Seeing Youthful Skin In A New Light
by Taz Dhanani
December 20th, 2010 12:01 PM
Everyone has skin. It is the largest organ in the body. Unfortunately, skin is not a garment that can be discarded when it no longer looks good. It is on you for life, like it or not. Wrinkles, sagging, pigmentation and sun damage cause the skin to look old, dull and tired. So it’s worth investing your time and energy in maintaining its health, vitality, youthfulness and glow.
Genetically and environmentally, skin responds to changes over your life, but there are ways to enhance the condition of the skin that are within your capacity.
There are some basics: proper cleansing, exfoliating (removal of dead skin), moisturizing, nourishing and protecting from sun exposure. A healthy life style for general well being also contributes to healthy skin -- exercise, good food and water, while avoiding sun overexposure, stress and smoking. And there are also skincare products and treatments to rejuvenate your skin more.
In general, people want to improve their appearance from head to toe, and why not? Of course, there are options such as cosmetic surgery and injectables like as Botox, Restylane, Perlane and so on. Huge ad campaigns are promoting instant face lifts all over magazines and other media. But this may not be the route for everyone, especially with of the risks of surgery or injecting substances into the body. While these options may improve the appearance of the facial features, the skin still needs to look youthful, feel firm and have an inner glow like young skin -- healthy and naturally beautiful.
Non-invasive alternatives are available. Thanks to today’s advanced technology, there are safe, healthy choices that give results over time with series of treatments. After all, the damage caused was also over time, so one can not expect instant solutions.
Laser Resurfacing
This involves thermal injury to skin, then allowing it to regenerate and thereby look younger. There is some discomfort and it requires recovery time. In some cases, pigmentation and scarring can occur as side effects. It is invasive; however, in some cases it may be necessary. After the procedure it is very important to maintain the results with proper skincare, protection and preventative maintenance.
Light Therapy
This is the latest in non-invasive skincare treatments for anti-aging and rejuvenating skin. With light-emitting diodes (LEDs), there is no burning of the skin, nor any discomfort, scarring or risk of pigmentation. This procedure is available for all skin type of all ages. Treatment is provided for photo-aging (wrinkles, fine lines, loss of elasticity and skin tone), acne, redness and pigmentation.
Recent science has demonstrated the effectiveness of using LED visible light energy to modulate tissue activity. Different wavelengths act on different mechanisms within individual cells to promote healing and cellular rejuvenation. When light is absorbed by the skin, it is converted into energy within the cells, making the cells behave like younger skin cells.
The US Military and NASA have demonstrated that LED will reduce inflammation and healing times. Many changes take place in the skin when exposed to light: RED light increases collagen production five fold (wrinkle reduction and firming of skin).
YELLOW light dilates lymphatic vessels (detoxifying, hyper-pigmentation and acne).
GREEN light dissipates redness and hyper-pigmentation (rosacea, broken capillaries).
BLUE light reduces bacteria that cause acne.
When treating skin conditions such as acne, redness, uneven pigmentation and photo aging, the best results are obtained when using a blend of all colors within the visible spectrum ranging from 470 nanometres (blue) to 640 nanometres (red). Besides the rejuvenating and healing properties of visible light on skin, there are also psychological effects: Blue calms and relaxes; green gives anti-inflammatory-type relief for pain in joints and for allergies; yellow arouses sensory and motor nervous systems, to help arthritis and the lymph system; and red’s warmth stimulates and energizes, helping to relieve muscle cramps and allergies.
The most beautiful cosmetic you can wear is a healthy skin. It should always be encouraged to glow by regularly exfoliating and rejuvenating. Underneath the sun-damaged layers of skin are smooth, baby-bottom-like layers that are exposed when you exfoliate. That’s healthy skin.
Taz Dhanani is owner of Eutopia Beauty Care in Edgemont Village. tazdhanani@shaw.ca
Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Feb - Mar 08
Genetically and environmentally, skin responds to changes over your life, but there are ways to enhance the condition of the skin that are within your capacity.
There are some basics: proper cleansing, exfoliating (removal of dead skin), moisturizing, nourishing and protecting from sun exposure. A healthy life style for general well being also contributes to healthy skin -- exercise, good food and water, while avoiding sun overexposure, stress and smoking. And there are also skincare products and treatments to rejuvenate your skin more.
In general, people want to improve their appearance from head to toe, and why not? Of course, there are options such as cosmetic surgery and injectables like as Botox, Restylane, Perlane and so on. Huge ad campaigns are promoting instant face lifts all over magazines and other media. But this may not be the route for everyone, especially with of the risks of surgery or injecting substances into the body. While these options may improve the appearance of the facial features, the skin still needs to look youthful, feel firm and have an inner glow like young skin -- healthy and naturally beautiful.
Non-invasive alternatives are available. Thanks to today’s advanced technology, there are safe, healthy choices that give results over time with series of treatments. After all, the damage caused was also over time, so one can not expect instant solutions.
Laser Resurfacing
This involves thermal injury to skin, then allowing it to regenerate and thereby look younger. There is some discomfort and it requires recovery time. In some cases, pigmentation and scarring can occur as side effects. It is invasive; however, in some cases it may be necessary. After the procedure it is very important to maintain the results with proper skincare, protection and preventative maintenance.
Light Therapy
This is the latest in non-invasive skincare treatments for anti-aging and rejuvenating skin. With light-emitting diodes (LEDs), there is no burning of the skin, nor any discomfort, scarring or risk of pigmentation. This procedure is available for all skin type of all ages. Treatment is provided for photo-aging (wrinkles, fine lines, loss of elasticity and skin tone), acne, redness and pigmentation.
Recent science has demonstrated the effectiveness of using LED visible light energy to modulate tissue activity. Different wavelengths act on different mechanisms within individual cells to promote healing and cellular rejuvenation. When light is absorbed by the skin, it is converted into energy within the cells, making the cells behave like younger skin cells.
The US Military and NASA have demonstrated that LED will reduce inflammation and healing times. Many changes take place in the skin when exposed to light: RED light increases collagen production five fold (wrinkle reduction and firming of skin).
YELLOW light dilates lymphatic vessels (detoxifying, hyper-pigmentation and acne).
GREEN light dissipates redness and hyper-pigmentation (rosacea, broken capillaries).
BLUE light reduces bacteria that cause acne.
When treating skin conditions such as acne, redness, uneven pigmentation and photo aging, the best results are obtained when using a blend of all colors within the visible spectrum ranging from 470 nanometres (blue) to 640 nanometres (red). Besides the rejuvenating and healing properties of visible light on skin, there are also psychological effects: Blue calms and relaxes; green gives anti-inflammatory-type relief for pain in joints and for allergies; yellow arouses sensory and motor nervous systems, to help arthritis and the lymph system; and red’s warmth stimulates and energizes, helping to relieve muscle cramps and allergies.
The most beautiful cosmetic you can wear is a healthy skin. It should always be encouraged to glow by regularly exfoliating and rejuvenating. Underneath the sun-damaged layers of skin are smooth, baby-bottom-like layers that are exposed when you exfoliate. That’s healthy skin.
Taz Dhanani is owner of Eutopia Beauty Care in Edgemont Village. tazdhanani@shaw.ca
Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Feb - Mar 08
