According to VH1, diamond facials are a favorite of beauty Kate Winslet. Praised by Ayurvedic principles for their ability to “oxygenate and purify the skin,” the diamond facial supposedly gives a glow to skin, although it may be too harsh for those with sensitive skin.
In a diamond facial, a licensed dermatologist or aesthetician uses a wand to deliver a stream of fine crystals that polish the skin. And no, diamond facials do not contain diamonds; according to Katy Slater, 42, a licensed aesthetician who owns Palma Ceia Facials, ”It’s called a diamond facial because of the machine, but also the combination of ingredients, the procedure involved in delivering them, and how it leaves your face looking radiant, like a diamond,” Slater says. ”The business of beauty has a lot to do with how something is marketed.”
Unfortunately, the effects of diamond facials have not been compared in any independent, double-blind, multi-center, peer-reviewed published study to microdermabrasion or light chemical peels [at least, not in any study that I can find.] However, some women have noted softer, more glowing skin after the facial, including Cloe Cabrera, a reporter for the Tampa Bay Tribune.
Check with your dermatologist or physician before this procedure, which is not recommended for those with sensitive skin. At any rate, it seems to be promising!
A special “thank you” for this post goes to sponsor Abazias.com, an awesome website that specializes in diamonds. (So awesome, in fact, that I allowed them to be the first non-skin care sponsor on FutureDerm.com!) Abazias.com is a reputable company that sells over 120,000 certified diamonds and settings at a discount of up to 50% less than traditional jewelry stores and up to 25% less than other online companies. One of the most unique features of the site, however, is its specialized ring builder that lets you customize and build a ring by color, clarity, carat, and, of course, price. Definitely fun to use, and perfect you are planning a special occasion!
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June 29th, 2008
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Controversy |
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I am sorry for not writing for a few days…I took a few days off from this and my day job ( 
), and now I feel better, relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready to talk skin care!
With that said, an exciting new ingredient for hyperpigmentation is bearberry, derived from a type of dwarf shrub rumored to be enjoyed by bears (hence, I suppose, the Yogi-licious name.) Humans (particularly those with derm licenses) are currently developing a taste for bearberry as well: In a 2008 study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, certain active compounds found in bearberry, including arbutin, aloesin, flavonoids, hesperidin, and polyphenols, inhibit melanogenesis without melanocytotoxicity. The means of inhibition was varied, indicating that several bearberry successfully stops age spots from forming in several different ways. Promising!
A separate 2008 study found that bearberry lightened hyperpigmentation up to 70 percent, whereas the industry standard hydroquinone was effective in 78 percent of cases. However, due to incessant reports of irritation from hydroquinone use, as well as possible ochronosis development, bearberry holds a great deal of promise for those with sensitive or darker skin. In addition, bearberry has also been found to have antibacterial and antioxidant activity.
Due to its recent development as a whole ingredient (rather than just its extracts), bearberry found in very few products, including Amazonia Skin Balancing Cleanser ($18.00, Amazon.com).
Here’s to this exciting new ingredient!
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June 28th, 2008
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futurederm |
Anti-Aging Treatments, Antioxidant Treatments, Hyperpigmentation Treatments, Spotlight On... |
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Dermatological procedures are often criticized due to their high cost. Indeed, spending thousands of dollars on a single procedure is simply out of the question for many patients, particularly with the skyrocketing costs of gas, food, and energy. However, one may also argue that just a few procedures now can put off wrinkling, loss of firmness, and reduce incurred sun damage, which all adds up to greater skin (and less cosmetic costs) down the road. According to the July 2008 issue of Vogue, here’s how some of the most popular procedures measure up:
- Thermage ($2500-3500 per session) firms sagging skin in as little as 1 session.
- Titan ($1000-2500 per session) firms sagging skin in 3-6 sessions.
- Fraxel ($1600 per session) can refine poor size and skin texture in 1 session, and collagen levels can be boosted in 2-3 sessions.
So what do you think? Do you think dermatological procedures are worth the cost? Let me know! And remember, one post = one entry in the Spin Lash giveaway July 8 2008!
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June 24th, 2008
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futurederm |
Uncategorized |
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One of the biggest indicators of good (or bad) health may be literally right in front of you all day. According to to The Prescription for Nutritional Healing, the nails can indicate a slew of health conditions:
- A hangnail may be indicative of a lack of protein, folic acid, or vitamin C.
- A white band on the nail may indicate a lack of protein.
- Fragile or ridged nails indicates a lack of B vitamins.
- Dryness, curved or darkened ends of nails indicates a lack specifically of vitamin B12.
- “Spoon” (concave) nails and vertical ridges indicate an iron deficiency.
- White spots indicate a zinc deficiency.
So always remember to check your nails if you suspect a possible vitamin or protein deficiency!
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June 23rd, 2008
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It’s that time again: I review the best of the beauty blogs of the past two weeks, so you don’t have to. ;-) Here goes:
Beauty Junkie in S.F. reviews Clean and Clear new Soft In-Shower Facial ($13.07 for two, Amazon.com). The facial contains the potent AHA glycolic acid in fair concentration, plus green tea to give a uniquely hydrating mineral facial that doesn’t break the bank!
Frappelattes gives the scoop on how to find the right sunglasses for your face, based on your facial shape. Considering that UV rays cause 80 to 90 percent of the signs of premature aging, protecting that delicate eye area cannot be over-emphasized. Might as well look beautiful while you do it!
Beauty Anonymous reviews the new Chillessence “Be Great” Body Care Line, which was launched in April 2008 to be free of artificial, toxic, or harmful ingredients…even the packaging materials are eco-friendly and recycled/recyclable products. Although I do not believe that all natural skin care is usually better, if you are a friend of the green movement, Chillessence products appear to be quality!
Dr. Leslie Baumann (The Skin Guru) ‘fesses up as to why she doesn’t like mineral make-up. Definitely a must-read for those who have made mineral a must-have for their skin!
Enjoy this week’s best posts…come back for a review of Bioessence products soon!
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June 21st, 2008
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FutureDerm.com is proud to be a partner in sponsoring two awesome new contests!
The first contest is a giveaway for one of five free Schick Quattro for Women razors! Schick Quattro for Women is an excellent razor because it features dual conditioning strips with aloe, four blades, a pivoting head, and a no-slip grip for an excellent shave. To enter, please send a Schick Dream Date widget to Contest [at] FutureDerm.com by July 8, 2008 at 11:59 PM EST. Five winners will be chosen at random on July 8, 2008 at noon EST!
The second contest is a giveaway for one of five SpinLash mascaras! SpinLash is a new mascara that rotates when you put it on. It’s a really fun gift for the make-up enthusiast who is convinced that she’s seen and used it all before! I personally enjoyed it, and thought it made my lashes look longer (once I mastered the technique, of course). To enter, please comment on FutureDerm.com (on any entry!) between June 21 and July 7, 2008 at 11:59 PM EST. For 5 entries, link to FutureDerm.com from any other established blog or website, and send a copy of the link to Contest [at] FutureDerm.com. Five winners will be chosen at random on July 8, 2008 at approximately 12:30 PM EST!
It’s the summer of giveaways here on FutureDerm.com!
I am currently in the midst of writing a book. If you would like to be a part of a review and advisory panel, please e-mail me at Nicki [at] FutureDerm [dot] com by July 8, 2008. Thanks!
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June 20th, 2008
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Offers and Promotions |
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Congratulations to the winner of the $500 FutureDerm.com giveaway, Danielle Fitzgerald! Danielle’s comment on May 23, 2008 was assigned a number, which was selected at random today at noon. Danielle will receive $500 in skin care products from Skinmedix.com! Congratulations to Danielle! :-) And a special thank you to all who entered too!
A new round of contests, sponsored by Spin Lash and Schick for Women, will begin tomorrow (June 20, 2008). Come back to FutureDerm.com tomorrow for full entry details!
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June 19th, 2008
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Yes, this is a serious post! According to the July 2008 issue of Oprah magazine, a recent study found that dermatologists’ median wait time for the evaluation of a mole is about 25 days, while the wait for Botox injections is 8 days. In other words, if you need a dermatologist to look at your mole, book that cosmetic procedure you’ve always wanted, and then ask when you’re there (kind of like a two-for-one deal)! Sad that this kind of thing happens, but so long as physicians are better compensated for cosmetic procedures than skin cancer screenings, this will inevitably occur. Luckily, you now have knowledge on your side.
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June 18th, 2008
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Controversy, Cosmetic Dermatology News |
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Botox™ is an increasingly common phenomenon in American society. From celebrities to CEOs, supermodels to soccer moms, women to men, everybody is looking, well, a little less crinkly and a lot more smooth lately.
Thankfully, lots of great information is available on Botox. Here, I share everything I believe the savvy patient would want to know:
There are seven different serotypes of Botox™.
They are lettered A to G, with A being the most commonly used serotype as Botox (by Allergan), and B being used as Myobloc (by Ipsen Products). For more on the differences between the serotypes, please click here.
…But the person behind the needle ultimately matters as much as the chemical itself.
According to some records, Miami and New York City derm and “Baron of Botox™” Dr. Frederic Brandt™ administers more procedures per year than any other. But the reason for his popularity isn’t just the fact he reportedly has Madonna as a client: Brandt pioneered “the Botox™ Face Lift,” a series of injections that result in a face so lifted, it looks like a face lift. Botox is truly an art, so leave your face in the hands of a true master: according to DocShop.com, find a board-certified, fully licensed cosmetic dermatologist, cosmetic surgeon, or facial plastic surgeon who has conducted the procedure extensively, and do not be afraid to ask for photographs of other patients. However, do be wary of over-instructing the physician; for instance, some patients instruct the physician which part of the muscle to inject or how much injectable to use, and even though the patient may be very savvy, sometimes, the doctor really just does know best! In other words, once you find a trustworthy physician, let him/her do his/her job!
How Botox™ works:
According to Dr. Leslie Baumann’s Cosmetic Dermatology textbook, the most commonly used type of Botox™ is serotype A. When Botox™ serotype A is injected, it cleaves a protein that is necessary for a neurotransmitter release, effectively preventing the neurotransmitter from binding to cellular membranes to cause muscle contractions. (Hence your relaxed appearance afterwards!) And, for you science geeks, the exact protein that is cleaved is SNAP-25, the complex is the soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor, and the neurotransmitter is none other than acetylcholine.
Results are not instant.
Results generally take between 12 to 96 hours to fully appear, with the optimal effect occurring 7 days after the procedure.
The price may vary by physician and by patient.
According to Baumann, “the amount of botulism toxin needed per site depends on the musculature of the individual patient. Therefore, Botox™ and Myobloc should be priced by the number of units used, and not by the area treated…The price also varies according to the area of the country one lives in.” So don’t always expect to pay the same price as a friend or family member, and definitely don’t expect to cough over the same amount in, say, Cleveland and New York City.
The recent Botox™ scare is nothing to raise your brow over.
(Pun alert!) But seriously, no deaths in adults undergoing a cosmetic procedure have ever occurred from Botox™. A 2008 FDA investigation questioning the safety of Botox™ found that all of the serious events were in children exposed to extremely high doses of botulism toxin. The doses ranged from 6.25 to 32 units per kilogram of bodyweight — that is the equivalent of 460 to 2,400 units for an adult — a huge dose. The approved dose of Botox for cosmetic purposes is 20 units. Put simply, you would need to have a dermatologist inject you with 23 to 120 times the normal dose for toxic effects to occur. Not only is that about as likely as it to start raining elephants, but it has never happened to date - a sign you can surely rest assured of the procedure’s safety.
But there are documented side effects in some individuals…
According to the Botox™ Cosmetic website, patients with certain neuromuscular disorders such as ALS, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome may be at increased risk of serious side effects from Botox. Aside from those patients, the most common side effects following injection include temporary eyelid droop and nausea. In addition, localized pain, infection, inflammation, tenderness, swelling, redness, and/or bleeding/bruising may be associated with the injection. Dr. Leslie Baumann recommends avoiding aspirin, green tea, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and vitamin E 10 days prior to treatment, and topical vitamin K (as in one of my favorite formulations, Peter Thomas Roth Power K eye cream) afterwards. Ice packs may also help.
…including addiction to Botox!
Believe it or not, according to über dermatologist Dr. Patricia Wexler, “People with addictive personalities can get addicted to anything, and it’s up to the doctor to say ‘no’. That word should be in their vocabulary.”
…and there is the remote possibility that Botox use may change your brain structure.
This Italian study in the Journal of Neuroscience found that Botox™ injected into rats is not localized in the rats’ skin, but rather, travels to the rats’ brains, shutting off nerves there. My retort to this matches that of dermatologist Dr. Benabio, of the Derm Blog: “The study was done in rats, not people. We do not know if it would do the same thing in humans. Even if some botox did get into the brain, there is no evidence at all that it has any meaningful effect, good or bad.“ Still, if the idea of Botox™ potentially altering your brain structure freaks you out too much to keep using the stuff, Dr. Benabio recommends retinoids as tretinoin, and I particularly love non-prescription retinol formulations.
And you should NEVER make your own Botox™.
I got this one from The Derm Blog as well: don’t try to make your own homemade Botox from WikiHow, as this only leads to trouble. Remember, Botox is a prescription drug, and must be administered by a responsible physician!
No creams that are “better than Botox™” work quite as well as Botox™.
For instance, a 2006 study compared the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A (Botox™), placebo injection, StriVectin-SD®, Wrinkle Relax™, and HydroDerm™ (with palmitoyl oligopeptide), and found that none of the topical preparations were better than Botox in efficacy and overall patient satisfaction. This is most likely due to the fact that topical preparations of peptides increase collagen production over time, whereas Botox relaxes muscles and makes wrinkles very much less apparent within 1-7 days and stimulates collagen production over time. Another type of cream contains a GABA (inhibitory) neurotransmitter. Although companies claim that “100% of women” in their study experienced the 50-90% reduction in fine lines and wrinkles, the main ingredient, gamma aminobutyric acid, does not always have these types of results. GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, may temporarily inhibit nerves and reduce the appearance of wrinkles when applied topically, but this effect varies from woman to woman, and is not usually anywhere comparable to Botox or other professionally-administered wrinkle reducers, particularly because topically applied GABA cannot affect synaptic transmission at the cellular level, whereas injected Botox certainly can.
Botox™ is only getting more popular…
According to Science, it’s one of the fastest growing cosmetic procedures in the world in 2008, with an estimated 1 million Americans undergoing the procedure. Before making the decision, find an experienced board-certified, licensed dermatologist or plastic surgeon or cosmetic surgeon, and, of course, stay informed with the latest news on FutureDerm.com, ;-) (Shameless, I know…)
COMMENT!
Remember, 1 comment = 1 entry in the first big FutureDerm.com and Skinmedix.com giveaway, to be held this Friday, June 19, 2008! (And 1 link to the blog on another site = 5 entries!)
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June 17th, 2008
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futurederm |
Controversy, Cosmetic Dermatology News, General Cosmetic Dermatology |
17 comments
After a few days of using Skinceuticals’ new Phloretin CF instead of my beloved Skinceuticals CE Ferulic,
I have come to a surprising decision on what works best: using both together!
After speaking to a friend in the beauty business, it was suggested that perhaps Skinceuticals manufactured Phloretin CF without vitamin E so that CE Ferulic fans would buy Phloretin CF in addition to, rather than instead of, CE Ferulic. This logic also made since because my (normal, somewhat sensitive) skin felt awfully dry after three days’ use of solely Phloretin CF. However, during that time, I felt that Phloretin CF on its own made my undereye skin look somewhat firmer.
For the next week, I used Phloretin CF and CE Ferulic together, with the product with the thinner consistency (Phloretin CF) underneath. The results really were extraordinary: my skin looks extremely smooth, to the point that indoor light reflects from it. The sunspot under my right eye (from a childhood vacation in Florida, don’t ask, haha) also looks a bit lighter. I personally love the idea of getting 2% phloretin, 10% vitamin C as L-ascorbic acid, and 0.5% ferulic acid in Phloretin CF and also 1% vitamin E as tocopherol acetate, 15% vitamin C as L-ascorbic acid, and 0.5% ferulic acid in CE Ferulic. There is no known reported research indicating that the mixture can in any way be detrimental to the skin.
However, for the record, Skinceuticals states that Phloretin CF and CE Ferulic are made to address “different photo-aging concerns and skin types.” According to a recent company brochure, the new Phloretin CF is designed:
- for oily, problematic, and normal skin
- to diminish age spots and other forms of hyperpigmentation
- to accelerate cell renewal
- to improve laxity
- to retexturize skin
On the other hand, according to the brochure, CE Ferulic is best suited:
- for dry, combination, and normal skin
- to replenish lipids
- to stimulate collagen synthesis
- to reduce fine lines and wrinkles
With that said, I offer the following advice: If you have normal skin, and can afford to use both products, I would do so to get increased antioxidant protection, increased skin firmness, and truly advanced hyperpigmentation treatment. (And I am not affiliated with Skinceuticals in any way, so I am saying this as an unbiased, unpaid recommendation! ) However, if you have dry skin, I would recommend only CE Ferulic, because Phloretin CF tends to dry out the skin. And, if you have oily skin, I would conversely recommend trying both Phloretin CF and CE Ferulic, because CE Ferulic is not as hydrating as Phloretin CF is drying. However, if your oily skin breaks out after using CE Ferulic, then definitely use only Phloretin CF. (Get your CE Ferulic from a company with a forgiving return policy like Amazon!)
I am truly loving my Phloretin CF and CE Ferulic in combination, and I hope that you find this post helpful too!
P.S.– Keep commenting! The FutureDerm and Skinmedix.com $500 skincare giveaway is this Friday, June 19, 2008!
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June 16th, 2008
Posted by
futurederm |
Anti-Aging Treatments, Antioxidant Treatments, Best Products, Best Products, Product Reviews |
24 comments
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