I’ve thought about getting a facial but never have. Why should I stop thinking about it and get it done?

Well first I have to ask… Do you know your skin type?  Do you buy products based on what the bottle says rather then what it can really do for you?  Do you keep purchasing different products because you didn’t receive any results from the others.  Well if yes to any of these you should just go and seeing your esthetician.
Keeping with the basics for this post.  Visiting an esthetician can help you know what your skin type is, what products & ingredients could work best for you.  Commonly many people think they are oily and will use products for oily skin and end up stripping their skin.  Others think they have Rosacea or acne and actually just have redness from stimulation that goes away and causes no issue or just breakouts here and there that do not equate to acne.
Extractions…Black and Whitheads are not that great to look at in the mirror everyday.  They are both bacteria one dead and one thriving and ready to spread to other parts of the face.  If you keep this clean it can change your texture, the appearance of pore size, allow your skin to have a more healthy and hydrated look.  Men tend to have larger pores so this if very important for them. I also find some peoples skin like different types of ingredients.  Maybe their skin absorbs or thrives off of more natural ingredients due to their individual biological makeup or how they feed their bodies.  Skin and nutrition go hand in hand, finding out if what you are or are not eating or supplementing with can also change the health and appearance of your skin.

Ask Your Esthetician/Aesthetician Questions:

Interview your Esthetician:  How to avoid paying for fluff service when you want to see results.

1) What ingredients does your esthetician like or agree with?  Why? Because some estheticians purchase products/brand names and not ingredients all products do not have performance ingredients if you are looking to receive results.  Plus the science in skin care is ever changing.  New developments allow treatments to be more progressive and results driven.  A product line doesn't guarantee results but the ingredients and the formulation may.

2) Receive a tour of the room & or facility.  They don’t need every piece of equipment available on the market, BUT if they tell you, you are receiving a microderm make sure they have a microderm machine.  Just for example.

3)  Year or Hrs of training and/or years as an esthetician.  I feel this may need to be a case by case.  WHY?  So if you have an esthetician with 3years experience but have not had any extra training.  What are their skills & how important is this career to them?  If you have an esthetician with less years experience but more training.  They invested in their skill and knowledge.  If you have an esthetician with many years experience and training well you know this is definitely their passion and they SHOULD do what is necessary to make you look & feel better.

Bottom Line.  Is this a business to them or just a J-O-B!

4) Are they speaking to you & asking questions before your appointment?  Why?  This is important b/c many of the products used are enhanced to provide corrective results.  So we must know how you will react.  If these questions are not asked then either nothing serious is being used or you may find a reaction you didn’t expect.

5) And Not least, but listed last ;).   How comfortable are you with your esthetician.  Not how relaxed, not how convinced, but comfortable & trusting.

**Results can be anti-aging, exfoliation, acne or rosacea soothing, with regular use & treatments can lead to long term effects.  Results do not mean your acne, rosacea, fine lines, texture, etc. will clear up in one treatment.

Hope this information helps you to successed in your quest to find good, quality care.

Inside Outside Skin Care & Beauty

Just Like any other profession Aestheticians have there particular "gurus" they enjoy listening and learning from.  For me the two I will talk about today may not be my "gurus" yet, but I enjoy the information they have to offer.  It is usefull & necessary.  
Sometimes it doesn't matter what a licensed professional advises you to do or gives you for take home use if the client is not doing their part.  I believe in both inside and outside beauty.  I believe solutions are not just topical product usage but also internal aswell.  A pretty good book I purchased at Amazon and have been reading is "The Beauty Detox Solution".  
It has been proven that problems with your interal organs, systems, etc. can show up on your skin, hair, and nails.  So eating properly goes a long way.  So why do many doctors claim it doesn't, but yet know your intenal problems show up on your skin & yes what you eat & drink affect those internal organs & systems.  Do you have to commit and go to the extreme?  No, but incorporating some of these tips and solutions can make a difference. 

Another book that caught my eye while on Amazon was a book by dermatologist Jessica Wu, "Feed Your Face".  Why?  Because I love the name, I was originally set on naming my blog "Fix Your Face" ha! ha!.  Well she gives a 28 day step to smoother skin and better body.  Also goes into how and why food affects your skin. 

So do you have a skin problem that is just not going away no matter what you do, an alternate options is to look at what you are ingesting.  We live in a country were most of us are not going to go to the extreme of a complete lifestyle change.  Why live if you can't have fun & good food.  Well incorporating and cutting down make a world of differnce.  Baby steps. 

Stem Cells and the Skin

What are stem cells and where are they derived? About 30 years ago scientists were able to derive stem cells from mouse embryos. Stem cells are derivedfrom embryonic and non-embryonic tissues. These develop into different types of cells for the body’s function and identity. Embryonic stem cells are derived from remaining embryos from in vitro fertilization. These cells are then stimulated in a culture and can be differentiated into a specific function or remain undifferentiated. Adult stem cells are differentiated because they are found in the tissue and organ of the human body and are available in small amounts. Adult stem cells were first discovered through bone marrow research. Certain cells in the bone marrow can generate bone, cartilage, fat, formation of blood, and fibrous connective tissue. Per research adult stem cells can be found in organs and tissue, brain, bone marrow, blood vessels, heart, teeth, gut to name a few.
Stem cell usage and research is developing in the esthetic industry. With this development also comes agreeing and disagreeing with the use of stem cells for cosmetic reasons. Some professionals feel that the topical use of stem cells can lead to mutated cells chromosomes. Others feel that our cells are not repairing themselves with age and sun exposure and stem cells can help regenerate that process. At this time topical cosmetics are not using human stem cells but are using peptides and enzymes from plant stem cells. Some products and companies that use different types of stem cell technology include EMK Placental Botanical, Dior’s Capture R60/80 xp, Image and more. Some use ingredients that stimulate the production of the body’s own stem cells. At this time it doesn’t seem as if topical cosmetic products will use stem cell technology at all other than those derived from plants. One company has tried it and is also switching to the plant based stem cell.  This may change soon due to what we know and continued research that is done.
As we learn, adapt and advance as humans technology is part of that in all industries including skin. There is still much to offer in the world of science and technology. With many people looking for alternate non invasive and long term results many things will continue to be developed and enhanced. Hopefully within this there is enough research and clinical trials done to ensure there are no long term adverse reactions to some of these new developments. With companies trying to be the first to utilize new technology and make their product the best and still maintain a high price we are sure to see many things to come soon.