The Year of New Skin!

With the new year and new decade upon us, I realized that in a whirlwind 2009 left us and it's been a while since my last post. One of my resolutions for 2010 - keep up on this blog not only for me, but to help keep you informed!

So let's start out this new year and new decade fresh faced...we resolve to have our best skin yet!

Resolution #1: I will wear sunscreen every day - 365 or 66 days a year!

By now, I'm sure you've had this drilled into your head about how important it is to wear sunscreen EVERY day. But, just in case, let's review some key points. Sun exposure, even 15 minutes can damage skin and lead to fine lines, loss of elastiscity and discoloration down the road. Sun exposure is cumulative, meaning you won't see the effects of today's sun. When you do see it, it's already too late. Wearing a broad-spectrum SPF 30 will help maintain the shape of your skin. Do I even need to mention the risk of skin cancer you're subjecting yourself to? For tips on skin cancer screenings, you can read an article that I was interviewd for: http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/berwyn/news/x541365925/Skin-cancer-among-most-common-deadly-diseases



Resolution #2: I will wash and moisturize my face morning and night.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? You would be amazed at how many female patients tell me that they either a.) don't wash their face at night, or b.) don't use a moisturizer at night after washing. This might be considered a cardinal sin of skin care! Never, never, never, EVER, sleep in your makeup. Even non-comedogenic make-up will clog your pores if you don't take it off. If you don't have a skin care routine, 2010 is the perfect starting point! Begin with a gentle basic cleanser (one that doesn't foam or contain salisylic, glycolic, or benzoyl peroxide). If after cleaning your face, you feel dry, tight and squeaky clean, you have gone too far! Windows should look dry and squeaky clean, not your skin. When cleansers do this, they initiate a process that signals oil glands to compensate for the lack of moisture, regardless if you put moisturizer on afterwards. You might end up waking in the morning with an oil slick on your face, and start the entire vicious cycle over again.

After washing, apply a moisturizer with some kind of antioxidant like Vitamin C or Green Tea to help ward off free radicals. Obviously, ending the morning routine with sunscreen. Once you get the morning and evening routine down pat, you may want to start investing additional skin care products or treatments. Consult with you Dermatologist or Esthetician for products suited to your skin type and needs.



Resolution #3: I will use an eye cream

The truth is in your eyes! They are also the first to show signs of aging because the skin around the eyes is the most fragile on the face. They get puffy when we cry, dark when we don't sleep, and saggy when we age. Using the same lotion on our eyes that we use for our face might seem logical, but in reality the particles are too large for the skin cells around our eyes. So really you are aging yourself faster! Use an cream specifically formulated for eyes and take whatever they tout with a grain of salt. Better than Botox? Hardley, but it will hydrate the skin around the eyes correcting some of the lines caused by dehydration. Keep that youthful look and fool those around you by using an eye cream.



Resolution #4: Don't sweat the small stuff
Easier said than done...I realize this. But maybe knowing this will help in your times of stress or distress: When you stress your body releases a stress h ormone, cortisol. This hormone reeks havoc on your oil glands, stimulating them to produce oil and clog pores causing acne or other skin problems. Stress can also age you faster. So this year resolve to take time out for yourself! Get a facial, take that yoga class, grab a girlfriend and go on that trip. You've worked hard this past year...you deserve it!

I wish you all the very best skin possible in this new year! Don't be in the dark...practice safe sun!

Sincerely,
Bella Derma

Debunking Sunscreens

Sunscreens work by absorbing, reflecting, or scattering the sun's rays on the skin. They are available in many forms, including ointments, creams, gels, lotions, sprays, and wax sticks. SPF, sun protection factor, is misleading because it is a measure of UVB rays only. Basically, it measures how long it will take for UVB rays to redden the skin. So for instance, SPF 15 means that it will take the sun 15 times longer to redden the skin than without sunscreen. A SPF 15 shields about 93% of UVB rays, whereas SPF 30 blocks 97%, and SPF 50 blocks 98%.

A few years ago, both scientists and dermatologists noticed that even though people were wearing SPF 15 or higher everyday, the incidence of skin cancer was still on the rise. It is now a known fact that UVA rays (aging, cancer causing rays) penetrate the skin deeper than UVB rays. The sunscreens that were traditionally used, only blocked UVB rays (the thought was that both rays penetrated the skin at the same depth, SPF’s protected the skin entirely)

New generation sunscreens have emerged on the market. These are considered broad-spectrum sunscreens, which protect against both UVA and UVB rays. They also do a better job of protecting skin from other effects of the sun including photo damage, photodermatitis, and rashes from the sun. Broad-spectrum sunscreens contain ingredients such as avobenzone, Mexoryl, oxybenzone, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide.

The FDA is currently in the process creating a regulation that rates UVA protection of sunscreens. Under this regulation, there will be a four-star rating system that informs consumers how well the product protects them against UVA light; 1-star representing low UVA protection and 4-stars containing the highest protection available in an over-the-counter product.

Common myths

Wearing sunscreen can cause vitamin D deficiency.
There is some controversy regarding this issue, but no studies have shown that sunscreens cause vitamin D deficiency. Also, vitamin D is available in dietary supplements and foods such as salmon and eggs, as well as enriched milk and orange juice.

If it's cold or cloudy outside, you don't need sunscreen.
This is not true. Up to 40 percent of the sun's ultraviolet radiation reaches the earth on a completely cloudy day. This misperception often leads to the most serious sunburns, because people spend all day outdoors with no protection from the sun. Also, don't forget that 95% of the suns UV rays are reflected off the snow - that's double duty sun exposure

80 percent of your sun exposure comes as a child, so it's too late to do anything now.
It appears that this universally promoted idea was based largely on a misinterpretation. A recent multi-center study showed that we get less than 25 percent of our total sun exposure by age 18. In fact, it is men over the age of 40 who spend the most time outdoors, and get the highest annual doses of UV rays. And since adult Americans are living longer and spending more leisure time outdoors, preventing ongoing skin damage will continue to be an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

Are You Sun Smart?

Understanding UV Rays…
The sun is becoming a “hot” topic these days as more and more people put sunscreens under scrutiny. Most of this controversy stems from the UV rays that the sun emits. The sun emits three different types of rays: UVA (long-wave), UVB (short-wave), and UVC, which never penetrate the ozone.

Our understanding of exactly what kinds of damage UV rays cause the skin, and how best to protect ourselves, seems to shift every year as new research comes out. For example, it was once thought that only UVB was of concern, but we keep learning more and more about the damage caused by UVA.

UVA rays (Aging Rays)
We are exposed to UVA rays at an equal intensity throughout the day and all year round. This type of sun ray accounts for 95% of the UV radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, and can penetrate clouds and glass.

UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays, which plays a major part in skin aging and wrinkling. UVA damages skin cells called keratinocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis, where most skin cancers occur. (Basal and squamous cells are types of keratinocytes.) UVA contributes to and may even initiate the development of skin cancers.

UVA is the dominant tanning ray, and we now know that tanning, whether outdoors or in a salon, causes cumulative damage over time. A tan results from injury to the skin’s DNA; the skin darkens in an imperfect attempt to prevent further DNA damage. These imperfections, or mutations, can lead to skin cancer. The high-pressure sunlamps used in tanning salons emit doses of UVA as much as 12 times that of the sun. Not surprisingly, people who use tanning salons are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma, and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma. According to recent research, first exposure to tanning beds in youth increases melanoma risk by 75 percent.

UVB Rays (Burning Rays)
UVB, the chief cause of skin reddening and sunburn, tends to damage the skin’s more superficial epidermal layers. Its intensity varies by season, location (greater by the equator and high elevations), and time of day. The most significant amount of UVB hits the U.S. between 10 AM and 4 PM from April to October. However, UVB rays can burn and damage your skin year-round, especially at high altitudes and on reflective surfaces such as snow or ice, which bounce back up to 85 percent of the rays. Going outside in the winter after a fresh snowfall means you’re getting twice the amount of sun rays to your skin! That’s damaging your skin twice as fast!!!


Protection Your Skin!
Protect yourself from UV radiation, both indoors and out. Always seek the shade outdoors, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM. Don’t forget that UVA penetrates glass, so you are still exposing yourself to dangerous UV rays when driving or sitting by windows.
Outdoors, dress to limit UV exposure: Special sun-protective clothes with UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) indicate how much UV radiation can penetrate the fabric; the higher the UPF, the better. A shirt with an UPF of 30, for example, means that just 1/30th of the sun’s UV radiation can reach the skin. Bright- or dark-colored, lustrous clothes reflect more UV radiation than do pastels and bleached cottons; and tightly woven, loose-fitting clothes provide more of a barrier between your skin and the sun. Finally, broad-brimmed hats and UV-blocking sunglasses help shield the sensitive skin on your head, neck, and around the eyes — areas that usually sustain a lot of sun damage. Sunglasses are our eyes only protection from the sun harmful rays. UVB rays have also been known to cause cataracts and melanoma on the iris.

Using these guidelines a little common sense will help to decrease your risk of skin cancer.

Stay tuned for our next topic…SPF factors and what they protect!

May is Melanoma Month - Have You Had Your Skin Checked?

Skin cancer is on the rise and is developing in younger people. The good thing is that many cases of skin cancer are preventable. All it takes is a being sun savvy and educated on our parts to prevent the disease.

I’ve listed the top three facts about skin cancer that I think you should know.

1. More than 90% of skin cancer is caused by sun exposure.
The UV rays of the sun are responsible for non-melanoma skin cancers. Unprotected exposure to these rays can be from being outdoors, tanning booths, and even through your car or home windows.

2. Skin cancer accounts for more than 50% of all cancers combined.
Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among men and women.

3. More than one million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year.
The American Cancer Society estimates that 1.5 million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year.

Throughout this month, I’ll be posting tips and facts about skin cancer and what you can do to prevent it. So stay tuned!

As the Seasons Change So Should Your Skincare

As we ever so slowly transition into Spring, you should start thinking about revamping your skin care routine. During the winter months, the skin can become very dry and dull, which requires heavy moisturizers. However, as the temperature rises, so does the amount of oil our glands produce. Even the driest of skin types may need a just light moisturizer. Here are the top 5 ways to rejuvenate your skin to bring out the best in your complexion:

1.) Spring and summer involves showing some skin, so we need to prepare for its upcoming debut. Take time to look at the skin in the daylight. Humidity can cause them to become oily. Oily skin must be kept in check to not cause breakouts with the return of warmer weather. You might want to switch to a hydrating serum. These products are very lightweight and deliver a powerful dose of nourishing ingredients without all the heavy creams. Dry or combination skin can withstand a light moisturizer even with the most humid of climates. Blotting papers come in handy to rid your skin of excess oils.

2.) Begin a weekly at home exfoliating regiment in conjunction with a monthly chemical peel. After a harsh winter, your skin is begging for some relief and rejuvenation. Chemical peels are great to rid your skin of all the dead dry cells that you accumulate throughout the winter. It provides your skin with a blank canvas so that the products you use penetrate the skin with a greater ability, giving you the maximum efficacy of the active ingredients.

3.) Be meticulous about sun protection (though you should be doing this ALL year-round). Make sure you’re applying sunscreen to all exposed areas 20 to 30 minutes before heading outdoors, and reapplying every two hours. SPF 30 or higher will provide you with the protection you need against the harmful and cancer causing UV rays.

4.) Use Self-Tanners. Many of you like to go to the tanning salons to work on your “base tans” in hopes of preventing any real damage come summertime. I hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as a safe tan. Any change in skin color from UV rays is damage, and more importantly putting you at a greater risk for skin cancer. So fake it with self tanning lotions or get an airbrush tan. It’s easy to apply and the products are more refined so that the “distinct smell” is barely there.

5.) Give your skin a check! After your skin has been in hibernation for a good portion of the year, make sure there aren’t any new spots or moles that might have changed. Have you skin checked by a professional at least once a year. You can check out the American Academy of Dermatology website for locations that offer free skin screenings. http://www.aad.org/.

Spring is a great time to prepare your skin. It’s time to peel off those layers of clothes and show off that skin within for the new season!

The Road To The Final Four!

As March Madness is winding down and the final four teams head out to Detroit in what seems to be an exciting end to the touney, I started thinking…what top 4 skin care products would make the cut that everyone could benefit from, male and female?

The Fighting Antioxidants…
I’ve talked about how important these are in a previous post. They help to fight free radicals (cell destroyers/agers). Using a vitamin C, Green Tea, or any other antioxidant really helps to keep the skin supple and youthful.

The Mighty Exfoliators…
By helping to remove this dull layer of dead skin cells, exfoliation improves the texture of skin, unclogs pores, and can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. In addition, it can prevent ingrown hairs and acne scarring. Exfoliation is important for men as it exposes the hair follicles, allowing a better shave.

Exfoliation can be done through chemical or mechanical methods. Chemical exfoliation methods usually involve acids. Alpha hydroxy acids, some of the more widely used acids, include glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, mandelic acid and tartaric acid. Beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid, can also be used however those who are pregnant or breast feeding should stay away from this type of acid. These substances loosen the bonds between cells in the outer, dead layer of skin, which speeds up the normal shedding process and helps with exfoliation.

Mechanical exfoliation techniques use abrasive items such as rough cloths, sponges, brushes or pads, or scrubs including pumice, sugar or salt crystals, polyethylene beads, crushed grape seed, ground fruit pits, oatmeal, ground almonds and other coarse materials.

Because of the wide array of exfoliation methods available, it is very important to determine what type of method would be best for your skin type before beginning the use of an exfoliant, particularly if you have sensitive skin. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

The Retinoid Rebels…
Retinoic Acid (a derivative of Vitamin A) is known as a cell communicating agent because it encourages skin cells to communicate and function normally. This is a process that is often interrupted during the aging process. When retinoids help skin to function normally, skin derives a number of benefits including:

• An increase in new skin cells due to an increase in cell turnover at the top layer of skin. Skin looks brighter and smoother
• Smoother, plumper skin due to an increase in collagen production
• A reduction in pore size because they can penetrate oil glands and help to unclog pores
• A reduction in skin pigmentation associated with sun damage or other hyperpigmentation disorders such as Melasma
• Protection against free radical damage due to its antioxidant action.

Retinoids are an integral part of any anti aging skin care regimen because their regular use results in skin that is tighter, smoother, brighter and blemish free.

The Cleansing Tide…
A good face cleanser provides several benefits to people using them. It helps in gentle removal of dirt and debris, prevents oil secretion in the face, provides a calm and soothing sensation to the skin, eliminates surface bacteria, imparts new and fresh skin texture, and removes excess toxins from the skin.

If it’s winter, the cleansers stop your facial skin from cracking and if its summer the cleansers prevent your skin from secreting excessive oil. But you have to regularly use the facial cleansers to notice the changes. And don’t forget…too much of anything is not good for your skin, so don’t over cleanse! Windows are the only things that should be squeaky clean.

The Naismith Award goes to…Sunscreen!
This one should be a no-brainer! Think of this product as the defenseman of the year! Sunscreen protects our skin from the harmful UV cancer causing sun rays. More than 90% of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure, and sunscreens are the number one arsenal we have against the disease. It’s also the best anti-aging product on the market. You should be wearing SPF 30 everyday, 365 days a year. The sun does not go away in the winter (although it feels like it!). More to come in May for Skin Cancer Awareness month.

One Shining Moment…
To review the highlights ~ Antioxidants help to fight free radicals that cause skin damage and aging. Used everyday, these can slow the aging process down. Weekly exfoliation rids our face of the dead skin cells that accumulate over time preventing breakouts, ingrown hairs, and diminishing wrinkles. Retinoids at night help to rebuild collagen, slough off dead skin cells, and reverse sun damage. A cleanser preps the canvas for the other products to be applied. Over-cleansing doesn’t provide a cleaner face. It can actually cause more harm than good by stripping all the natural oils off the face. Finally, wearing sunscreen on a daily basis ensures that it will become a habit of applying it every morning; thus protecting you from the harmful UV rays that we encounter on a daily basis. Using these tips will help you achieve a younger healthier complexion taking your skin care to the top!

Spring Is In The Air...

It’s the first day of spring, and although in Chicago it doesn’t feel like spring (a mere 33°F), it’s a beautiful sunny day! It feels like we’ve been covered in a blanket of snow for the past 5 months. As the rains rinse the winter debris off the streets, spring will not be the only thing in the air. Everything that settled underneath the winters’ snow starts to accumulate in the air. These “allergens”, such as molds and pollens, are a nightmare for those who suffer from eczema sufferer.

These allergens cause allergic responses within our bodies and can worsen eczema symptoms, including red, dry, itching skin. There are a couple things you can do to help alleviate the pain. Most physicians put their patients on Elidel, which works for a while but then the symptoms resume. There are more potent steroid creams, and I do believe that if someone is having a severe enough “flare-up” these creams should be used. However, not too many people want to be on a steroid cream for long periods of time.

The good news: there was a study done at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City that showed eczema patients who used traditional Chinese therapy (acupuncture) had a reduction in itching and improved quality of life. Also, according to the study, the use of steroids, antibiotics, and antihistamines greatly decreased within 3 months of starting the acupuncture.
What this means: We are now seeing that skin conditions that we typically treat symptomatically with drugs, can now be treated naturally without using steroids or antibiotics.

The better news: Insurance companies are starting to jump on board with what the term “complementary alternative medicine”, and covering for services such as acupuncture. Of course, you would have to call your insurance company first to see if they cover it.

We have a great team of acupuncturists that I personally use. I have never felt better, and I haven’t taken medication for colds, headaches, or overall aches in over a year! I invite you all to take the time to try acupuncture if you haven’t already called to make your appointment!

Maybe She's Born With It...Move Over Mabelline

As women, if asked the question what is one beauty product you could not do with out…the #1 answer would be mascara. Why? Because it enhances our eyes by defining them, making them larger, and giving us those long full lashes to bat around.

Mascara meet your match…Introducing Latisse™. This is the miracle that woman around the world have been waiting for! This new product was developed from the makers of Botox® and Juvederm™ (Allergan), and is the first and only science-based treatment proven to grow longer, thicker, darker eyelashes. It treats a medical condition called hypotrichosis – inadequate or not enough lashes. I think it’s safe to say that 99.9% of my girlfriends have hypotrichosis, or if they didn’t before, they do now!

I’ve been using this product for about a month now, and let me be the first to tell you…it works! My eyelashes actually touch the tops of my eyelids. I was wearing my sunglasses yesterday and noticed that I had to move them down my nose because my eyelashes kept hitting the lens! It’s incredible what this product can do!


I spoke with the Allergan rep who calls on my office. This drug (yes it’s a drug that has to be prescribed to you or you can get it at a doctors office), was originally a drug formulated for glaucoma (an eye disease where the pressure behind the eye is very high). Glaucoma is a disease typically seen in older patients, and apparently these patients continuously went to physician offices complaining that their lashes were too long and needed to be trimmed!


So now the cosmetic and beauty industry has one more product for people to obsess over...it is worth it, trust me! The recommend treatment time is every night for 16 weeks and twice a week thereafter for maintenance. I’m only 5 weeks in so we’ll have to wait and see how my lashes look at 16 weeks.

Here’s to long, thick, beautiful lashes!

Don’t forget that this is a prescription, and not all people qualify to receive this drug. If you are pregnant or nursing or have a history of glaucoma, you should not use this medication.

Buzz Words of The Day: Free Radicals & Antioxidants

What are these free radicals – military extremists roaming around us freely? It seems the media has gotten a hold of this term and is using it everywhere...something especially scary when we don’t know what it means and people are telling us these free radicals are causing us to age. So what are they and how do they work?

Let me break it down in simple terms: Oxygen is essential to life, but it can be our worst enemy. It starts a process in your body called oxidation, which is the formation of free radicals. The oxidation of metal is a good example. Iron gets old and rusty, aluminum is bleached an ugly white and copper turns an "aged" green. Something similar happens when your body is exposed to air, light and poor nutrition. Free radical oxidation damage is the primary cause of aging, cancer, and heart disease (rust and corrosion). It's as harmful and destructive to your body and brain as corrosion is to your car.

Free radicals are also found in the environment. Environmental sources of free radicals include exposure to ionizing radiation (from industry, sun exposure, cosmic rays, and medical X-rays), ozone and nitrous oxide (primarily from automobile exhaust), heavy metals (such as mercury, cadmium, and lead), cigarette smoke (both active and passive), alcohol, unsaturated fat, and other chemicals and compounds from food, water, and air.



Antioxidants – Here to Save the Day!
Antioxidants are substances found in plants that soak up free radicals like sponges. The function of antioxidants is to destroy harmful free radicals, counteracting the damaging of tissues and in effect, treating aging or causing it to slow down.
Although antioxidants cannot completely rid our bodies of free radicals, they can however work to delay or minimize the damage caused. Antioxidants block the process of oxidation by neutralizing free radicals. By neutralizing, they themselves become oxidized. For this reason, our bodies are always in need of a steady source of antioxidants.
Antioxidants are plentiful in more common vitamins such as retinol or Vitamin A, ascorbic acid or Vitamin C, tocopherol or Vitamin E, and selenium. They can be nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that assist in chemical reactions). Research now confirms a balanced diet rich in whole grain cereals, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables provides essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.


Up the Anti in Your Skin Care Routine!
We’re told almost daily to eat our antioxidants…if not that little voice in your head sounding familiarly like your mother, it’s the television asking if you’ve had your V8 today. Should you wear them too? Absolutely! Topical antioxidants block free radicals in the environment (like sunlight and air pollution) and keep them from penetrating deeper into the skin. The mad scientists in the best beauty labs figured out how to shrink antioxidant molecules so they can enter through pores (which is why vitamin C and Green Tea creams will work but wearing papaya slices or slabs of beef on your face won't).

Start using these bad boys to your advantage and you can starting taking the years off your skin!

Our Economy & Our Skin – Don’t They Both Need a Stimulus Package?

You might be asking…what does the economy have to do with my skin? More than you think, that’s for sure. It’s safe to say that in this point in our economic lives, most if not all of us are experiencing some kind of stress. There’s not a day that goes by that either myself or one of my co-workers is “stressed out” at work.

So what is stress anyway?
Stress can be physical or mental. Mental stress is what we think of when someone says they are “stressed out”. We suffer mental stress on a daily basis…it’s what breaks up marriages, causes road rage, and quite possibly our coffee addiction. Not being able to pay the mortgage, too much work, a hectic lifestyle of driving the kids to and fro, feeling out of control at work, or a stressful event looming over our heads also causes us to be “stressed out”. But, stress can also be physical. We don’t always consider this, but it causes the same physiological effects in the body (more on that below). Examples of physical stress include not getting a good night’s sleep (less than 8 hours), drug use/abuse, not exercising at all, or even over-exercising.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Let me bring you back to Biology 101 and something we learned about in middle school. The Fight or Flight Response…does that bring back memories or what? All mammals have this reaction - it’s hard-wired into our brains designed to protect us from harm (this was especially useful for cavemen fleeing from saber tooth tigers).

Most of the saber tooth tigers we encounter today are not a threat to our physical survival, but they still trigger the activation of our fight or flight system as if our lives depended on it. You better make a run for it!!!

Breaking It Down
So what’s really going on inside your body during stressful times that it can have such a huge effect on your skin, specifically acne? The connection is purely chemical. When you become tense, your adrenal glands (a gland that sits on top of your kidneys) go to work, flooding your bloodstream with the hormone cortisol (fyi…also responsible for abdominal weight gain). This triggers the sweat glands in your face to produce more oil making your skin extra oily. When your oil glands kit it into high gear, the oil bonds with all the dead skin cells on your face. This is the perfect recipe for clogging your pores and trapping bacteria inside. Voilà: Acne!

The Answer Is:
Hope that the stimulus plan works in your favor? Avoid life and hide in seclusion? Probably somewhere in between. Everyone will experience stress. It’s part of being human. So rather than stressing about stress, it’s a good idea to simply handle stress in the best way possible. First things first, get a good night’s sleep (8 hours) and get your body moving on a regular basis (3-5 times a week to start). Those two things will help immeasurably in the long run.

I know, I know…what do you do about the acne now, right? You’re breaking out because you’re stressed, and you’re stressed because you’re breaking out. It’s a vicious cycle.
Here are a few things I recommend to my patients:

• Start taking a Vitamin B Complex – all 12 of these vitamins are essentials for phenomenal looking hair, skin, and nails. Read more here.


• Stop using harsh abrasive products that make your skin feel dry and squeaky clean. The only things that should be squeaky clean are windows.


• Invest in yourself and take a day/hour/20 minutes to pamper yourself with a facial or a peel. Not only will you benefit from the skin purifying effects, you will leave feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Introduction

Hello Readers!

Thank you for stopping by! I am really excited to begin this e-venture with all of you about something that we all in some way or another care about – skin!

Where it began – Detroit, MI
Having been born and raised in a suburb of Detroit, it seems (especially these days) that you have to have a bit of innate entrepreneurialism in order to get a head in life. I grew up in a lifestyle where that was more than inbred…my mother started her own daycare center and my dad owned a company as a manufacture’s representative for office furniture companies around the world. Ok, so I was not only born with it, I was raised, taught, and disciplined with the need to succeed. I craved it!

Road to Discovery
After graduating with honors (toot toot) from grad school (as a physician assistant), I took the first job offered to me…Gastrointestinal Medicine…not exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I worked in 2 of Michigan’s top hospitals 5 days a week, examining very sick people, some of which never made it out of there. Something was missing. I longed for the gratification that clients gave me when I was a personal trainer in college. For me, there was no other feeling that I got then when someone would thank me for helping them appreciate what they saw in the mirror. I changed their lives and the way they looked at themselves. There was more to it than helping someone through a workout. There was a bond that encouraged them to love what they had and how they saw themselves in their reflection. I needed to find out how to get that feeling back.

I decided I wanted to capitalize on the beauty industry, and open a medical spa. I had the venue, the doctor, the supplies, and the investors ready to go, but unfortunately my plan started to crumble. The doctor moved to Seattle and I was having doubts.

New beginnings – Chicago, IL
I moved to Chicago in October 2006 and finally found my niche. I am the clinical director of the medical floor of one of the largest medical wellness spas in Chicago and I practice dermatology. It’s the perfect blend of what I was looking for in Detroit. There isn’t a day that goes by, that I don’t have someone thanking me for helping bring out the best in their skin. It’s a great feeling knowing that I treat hundreds of people and not just their skincare needs, but improving their self-confidence and morale. This blog will allow me to talk about upcoming trends in the health and beauty industry as well as important skin care issues. I look forward to your comments and questions. I’m always available at belladerma09@gmail.com for any of your skin questions! Thanks again for reading and come back often!

Don’t forget to practice safe sun!