For good skin? Give up smoking – 1

Smoking is bad for your health. It has been associated with many ailments, including heart disease and cancer of the mouth, lungs and esophagus. Smoking also increases the chance of a heart attack or a stroke because it constricts the blood vessels, causing a reduction in blood flow.

Smoking also has a  damaging effects on the skin. You can determine a person whether she/he is a smoker or not based on his or her general appearance: ashen, pale complexion, dry skin, wrinkles formed around the eyes and mouth and a skinny face.

“Even for a relatively young person, you can have that face if you’ve been smoking habitually for many years. You can notice the change as early as five years of smoking, and the longer you continue to smoke, the worse it will get.”

A smoker gets acquire this manifestation because of restricted blood flow and oxygen to the skin, causing an ashy, pale or sometimes yellowish skin tone and premature wrinkles. The skin also quickly ages due to vitamin C deficiency, since each cigarette robs your body of about 35 mg of vitamin C. And wrinkles are formed largely around the mouth and eye area because of the constant gathering and peeking motions that come with smoking.

Ref: Kelly Misa

eye-catching–makeup – 2

“For night, cleanse, tone and moisturize first. Smooth Oil Free Foundation. You can also cover bags under the eyes with orange-toned concealer and red spots such as pimples and areas near the nostrils with green-toned concealer using a concealer brush like the day look.

“Set with translucent loose powder using a large powder brush or powder puff. To compensate for the dimmer light of night, warm up the face with a Bronzer. Apply lightly on temples, cheeks and chin. Using a slanted eyebrow brush in Wedge, fill in sparse spaces of the brows. Then use a small, flat eyeshadow brush in Plum Dressing, to apply plum shadow all over the upper lid and blend upward past the crease.

“Apply black liner  on the upper lashline. Add eyeshadow in Nylon just beneath the brow bone for a light gold shimmer. with a slanted brush, Tap a peacock-green color eyeshadow in Club directly on the lower lashline. Line the inner rim of lower lashline with Inglot Liner in 20.

“Curl lashes and apply one or two coats of mascara in Soft Black. Apply blush on the apples of the checks. Cap it off with Lip Lacquer in Crush.”

There—a look for those who want to get all the attention but without looking heavily made-up!

Eye-catching–makeup – 1

You can still turn heads with more natural colors that are easy to wear with the nude look.

 “For the morning look, you have to first clean, tone and moisturize the skin. Tweeze stray brow hairs and apply Oil Free Foundation over entire face. Cover up imperfections with a concealer, orange tones for under the eyes and green tones for red spots like pimples and areas near the nostrils with a concealer brush.

“Blend. Set a translucent loose powder using a large powder brush or powder puff. Then, groom the brows with Make Up Mascara. Apply a light base shade all over the eyelids with a large eyeshadow brush. Apply a taupe color on the fold of the eyes and the outer half of the upper eyelid with a dome shaped brush. Apply a nude, shimmery color like just underneath the browbone.

“With  eyeshadow of your choice,  carefully tap color directly on the upper lashline to give the illusion of thicker lashes. Curl lashes and apply one or two coats of mascara in Soft Black. Apply Make Up  powder blush in 88 on the apples of the cheeks with a blush brush. Finally, gloss the lips in French Kiss.

Radiofrequency for skin tightening – 5

Body contouring

Some machines popularly used for body contouring may also be applied for facial rejuvenation. Accent is commonly used for firming up the arms, abdomen, thighs and buttocks.

The Accent and Tenor combine shallow and intense heating by utilizing two types of RF technology—unipolar and bipolar frequencies that produce contouring.

Bipolar frequency concentrates on the top layer of the skin and the current passes through a smaller volume of tissue. This makes it ideal for more delicate areas and helps smoothen wrinkles.

Unipolar frequency penetrates deeper heating to stimulate collagen production to provide overall firming.

Tenor breaks up fatty tissues and removes fat deposits.

The third-generation of RF has the patented name of TriPollar frequency. It uses several electrodes to bring more focused RF into the skin tissue.

The Tripollar RF technology aims the energy at the targeted fat tissues and veers away from burning the other areas. Some establishments call it the Tripollar while the Belo Clinic calls it the Multipollar.

Buse says that the heating from Tenor is stronger than the Multipollar treatment. The latter can be done twice a week.

One can get a facelift with lasting and dramatic results.

 

ref: dailyinquirer

Radiofrequency for skin tightening – 4

Rejuvenation

Eyebags and hooding are reduced. “We have been using it with patients with creepy eyelids or thin skin. Thermage will tighten the eye area. After the procedure, patients will see an eyefold. They have wider eyes and look refreshed,” says Cumagun. Thermage can make lips look pouty as it reduces fine lines. Veiny, mottled hands look smoother.

There are other RF skin-tightening procedures, their heating capacity not as intense but requires several sessions nonetheless to yield the effect of one Thermage procedure such as Refirme ST, Accent, Tenor, Tripollar.

Refirme uses a patented Elos technology which combines radiofrequency and light to separate the specific area and leave the surrounding area free from possible side effects. The synergy of energies working at various degrees can reduce wrinkles or loose skin at the surface. Meanwhile it also goes deeper to stimulate collagen growth by increasing the blood flow in the targeted area.

Ref: dailyinquirer

Radiofrequency for skin tightening – 3

Patients must undergo the standard pre-surgery tests and are put under sedation.  Thermage heats up the skin up to 60 degrees. “You don’t put patients to sleep because you need to get their feedback if they can bear the heat or not. Some people find the procedure painful. Each person has a different level of tolerance.

 

“After the procedure, you can put on make-up. Some say Thermage is a non-surgical lift. That is a wrong connotation. You will not get fast results unlike a facelift. You can see immediate tightening. But if you want the real effects, you will see it after six months when there has been collagen remodeling. Thermage is great because even if you feel deep heat, it has its own cooling system. Some people find the procedure painful.”

Buse observes that the most noticeable result is that the skin appears “full”. “Previously, the skin was thin. Months after the treatment the skin is thicker.” When the cheeks get a lift, her patients feel conscious about their cherubic look. “Actually they were used to seeing sagging cheeks,” she says.

There are different tips for body, the eyes, the skin tightening and contouring for the face with various heating profiles.

Buse observes that the arms, thighs and abdomen become taut. Even the breasts and the butt get a lift. “There is visible improvement for as long as the skin is not redundant,” she notes.

Ref: dailyinquirer

Radiofrequency for skin tightening – 2

Since the ‘70s, radiofrequency energy has been used in medical procedures requiring tissue heating; it’s proven to be safe and effective. Radiofrequency current in the tissue is produced when charged particles move through a closed circuit. Passing through the skin layers, it heats up each level.

 “Radiofrequency has been used for electro coagulation to get rid of tissues, to stop bleeding or homeostasis and cautery. Now radiofrequency is used for cosmetic purposes.”

In this technology, heat is transmitted into the skin’s deep and shallow layers without harming the outer skin or causing burns.

Deep heating

Sometimes patients  don’t even know what they want. “I ask them what is their concern? If they want tightening, there is Refirme. For deeper tightening and contouring, you can have Thermage. It has volumetric heating—you heat down all the way to the dermis so the collagen contracts so there is tightening. You will see gradual improvements in the jowl lines, the nasolabial folds and even the skin texture. If you can’t afford Thermage, Refirme will give the same results after several sessions but will not last long.”

Thermage for Skin Tightening uses a patented RF technology to create an accurately managed section of heating in the dermis and the bottom tissue. A probe discharges heat on the lower layers of the skin, meanwhile the top layer of the skin is protected by a cooling device.

Heating the collagen to intense temperatures starts an organic response that elicits its contraction and thickening. This process, called denaturation, immediately delivers a clearer and more taut skin. As part of the body’s natural wound-healing defense after the deep heating, new collagen builds up so that the desired results become visible several months after the treatment.

Ref: dailyinquirer

Radiofrequency for skin tightening – 1

If you look at recent photos of some actors here in the Philippines they look younger.   While most women in their late 50s are either dealing with jowls or losing their figures.  What’s behind their still-youthful appearance? Non-invasive radiofrequency procedures for skin tightening and redraping.

This procedure is recommended for:

* Extremely busy people between 35 and 60 years old who are bothered by sagging jawline, deep laugh lines and marionette lines and puffy faces despite weight loss, moderate double chin, jowls, little rolls of fat around the girth, or mini flaps under the arms, but don’t have the time for post-surgery downtime;

* Those who fear surgery;

* Those feeling skin laxity but aren’t ready yet for the scalpel.

* Post-surgery enhancement such as improving loose skin tone after liposuction or child birth, or enhancing the facelift.

Radiofrequency (RF) or highly regulated heat source is one of the most popular “lunchtime procedures” (so called because a lunch is all it takes to have the procedure done) today.

Going skin deep

The skin has two layers—the outer layer (epidermis) and the underlying layer (dermis). The main foundation of the dermis is a protein called collagen, which holds up the skin. Over time, the body produces less collagen, resulting in wrinkling and skin slackening.

“Collagen turnover is not fast when we were younger. It takes 28 days. It becomes 45 days when we get older. We want to stimulate and wake up the cells again. This is where radiofrequency comes in. It blasts your cells to produce more collagen,” explains Eloisa Buse, managing physician of Belo Medical Group.

ref: dailyinquirer

Lipstick lessons – 2

Case in point: the Shu Uemura Rouge 769 initially came across as a gothic plum shade (perfect for a costume party). But, upon application, it turned out to be a soft, glossy mauve that made my lips look naturally even-toned and full. And now it has officially migrated from the Shu box to my purse.

To make the most out of shopping for any lip product, adapt a gung-ho attitude, keep an open mind and expect pretty results.

Know your reds. Just like finding the perfect robust red wine, it pays to be on the lookout for your best royal shade. The perfect scarlet hue varies from person to person, as skin tone, complexion acidity and different factors come to play (hence, the importance of lesson #1).

If you’re fair, a blue-based red will look just right. If you’re tan, an orange or brown-based pigment will bring out your golden tones. Whichever the case, the wonderful thing about red rouge is that it makes your teeth look whiter (my favorite reason to wear it!).

Three to try: Avon Lipstick in Cherry Jubilee, M.A.C. Viva Glam I and Shu Uemura RD 198.

Create a great base. Lipstick only looks good if it appears seamless on your kisser. If you find mini-grooves and indentations on the pigment, it’s time to exfoliate and condition: Mix a little sugar and lip balm on your palm, and work this paste on your lips. Wipe off and rinse, then finish with a coat of thick balm.

Let it sit overnight, and wake up to a pillowy, pampered pout—the best canvas for an ever-growing lipstick collection.

Ref: dailyinquirer

Lipstick lessons – 1

If I were to name this periwinkle box filled with beauty trinkets, I would call it the ‘Shu box’—as most of what’s inside are pieces from Shu Uemura’s previous makeup collections, thoughtfully collected during my years as a full-time beauty editor.

Whenever I feel like eyeing some serious cosmetic candy, I open this box and peruse every item, just like one would upon unearthing the contents of a time capsule.

What usually happens is, I ooh and ahh at its marvelous contents, close it shortly afterward and store for the next viewing.

But last weekend, I mustered enough courage to actually break in some lipsticks and get them out of their packaging (such a pity to smudge the shiny tops!). What started as a simple experiment (ensuring these tubes weren’t expired) became a full-fledged lip color tutorial.

Here are some rouge lessons I’ve picked up along the way:

Never judge a lipstick by the tube. To maximize the full potential of a great lip tint, you MUST swipe it on your lips. The shade on the tube varies from the actual tinge on your mouth.

Ref: dailyinquirer