Sensitive Skin & Hypoallergenic Products

What is Sensitive Skin?

Sensitive skin means that your skin reacts to or gets irritated easily, especially when you put products on it.  Your skin may react to the application of a product in different ways.  Some symptoms of sensitive skin include stinging, burning, itching, redness, dryness, peeling, or scaling of skin after the application of products.  Other factors that can irritate sensitive skin include wind exposure, cold weather, or sun.   

Many people may have sensitive skin, but those who already have an underlying skin condition, like rosacea, eczema, or acne, are even more susceptible to irritation.  Because of this sensitivity, people often try to use products that they think will be less likely to irritate their skin.  Many times, this means using products labeled “hypoallergenic,” meaning “less allergenic” or less likely to cause an allergic reaction.  

Are Hypoallergenic Products Better for Your Sensitive Skin?

Hypoallergenic products can still be irritating to your skin.  Companies often use the term hypoallergenic when products are fragrance-free or don’t contain ingredients that are considered to be the most common allergens, but any component of a product has the potential to be an irritant to your skin.  This is especially true if you have an underlying skin condition that makes your skin already sensitive.   However, just because a product says hypoallergenic, it does not mean it is NOT IRRITATING.  There is no product proven to be non-irritating to everyone.

What Can You Do to Prevent Irritation if You Have Sensitive Skin?

Test all products before using them—apply a pea size amount of product to a small area on your face for a few days and watch for a reaction, i.e. red/angry, irritated, or itchy skin.  If you have a reaction, then that product is not right for you!

• It won’t work to test the product on your arm (or any other body part).  The face is more sensitive than other areas of the body, thus you need to test products on your face.

Dr. Talakoub may recommend as part of your treatment stopping your products to see if they are the cause of, or contributing to, your skin irritation.

Sensitive skin is hard to treat, and it can be difficult when looking for skincare.  If your skin gets easily irritated, please call the office to schedule a consult with Dr. Talakoub to discuss what products she would recommend for your skin. 

Special Offer: 50% Off for You and a Friend

Don't miss this special offer! 

Offer applies to Restylane products and Dysport only. This voucher cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Not valid after date of expiration. Valid for the referral of new patients only. The referring friend will receive 50% off one Restylane or Dysport treatment only but may refer up to 3 friends. Treatment will be performed by Dr. Lily Talakoub by appointment only Monday through Thursday. Cosmetic consultations are available for $150. This fee is waived if treatment is performed on the same day of your consultation. Only one referral per patient. 

Limited time only! Tell a friend!

Anti-Aging Treatments for Your Hands

Hooray! You won’t have to worry about your hands giving away your age any longer! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Radiesse in the hands.

Radiesse is a dermal filler that has been used for the correction of volume loss in the face for years. Radiesse can now be used in the hands to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and loose skin.

Wondering if Radiesse is the proper treatment for your hands? Schedule a cosmetic consultation today!  

3 Reasons NOT to Trim Your Cuticles

Manicured nails will never go out of style, but if you want your nails to look and feel healthy, then you should think twice before you let anyone trim your cuticles.

1.  The cuticle is the skin around your nail that protects your nail bed. Cutting or removing cuticles exposes your nails to bacterial, fungal and viral nail infections which are painful, take a long time to heal, and are not pretty. The cuticle is your body’s line of defense for your nail bed, so removing it opens the door to infections such as warts or herpes, painful bacterial infections that may cause you to lose your nail, or fungal and yeast infections that take months to years to resolve.

Tip: Speak up! Simply ask your nail technician not to cut your cuticles or push them back during your manicures and pedicures.

2.  Tools used to remove cuticles can transfer infections to your nails. If salons do not properly sterilize the tools they use on your hands, then you could be contracting infections. In addition to skin infections, viral infections such as Hepatitis C, which is transferred by blood, can live in dry blood for up to three days and can be transferred on tools that have not been cleaned properly.

Tip:  If tools are properly sterilized, they will be stored in containers with indicators on the outside packaging that change color when the tools have reached sterilization. Do your research! Ask which tools your salon uses to sterilize their equipment, look up the color that indicates sterilization, and take a peek at the tools before you let your favorite nail tech touch your nails. Dr. Lily has found multiple nail salons that use sterilization bags, which give the illusion that tools are sterilized but are NOT cleaned properly.

     3.  Cutting your cuticles increases the development of hangnails around your nail. Hangnails develop on dry skin, skin that is exposed to chemicals frequently, or skin that is in water frequently. Manipulating the cuticle adds fuel to the fire and increases your chance of uncomfortable and unsightly hangnails.

Botox Parties Gone WRONG...

Be Careful of Where You're Getting Your Botox! 

Read Article Here!

Maintaining Healthy Skin from the Inside Out

Probiotics are known to be important in maintaining intestinal health, but who knew that they could also promote beautiful, healthy-looking skin?  Probiotics are naturally occurring in your body, but can also be found in yogurt, milk, juices, and is also offered in a pill form that can be taken orally. They work from the inside out, directly stabilizing the digestive system, which in turn promotes healthy skin.

Acne, among other things, is caused by stress, anxiety, hormones, and depression, which increase the amount of bad bacteria in your small intestines.  This change triggers an inflammatory response, causing skin changes such as acne, eczema, atopic dermatitis, and rosacea.  So how do we fight back against the bad bacteria?  Studies suggest that probiotics can help decrease the triggers of acne by balancing the good and bad bacteria in the body.   

Protecting your skin from the sun is one of the most important precautions anyone can take against sun damage and skin cancer.  While wearing sunscreen and hats is essential for sun protection, taking a probiotic can add an additional line of defense.  Studies show that taking probiotic supplement can also decrease water loss and keep skin more hydrated.  It has also been found that probiotic use can decrease thinning of the skin, which will keep the skin firmer.

Kefir, in particular, is a popular source of probiotics that is used to treat wounds that will not heal.  It can be applied to wounds in a gel form and can also be ingested in a drinkable yogurt form.  Probiotics have even been used to prevent and treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections such as MRSA, that arise in open wounds. 

Some popular probiotics on the market include Kimchi and Kombucha tea.  It’s safe to say that they are a worthy addition to your daily diet!

Diminish that double chin!

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Looking to lose that double chin? Look no further! Kybella treatment might be the answer for you!
Click the link above to read the latest article from Dr. Talakoub and Dr. Wesley

 

What? Where? Why?

The idea of getting fillers and/or injectables can be extremely overwhelming and intimidating. Don’t let what you don’t know scare you away.

These products can be used to help reverse the signs of aging and can leave you looking young a youthful.

THE WRINKLE FREEZERS (Botox, Dysport, Xeomin)

Botulinum toxin works beneath the skin’s surface to target underlying muscle activity that is responsible for the formation of those dreaded frown lines and crow’s feet. One of the biggest myths is that you want to start this procedure after the lines from. The truth is Botulinum Toxin is best used as a preventative agent, so lets stop those wrinkles before they have time to start!

THE WRINKLE FILLERS (Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane, and Belotero)

These fillers are all composed of hyaluronic acid, which is a natural substance found in your body. With age your natural level of hyaluronic acid decreases resulting in the loss of youthful smoothness, firmness and elasticity. Fillers will help you smooth wrinkles, sculpt lips, and contour the face.

THE VOLUMIZING FILLERS (Radiesse, Sculptra, and Voluma)

These are thicker fillers that stimulate collagen production. This option is best for patients looking to treat very deep folds, creases, and refill volume that is lost in their mid-face. They provide volume and lift to the cheeks, jowls, and temples.  

Still have questions? Come see us for a cosmetic consult!  Dr. Lily can tell you which products will be best for you.

Sugar and Your Skin

Noticing more wrinkles, fine lines or sagging skin? It may be time to put down that ritual morning latte. While aging is a natural bodily process, sugar intake can make the signs of aging more visible. Once consumed, sugar undergoes a process in the body known as glycation, or the binding of sugar with other substances in the skin. Glycation causes inflammation that brings damage to the skin's building blocks: collagen and elastin. Accumulation of damage to these building blocks can give the skin a sallow and even discolored look. This process also generates free radicals that make the skin more susceptible to other types of damage, such as sun exposure and cigarette smoke.

If your skin is prone to acne or rosacea, flare-ups of these conditions can increase in frequency and severity with the consumption of sugar due to the inflammatory response that occurs in the skin. High levels of sugar also trigger the release of hormones that increase the production of oil that can feed the bacteria responsible for acne.

Keeping track of sugar intake is hard when you consider that sugar exists in most of the food and drinks that we consume. When we hear things like 'the amount of sugar in an Arizona Green Tea is equal to about 20 Hershey's Kisses,' we begin to question our perception of just how much sugar we intake on a  daily basis. While the idea of completely cutting out sugar is a task much easier said than done, there are ways to get started. Seeking out alternatives to the white stuff, such as date sugar or coconut sugar, provides the sweetness with more nutritional benefits. A variety of beauty products in the form of serums, make up, and sunscreens contain ingredients that work to fight glycation and encourage the production of collagen and elastin.

Dr. Lily can go over your diet with you in our new skin detox program!

Stop Treating Your Adult Acne Like a Teenager!

 Growing up isn’t just about getting a job, getting married, paying bills etc. It’s also about knowing how to take care of yourself. The breakouts you experienced when you were younger are much different than the breakouts you’re experiencing now. The products you use and how you treat your breakouts have to be suitable for your age.

No more Drying Products!

When you were younger you probably reached for products formulated to dry out those blemishes with antibacterial ingredients, and they probably worked. However, as we age acne tends to go away on it’s own, but in our minds we believe those drying products deserve all the credit, we are very wrong. As our skin ages those same acne products we were using in our teens will do more harm than good for us. They will dry out your skin leaving it in an unhealthy state and could accelerate the arrival of wrinkles!  What you want to be using is a cleanser with glycolic acid, which will act an exfoliator to destroy acne-causing bacteria from your skin without over drying. The IS Clinical Cleansing Complex is perfect for this.  It is effective, but not drying so even those with sensitive skin would love this product.

Forget about past skin concerns

Make sure you are treating your current skin concerns based on what’s going on in the present vs. what occurred in the past. Your acne now opposed to your acne when you were a teen is probably not as severe or wide spread, so instead of applying acne treatments to your entire face try applying it as a spot treatment instead. The Glytone Acne 3P Gel is great for this! Its non-irritating formula helps clear acne, blackheads, and white heads. It also helps keep your skin clear of new acne blemishes while allowing the skin to heal from past breakouts.

Exfoliate and Hydrate

One of the hardest parts of dealing with adult acne is that you are also dealing with aging skin. You don’t only want to keep the skin clear you want it to appear youthful and radiant as well. The key to this is exfoliating and moisturizing! The reason you need to exfoliate is to get rid of that dead layer of skin in order to unclog your pores and prevent breakouts. Exfoliating also encourages the production f new, healthy, fresher skin cells! The SkinKure microdermabrasion scrub is our go to product for this; it will leave your skin feeling fresh and smooth after every use, which will allow your skin to properly absorb your other products including your moisturizer. Staying moisturized is vital to keep your skin youthful. One of our favorite moisturizers is Epionce Renewal Facial Lotion; it’s perfect for normal to combination skin types. It is lightweight and moisturizes without leaving you feeling greasy, and makes your skin appear smoother and softer.

If you still aren’t sure what you should be using call and setup an appointment for a skincare consult with our Master Esthetician. She can help you get on a regimen based on your skin type and concerns.