FIRES December 11 2017
Self-Care during changes to your environment is essential to your well-being.
We have been experiencing extreme fires in Southern California. It’s been heart warming to see our communities band together and care for one another. Even if you live miles away from the fires, the air quality is very straining to our health. There’s ash all over peoples homes, inside and out. The air is extremely dry. This has affected people’s immune systems, sinuses, energy levels and skin. Many patients have been coming in with lips so chapped that they’re bleeding. Many have such intense pressure and discomfort in the sinuses that they cant sleep well at night.
Whether you are around a natural disaster like this or if you travel to a different climate where it’s extremely dry, there are thing you can do to help stay healthy.
First you want to try and improve and control the quality of the air in your home. Blast air filters and humidifiers. Add frankincense to your aromatherapy humidifiers. This is a great oil to clear up your sinuses.
Now try and improve your internal environment. The brand “Host Defense” has a superior supplement containing chaga and reishi for lung health called “Breathe.” Chaga and reishi is well known for its support of skin and lung functioning. In Eastern medicine they believe that the lungs have the strongest relationship to the skin than any other organ.
Up your omegas! This will help keep your skin juicy and protected.
Super-hydrating IV drips can also be beneficial. Add enzymes to your water and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a supportive antioxidant for the skin.
Keep your showers and baths cool and short! Long, hot baths and showers dehydrate our skin. Add some Epson salts to your bath to help detox or oatmeal to help hydrate.
Making home masks with Greek yogurt and tons of Manuka honey will also help soothe your skin.
For topicals, I’m loving Luzern’s “Urban Defense Day Lotion.” It’s packed with protection against a toxic environment. It’s anti-pollution formula helps to neutralize the effects against pollutants such as smog and heavy metals.
I also have my patients mix old school Aquaphor with a bit of Luzern’s lip treatment to help heal their lips. Lip treatments alone will be too harsh.
I’m not a fan of strong massage or suction on the face, but a nice lymphatic drainage or a Nova Sonic treatment will clear out toxins and help “drain” your sinuses. If you have a Foreo, Nuface or Clarisonic at home, make sure and treat yourself. It will get the blood and lymph flowing which in turn will help to get nutrients and oxygen to the skin.
I’ve lived through a few major fires in my life. They can be very transformative- not only to the land but to our body, mind, heart and spirit.
Let’s focus on keeping safe and healthy and allowing for the changes this will bring. I remember after the fires behind my house over a year ago, I went hiking with Casey Ann Hickey. We were blown away at the beauty and strength of what was growing out of the soot and debris. Vibrant green, purple and orange life just flowing out of the soil. That Spring the Hollywood Hills look like I was back in New Zealand.
If you want to help support these communities rebuild, please look into donating to Gentle Barn. www.gentlebarn.org
I know people involved with this group. You can be assured that your money will be used with integrity.
Wishing everyone a healthy and hopeful week. x
ALIGNMENT vs. HEAL
I try to never use the word “heal” in my practice. I don’t believe that anything needs to be healed. Everything is always as it should be in the given circumstances. If something isn’t function the way you want in your body or in your life, you must decide to create a way to inspire a change. But nothing is truly broken. Most likely when a patient comes to me because they want to “heal” something, it’s due to a misalignment of energy. It’s an energy crisis. If you simply find what’s draining the energy and/or inspire the area with outside energy and data, the body will respond. Our bodies want to be in alignment and flowing with energy. That’s the state it strives to be in. The body knows what to do in ways we cannot (always) comprehend. To make an example of the power of words as an intention: if you want to meditate on biohacking a disease or a personal experience, if you start off by saying that you want to "heal" it , you are tuning into the idea that something is weak or wrong. You're giving the power to what you don't want versus the aligned state you want to embody.This also translates into our personal lives. If I feel that my life isn’t flowing or vibing right, I just focus on the frequency of alignment and then I just get out of the way. It never ceases to amaze me what the human body and the universe is capable of imagining for us. The beauty and strength that is possible in our lives is spectacular!
Many of my patients, after enjoying the past hot and sunny months of summer, want to book a peel. I like to wait until the end of fall to perform a peel. Give your skin a moment to adjust to the cooler, drier air. We want to keep intact the acid mantle of the skin, giving us a little more armor to endure the change of the seasons. In the beginning of the fall your skin may feel drier, this dehydration creates fine lines to show and can create a “blushing “ to our skin. The blushing also results from the cool, dry air.
Masks are key to pampering our skin through changes in the environment. Homemade yogurt masks at home can be amazing. Professional hyaluronic and peptide masks are great to strengthen the skin. The hyaluronic acid helps to add more water to the skin that the drier environment is pulling out. Peptides will rebuild our defense mechanisms from these environmental stresses. Another fall go-to product is omegas or lipid based oils. Many products that are lipid based can be low quality and can become unstable. A few drops of high-end rosehip oil can be added to your hydrator. I trust Luzern’s rosehip oil. An even better way to add lipids to the climate of your skin is to take high performing omega and antioxidant supplements. This will create a “skin body guard” against fall stresses.
Once we balance our skin with extra water, lipids omegas and anti-oxidants, we can add a daily exfoliator that’s right for you. An enzyme cleanser is a good choice for lighter exfoliation, lactic for a moderate exfoliation, and a retinol for more of an upper moderate exfoliation could be a potent tool towards skin health.
“If your skin is ready to have a medical grade peel to prep for the holidays and lighten any solar pigmentation from the summer, make sure your technician preps your skin AND most importantly; creates an individual post-care plan for you.”
If your skin is ready to have a medical grade peel to prep for the holidays and lighten any solar pigmentation from the summer, make sure your technician preps your skin AND most importantly; creates an individual post-care plan for you. This will be key in getting advanced results. Make sure to follow directions and stay on track throughout the process. Be patient with your results. If you just slightly flake instead experiencing a heavily shed, it doesn’t mean you aren’t receiving the best results. Your skin is doing what it needs to do. The skin is smart! Some patient’s skin is “digested off” while the peel is performed vs. post shedding. The beauty of a peel is the process of the chemicals allowing all the other supportive ingredients into the lower layers of the skin. Think of it as irrigating the skin, or fertilizing it with important skin food! Patients not being well educated on the peeling process as far as the amount of shedding that may or may not occur has created an over aggressive response by technicians, to make their patients happy by creating unnecessary and at times harmful over exfoliation to give an illusion to their patients of better results. Another perk of a peel is that it allows the post care products to provide super- charged results. Make sure to take advantage of the weeks after your peel to continue the benefits provided by the daily use of your products.
We may not be able to control the atmosphere outside but we can control the atmosphere of our home. Use a shower filter that purifies and softens water. You can find great showerheads that filter out chlorine, hydrogen sulfide and create ph.-balanced water. Put an aromatherapy humidifier on your bedside table. They’re much easier to maintain than a conventional humidifier but still add some much needed moisture to the air.
It’s essential to find a skincare expert that knows your individual skincare needs, and can guide you on a path to create a healthy climate for your skin during every season.
Photo Courtesy Of LVBX Magaizine
Check out my article published by TGIF Guide with Meagan Bell!
http://tgifguide.com/miabella/
Mia Belle Skin is a beautiful skin care oasis in downtown Beverly Hills. I was promptly greeted upon my arrival by Mia, and lead to a light filled plush room with a cozy facial chair and dark blue bench. I crawled under the sheets to my warm haven for the next hour.
Mia asked me a few questions about my skin and determined the products and treatment methods she would use to attack my skin concerns. She suggested that the radio frequency machine, one of the latest technologies in skin care, would help plump the eye area which I am closely watching for signs of wrinkles. I much prefer natural collagen boosting methods to fillers when possible. Mia answered all my questions and is a skin care expert trained in all the latest techniques and products, I am excited to book my next appointment and continue improving my skin!
If you’re interested in trying the same treatment I did or want to consult with Mia on improving your own beautiful skin, give her a call! Be sure to tell her Megyn from TGIFguide sent you :)
Mia Belle Skin, 9615 Brighton Way #416, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, (213) 422-4346
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
Want to achieve sufficient exfoliation without using chemicals that will make your skin more sun sensitive?
Derma planing is a manual exfoliation technique used to gently and effectively remove the outermost layers of dead skin cells from the face using a customized medical grade blade. Utilized by a medical practitioner, it can also remove vellus hair or the “peach fuzz” on the face.
It improves texture and lightens up the appearance of hyperpigmentation. This type of exfoliation is suitable for sensitive skin because it’s not aggressive or harsh on the tissue.
There’s no downtime, your products will penetrate more efficiently and your makeup, especially bronzers, will go on smoother.
Dermaplaning is a Summer-Smart choice because chemical peels create heat in the skin and can create an ongoing flaking, making your skin more sensitive to the sun.
I prefer this treatment to other manual or physical exfoliation treatments like microdermabrasion. With microdermabrasion, you’re creating pressure with a vacuum that’s bringing up heat and leading to erythema. With dermaplaning we use a gentle blade on dry skin with light pressure, leaving the skin more resilient against the summer sun and heat.
With smart skin choices, you can have a healthy glow all summer long!
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!
"Get Your Skin summer Ready!"
Most of us take great care in keeping our faces looking their best. Then, all of a sudden, we notice our body isn’t looking quite so good.
Many of my patients, like many of you reading this, want to feel empowered with knowing what we can do to get our bodies looking as vital and youthful on the outside to match how vital and youthful we feel on the inside.
There are many options for treatments, but you will get the most out of them if you prepare properly first. This is an important step many patients skip in their treatment plan.
Start four weeks prior with supporting your skin from the inside with high performing supplements such as:
Omegas: to protect from mitochondrial breakdown.
Antioxidants: to protect from cell damage and collagen and to support our connective tissues. Make sure that in particular, your digestive system, liver and adrenal glands are healthy and supported so they’re not draining your bodies natural rejuvenation processes.
Add electrolyte water and beauty foods high in vitamin A such as, sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut squash. Lessening your sodium and alcohol intake is one of the most important diet changes you can make to see a difference in the hydration of your skin.
Make sure you’re exfoliating! Our cells turn over at a slower rate each year, so we need to help inspire new cells with daily exfoliation. You can use a homemade sugar scrub, practice dry brushing, or purchase a mechanical body brush.
Exfoliating creates a prepped canvas for your topicals. I’m a huge fan of serums versus old school body lotions. Your skin can more readily absorb and utilize them. Use serums packed with fatty acids, powerful antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, and vitamins, my favorites are B3, B5, C, D3, E, and K.
Add yoga or pilates to your exercise routine. You have to support all the layers of the body to have the fittest skin, from the inside bones to the epidermis. These disciplines help strengthen the connective tissues and help make everything look tight and right!
Now your skin will be ready to get the most out of clinical body treatments.
Different areas of the body tend to respond better to certain treatments or modalities.
The knees and elbows improve the most with muscle lifting treatments and peels. (Ulthera, microcurrent, cosmelan peel.)
Muscle laxity will be more visible in these areas and you need to make sure you target both the muscle and the skin to get real results.
The abdomen responds well with heat therapies such as radio frequency and ultrasound. (Thermage, venus freeze) The heat inspires the heat shock proteins and the fibroblasts to create collagen. A lot of patients want to also target fat burning in this area, but you have to consider that any volume loss can create laxity in the skin.
The thighs and buttocks respond well to heat and suction. (Viora) Make sure the suction isn’t too aggressive, this can lead to weakened blood vessels and more trauma than desired to the tissue. The suction can help lessen the appearance of cellulite and help relive water retention, creating a more pleasing aesthetic to the eye and be smoother to the touch.
Keep in mind that if you’ve had liposuction in these areas, the integrity of the tissue can be a bit compromised and you may have to be more patience before you see results.
LED treatments have become trendy for the body. You want to make sure the bulbs are binned to create the perfect therapeutic wave length for real results. The photodynamic light therapy helps regenerate the skin by stimulating collagen and elastin production. (best on market MAX LED technologies)
It has also been proven that certain wavelengths, such as 635 nanometers, can trigger the body’s own natural ability to breakdown fat; a process called lipolysis. During this process the body can release fatty acids which are then used by the body during exercise. Although, I believe it’s best utilized for skin rejuvenation.
Cryotherapy is also trending as an anti-aging skin treatment. This “cold therapy” stimulates growth factors and relieves the body of depleting inflammation. Freezing temperatures send the body into a “survival mode,” which causes blood supply to flow to the most vital organs to relay more oxygen and nutrients. All this supports and feeds the skin.
Some patients respond very well to a mix of modalities. I’ve seen great results with mixing radio frequency and CIT, or needling in the same treatment , or hand piece to tone the skin. This is also especially helpful in wound or scar revision where there’s a loss in pigment, or hypopigmentation.
Keep in mind that your body is half of the chemistry. You need to do your part in prepping for these treatments and you might have to spend a little time and money before you find what works best for you.
Remember to enjoy your body and be grateful for it everyday. Be gentle and loving to yourself, knowing that living a vital lifestyle is truly a beautiful venture.
-Mia Belle
Photo courtesy of LVBX Magazine
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/
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.
Click here for more information about AnteAGE and Cytokines
