Total Skin Solutions

Varicose veins are twisted, bulging veins, typically found in the legs and feet, and are the result of excess pressure on the veins from prolonged periods of standing. They are typically dark blue to purplish in color, and may itch or throb.

Occasionally, varicose veins can signal a more serious medical condition such as blood clots, ulcers or phlebitis therefore, the sudden appearance of varicose veins should be examined by a doctor immediately.

For many people, removal of varicose veins is a cosmetic decision; the appearance of the veins is unappealing when wearing shorts or skirts. For others, medical conditions may necessitate their removal but in either case, follow these guidelines to delay the appearance of any new varicose veins. Refrain from standing or elevating the feet for prolonged periods of time, wearing support stockings and adopt a daily exercise routine to maintain healthy circulation.

Using concealer or an anti-aging cream with SPF, you can hide varicose veins and continue to have a youthful look to your legs.

“The way your neck ages is about 20 percent genetics… and 80% skin care habits,” writes dermatologist Leslie Baumann, M.D. And what’s a simple, yet powerful anti-aging step in your routine? Slathering on the sunscreen, of course.

Every time you head outdoors, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your neck and dècolletè (and all exposed areas) 20 to 30 minutes before leaving the house.  You can also add a product specifically formulated for the neck and dècolletè areas.

If you’re already noticing sun damage or aging skin, know that many treatment options are available. Because of their exfoliating properties, alpha hydroxy acids, particularly glycolic acid, are ideal for helping damaged skin.

After exfoliating, follow with an anti-aging moisturizer; a rich moisturizer will drench the skin with invigorating antioxidant protection and help restore vitality to lackluster or tired skin.

Known universally as a bright and sunny bitter fruit, lemon is a member of the citrus family along with orange, lime, grapefruit and tangerine. Prized for its acidic quality, lemon has long been a household staple and the lemon’s fragrant essential oil (found in the rind) can be used for cooking, perfumery, cleaning, cosmetics and even healing.

Lemon has many cosmetic uses and can be found in a remarkably large number of skin care beauty products, especially glycolic acid treatments. Containing up to 8 % citric acid, lemon is a potent source of natural glycolic acid, along with apples, grapes, sugar cane and milk, making it an ideal chemical exfoliant and skin smoother.

Using natural anti-aging products offers up more pros than cons.  The synthetic chemicals used in most commercial products will often worsen skin problems.  Many of these products that you find at big box retailers and drug stores that are not organic will contain harsh chemicals, dyes and fragrances that will aggravate the skin.  Using natural products will not harm your skin like many other of their commercial counterparts.

Like the rest of your body, your lips are subject to the years and can be altered over time.  There are some anti-aging techniques you can have for your lips to prolong their youthful looks:

• Protect and plump. Don’t think your lips are somehow immune to sun exposure; they can suffer from sunburn, too. In fact, excessive exposure has been linked to lip cancer. So, shield your lips from the sun year-round by wearing a broad spectrum lip product..

• For creamy, luscious lips. Dry and dull lips a problem? Try moisturizing your lips to prevent dryness and roughness. Some products will also plumps lips to make them look full.

• Boost the good, battle the bad. Experts recommend products that contain vitamins and antioxidants, because they encourage new collagen development to keep lips full and soft. These ingredients also defend against free radicals, which damage skin cells.

• Beauty lift. For an easy trick to create fuller lips, line slightly outside your natural lip with a lip pencil and color in your lips; then apply lipstick and lip gloss. The shine from the gloss reflects light and creates the illusion of fuller lips.

What do broccoli, carrots and milk have in common? They are all an important part of nature’s arsenal to protect your skin from the effects of aging and the environment. The common element in these foods is that they are all good sources of Vitamin A, which act as an anti-aging agent.

Many people equate only eyes and vision with Vitamin A. But the health of our epithelial tissue — skin and the lining of passageways that open to the outside of the body, such as the throat and sinuses — is directly dependent on the amount of Vitamin A in our diet. Vitamin A acts as an antioxidant to neutralize harmful elements in our skin, helping to prevent wrinkles, resist infection and keep our skin youthful.

You probably know that excessive exposure to the sun is dangerous for skin — or at least, you should! UV light causes environmental damage, fine lines, wrinkles, dryness and spots. Knowing this, you might be surprised to learn that a certain light therapy can actually be good for skin! Read on for more about LED therapy and how it works as an anti-aging method.

LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, use near-infrared light which penetrates and is absorbed by skin. While lasers produce heat, LEDs only produce light, which the skin turns into energy. This light energy then affects the mitochondria, responsible for powering cells. Plus, light allows cells to carry out chemical activities more quickly.

LED uses red and blue light to provide different benefits. Red light raises circulation, boosts collagen formation and promotes healing. Blue light destroys bacteria.

Skin problems that LED treats

• Few of us can honestly say that we are completely satisfied with our skin and no matter whom you ask, chances are they suffer some skin woe. The good news? LED treatments can improve many skin ailments:

• Collagen produced by red LED light plumps up wrinkles and fills out lines. It also firms and tones skin.

• Can you play connect-the-dots with your age spots? LED light may help lighten them.

• Irritated, dry, flaky skin will be eased with red LED light.

• Precancerous damage can be taken away using red light, says Dr. David Goldberg, who directs the Skin Laser and Surgery Specialists of New York and New Jersey.

• If breakouts and blemishes are your concern, blue light is proving to be an effective way to treat acne.

Vitamin C is typically recommended to fend off colds and sickness, but it’s also great for your skin.  Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that not only stimulates collagen production but contains the skin damaging activities of free radicals.

Consequently, citric acid can actually improve the health of skin cells which in turn promotes healing and the ability of the skin to protect itself against harmful environmental factors.  Vitamin C is an active ingredient in AHA, which is present in several anti-aging products.

Using an anti-aging Argireline product on acne scars will help enormously.  Argireline is proven to be useful with day-to-day wrinkles and many of the same principles will apply.  Though the ingredient won’t completely remove an acne scar by itself (as diet and general care would also dictate the health of your skin), it will make it less noticeable over time.

One of the best anti-aging tips I can give is, if you’re a smoker, stop smoking.

Daily moisturizing and using premium natural skin care products can do wonders for those wrinkles, but your efforts will all be for naught if you can’t give up the nicotine habit.

Smoking expedites the aging process and contributes to wrinkles by narrowing the blood vessels in your skin, which robs said skin of oxygen and nutrients.

There are numerous ways to quit smoking such as nicotine patches and substituting cigarettes for chewing gum, that is, if you suffer from an oral fixation.  The important thing is that if your goal is to have healthy skin, the best you can do, outside of a skin regiment, is to drop that cigarette.