Skin Fanatics - Blog

Holiday Skin 911

12/18/2015

The holidays are all about family, friends and fun, but all that indulging and traveling can cause your skin to freak out. Arm yourself with the antidotes to the most common holiday-related beauty problems so that you’re full prepared in case any one of these makes an unexpected visit.

You go somewhere cold and your skin becomes red.
Chances are, your skin has succumbed to the effects of a sunburn (yes, it can happen in cold weather too) or windburn. Whenever the skin’s ability to protect itself is compromised by the environment, it goes into defense mode and tries to safeguard itself. “Essentially, the skin has experienced trauma to the superficial layer and some of the ceramides have been lost, so it can’t protect itself as well,” says New York dermatologist Hooman Khorasani, MD. “It becomes dehydrated and exposed to allergens and pathogens, causing an inflammatory response, which leads to redness.”
How to fix it:
Gently feed skin with oils and vitamins, which will nurture inflamed skin. You can apply a hydrating cream which can contain aloe, oats and chamomile to soothe skin.

You load up on salty foods and your eyes becomes puffy.
Salt is notorious for leaving the skin, especially the eyes, looking puffy come morning. Consuming too much salt can cause the skin to retain water, resulting in a puffy look.
How to fix it:
You can always apply cold spoons or a chilled face mask to problem areas, or you can layer on an anti-puff cream or gel. For an added bonus and even quicker de-puffying results, keep it in the fridge so it is nice and cold.

You’ve had one too many desserts and you're starting to break out.
There’s never a good time for a breakout, and the holidays could be one of the worst times for one. While it may seem like they pop up over night, pimples actually take days, if not weeks, to manifest on the skin because they are the result of oil mixed with dead skin and bacteria.
How to fix it:
To prevent a blemish from becoming larger, redder or more painful, don’t pick at it. Apply an anti-acne spot treatment or cortisone to the area. If it doesn’t seem to dwindle in size, your esthetician can give you a deep cleanse which takes it down fast.

Your skin is dry and dull due to too much traveling.
Airplanes and major climate changes (going more from warm to cold) can wreak havoc on your skin, making it dry and flaky. Not only will your makeup not go on smoothly, but if you don’t tackle it head on, the dryness can also lead to dehydration.
How to fix it:
First off, gently exfoliate any dead skin that you can see on the surface of your skin to remove it. Then, load up on a moisturizer that’s appropriate for your skin type. For an added dose of hydration, try a hydrating mask, or go see your esthetician! A facial can clear all of that right up!

Skin Care Do's and Don'ts!

12/11/2015

We’ve all experienced it. A dreaded time in our lives where our skin wasn’t the most flattering. Unless you’re one of those select individuals who were blessed with beautiful skin from birth and if that’s the case then forget you! What exactly is it that causes our skin to go from healthy to monstrous in only a short period of time?
Here are some helpful skin care do’s and don’ts to abide by to help keep your skin looking healthy and flawless day in and day out!
Skin Care DOS

Drink Plenty of Water – Water is essential for a healthy complexion. H2O flushes out the toxins in your body and keeps the rest of your insides on track and working properly. Your skin is the very last organ to receive nutrients and nourishment from water. Meaning that in stressful situations and during these summer months especially, you have to drink even more water than you normally would! How much water should you be drinking? Take your body weight and divide it in half- that is how many ounces of water you should be taking in daily.
Moisturize – Moisturizer is one of the most important beauty products out there. Whether it be for the face or for the body, keeping your skin moisturized will combat multiple skin concerns down the road. Using an overnight moisturizer is a great way to stay consistently hydrated. Skin cell regeneration works faster overnight so using a nighttime moisturizer before bed is sure to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy.
Exfoliate – Weekly exfoliation is a must to remove old dead skin cells and to make room for new cell regeneration. Using an exfoliation scrub gently once or twice a week can help to keep your skin glowing. Be cautious with exfoliation though, too much can make your skin over sensitive and irritated quickly! Try using a Clarisonic a few days a week to ease into exfoliation if your skin gets sensitive easily.
Get a Facial – Instead of trying a DIY facial treatment let the experts give you the advice and treatment. Make sure you do your research before selecting a spa for your facial. Allowing someone to work on your skin can be a frightening thought but if you find a well recommended spa you should be fear free. If this is your first time doing a treatment start with a basic facial and let the esthetician recommend where you should go with your next one – maybe aiming more towards anti-aging or acne fighting masks and treatments in your next visit.
Eat Healthy – Just as our mothers told us growing up “You need to eat your veggies!” – If you’re anything like me and can’t sit down and eat a plain and dry salad try an alternative like juicing. Natural juices are full of vitamins, anti-oxidants and nutrients that help increase blood flow as well as total cell turnover and regeneration making for the healthiest complexion!
Use SPF Protection – SPF should be worn daily on all skin types – even in the winter! SPF will fight the damaging effects of UVA and UVB rays on your skin. You can mix an SPF with your daily moisturizer or find a moisturizer with SPF already in it. My all time favorite SPF is by SkinCeuticals and is the Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50. I mix the SPF with my daily moisturizer to ensure I have really good coverage and protection from the sun.

Skin Care DON’TS

Don’t Over Do It – Don’t go overboard with your skin care routine. Keeping it as simple as possible will ensure a healthy complexion. Testing out too many serums and constantly changing your skin care routine will irritate your skin. Find one routine that works best for your skin type and stick to that for as long as possible! This will help to keep your skin balanced and happy. You really only need to wash your face once a day – washing twice a day can also be over doing it.
Don’t Always Trust Pinterest – Although Pinterest is one of my very favorite addictions and I do find some really good DIY ideas – it isn’t the most ideal place to find skin care advice. I will admit I have tried some really awesome masks but it is important to be aware of which at-home ingredients are helpful and which could be harmful. Proceed with caution when you see vinegar, spices, hydrogen peroxide, egg whites and or citrus in the recipes.

Don’t Drink Too Much Coffee – My one vise is my worst enemy. One cup of coffee a day can be beneficial but too many Starbucks trips in one week (or one day for some of us) can be dehydrating on the skin. Our skin needs all the water and hydration it can get, especially in the heat of summer so try to limit your coffee intake as much as physically possible for your lifestyle.
Don’t Over Exfoliate – Doing a once or twice a week exfoliation to remove dead skin cells is a great way to keep your skin healthy. Over doing this can give you reverse effects. Avoid using harsh scrubs that will make the skin irritated and vulnerable. If you have oily skin you can handle more exfoliation per week but if you tend to have dry/normal skin stick to once or twice a week max!
Don’t Touch Your Face – This is easier said than done especially if you have a blemish that you can’t help but pester. The more that you touch your face the more problems that will arise. When you touch your face with unclean hands you are pulling bacteria from your dirty hands to your face and causing more fuel for the blemishes. Keep your hands off your face at all costs and do not pick or pop any blemishes! Again with the easier said than done but doing so will result in scarring- leaving you with bigger problems than a measly ol’ pimple.

Do You STILL Have Acne With a Dermatologist Prescription?

12/4/2015

Having acne, whether severe or mild is certainly frustrating to deal with, but luckily there are many trusted skin professionals out there who specialize in treating this skin condition. The two most common professionals that people reach out to for this condition are estheticians, and dermatologists, but the technique for each can be quite different. So who should you see to get rid of your acne?
Recently, I had a first-time client who I gave a skin treatment to and she told me that she had battled terrible cystic acne in the chin and jawline area (those hard, sore, infected bumps under the skin that linger for weeks), and then came across this blog post that talked about how eating too much dairy might be the cause of cystic acne. So, as someone who gets a lot of dairy in her diet, she decided to follow my advice and cut it out for two weeks to see if there would be improvement. Sure enough, she didn’t get any new cysts at all. She had been on antibiotics several times in the past and while this did give some improvement, as soon as she went off of the pills, it would come right back. She was absolutely ecstatic that cutting out dairy (even though she loves cheese and yogurt) cured her of acne cysts. A few months later, she went to see her dermatologist to get her annual skin cancer screening check and mentioned to him that she had cut out dairy and her cysts completely disappeared for which he replied, “No, that can’t be, foods have no effect on your skin, that’s just a myth.” She certainly didn’t believe this, so she shared this story with me and it got me thinking about how completely different the approach can be that as an esthetician, I take when treating acne clients versus a dermatologist.
A traditional dermatologist has the ability to prescribe medications for treating not only acne, but many other skin conditions. Their world revolves so much around handing out prescriptions that they don’t necessarily have to research other non-prescription alternatives since they do know that pills will do the trick. Prescription medications can certainly work, and there are times when I will refer a client to get on prescriptions to support what I’m doing to treat their skin. However, they are often just a Band-Aid for an underlying issue for which I believe should be explored.

A lot of people don't necessarily agree with being put on medication for acne, since medication in a lot of cases can start causing more symptoms and problems than the one it was designed to fix. If your acne is painful, causing you health problems, or making you feel bad about yourself, come see us! We can help you get rid of that stuff without damaging your skin further while giving you healthy and natural ways to do it!

EAT Those Thanksgiving Leftovers!

11/27/2015

Thanksgiving is the one meal of the year where we’re actually encouraged to indulge — when it’s okay to wear elastic-waist pants to the dinner table, and to get second (and third) helpings. That said, this is one meal that can be about more than just calories: Thanksgiving features tons of vitamin-packed foods that can do wonders for your skin and hair.
So, fill up a plate (or three!) with these five foods and reap the beauty benefits of your Thanksgiving dinner.

1. Sweet Potatoes
These orange beauties are filled with vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C (along with a slew of other great-for-you minerals). According to nutritionist Elisa Zied, author of YOUNGER NEXT WEEK: Your Ultimate Rx to Reverse the Clock, Boost Energy and Look and Feel Younger in 7 Days, the trifecta of vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin C can really make your skin glow — vitamin C, especially, boosts your body’s collagen production, and one study showed that it can even contribute to fewer wrinkles and less dry skin.

2. Pumpkin
Rich in vitamin B3, this squash can minimize dark spots and increase production of both fatty acids and ceramides, which keep skin cells hydrated. To truly reap the skin-boosting benefits, try to eat a dish or dessert containing real pumpkin, not just the canned filling used to make most pies.

3. Cranberries
Homemade cranberry sauce (not canned!) is rich in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C. Interestingly enough, the bacteria-blockers that make cranberries a go-to food for fighting UTIs can also help acne-prone skin. Who knew?

4. Green Beans
Zied says that this veggie is also rich in antioxidants, and is also an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, and manganese. Manganese is especially important, and largely overlooked, for its beauty benefits: This essential trace mineral, which can be obtained only through our diets, helps build collagen and protect from free radicals.

5. Pecans
Filled with healthy monounsaturated fat, these nuts are one of the richest sources of antioxidants around. Packed with zinc, they also help maintain healthy skin and hair. Put ‘em in a pie or just have a bowl handy to keep pre-meal hunger pangs at bay.

Tips and Tricks On How To Get Rid of Dry Skin

11/20/2015

Dry skin is a very prominent problem in this state, mostly because Colorado is so dry. 8.4 million Americans suffer from dry skin at some point in their lives, and it often occurs in the worst of places : Face, hands, feet, elbows, knees, and shins!

Most commonly, people get seasonal dry skin. This has to do with the cold dry air and wind outside, mixed with the warm air inside. The low humidity sucks the moisture out of your skin, and therefore you'll be left with dry patches, itchiness, and worst of all, skin cracks! Sometimes it can be caused by winter clothing, as wool is known to be a very common skin irritant. The UV rays from the sun are drying you out even when you can barely feel it, and sometimes those hot baths make your skin look worse! Most of this has to do with moisture loss.

After looking into what causes dry skin, you can try these things to keep yourself hydrated and healthy. Eating and drinking is the first and easiest step. Salmon is great when it's cold out because it contains Omega-3 which repairs skin cell membranes and can help to lock in moisture. Drinking water is also very important, but if you don't want to drink water all the time, try green tea!

You're going to want to avoid really hot baths or showers, and you'll always want to apply lotion after your showers. To keep moisture locked in, try to shower every other day.

You can also use moisturizing soaps, but try to keep exfoliating to a minimum. Anything infused with aloe or honey will normally work wonders as long as they are sulfate free!

Don't scrub your dry patches! The best you can do for them is keep them moisturized, especially lips. a sealing moisturizer and a toner will do wonders for your skin.

A humidifier can do you wonders in your home. This can be used as a preventative measure as well as a quick fix to mildly dry skin. Humidity moisturizes your skin while it keeps your pores clean.

Nano Needling

11/13/2015

If you didn't know about our new anti-aging treatment, here's some info!

It all started with a tattoo. Regardless if you love them or hate them, tattoos have been around for thousands of years. And for thousands of years when people tattooed, something magical happened during the needling process. Mother nature was creating new skin! But no one noticed, because the miracle was hidden by ink. Who would have known that the tiny injuries caused by a tattoo gun could lead to skin renewal? This is the basic foundation of nano needling. Dr Fernandus discovered that on occasion aggressive needling with a tattoo gun could cause scarring instead of renewal and developed crude but effective needle stamps. This was soon followed by the derma roller with it’s micro needles. Because of the derma roller and the effective results of collagen induction, skin needling as a cosmetic process was in it’s infancy worldwide.
Now, thousands of clinical tests and procedures later, technology and cosmetic chemistry has taken percutaneous collagen induction to a very precise, effective procedure to correct and renew skin. Through the invention of the Nano needle pen, and ultra thin disposable nano needle matrix cartridges and advances in safe Nanoskin cosmeceutical actives and serums it is now possible for any person concerned about their skin to get a Nano Needling facial as easy as it is to go for a hair cut. When science and nature joins forces, expect to meet thy younger self!

It sounds painful right? Wrong. Technology has evolved so much since the beginning of nano needling, and now there is virtually no pain. There is no downtime, and you will see immediate results! We use the Milagro nano needler and all of its products as these are the most precise tools out there.

We currently offer 4 different nano treatments specifically designed for Acne, Scarring, Anti-Aging, and skin Lightening. These services are short and quick, and they produce results instantly whereas a normal facial takes a few visits to fix everything.

Just take a look at these results and you can decide for yourself if you'd like to do a consultation! Before pictures to the left and After pictures to the right. Top row is an Anti-Aging treatment, and the Bottom is an acne/scarring treatment.

10 Cold Weather Skin Care Tips

11/6/2015

We all must come to terms with it -- Winter is coming.

Now this is one of the hardest times for your skin, and it's when most people feel the worst. You're totally dried out, you're cold, your socks are wet for no reason, and worst of all, it's getting dark at like 5:30.

Feeling your best comes with taking care of yourself, and winter is the most important time to keep up with yourself.

The winter has so many strange effects on your skin, and we're going to help.

The first thing you should do is seek a specialist because it is VERY rare to go to a drugstore for skin products and have a salesperson know exactly what they're talking about. We do consultations here at Skin Fanatics, and we will be able to recommend products specialized for your skin type. We can also figure out what you may already be currently doing wrong, and help you figure out a new skin care regimen.

Secondly, you need to be moisturizing, and moisturizing A LOT. Winter is DRY and your skin doesn't have to reflect that. A moisturizer that works well in the summer will not work in the winter, so it's important to find one that will. lotions will be great but we recommend essential oils as well. Choose your oils with care because not all oils are appropriate for the face. Instead, look for "nonclogging" oils, like avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil. Shea oil -- or butter -- is controversial, because it can clog facial pores.

Third, believe it or not, you still need that sunscreen. look for that broad spectrum sunscreen and apply 30 minutes before you leave home. The reason is that winter sun combined with snow-glare can damage or (in the case of Colorado) burn your skin!

Fourth, protect your hands. Hands don't produce as many oils as the rest of your body, so it's important to keep them warm and protected to prevent cracking.

Fifth, if your socks or gloves get wet, change them! The moisture combined with the fabric of your socks or gloves can both irritate and dry out your skin. I keep an extra pair of socks and gloves in my car for this reason. Nobody likes wet socks!

Sixth, keep a humidifier running on low. Winter humidity in Colorado is at times lower than 10%, which is absolutely awful for your body as well as your skin. The humidifier will help keep your skin from drying out.

Seventh, Drink water. This is more important for your body than for your skin, because once again, winter is the driest season, and if your body is thirsty, you will feel like crap, and then your skin will start to fall too.

Eighth, keep your feet moisturized. Most foot creams are good for summertime, so you'll need the heavy duty stuff. Try finding lotions that contain petroleum jelly or glycerine instead. And use exfoliants to get the dead skin off periodically; that helps any moisturizers you use to sink in faster and deeper.

Ninth, If your facial skin is uncomfortably dry, avoid using harsh peels, masks, and alcohol-based toners or astringents, all of which can strip vital oil from your skin. Instead, find a cleansing milk or mild foaming cleanser, a toner with no alcohol, and masks that are "deeply hydrating," rather than clay-based, which tends to draw moisture out of the face. And use them a little less often.

And last at Number 10, NO super hot baths! The intense heat of a hot shower or bath actually breaks down the lipid barriers in the skin, which can lead to a loss of moisture. "You're better off with just warm water," LaPlante advises, "and staying in the water a shorter amount of time."

Permanent Make-Up Stigma

10/30/2015

Let's talk about permanent make-up.

There is A LOT of misinformation out there about it, yet it's still something we like to think about. Who can beat waking up looking and feeling like a goddess? It's clear that there are a lot of pros to the process, but most people only weigh on the cons.

The pros are easy. They save you time and money in the long run, and if you have make-up allergies, the tattoos make that problem a thing of the past. Overall, a lot of people with permanent make-up say that they just feel better. There is no need to smother the skin on your face when you've got permanent make-up, and after a while, your skin will clear up the way it would be if we weren't constantly suffocating our pores.

Now the cons are fairly simple as well. Obviously you need someone who is licensed to do it, and you need to look at their work before you even consider it. There are a lot of horror stories out there by people who didn't look into where they were going to get their eyebrows done, and they turned out like this:

THAT is where the negative stigma comes from. The fact of the matter is that nobody notices the good jobs because they look 100% natural. People will ONLY notice the bad jobs because they stick out. All it takes is research to find a place that won't ruin your face.

At Skin Fanatics, we specialize in natural brows and liner. If your eyebrows are gone, we can put them back on there and make it look like natural hair, hair that hasn't even fallen out. We do natural hair strokes to make it look as real as it can get. We also specialize in eyeliner, for those of you that don't like to do it or can't get your wings even in the morning!

Permanent make-up doesn't have to be a bad thing! The stigma is far too negative for something this great! Take a look at some of my work below.

Probiotics and Acne

10/23/2015

We see a lot of people here at Skin Fanatics with one big problem: Acne.

Acne is the cause of so much insecurity in people, as it can be very painful, and a lot of it can cause much discomfort in a social setting. As much as we like to take a dermatologists word for law, some of the things they prescribe only make the problem worse.

Don't get us wrong, in some cases, the medicine they provide clears people up. However, in the long term, it can make the problem worse. These medicines don't affect the root of the problem; as these medicines are designed to treat the symptoms.

In many cases, acne can be at least partially traced back to problems in the gut, and taking probiotics to treat acne may be one of the most important things you can do.

Your body is made up of hundreds of trillions of bacteria. Most of us think of bacteria as a bad thing, but your body (and particularly your gut) is also made up of good bacteria which is absolutely essential to your health and wellbeing.

The good bacteria in your gut help you digest your food and absorb nutrients, boost your immune system, and eat up bad bacteria. They also help you to avoid digestive issues like diarrhea, constipation, IBS, lactose intolerance, and leaky gut.

When your gut is in balance, the good bacteria should outnumber the bad guys about 5 to 1, but when this is not the case, the bad bacteria can cause a host of gut issues – and since our body is holistic, the issues can stem out from there to the rest of the body and wreak havoc.

The skin is particularly linked to the gut and a poor bacterial balance can heavily promote inflammation in the skin. For a lot of people with acne, fixing up this ratio in the gut can go a HUGE way to clearing your skin.
Plus it will mean you can absorb and utilize your food much better, and make your body stronger overall – which means you can get away with “abusing” it a lot more (indulging in unhealthy foods, skipping nights of sleep, etc) without causing break outs.

What we recommend is 55 billion cfu of probiotic daily. This amount of good bacteria will change your life and turn your skin around. Keep in mind that this is the bacteria found in yogurt and MUST be kept refrigerated. Changing your diet and making sure the good bacteria is large and in charge will change the way your skin looks and feels much more drastically that anything a dermatologist can prescribe. After all, to look good on the outside, you have to feel good on the inside!

source: http://thelovevitamin.com/14129/probiotics-acne/

What About Water?

10/16/2015

You may have heard all the hubbub about how beneficial water is for the body, but you may still be looking for results. The fact of the matter is that water is what makes your body work!

Your body is made up of 70% water. All of this water is necessary for each and every function your body has. It assists in everything from keeping the body cool, to bowel movements, to healthy, clean and clear skin. You can't survive even 3 days without water.

Why water instead of soda? Have you ever frozen soda by accident trying to make it cold faster and forgot about it? If you have, you've probably noticed that the water froze, but there's still a bunch of liquid in there, right? This liquid is poison! It's nothing but concentrated sugar syrups and food coloring! Every time you drink a soda, you may feel less thirsty, but your body gets dehydrated because it has to work double time to break down all of those bad carbs and sugars.

These carbs and sugars are fattening as well as really bad for your skin. These sugars can cause huge breakouts on your skin in all kinds of places. Soda in moderation is absolutely okay, but if it's over 50% of the liquid you take in, your skin is going to be miserable.

If you care about your health and your skin, water is the way to go. Water can give your skin a natural glow and help your body run more efficiently to keep it that way, and here's why:

Just like the other organs of our body, skin is also made of several cells. Skin cells like any other organ cells require water to function properly. Some of the benefits of water to the skin include:
1. Water is essential to maintain the optimum skin moisture and deliver essential nutrients to the skin cells. It replenishes the skin tissue and increases its elasticity. This helps delay the appearance of signs of ageing like wrinkles and fine lines.
2. Water is a perfect replacement for your expensive anti-ageing treatments. It keeps the skin well hydrated and glistening, thereby, enhancing the complexion.For soft and supple skin, drinking an adequate amount of water is more important than applying topical creams.
3. Drinking enough water combats skin disorders like psoriasis, wrinkles and eczema. It also increases the metabolic rate and improves digestive system to flush out toxins from the body. This in turn gives you a healthy and glowing skin.
4. A nice cold shower and a relaxing bath calm the nerves and reduce the stress related damage to the skin. Soak your entire body in cold water for 2 to 3 minutes to rejuvenate the skin. Long exposure of the skin to water can strip off the natural oils, so don’t stretch your bathing or shower duration.
5. Cold water bath eliminates redness of the skin and sets the skin for better makeup application. After opening the pores by washing them with warm water, you can seal them by splashing with cold water. Cold water tightens the pores and prevents them from getting clogged. It reduces the appearance of acne.
6. A cold water compress can also help to reduce under-eye inflammation. As the water evaporates from the skin, the surface becomes cooler. Splashing cold water on the eyes can also reduce eye puffiness. There are plenty of water-rich eye gels which you can use for a long-term solution.

source: http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-water-for-skin-hair-and-health/