Today’s blog is dedicated to all the men out there! (Ladies your welcome to read so you can educate your man). You’re probably thinking the care of your skin is not as important as that of a woman’s because it’s hardly discussed. Wrong. Skin is skin whether it’s black, white, male, or female. And all skin needs to be treated with love! True, male skin care is more simplified than a female, but it’s because you men like it simple! You don’t want to worry about what day to use what product, which order they go in, and if you should even be putting it on your face.
But male skin care is not just about washing and cleansing the face. You have problems with your skin too. Question: every break out after you shave? Do you get those little white bumps filled with pus and as a result have tons of little ingrown hairs? Well, this is a condition is called folliculitis. And it’s more common than you would think. But even more common, is pseudofolliculitis often referred to as “razor bumps” which resembles folliculitis without the pus. These conditions are most commonly a result from improper shaving techniques. Shaving lotions that contain perfume, alcohol, or other similar substances can make the beard area more sensitive. Find fragrance-free products that contain protective and healing properties. Be gentle with your skin when shaving, shaving itself is quite abrasive to the skin. (But I don’t know everything, after all, I’m just a girl).
So what are some rules to follow when deciding on product for male skin?
No fluff. Men generally do not want highly fragranced, fluffy products. Creams need to be simple, nonfragranced, highly absorbent, with a matte finish. They don’t like the greasy feeling of some products.
Tubes are more male-friendly than jars.
A male client’s skin care regimen should begin with only 2 products. If he’s comfortable, a toner can be add as the third.
Most movements for the beard and moustache area should be done with the hair growth pattern. For example, shaving seems to be more effective and closer if it is done against the hair growth instead of with the growth. But the closer the shave, the more sensitivity may be experienced. To calm and soothe the face, men should shave and wash the face in a downward direction.
My friend came to me the other night and asked a very valid question. He said he gets little dry spots under his eyes and he’s had them for a while. What could he do to get rid of them? A good exfoliator 2-3x per week rid the face of the dead skin cells allowing your face to breath and receive the mosture it longs for! Also, remember to use moisturizer. Your skin can only produce so much hydration for the skin. Aid from a lotion is always appreciated. (Make sure it’s a face lotion, you don’t want to clog your pores up). And if you really want to get fancy (not sure that you will) there are some amazing eye creams out on the market today.
So boys! Please, please, please take care of you skin. It will thank you so much!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Exfoliation
According to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary,
Exfoliate: vb 1: To cast off scales, laminae, or splinters 2: To remove the surface of in scales or laminae 3: to spread or extend by or as if by opening out leaves
There are two basic types of exfoliation: chemical and mechanical. Mechanical es a technique that physically removed dead corneum cells. Examples include granular scrubs, microdermabrasion, gommages, roll off type masks, and scrubs made from ground grains. As the scrub product is pressed against and passed over the skin, cells almost ready to be shed are literally bumped off the skin. Home scrubs are recommended 2-3 times weekly. More than that can damage the skin by creating micro-scratches on the skin.
Chemical exfoliation uses chemicals (both naturally and laboratory designed) to loosen dead cells from the skin’s surface. Rather than removing the dead cells (as with mechanical exfoliation) chemical exfoliation actually dissolves the keratin in the keratinocyte, or loosen the bonds holding the cells together. Examples of chemoexfoliation include enzyme treatments, AHA’s, BHA’s, and stronger salon exfoliation treatments. Different products and chemicals are used for different skin types.
Another type of exfoliation is enzymes. This type of exfoliation has existed in esthetics for over 30 years. In Milady’s Skin Care & Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary enzyme is defined as: biologically, a highly specific and complex protein catalyst that can accelerate or produce a chemical reaction.
The most common enzymes used in cosmetics are derived from vegetables or fruits such as papain (papaya) and bromelain (pineapple). They tend to be used to enhance the activity of the naturally occurring enzymes responsible for surface exfoliation of dead skin cells. Topical enzymes have a proteolytic action on the skin.
However there are contraindications for exfoliation treatments. Make sure your esthetician is aware of your skin type and if it’s safe to perform these treatments on your skin. If you have taken accutane in the past 6-12 months you should not be receiving a chemical exfoliation, and a mechanical exfoliation must be extremely gentle. Also, if your skin has been compromised in any way i.e. sunburn, open lesions, inflammatory acne, be extremely cautious in the treatments you decide to receive. Exfoliation treatments are here to help your skin but only if your skin is ready to be helped. All skin wants to be helped and pampered, but only when it’s in prime condition. We don’t want to make something bad, worse.
Home care scrubs are a must!!! Get rid of those dead skin cells. But if you are interested in chemical exfoliations please go see a professional. Let someone else help your skin before you hurt it!
Exfoliate: vb 1: To cast off scales, laminae, or splinters 2: To remove the surface of in scales or laminae 3: to spread or extend by or as if by opening out leaves
There are two basic types of exfoliation: chemical and mechanical. Mechanical es a technique that physically removed dead corneum cells. Examples include granular scrubs, microdermabrasion, gommages, roll off type masks, and scrubs made from ground grains. As the scrub product is pressed against and passed over the skin, cells almost ready to be shed are literally bumped off the skin. Home scrubs are recommended 2-3 times weekly. More than that can damage the skin by creating micro-scratches on the skin.
Chemical exfoliation uses chemicals (both naturally and laboratory designed) to loosen dead cells from the skin’s surface. Rather than removing the dead cells (as with mechanical exfoliation) chemical exfoliation actually dissolves the keratin in the keratinocyte, or loosen the bonds holding the cells together. Examples of chemoexfoliation include enzyme treatments, AHA’s, BHA’s, and stronger salon exfoliation treatments. Different products and chemicals are used for different skin types.
Another type of exfoliation is enzymes. This type of exfoliation has existed in esthetics for over 30 years. In Milady’s Skin Care & Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary enzyme is defined as: biologically, a highly specific and complex protein catalyst that can accelerate or produce a chemical reaction.
The most common enzymes used in cosmetics are derived from vegetables or fruits such as papain (papaya) and bromelain (pineapple). They tend to be used to enhance the activity of the naturally occurring enzymes responsible for surface exfoliation of dead skin cells. Topical enzymes have a proteolytic action on the skin.
However there are contraindications for exfoliation treatments. Make sure your esthetician is aware of your skin type and if it’s safe to perform these treatments on your skin. If you have taken accutane in the past 6-12 months you should not be receiving a chemical exfoliation, and a mechanical exfoliation must be extremely gentle. Also, if your skin has been compromised in any way i.e. sunburn, open lesions, inflammatory acne, be extremely cautious in the treatments you decide to receive. Exfoliation treatments are here to help your skin but only if your skin is ready to be helped. All skin wants to be helped and pampered, but only when it’s in prime condition. We don’t want to make something bad, worse.
Home care scrubs are a must!!! Get rid of those dead skin cells. But if you are interested in chemical exfoliations please go see a professional. Let someone else help your skin before you hurt it!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Chemical Peels
Q. What is a chemical peel?
A. A technique for improving the appearance when wrinkles of the skin are present.
Q. How far down in the skin does the peel effect?
A. Strictly on the epidermis. Any peel that penetrates further is beyond an esthetician’s licensure.
Q. What type of peeling can an esthetician perform?
A. Superficial Peeling: removing only the dead cells of the epidermis. Medium depth peeling is performed by dermatologists or plastic surgeons. Deep peels are medical surgical peels performed with phenol (a highly acidic chemical).
Q. What are the benefits of a peel?
A. The skin appears smoother, softer, in some cases lighter. By eliminating dead cellular debris, the skin has more clarity, luminosity, and shows an improvement in fine lines.
Q. What are contraindications for a chemical peel?
A. Anyone: who has used accutane in the last 6-12 months, is currently using prescription keratolytics, being treated by a dermatologist for a facial skin disease, has an autoimmune disease, Fitzpatrick types 4-6, with a herpetic breakout, with moderate to severe rosacea, pregnant or lactating, sunburned or windburned, with an infectious disease, with open sores, suspicious lesions, or basal cell carcinoma, is not willing to comply with the home care program.
Q. What is the deepest peel an esthetician can offer you?
A. Jessner’s Exfoliation: contains lactic acid, salicylic acid, and resorcinol in a solution of ethanol. This peel is appropriate for clients with rough textured skin, fine lines/wrinkles, hyper pigmentation, or with many closed comedones. Jessner’s should not be performed as the first technique and produces a much more dramatic and sudden result with numerous side effects.
Q. What is the differences between AHA’s and BHA’s?
A. AHA’s (alphahydroxy acid) work by loosening the chemical bonds between the keratinocytes. They also break up the lipids that make up the intercellular cement. When the keratinocytes are loosed, they shed from the skin’s surface getting rid of the dead skin. BHA’s (betahydroxy acid) dissolve oil-based accumulated dead cells.
Q. Where do chemical peels come from?
A. Anywhere from man-made acids to supplements from nature, i.e. Fruit acids: passion flower, grape, apple extracts, sugar cane, mushrooms, bitter almonds, meadowsweet, willow bark, sweet birch, and wintergreen.
Q. How often should a client receive a chemical peel?
A. As with any other treatment, peels work best in a series. 10-14 days should be waited in between each peel depending on personal reaction.
information from mildays standard text, images from google.images
A. A technique for improving the appearance when wrinkles of the skin are present.
Q. How far down in the skin does the peel effect?
A. Strictly on the epidermis. Any peel that penetrates further is beyond an esthetician’s licensure.
Q. What type of peeling can an esthetician perform?
A. Superficial Peeling: removing only the dead cells of the epidermis. Medium depth peeling is performed by dermatologists or plastic surgeons. Deep peels are medical surgical peels performed with phenol (a highly acidic chemical).
Q. What are the benefits of a peel?
A. The skin appears smoother, softer, in some cases lighter. By eliminating dead cellular debris, the skin has more clarity, luminosity, and shows an improvement in fine lines.
Q. What are contraindications for a chemical peel?
A. Anyone: who has used accutane in the last 6-12 months, is currently using prescription keratolytics, being treated by a dermatologist for a facial skin disease, has an autoimmune disease, Fitzpatrick types 4-6, with a herpetic breakout, with moderate to severe rosacea, pregnant or lactating, sunburned or windburned, with an infectious disease, with open sores, suspicious lesions, or basal cell carcinoma, is not willing to comply with the home care program.
Q. What is the deepest peel an esthetician can offer you?
A. Jessner’s Exfoliation: contains lactic acid, salicylic acid, and resorcinol in a solution of ethanol. This peel is appropriate for clients with rough textured skin, fine lines/wrinkles, hyper pigmentation, or with many closed comedones. Jessner’s should not be performed as the first technique and produces a much more dramatic and sudden result with numerous side effects.
Q. What is the differences between AHA’s and BHA’s?
A. AHA’s (alphahydroxy acid) work by loosening the chemical bonds between the keratinocytes. They also break up the lipids that make up the intercellular cement. When the keratinocytes are loosed, they shed from the skin’s surface getting rid of the dead skin. BHA’s (betahydroxy acid) dissolve oil-based accumulated dead cells.
Q. Where do chemical peels come from?
A. Anywhere from man-made acids to supplements from nature, i.e. Fruit acids: passion flower, grape, apple extracts, sugar cane, mushrooms, bitter almonds, meadowsweet, willow bark, sweet birch, and wintergreen.
Q. How often should a client receive a chemical peel?
A. As with any other treatment, peels work best in a series. 10-14 days should be waited in between each peel depending on personal reaction.
information from mildays standard text, images from google.images
Fitzpatrick Scales
The Fitzpatrick Scale is a method of skin typing that measures and refers to different skin types’ tolerance to the sun’s burning rays. Dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and estheticians refer to this scale prior to performing any service. This information serves as an indicator for determining treatment selection, tolerance level, healing time, and end results.
The more natural pigment in the skin, the greater its resistance to sunburn and environmental skin damage. Although dark skin can suffer from both sunburn and sun damage, it has greater resistance to potential damage due to its pigment. The melanin in the skin provides a natural hereditary form of sunscreen. Darker skin types are much less likely to develop sun damage, sun-induced skin cancer, wrinkles, and solar elastosis, a lessening of elasticity in the tissues due to overexposure to sun.
The Fitzpatrick Scale types skin from the lightest, most susceptible to sunburn and sun damage to the darkest skin coloring, the most resistant to sunburn and cumulative sun damage.
Daily sunscreen protection should be worn regardless of coloring. This scare not only indicates sun damage susceptibility, but also serves as a scale of intrinsic sensitivity. While dark skin types can still be sensitive, thinner, type 1 and 2 tend to be more reactive to external and topical substances, including exposure to the environment, including sun, heat, cold, and wind.
These skin types may also be affected different by pigmentation disorders. hyper pigmentation is more likely to affect types 4-6 than the lighter skin types. Certain advanced skin treatments including Jessner’s exfoliation peels may irritate these skin types and cause or worsen pigmentation.
Asian and Hispanic skin types are very susceptible to hyper pigmentation problems. Any injury to the skin can result in h.p. darker skin types produce more melanin than Caucasian skin and are more reactive to stimulation and injures, including chemical insults from skin care products that are too strong for their skin. Pigmentation resulting from irritation or injury is called Postinflammatory hyper pigmentation (PIH).
The Scale
information from mildays standard text, picture from google images
The more natural pigment in the skin, the greater its resistance to sunburn and environmental skin damage. Although dark skin can suffer from both sunburn and sun damage, it has greater resistance to potential damage due to its pigment. The melanin in the skin provides a natural hereditary form of sunscreen. Darker skin types are much less likely to develop sun damage, sun-induced skin cancer, wrinkles, and solar elastosis, a lessening of elasticity in the tissues due to overexposure to sun.
The Fitzpatrick Scale types skin from the lightest, most susceptible to sunburn and sun damage to the darkest skin coloring, the most resistant to sunburn and cumulative sun damage.
Daily sunscreen protection should be worn regardless of coloring. This scare not only indicates sun damage susceptibility, but also serves as a scale of intrinsic sensitivity. While dark skin types can still be sensitive, thinner, type 1 and 2 tend to be more reactive to external and topical substances, including exposure to the environment, including sun, heat, cold, and wind.
These skin types may also be affected different by pigmentation disorders. hyper pigmentation is more likely to affect types 4-6 than the lighter skin types. Certain advanced skin treatments including Jessner’s exfoliation peels may irritate these skin types and cause or worsen pigmentation.
Asian and Hispanic skin types are very susceptible to hyper pigmentation problems. Any injury to the skin can result in h.p. darker skin types produce more melanin than Caucasian skin and are more reactive to stimulation and injures, including chemical insults from skin care products that are too strong for their skin. Pigmentation resulting from irritation or injury is called Postinflammatory hyper pigmentation (PIH).
The Scale
information from mildays standard text, picture from google images
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Welcome!!
Welcome to my blog! my name is courtnie and I’m sure as you’ve guessed I’m an esthetician. most of you are wondering what an esthetician even is. in simple terms - I’m a skin technician. I spent 8 months this past year learning all about the skin: types, conditions, problems and ways to correct those problems. let me tell you, acne is more complex than you would think.
The integumentary system (aka skin) is the most important system in the body. it protects, regulates temperature, absorbs, excretes, and provides identifying features. it’s vital you take care of your skin, and that’s where I come in!
So what services can I provide for you?
Body Exfoliation - that great scrub feeling you get on your face is now here for your whole body! a salt scrub is used to rid your skin of those dead cells!
Body Waxing - tired of looking like an ape? remove that hair from your: underarms, arms, back, chest, bikini, brazilian, and legs (anywhere with hair)!
Calming Facials - get away from your daily troubles and come relax while soothing products are used to clean your face!
Chemical Peels - I want a new face! facial acids are used to clean deep down in those pores. peels help control breakouts, reduce the appearance of acne scarring, fine lines and wrinkles, and pigmentation. this is a great workout for your skin!
Cleansing/Exfoliating Facials - sometimes that morning burst cleanser just doesn’t do the job. more active products are used to really clean those pores!
Eyelash Extensions - make those lashes look like a rockstar! with 3 different lengths to choose from you eyes will always be the center of attention!
Facial Waxing - hair removal from the eyebrows, upper lip, chin, cheek, hairline, and nose!
M’lis Body Wrap - haven’t you always wanted to be wrapped head to toe in ceran wrap? well here’s your chance! this wrap utilizes a specialized formula to help detox your body as well as loose inches!
Pedicures - your feet deserve some loving too! your toes will love the scrub, masque, massage and paint job!
Self-tan - keep that bronzed babe look all year round!
comment me on my blog or follow me on facebook to set up an appointment!
pictures from google images
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