In Miami, the land of the “Beautiful People” – where sun and sand mean that skin is always exposed, Dr. Andrea Trowers, Board Certified Dermatologist based in North Miami Beach, helps enhance all of her client’s beauty.

Dr. Trowers exclusively addresses many of your biggest skin care questions in our ongoing series of columns. Her latest column is on the topic of lasers. Many of you have heard about all the things they can do for your face and body. Now you can find out more about what they can (and can’t) do and how Dr. Trowers views them. – RLB

Lasers

Today, as she was receiving her Botox injection, one of my patients asked, “What lasers do you have now Dr. T?” I replied, “The same one I’ve always had. It’s a Nd Yag Cool Glide and it works great for hair removal. I can use it on all skin types, as long as the hair is dark brown or black.” She told me I needed to buy a laser that removes brown spots on the arms. I told her would love to find one, but my policy is to test every laser, procedure, cosmetic and prescription product on one of my staff, friends or family members before promoting it to patients and I hadn’t found a laser yet that worked on her very common complaint.

Over the years I have tried several lasers for brown spots, red spots, photoaging, skin tightening and spider vein removal and have never been impressed enough to buy them (and at times have been thoroughly disappointed by the results). However for all of these skin complaints there are tried and true treatments that may not have the abracadabra instantaneous results that lasers promise (and almost never deliver), but that will over time with compliance and commitment to the treatment plan produce great results. These results are also obtained with less down time and at a significantly cheaper cost than laser therapies.

All of the patients who came to me raving about the results they obtained with lasers at other locations have admitted that the same results were obtained with the skin care regimens I have prescribed. So before purchasing a laser treatment just ask if the doctor has treated themselves with the laser and a number of staff members. I know that every procedure at my office has been performed on me, staff, friends and family members. If the laser they are promoting to you is so great, why isn’t everyone at their office using it?
(more…)

Every woman’s desire is to look charming. Dressing up fashionably and a perfect hairstyle are not the only solutions. Indeed, possessing flawless facial skin is even more important.

A person’s skin is the first visible thing about her. Balanced and even skin color should be a primal consideration.

It’s not rare to have dull skin color. Pigmentation appears to be one of the common facial skin problems. It appears in the form of moles or spots and greatly affects the color of the skin, making it uneven and dull. The problem of pigmentation should be handled as soon as possible.

The first step in minimizing skin pigmentation is to protect yourself from exposure to the sun as it is the leading cause of pigmentation. There are creams that may prove to offer protection from pigmentation. Among them, Hydroquinone crème can be singled out. It may be great for removing dark spots and brightening skin tone.

Another effective cream may prove to be Power peel. It uses aluminum oxide crystal to create a new layer by removing the skin’s dead cells. (more…)

Normally when I think of CZ, I think of the sparkly white version that is often used as immitation diamonds. But it can be made in a rainbow of colors, so I picked some lavender and olive green beads to test.

The colors are gorgeous – the lavender is pale and beautiful, while the olive green is a rich deeper hue. They look great together, so I started by making a pendant combining both colors.

The huge lavender beads are 9×36 mm teardrop pendant beads, and the smaller olive green ones are 6×9 mm faceted teardrops, in case you are tempted to nab a few for yourself.

I had to try these lovely flat square cushion beads, so I went with some very simple earrings – I think the shape and facets on them are so pretty they deserve to be the center of a design.

The square cushion beads are my favorite of the three styles, not because the others aren’t beautiful (they are) but because I could see these beads as part of so many different designs. They’d be lovely as a simple wire wrapped pendant on a skinny chain, and there are a bunch of colors to choose from.

(more…)

Beauty is inborn. But to make it everlasting, you need skin care and treatment.

You can find an immense variety of skin care products on the market. But the gist is to make a right choice among all these available options.

Herbal skin care products offer a balanced combination of natural beautifying and nourishing nutrients and antioxidants that are easily absorbed by the skin. Natural skin care bath and body products developed from traditional herbal medicine help nourish, restore, and revitalize the skin.

Herbal skin care products should contain no animal fats, no mineral oils, no lanolin and no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors.

Oils of aloe vera, calendula, celandine, nettle, plantain, rose hips, St. John’s Wort and Saw Palmetto are herbal products employed as a beauty aid to nourish, revitalize and rejuvenate the skin.

Herbal body care and aromatherapy massage products restore your skin and protect it from environmental harsh conditions. An aromatherapy bath is one of the most effective and enjoyable skin treatments. The skin is cleansed, healed with essential oils, moisturized and lubricated with the combination of vegetable oils and herbal extracts.

Bath tea is a good treatment to improve your skin and scalp conditions, promote healthy skin, combat irritation and promote healthy hair. Baby bath tea helps reverse skin irritations, diaper rash and allergy.

Herbal skin care includes topical herbal therapy, too. It is wholesome to various skin conditions such as acne, blemishes, psoriasis, cellulite and stretch marks.

(more…)

People who care about their skin beauty by using different types of skin care products think that they won’t have skin problems anymore.

Therefore, every day we are unconsciously damaging our skin during routine activities, such as taking a shower, playing in the sunshine, enjoying air conditioned rooms, smoking or even drinking coffee. You might be thinking that you should do whatever it takes to keep your skin looking as fresh as it did when you were a newborn. But you should first consider several natural beauty tips to avoid premature skin damage.

And if you have dry skin, your problems are indeed multiplied. Dry skin may be genetically transmitted or due to environmental effects. But in these two cases, you should fight to renew your skin beauty and health. Skin is our body’s first line of defense, and it protects us from infections and the environment. As we age, the superficial layers of skin become thinner, and the oil glands become less productive; thus the diminished lipid layer is no longer able to hold moisture. Due to this process the skin becomes dry, flaky and more sensitive.

Here are some tips to avoid those premature results:

- First, try taking a shower or bath every other day. Hot water strips the body of its natural components, so it’s not recommended for people with dry skin. Showering or bathing shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes if possible. Also, use a wide selection of moisturizers and body creams.
- You should also drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, because hydration is vital for healthy skin. When increasing your liquid consumption, reduce the use of alcohol, caffeine and smoking, which all have negative influences on skin beauty and health. Avoid also environments which sap water from your body.
- Try using a humidifier in your home or work environment. As you may know, air conditioners and heating systems dissolve a large quantity of humidity from the air, so adding a humidifier will be a great solution to your problem.

(more…)

Skin problems are common for everyone, but they become more noticeable at an awkward age. Skin problems worry practically every teenager.

Almost 80 percent of the people on earth have had acne at some time in their lives. They have surely turned to the aid of various beauty skin care products.

Facial skin problems are caused by different factors. One of the reasons for teenage skin care problems is a result of a rise in hormone levels and body changes. These changes are reflected on the skin. For some teens, it’s an occasional pimple or blemish. For other teens, if no treatment is carried out, it becomes a chronic condition known as acne.

Acne is a common facial skin problem faced by most teenagers. It’s characterized by whiteheads, blackheads and, more frequently, pus-filled pimples. It usually develops in the central area of the cheeks and on the forehead. In most cases, it’s caused by a hormone imbalance.

What to do? How do you find the proper treatment?

Acne treatment can be carried out with a special laser or abrasive therapies, which are available in dermatologists’ offices. But these two options are very expensive.

Some dermatologists offer a quick and easy way of treating acne problems. Run a washcloth under hot water, and soak the pimple until the cloth is cool, then apply topical acne medicine. This procedure should be repeated two to three times a day.

Skin Treatment For Teenagers Here’s an essential warning to those who try to cover acne with regular make-up–doing so may seriously damage your skin and stop its healing. Instead, use a compounded tinted drying lotion to hide your skin problems.

You shouldn’t touch pimples since you can cause scars and infection. For warding off bacteria, apply tomato pulp on your face and rinse thoroughly after 10-15 minutes. This procedure should be done once a day. Use an exfoliating cream or lotion to replace dead skin cells with new ones.

These are simple yet very effective procedures to clear up your pimples and acne. So, don’t be lazy–make these facile procedures a small part of your daily routine.

Give a final solution to your skin problems.