treatments are becoming more and more a part of every-day life, that doesn't mean they've gotten routine. No way.
The latest trend in spa treatments is using edible ingredients (caviar, chocolate, cranberries, pomegranates, coffee grounds) in facials, body wraps, and massage treatments.
Retin-A is one of the best researched and most effective skin treatments available on the market today. And the availability of Retin A products is increasing, with more than 300 new Retin-A products marketed since 2003.
While originally prescribed as a treatment for acne, Retin A quickly showed additional skin benefits, including improvements in skin texture. It also works to reverse photodamage in the form of wrinkles and age spots.
Psoriasis is a non-contagious, long term inflammatory skin disease. It is a chronic condition which can spread across the whole body. The exact cause of psoriasis is not yet known, but outbreaks of psoriasis are linked to skin injury, infections, emotional stress, and may be passed down in families.
You've probably heard about collagen, the skin's structural "scaffold" which is responsible for giving skin it's elasticity, strength, and that even smoothness that we all have as children and young adults (but we start to lose as we age.)
Collagen production tends to slow down as we get older, and this leads to sagging and wrinkles. Collagen is not just for beauty- it supports our tissues and organs, and connects them to our skeleton. So these are a few more reasons why we all should be worried about losing collagen. Collagen is produced by a certain type of skin cell, a fibroblast. Fibroblasts are doubly important to healthy skin, as they also produce elastin, which allows our skin to flex and return to normal shape.
Eczema is itchy, painful, and uncomfortable. Thought to be caused by too little of a certain skin protein (filaggrin), eczema results when there is damage to the normal cell barriers of the skin. As a result, skin becomes dry, flaky, and cracked. When skin is dry, flaky, and cracked, it's only a matter of time before it bleeds, or worse, becomes infected.
The skin's main function is to act as a barrier, keeping our insides in, and the outside out. When this barrier is ineffective, toxins and pollutants can enter the body, causing damage.
The hottest topic in body coutouring these days is the UltraShape I, the world's first non-invasive ultrasound solution for body contouring.
It works by sending targeted ultrasound waves to fat cells, causing them to breakdown and flush away. The procedure occurs above the skin, so there is no risk of cutting, burning, or other skin damage. The treatment works only on fat cells, leaving nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels intact. Patients have been able to achieve better body shape in just a few treatments, with reductions of up to 2.5 inches noted after just three treatments. There have been no known adverse side effects.
Thermage, termed the "non surgical face lift" is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure that improves skin's appearance by tightening existing collagen and building new collagen.
Thermage uses radiofrequency energy to tighten the skin and stimulate new collagen growth. This approach results in firmer skin, with fewer sags or wrinkles. The procedure involves placement of the Thermage treatment tip onto pre-defined areas of the skin. The treatment tips delivers cooling and radiofrequency waves to stimulate the collagen under the skin.
Alpha hydroxy acids occur naturally in certain foods. They are often recommended in skin care for their primary ability to penetrate deeply into the skin, and to aid the rate of cell turnover. Alpha hydroxy acids have been well researched and their skin rejuvenation benefits are well documented
However, even though alpha hydroxy acids (AHA's) have many positive uses in skin care, they, like any other method also carry some dangers.
Alpha-hydroxy acids are often considered 'wonder acids' and derive from naturally occuring sugars in certain foods. These acids help improve the skin because they are able to penetrate the top layer of the skin and reach the lower layer. They work to dissolve the "glue" which holds dead skin cells together- increasing the rate of cell turnover. This brings fresher skin to the surface, so your skin looks younger and healthier. In fact, it is rumored that Cleopatra used to wash her face in a mild solution of milk (lactic acid) which supposedly helped her retain her world-famous good looks.