| VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 | JULY 2009 |
Your Eyes Absolutely Are The Windows To Your Soul... Help, My Eyebrows Are Falling! Hello Bright Eyes! There is so Much to Cover About Sun Protection Did You Know... Contact Us |
| Facial Treatment of the Month: For Your Eyes Only Myth Busters: Summer Skin Hot Items Ask Dr. Ava. Q&A |
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 The eyes brighten your face, and reflect emotions like happiness and love. Has anyone ever asked you "Are you OK, you look tired?" Even when you actually felt great? Unfortunately undereye circles or darkness under the eyes can give the appearance of sadness or fatigue. This can be due to hollowing under the eyes from volume loss, which is often hereditary or actual darkening of the skin. Surprisingly the first is more common. When the undereye area is hollow it acts like a canyon and the light sits in the hollow rather than being reflected out giving the appearance of darkness. Whether the cause is genetic, inherited from your parents, or from the fat pad dropping into the cheek which is age related, the good news is that it can be corrected! Using Restylane, a hyaluronan, that is a natural component of the skin, the filler is simply injected into the hollow under the eye to replace the absence of fat tissue which gives the skin a little lift. Now that the "canyon" has been filled the light reflects back normally and the dark circles are erased! This process is very effective and long-lasting. Restylane has also been shown to promote collagen production which is an added bonus. So now when people see you they'll see the REAL you; the chipper, rested you, the I just won the Lottery-you, the I'm off my diet and yes I'm having the chocolate cake-you!
HELP, MY EYEBROWS ARE FALLING! You can't go on ignoring the droopy, overlapping skin on your eyelids forever. It may not be so noticeable at first, but unfortunately it will become worse over time; your eyes will appear smaller, and even applying your eye make up will become a challenge. The most effective and most popular procedure to correct this is the blepharoplasty, or "eyelid lift." We offer the blepharoplasty procedure here in our office under local anesthesia and it is performed by a board certified plastic surgeon. Recovery is quick and easy! If changes to the skin on your eyelids is minimal, fillers and/or botox treatment may be options for you instead. By lifting your eyebrows with filler or botox your eyes will appear brighter. So whether your eyes are treated by blepharoplasty or filler or botox, your eyes will once again become bright, shining stars on your face. HELLO BRIGHT EYES!
FACIAL TREATMENT OF THE MONTH: FOR YOUR EYES ONLY This hydrating facial treatment soothes, nourishes & plumps the skin around the eye area as easy as one, two, three. Leave our spa with eyes that feel rested and refreshed. Our signature BrightEyes facial treatment can be done alone for $65, or added onto a facial treatment for an additional $30. 1 - Gently Exfoliate with organic AHA 2 - Rejuvenate with cucumber, shea butter and ginseng 3 - Revitalize and plump with soy, vegetable glycerin, green tea, and vitamins C&E GROW YOUR LASHES
 That both cucumber and tea are great for puffy, tired looking eyes? Fresh cucumber slices can be used to reduce puffiness and refresh the appearance of the skin around the eyes. Place fresh cucumber slices onto closed eyelids and relax with your favorite CD for at least 10-15 minutes. Add some aloe vera gel to fresh cucumber slices and make your own soothing cucumber gel! Keep refrigerated in a sealed glass or ceramic container. Be sure to keep your eyes closed, and refresh your eyes and your spirit! Tea bags have also been shown to reduce swelling and discoloration. Steep tea bags in hot water a few minutes, remove from water and refrigerate until chilled. Be sure they are at room temperature or cooler before placing tea bags on your eyes; they should be cool and damp. THERE IS SO MUCH TO COVER ABOUT SUN PROTECTION
The sun’s UV (ultraviolet) rays can cause DNA damage, and by damaging the skin’s cellular DNA, excessive UV radiation can produce genetic mutations leading to skin cancer. Photo-aging is another negative, long-term affect of sun exposure – it might not be life-threatening, but can affect the way your skin looks and feels (i.e. premature aging, leathery texture, wrinkles, skin spots, redness and broken capillaries, etc.). When choosing sunscreen or sunblock, always look for products that protect against both UVB and UVA spectrum and has minimum of SPF 30, and is appropriate for your skin type. Even if you have dark skin, you need proper sun protection too! Don’t assume that SPF of 90 or even 100 completely protects; you can still get burned. The difference between sunscreen and sunblock is that sunscreen is a preparation applied to the skin to prevent sunburn (as by chemically absorbing ultraviolet radiation) whereas sunblock is a preparation applied to the skin to prevent sunburn (as by physically blocking out ultraviolet radiation). Sun protection products have expiration dates but on the average they have at least two years of shelf life. MYTH BUSTERS: Summer Skin, Part 2  MYTH 1: If I am careful to always sit in the safety of the shade and never in direct sunlight I don’t need to use any sun protection. FACT: The damaging UV rays from the sun are reflected from sand, sea, snow, water and other surfaces and so sun damage can occur while you are sitting in the shade. Regardless of whether you are in the shade or fully exposed to the sun’s rays, you must take sun protection seriously and use an SPF 30 or above. The SPF (Sun Protection Factor) refers to the relative protection against sunburn that you will receive from a product, so sunscreens with a higher SPF offer more protection. However, SPF only refers to protection against UVB rays (burning) and it is the UVA exposure which is increasingly linked to long term sun damage and skin cancer. When it comes to applying sun protection creams, apply 30 minutes before exposure to the sun, and be sure to re-apply every two hours, and immediately after swimming or vigorous exercise. Remember to apply sunscreen after drying off with a towel, as the towel will remove most of the existing sunscreen. It is also recommended to apply sunscreen very liberally, using approximately three tablespoons for an average- sized adult. MYTH #2 – My skin never burns so I won’t have any long term skin damage. FACT: It is the total lifetime exposure to the sun’s rays that is proportional to the risk of a skin cancer occurring, not necessarily episodes of sunburn, although these will heighten the risk. All exposure to the sun will add to the overall risk of a cancer occurring. Even if exposure to the sun doesn’t manifest itself as sunburn, exposure to damaging UVA increases your risk of long-term skin damage. Research shows that unprotected sun exposure in the first 15 years of a child's life significantly increases the risk of skin cancer later. It is true that the extra pigment in darker skin does afford some added protection against the sun's harmful UV rays and that the skin is slightly less susceptible to burning. However people of dark color should use sunscreen. MYTH #3 – I do not need to use a sunscreen when the weather is cooler. FACT: When it is cool or there are clouds but bright, there are still lots of UV rays so sun protection all year round is a must. Even in areas that are relatively sun-free, it can take as little as half an hour to get sunburned, posing a serious threat to your health in the long term. Even on a cloudy day 80% of UV rays penetrate trough the clouds. It is also important to remember that even sun exposure does not result in burning, it can still damage skin cells and increase your risk of developing skin cancer or premature aging. Research indicates that hundreds of new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every day, and melanoma is rising faster than any other type of deadly cancer. Don’t assume that because you live in a cooler climate there is little risk of sun damage. Skin damage can occur even from exposure on cloudy, rainy or overcast days. HOT ITEMS
ASK DR. AVA!
A: Try to use a gentle cleanser. For people who are prone to breakouts or have acne, you can use a cleanser containing benzoyl peroxide once a day; one either sold over the counter or prescribed by your dermatologist. If you feel that you need more of an exfoliation you can use a fine, very gentle scrub, one for sensitive skin if possible; I would recommend using an exfoliating scrub once or twice a week at the most. My other recommendation would be the Clarisonic brush. The brush effectively cleans without abrasion, making it very gentle for all skin types.
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