When Energy Work Becomes an Essential Part of Your Beauty Ritual April 17 2018
What do self-care, energy work, and beauty rituals have in common?Secret about Cellulite October 29 2016
Oh, cellulite.
Our genetics are the biggest cause of cellulite. Exercise, diet, hormones, laxity of the connective tissue, and our overall lifestyle can attribute to the expression of cellulite.
If we want to create a smooth silhouette, what can we do? Let’s talk technology first.
They’re have been many medical treatments that have provided some good results, but mostly have been disappointing and costly. Two new machines that came out this year have some promise, but time will tell if they can create anything more than temporary results.
Stubborn Toxins
Most treatments use a vacuum feature that creates swelling which only delivers a temporary result. It can be beneficial by creating a “detox” of the area and better circulation, but there are many ways to create this on your own via exercise, saunas, massage, etc. The homecare massager “Body Belle,” is an amazing way to boost blood and lymphatic flow. It also stretches the fibrous tissue to improve elasticity. This strengthening of the connective tissue is key.
Dermal Bonding
When the skin on our body looses elasticity and the connection between all the layers weaken, cellulite looks it’s worst! We need to strengthen the relationship between all the layers. Stretching, yoga and Pilates can really help. I target this factor at my clinic by mixing radio frequency skin tightening treatments with CIT collagen building treatments to get the skin pillowy and youthful looking.
Daily Rituals
Exfoliating on a daily basis in the shower is essential. It wakens up the skin, and preps it for the topicals you apply during your morning beauty ritual. You can use the body brush head on your clarisonic or you can get create your own homemade sugar scrubs. Add a little rosemary oil to your recipe for blood flow. The one skincare line for the body that I’ve seen deliver real results is called Kayo. Their Concentrated Slimming Serum creates not only amazing instant results, but also truly accumulative benefits. The Vitamin Boost is essential for rebuilding the skin. For a supportive supplement, I love ATP by Meehan Formulations. This formulation keeps your body clean and fine-tuned by energizing your cells and keeps you fit on a truly molecular level.
Hormones
Cellulite can be related to hormone imbalances, specifically an excess of estrogen and a deficiency in progesterone. It’s so important for women to get their hormones checked regularly. It has an astronomical effect on our skin. You can create a hormone-balanced climate through naturopathy and even easy diet changes. Other internal contributors to cellulite are low thyroid, adrenal dysfunction, and blood sugar imbalance.
Cellulite can be a telling sign that we need to shift things in our whole-body health routine. Giving some extra love to ourselves is a priceless investment on our path to living our most vital life. Empowering our bodies empowers our lives.
Image via LVBX Magazine
Travel Tips! September 15 2016
THE WANDERING AESTHETIC: ON BUILDING A TRAVEL BEAUTY ROUTINE
Planning to get away this weekend? Whether you're globe trotting or a quick road trip, it’s important to prepare your wandering beauty routine.
PREPARATION
First, make sure to eat healthy a few days before you leave. Eat lots of leafy greens and stay away from foods and drinks high in sodium and carbohydrates that will dehydrate your skin.
Try and book a hydrating facial a day or two before you depart. No treatments that entail heat or heavy exfoliation. Oxygen infusions, LED, hyaluronic and peptide masks are go-to treatments at my practice.
If you want to pack light, coconut oil is a great option. Although I’m not a fan of frequent use of coconut oil on the skin, you can apply this head to toe as your moisturizer, use as a cleanser, a lip balm, and apply to the tips of your hair if you need some extra conditioning.
Cleansing wipes are great for the late lazy night when you don’t want to have to take the time to wash your face.
Remember to pack your probiotics! Keeping your gut clean while you travel will make your skin happy. Or you can eat foods with probiotics and drink organic probiotic drinks.
For a simple and fun make-up look, go for a bright lip color, mascara and a bronzer with SPF. I prefer powered SPF when I travel. I don’t have to deal with reapplying layers of cream and I don’t have to worry about the powder getting hot and breakings down like liquid sun protection.
Leave your harsh products at home. Strong glycolics, retinols, etc. These don’t travel well and can make you more sun sensitive. If you have sensitive skin its good to discontinue these products a few days prior to your departure.
EN ROUTE
If you’re flying, try and stay away from alcohol, but if you have to take the edge off, order a greyhound. The grapefruit helps to keep you face from getting puffy.
Apply a good occlusive hydrator as soon as you buckle up. This will prevent your skin drying out via the strong air conditioning.
Pack a skin-friendly satin pillowcase in your carry on. This way, if you want to rest your cheek on the headrest, or the airplane pillow, you can make sure your skin stays clean and no harsh irritants from the fabrics will bother your skin or cause a breakout. You can also replace the hotel pillowcase with yours during your stay. Stiff, cheap pillowcases can be rough on your hair and skin.
Try and listen to soothing music or a guided mediation on your way to your destination. Skin doesn’t like stress! I always travel with my favorite lavender oil. I put a drop on the bottom of my neck. This way I only smell something beautiful, this is especially helpful when you’re in tight quarters with other travelers.
BUMPS IN THE ROAD
I’ve had patients call me in a panic that have used eye masks that made their eyes swell or ate something that made their face swell up. If this happens take a Benadryl and use cold compresses that you can chill in your hotel ice bucket.
If you’re going to have drinks with limes in them, be careful not to get lime juice on your hands or skin and then exposing it to the sun. Some people can hyperpigment from this.
Too much sun? Chill some aloe vera gel and keep reapplying. Make a cool bath for yourself, even add ice. Get an oatmeal soothing bath mix from the drug store or you can add a cup of apple cider vinegar. You will feel instant relief.
If you find yourself jet lagged and bored in the middle of the night, try not to sit in front of that high intensity magnifying mirror and get too excited extracting every pore. If you do, make sure to apply an anti-bacterial gel so you don’t cause a major break out.
Wishing you all safe travels, and remember to leave beauty wherever you go!
Mia Belle
Photo courtesy of LVBX Magazine!
COLD IS BEAUTIFUL August 19 2016
Growing up, I loved old Hollywood. I was watching a documentary and saw Bette Davis dipping her face in a sink full of ice cubes. This was a tried-and-true beauty ritual of many actresses and actors, including Paul Newman. I right away ran to the freezer; grabbed all the ice cubes I could find and tried it for myself! It felt shockingly cold, but it was invigorating and gave me an extra “glow”. Okay, granted I was in the 1st grade, but it did make me feel very glamorous. Maybe it’s the Swedish in me, or growing up in the cold Santa Cruz Ocean, but I’ve always loved the powerful feeling of the cold.
Today, Crotherapy, ice baths and freezing facials have been gaining more and more popularity and media attention.
So why does the cold feel so good and how does it create health and beauty?
Let’s start with our beauty sleep.
Sleep cool. Over a 24-hour period, our body temperature naturally peaks and declines. While we sleep, our bodies naturally cool down. Helping your body get to that lower temperature faster can encourage a deeper and more restorative sleep time.
This deep sleep will allow your body to release more melatonin, one of our best anti-aging hormones. Another perk! Studies show that sleeping in a 60-67 degree room makes you burn more calories than while awake, and can inspire your body to burn more calories the following day.
Air conditioning can create a dry and dehydrating environment, so I recommend keeping a bedroom cool by opening windows, sleeping naked, using light bedding, running a fan, and keeping your feet out of the sheets. You can also purchase a “cooling pillow” to help naturally draw the heat away from your body.
Cooling ingredients in skincare create comfort and beauty.
Sensitive skin especially loves feeling relief from heat and discomfort. Whether it’s caused by rosacea, post treatment inflammation, eczema, dermatitis, etc., there are products that can deliver the cool! Peppermint, violet-Viola Odorata Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, and menthol are extremely effective. When topically applied to the skin, menthol produces a cooling sensation by blocking a current along the nerves responsible for detecting temperature, triggering a response in nerve endings that makes the body think it’s cooling down. Cooling ingredients can also improve the flow of blood to the skin causing a temporary plumping effect. Love the plump! Starting to see now why cold is such an essential beauty tool?
Another point to consider when it comes to the power of cool; many products heat up their ingredients to be able to mix them to achieve a certain texture or to bottle the product more efficiently. This, just like when we over heat food, can kill vital nutrients and change the product on a molecular level. Do your research on how your product is created.
CryoFacial: Next level skincare.
This is the “Bette Davis ice dip” on steroids!
Benefits:
–Reduces inflammation, which supports our own anti-aging mechanisms.
–Relieves edema/swelling. AKA puffy face.
–Makes your pores look tight and your texture smooth and firm.
–The treatment creates a vascular reaction that enhances the penetration of products, creating better hydration and performance of topically applied vitamins and nutrients.
It not only stimulates collagen but also the Queen of Youthful Skin: elastin.
Cold promotes cell repair, making it a game changer for healing, especially post-procedures. The treatment flushes your skin with healing blood and nutrients making it feel revitalized.
How it works:
Therapies that use cold temperatures stimulate circulation.
The cold causes the blood vessels to contract and then dilate. This improves the oxygen and nutrient supply to the skin’s surface, making it appear more youthful.
Skin cooling increases the amount of neurotransmitters in the nerve fibers. This speeds up the metabolism and enzymatic cellular processes.
Therapies that use cold stimulate the release of good growth factors, including cytokines. The signs of aging in the skin can be attributed to a breakdown of collagen and elastin, which gives way to fine lines and wrinkles. Studies show that when the surface of the skin is cooled during cryofacials that the layers beneath are disrupted, and respond by increasing production of elastin, collagen and anti-aging growth factors. This results in brighter, firmer skin as it regains elasticity.
The anti-inflammatory responses of the skin by this cold are also a very effective in caring for chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.
Self-care.
You can do many things at home during your beauty routine to benefit from the effects of cold.
Don’t want everyone to know you just injected your lips?
Ice rollers have been popular in Asia and Europe for years, and are now gaining popularity in the States. Retailed Cool Globes are filled with water and gel that you keep in your fridge or freezer and can be used to relieve inflammation in general but are very beneficial following clinical procedures such as lasers and injectables, especially for the extra vascular lip area. Just lightly roll the globes over the entire face and neck or just apply in a specific area.
Big night/Big pimple? Use an ice cube!
Ice reduces the redness by diminishing swollen tissue and any possible weakened capillaries. It can also help to reduce the production of excess oil and acne-causing bacteria. Wrap the ice cube in some gauze soaked in witch hazel for 3-5 minutes.
Too much fun in the sun?
Soaking in a cold ice water bath can provide instant relief. Not only will it alleviate the heat and swelling, but also slightly numb the pain and soothe irritation. Add a cup of apple cider vinegar or an oatmeal bath recipe with some organic chamomile oil and you will feel instant relief.
Have morning after eyes?
Cold Eye Rollers to the rescue! Because blood pools around the eyes and causes dark circles, specially designed cold eye rollers can restore a healthy appearance by reducing swelling and inflammation. Applying a great eye gel with vitamin K will give you even better results.
Keeping it cool.
Simply keep certain products like gel masks, eye treatments, toners and spritzers in the fridge! You can also create your own mask. Try making a mask consisting of Greek yogurt, cucumbers and strawberries. Using cooled products is a simple way to make your skin feel amazing and awake. It can also add to the life and vitality of many products.
Go ahead, enjoy these last days of summer, and just remember to stay cool.
With grace,
Mia Belle
Photo courtesy of LiveBoxMagazine
Feminine Fitness August 13 2016
Vaginal Rejuvenation, it’s not what you think it is. Know the whole story.
There are multiple treatments out there that are referred to as “vaginal rejuvenation,” but it may not be what you think.
At my clinic, I have created a protocol for my patients that combines muscle fitness with a medical device called Thermiva. This treatment creates amazing health and aesthetic benefits for women without being invasive. There is no recuperation period and no downtime. This protocol is an amazing and life-changing alternative to antibiotics, surgery, synthetic lubrication, painful sex, midnight trips to the drugstore, and countless hours at the doctor’s office.
Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misinformation regarding vaginal rejuvenation. The treatment I offer is not about “body shaming” women. This treatment provides women with an empowering and non-surgical option to relieve them of a variety of feminine issues.
Many women have issues pertaining to vaginal and bladder health and are given few to no result driven options. In fact, even the discussion of these issues is laden with shame and judgment. But why? We make sure to take care of our teeth and gums, keep toned by going to the gym, get facials, etc. Why do we shy away from giving extra care to one of the most important parts of our bodies? Sexual activity, periods, nutrition, hormones, clothing, detergent, exercise – pretty much all we do has a direct effect on our lady parts.
Keeping the vagina, internally and the vulva externally, strong and healthy can prevent and reverse the following issues:
–Urinary incontinence
–Urinary tract infections
–Yeast infections
–Bladder prolapse
–Lack of desired lubrication
–Orgasmic disorders
–Nerve sensation
–BV: Bacterial vaginosis
–Vaginal laxity
–Difficulty retaining tampons
–Pelvic prolapse
How it works: Thermiva uses radiofrequency energy to gently heat the tissue to rejuvenate, heal, and strengthen the vagina. We can restore the area to health and create an improved quality of life instead of just masking the symptoms. Thermiva is extremely safe and has many years of proven clinical results.
The patented, disposable hand piece is specifically designed to treat the vagina and vulvar structure without any discomfort. Treatment time varies from 30-45 minutes. Most of my patients just feel heat and light pressure. Many find it relaxing and are very excited with their instant results resulting from their first treatment. The treatment protocol I have designed which has led to the most desirable results is 3 treatments spaced a month apart. Upkeep is yearly, although some patients will come back 6-9 months later to treat the vulva for aesthetic reasons.
I am so proud to be able to provide such an important breakthrough for women’s health. I have always been a passionate women’s health advocate and I want women to know that there is no need to live with pain, discomfort, or a limited lifestyle any more. Reach out to us or another knowledgeable provider to get information about Thermiva and the help you deserve. Being a woman is a beautiful thing!
Photo courtesy of LiveBoxMag
COOL BEAUTY June 24 2016
Why does our skin love cold treatments so much?
A few reasons:
It reduces inflammation, edema and pore size. It stimulates collagen and promotes cell repair.
A CryoFacial will flush your skin with blood and nutrients making it feel vital and cool!
Knowledge is Power! January 26 2016
I’m extremely passionate about the advancement of women’s health in The United States. Traveling to different countries, and having many women come to me from all over the world to my practice in Beverly Hills, I’ve come to learn the vast differences in the treatments and education we have as women in this country.
Women’s whole body health and EDUCATION is essential to create a healthy nation. It’s also an ethical issue. Woman on a global level should have access to knowledge and health care that allows them to live a life of vitality and bliss. I strive to educate my patients, sharing with them the most advanced treatments available.
So many women suffer with health issues unnecessarily and are objectified to an industry that puts profit and historically, men’s health first.
We have created progressive changes in some areas, but there’s much more work to be done. I’m extremely proud to be part of the organization “ The Women’s Health Network.” I want to share a bit about the group with you because I feel it’s important to become a health advocate for yourself and everyone else in your community. Get involved! Find a group you can feel proud to be a part of.
I'm a member and champion of this group because I feel it works hard to support women’s health from a place of empowerment and action.
A bit about NWHN: The National Women’s Health Network was founded to change the conversation about women’s health.They’re consumer activists supported by the membership of thousands of private individuals, choosing not to accept financial support from the pharmaceutical industry, medical device manufacturers, or insurance companies.
They shape policy and support consumer health decisions. They monitor the actions of Federal regulatory and funding agencies, the health care industry, and the health professions. NWHN identifies and exposes health care abuses and mobilizes grassroots action to champion women’s health.
Please learn more at:
https://www.nwhn.org/nwnh-history/
HUM nutrition October 14 2015
HUM nutrition creates some of my fav supplements!
I joined a team of health care experts including, nutritionist Alex Caspero, and holistic medicine physician Dr. Agarwal for HUM's latest article on healing and preventing dry skin.
Check out the full article at :
https://www.humnutrition.com/blog/truth-dry-skin-care-guide/
Just a taste:
In addition, sun exposure in the summer along with dry, arid climates can damage cells and limit the skin’s ability to hold onto moisture or repair itself. Mia Belle, Paramedical Aesthetician and CEO of Mia Belle skin, describes the process. “Your body via the organ of the skin will try to keep itself hydrated by absorbing water from its external environment. If you live in a dry environment, it will have to grab more water internally to keep hydrated, eventually creating epidermal water loss.”
Cytokines December 06 2014
I am obtaining amazing results for myself and my patients by using cytokines. Below is some information from the creator of cytokines. I feel that this method is the best way to ultra support the health of your skin!
xx
- The Wandering Aesthetic
-The term “skinflammaging” emphasizes the connection between the presence of chronic inflammation and the aging of skin.
Sun exposure, environmental toxins, and repetative microtrauma – the major reasons skin ages – all cause pro-aging inflammatory reactions within the skin.
While an initial inflammatory phase is a normal component of tissue repair, it is a two-edged sword. In acute situations, or at low levels, it deals with the abnormality and promotes healing, but when chronically sustained, it slowly and progressively damages tissue. The paradigm confirmation of this fact is fetal skin, which regenerates perfectly without scarring. How is this possible? It has to do with the very brief, nearly non-existent inflammatory phase of fetal wound healing, something that results from the presence of abundant anti-inflammatory cytokines (cellular produced bio-signals) in the fetus.
One major focus with their work with stem cells and the cytokines they produce has to do with developing ways to provide the skin with topically applied supplemental anti-inflammatory signals. To, in effect, mimic Mother Nature’s strategy of fetal healing by providing anti-inflammatory patterns of bio-signals to help combat “skinflammaging.” The type of stem cell cultured was selected because of abundant published research describing its pivotal role in tissue healing. The cytokine pattern produced during culture of these cells is strongly anti-inflammatory.
- Page 1 of 2
- Next