February

Ask Leah: How Diet Effects Your Skin

The skin is the largest organ in the body and it is affected by many factors like our diet, hormones genetics and lifestyle.

Below we take a closer look at each factor:

• Diet- the kinds of food a person habitually eats.
• Hormones-a regulatory substance produced in an organism and transported in tissue fluids such as blood or sap to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action.
• Lifestyle-the way in which you live your life. Good lifestyle practices include getting 8 hours of sleep, hitting the gym and limiting caffeine intake.
• Genetics-heredity and variation of inherited characteristics.

In this blog post, I want to take a deeper dive on diet as it relates to skincare. I am not a nutritionist or therapist, but have I a lot of personal experience understanding what and why things happen to my body according to my diet.

Common dietary restrictions of healthy skin:

Some of the most common dietary restrictions for better skin are no gluten, no dairy and no sugar.

Let’s do a quick update on what those restrictions look like:

• Dairy: dairy cows are injected with artificial hormones which could affect the milk. In combination with processed sugars and refined foods, dairy can affect the insulin levels in your body and makes you more prone to breaking out.
• Gluten: gluten is the substance that is president in cereal, grains barley and rye. It can affect your digestive system as well as contribute to eczema psoriasis acne and chronic dry skin.
• Sugar: when we eat too much refined sugar it creates an insulin spike causing inflammation which is harmful to our joints, muscles, stomach and our skin

It’s important to understand that your skin changes daily based on all of the factors above and MORE. I encourage you to get to know your body inside and out and love it for the amazing vessel that it is!

Ask Leah: The Essential Skincare Steps

My mother encourage proper hygiene and skincare ever since I could remember. She had an extreme case of rosacea and so did my brother Noel, causing them to make frequent visits to the Mayo Clinic.

My first department store visit was to the Clinque counter when I was 10 years old . My mother wanted to teach me prevention and ensure I was educated on the how to use the skincare line recommend for me. I was so excited to take home all the steps in the skincare line and for the free gift. From that moment on I was a skincare junkie!

Here are the essential skincare steps I swear by:

1. Cleanse: clearing the pores of debris prevents buildup and decreases chances of breakouts.
2. Tone: toning helps soothe, nourish and hydrate the skin while restoring the pH. pH stands for “potential hydrogen” and is a scale used to rank acidity and the amount of hydrogen in the skin.
3. Treat, correct & prevent.
4. Hydrate and protect.

I have so much to say about each step that I am thinking of doing a dedicated blog post for each! Leave us a comment below if you’re interested and we’ll make it happen!

Shop my favorite skincare sets:

• Acne Control
• Skin Brightening
• Age Reverse
  

Ask Leah: Laser Hair Reduction

The laser hair reduction process takes time and patience. From head to toe we can reduce your returning hair growth with each visit by 20% .

The laser is attracted to the pigment (color) in the hair follicle. The laser energy targets the follicle to illuminate or slow the growth of the hair. The darker and coarser the hair the better the result.

Her are some commonly asked questions…

Does it hurt?

It is not fluff n’ love but it is quick and efficient! My Cutera Laser has a cool glide tip to protect and pre-chill the skin.

How long does the benefit last?

The more you are compliant with your specific guidelines the better .

Are there any side effects?

It is usually quick, effective with minimal discomfort. The lip does hurt so numbing or ice is always and option. With any elective service you can have a reaction, that’s why it is important you do a consultation with us prior.

Do hormones (menstrual cycle) effect pain and hair growth ?
Yes! Our estrogen and progesterone fluctuate during our cycle this can increase the pain and hormones can effect the growth of hair .

Can laser hair removal increase hair growth initially? 

Yes I can I can bring up dormant hairs and hair follicles. This is good as it will aid in reduction all around.

What type of laser do you use?

I use Cutera an American-made laser and I was certified in 2004 at MN Vascular Center . This laser is a 1064 Yag wavelength which means I can do laser hair reduction on any ethnicity from Fitzpatrick 1-6 (a scale used to measure skin color and tone).

What is the best time of year to start your reduction:
Now !