Healthy Skin Expert Dermatology Advice

Winter-proof your skin - Baby, it’s cold outside. But the elements don’t have to get the better of your face. Aileen Brabazon shows how to have a beautiful complexion all season long.

1 BE MS. CLEAN
Morning and night, wash away the pollution, makeup or other stuff that’s settled on your skin. Lathering up with soap can leave your face dry. Instead, choose a cleanser formulated for your skin type. “If you’re dry, use a cream-based cleanser,” says Holly Sherrard, Canadian education manager at The International Dermal Institute, an organization that trains skin therapist. Gel-based cleansers are great for combination and oily complexions.
Try: cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (250mL, $10) for dry skin : Neo Strata Oil Free Gel Cleanser (150mL, $27) for oily skin.

2 Fight flakiness
If your skin is extra dull and flaky, you can blame the weather. The cold air outside and heated air inside rob your skin of moisture, leaving it dry. The solution to a brighter, smoother complexion is to exfoliate about three times a week. To do the job, there are two types of exfoliates:

• Chemical exfoliates contain hydroxyl acids or enzymes that dissolve dead skin cells (they feel like a thin lotion when you apply with fingertips, then rinse away).
  Try: Aveda Botanicals Kinetics Exfoliant (50mL, $13).

• Mechanical exfoliants contain tiny beads that physically scrub off dead cells as you rub them over your skin. If you opt for a mechanical scrub, use it with a tender touch. “Think about how you would apply moisturizer to your child’s body – you want to use that type gentle pressure on your own skin,” says Sherrard. And if your skin is very sensitive, use a micro-exfoliating scrub, as it’s a gentler way to remove dry skin.
  Try: La Roche-Posay Physiological Ultra Fine Scrub (50mL, $19).

3 Don’t forget the SPF
Sun protection in the winter is a must, especially when you build snowmen, sled or ski on sunny days with your family. According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, snow reflects up to 80 percent of the sun’s shine, which means you get almost a double dose of radiation when you play outside. So coat your complexion in sunscreen. “I suggest clear spray sunblocks for people who tend to break out, and creams for people who are drier,” says Dr. Lisa Kellett, a dermatologist at DLK on Avenue, a clinic in Toronto. You can layer moisturizer over your sunscreen or use a lotion that contains it. Just make sure the product offers at least SPF 30 and UVA/UVB protection.
Try: Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer (120 mL, $16).

4 SMOOTH ON SERUM
“More skin conditions arise in the winter (such as dehydration and sensitivity), partially because of the change of weather, and we need extra help in maintaining the heath of our skin,” says Sherrard. Serums to the rescue: They’re concentrated products packed with active ingredients, she says, that help heal your skins troubles. For example, calming serums can help soothe red irritated complexions, and hydrating ones can quench parched skin. Pick a serum formulated to treat your particular woe as well as your budget, and apply it at night before moisturizing.
Try: Dermalogica Overnight Repair Serum (15mL, $88).

5 Hydrate, hydrate hydrate!
To help prevent dryness and make your face as soft as your baby’s bottom, moisturize morning and night. Oily and combination skin types do best with oil-free lotions. “If you’re drier, use a cream-based moisturizer,” says Kellett. You may need two hydrating products – one with SPF for during the day (if you aren’t using a separate sunscreen product) and another without it for nighttime. After cleansing and exfoliating, lightly towel off without completely drying your face. “The best time to apply moisturizer is when your skin is still damp,” Kellett explains “because it locks in moisture.”
Try: Complex 15 Daily Face Cream (100mL, $10) for dry skin: Avene Cleanance Anti-shine Regulating Lotion (40 mL, $28) for oily skin.

Health writer Aileen Brabazon’s winter skincare staple is moisturizer, and lots of it!

From Today's Parent, December 2011

Want Gorgeous Wedding Day Skin? Get it With These Expert Tips

Dr. Lisa Kellett, owner of Toronto’s DLK on Avenue, is quite simply the best when it comes to skincare. She’s my go-to-guru for perfect skin—she always prescribes just the right treatment and product to my put skin in fighting form. Two days before my wedding, I had an Oxygen Facial at DLK (Madonna is said to be a huge fan of them) and I can tell you my skin never looked better as I walked down the aisle. I recently nabbed a few minutes with Dr. Kellett to chat pre-wedding skin issues—here’s her sage and savvy advice.

1.What is the number one skin concern you hear from brides?
“Acne! Adult acne in women is quite common in general and especially with the stress of an upcoming wedding many brides do suffer from acne.”

2. Solution(s) to adult acne?
“There are many treatments available to treat acne depending on the severity, patient characteristics and time line. One of the most important first steps is to use proper daily home care. This means starting with a gentle, non-foaming exfoliating cleanser once to twice a day. A benzoyl peroxide in a gel moisturizer is a solid mainstay for acne treatment as it delivers an effective drug in a base that is ideal for adult skin and is not too drying. A gel moisturizer is ideal for acne prone skin as it delivers moisture but won’t cause the breakouts that lotions and creams can. Everyone should be using sun protection and acne patients are no exception. An SPF 30 or higher in a clear spray formulation is best. Additionally, there are multiple prescription medications and in-dermatology-clinic treatments including diamond peels and photodynamic therapy that are used in the management of acne.”

3. Good skin care should be practiced everyday, but in the months leading up to a wedding day, how should that routine be enhanced?
“The first step is to make a list of your skincare concerns and goals and meet with a dermatologist to discuss both. Cosmetic consultation is a collaborative process between a patient and her dermatologist. It is best to start a skin treatment program 12 months before the wedding to ensure there is enough time to address skin concerns. Treatments often include diamond peels, epidermal or SilkPeels, Lumenis One treatments and ProFractional treatments for scarring.”

4.What’s your number one secret to great skin?
“That’s a tough one, because I believe a proper skin care routine involves a multifaceted approach. I exfoliate twice a day and use a gel-based anti-aging moisturizer every night. Most importantly, to prevent UV damage (Cancer) and brown spots, I apply sunscreen every morning year ‘round. I always remember to apply sun block to my chest and neck which would be a great thing for brides as well. I also make sure to apply topical vitamins in the form of vitamin A (1% retinol) at night and vitamin C (35%) in the morning. I use concentrated serums that are mixed right into my moisturizer. As far as treatments I do Lumenis One laser treatments every two to four weeks to treat brown spots, spider veins, pore size and overall skin tone and texture. I know it sounds like a lot, but the result is clearer, younger, healthier looking skin.”

From Weddingbells.ca - November 30, 2011 | Written by Alison McGill

Test Drive Special - Our finicky FLARE team puts skin care products – from blemish busters to wrinkle smoothers – the test

BLEMISH BUSTER

The product: Kellett Clear Clarifying Acne Treatment, $75.

The promise: Benzoyl peroxide zaps acne-causing bacteria, but it also has a tendency to be drying, especially for adult acne sufferers. This serum-like treatment balances five percent BP – the highest concentration you can get over the counter – with ingredients to hydrate and soothe.

FLARE test drive: “Although my skin is naturally oily, even if I find that acne fighters can leave it flaky. This one didn’t. I used it once daily, in the morning, a pea-sized drop was all I needed to cover my whole face. Though the gel-like formula seemed gentle, don’t underestimate it: Over time my spots went from regular to rare.”

From Flare Magazine, January 2011 - Written by Wing Sze Tang

Rolling for Beauty - A skin treatment that uses a needle-studded roller is being done in medical clinics and spas, even though it’s against the law to sell the device in Canada

A controversial new skin treatment that uses a needle-studded roller is being done in medical clinics and spas in Canada, even though it’s against the law to sell them in this country.

Microneedling involves the use of a roller - resembling a meat tenderizer - to penetrate the upper layers of the skin, creating tiny wounds or channels in the skin. It’s supposed to increase the effectiveness and penetration of the skin-care products and helps boost collagen. Think aerating your lawn, then fertilizing it.

The beauty procedure, which appears to be growing in popularity world wide, has many raving about diminished wrinkles, acne scars and stretch marks. Celebrity fans reportedly include Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie.

Kim Hartsman, owner of Beautex.com, which recently imported rollers from Asia to sell to Canadian estheticians and doctors, was stunned to learn from the Toronto Star that distributing dermal rollers is illegal. She believed the rollers, which are approved in the U.S and in Europe, were considered cosmetic devices.

“It’s puzzling and frustrating, because we are the last in the world to get (rollers),” says Hartman. The owner of the Thornhill-based training center and wholesale supplier of beauty products says she was especially surprised to learn of the prohibition because microneedling is less invasive than tattooing or permanent makeup, which penetrates deeper into the dermis.

But according to Health Canada, dermal rollers make health claims about what their products do, so that places them in the same class as a medical device requiring a licensing. They have not been approved for sale in Canada. Manufacturers of the rollers make health claims about what their products do, so that places them in the same class as a medical device requiring a license, says spokesperson Olivia Caron. “As Health Canada has not licensed any of these products there should be none being sold,” she says.

Health Canada issued one license in 2009 for dermal roller by a company called Prollenium Medical Technologies. That license was cancelled in 2010 and the roller was recalled because of “lack of assurance of sterility.” Since then, no other applications have been received for dermal rollers.

“There are risks to Canadians associated with the use of dermal rollers” says Caron. They included infection because of device contamination during use, or due to contaminated skin care products applied during or following the procedure, and risk of disease transmission if shared.

The Hong Kong Consumer Council issued a warning Aug. 15 about the so-called Microneedle Therapy System. Since December 2007 the council has received at least 43 complaints with more than 10 of itching, redness, dryness, peeling, pain, rash and worsened acne. Most complaints were treated in beauty salons but, in some cases rollers were purchased by internet, from doctors and at beauty stores, according to a council spokesperson.

If the roller is shared, not properly used or not adequately disinfected, it can worsen skin conditions and result in swelling, scaring and infection. Dermatologists warn that viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C can be transmitted through shared devices that aren’t properly disinfected.

“In the wrong hands it can be very dangerous,” says dermatologist Dr. Lisa. Kellett of Toronto’s skin care clinic DLK on Avenue, who has seen first-hand the results of microneedling gone wrong. Women have come to her with active infections on their faces from microneedling treatments done at home, in the spas and at beauty salons. Each week, she says one or two patients ask her to rescue their skin.

“I’ve seen track marks and scaring from infections,” says Kellett, who refuses to do the procedure in her clinic. “When you’re dealing with something that can potentially be scaring, that’s permanent, it’s very upsetting for patients. They’re very distraught.” Some woman develop cellulitis, an infection in the lower level of the skin that is treated with antibiotics. Usually the affected area is red, warm and tender and a person may develop fever and chills.

“Either the procedure wasn’t done properly, there was something wrong with the device or an infection occurred…The problem is there are so many steps where something can go wrong.”

Another concern, say critics of the procedure, is that the rollers, which can easily be bought on websites such as Ebay, are popping up in beauty salons used by estheticians or beauticians who aren’t trained to handle complications should they arise. However, neither the Consumers Council of Canada nor Health Canada have received complaints about the rollers, also called dermarollers.

While the federal heath department has the power to seize the rollers or issue a public warning, it will not do so until it has received a formal complaint. Only then is an investigation launched. However under Ontario legislation it’s not illegal for a doctor to use an unlicensed medical device.

Some doctors offer microneedling for about $100 to $200 per session. There is a one time fee of between $150 and $180 for the roller. Hartsman hasn’t stopped selling the rollers and will only do so after speaking with Health Canada. “I’m going to continue selling them because I have not been told not to. I’m going to contact Health Canada to see what process I have to go through.” She hopes Health Canada gets around to licensing the rollers while imposing some guidelines on their sale.

A blanket ban does the public a disservice and may push some distributors underground, she says.

Hartsman would like to see rollers with shorter needles (.2mm and .3 mm) designated cosmetic devices, which would make them available for home use. Medium length needles (.5mm and 1mm) should be reserved for use by trained estheticians, and needles longer then 1.5 mm should be restricted for use by doctors, she believes.

“That’s a much more logical way to handle the situation,” she says. “And we would follow those guidelines and nothing would be hidden away. I really believe people will hide them in their cupboards and drawers when the health department comes in. And that will be a shame.”

EIGHT WAYS TO…MAKE YOUR LASHES STAND OUT

With lash-enhancing products and treatments popping up everywhere and at every price point, you don’t have to go to great lengths to get the luscious lashes you’ve been longing for.

1. TINT THEM
Got fair-hued lashes?
You have options: head into the spa for an eyelash tint treatment, a 20- minute procedure done by an esthetician using vegetable dyes in shades ranging from brown to black or to more dramatic blue-black. Results can last up to three weeks, depending on the speed of your hair growth. Or mimic the effect with new semi permanent mascaras.
HIGH: RVB 15-Day wear ($40, available at intercosmetics.ca)
LOW: Hard candy 4 day lash tint ($7, at Walmart)

2. DOUBLE DUTY BRUSHES
“Often, when I’m applying mascara, I want to define the lashes first, then, for a more dramatic look, I apply a second coat of mascara using a big bristle brush,” says Brittany Sinclair, a M.A.C makeup artist in Toronto. Look for double–headed mascaras to give you that two step process in one.
HIGH: M.A.C Haute & Naughty Lash ($23, M.A.C)
LOW: L’Oreal Double Extend mascara ($14, at Shoppers Drug Mart)

3. THE RX ROUTE
Latisse is the only prescription eyelash–growth product that contains bimatoprost, an active ingredient for treating hypotrichosis (inadequate or not enough eyelashes). “Our patients have achieved amazing results so far, and many of them have made the product application part of their regular skin care regimen. With 106 percent increase in eyelash thickness (over the course of 16 weeks), the results really do speak for themselves.” Says Toronto based Dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett, MD, FRCPC. “You apply the topical solution before bed using a single use application brush.”
COST: $150 per one month supply, available at DLK on Avenue

4. GLUE ON FALSIES
Glenda Raketti, a Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Learning Specialist, offers tips on how to master putting them on:
STEP 1: Apply eye makeup. Line up the band with the lash line, starting at the outer edge. If the band is too long, trim with scissors.
STEP 2: Apply adhesive sparingly along the band. Avoid touching glue to prevent stringing.
STEP 3: Positing lash band slightly above your natural lash; use tweezers to make easier.
STEP 4: Press corners down first, starting with the inner side, and then work along the rest of the band, gently pressing to secure. Don’t place too close to the inside corner of the eye.
QUO LASHES # 803 ($7.50, at Shoppers Drug Mart)

5. CURL THEM
“An often forgotten method is to use a lash curler. Especially if you have straight lashes or downward turned lashes, it will help open the eye and prep your lashes for mascara or false lashes. Just a simple squeeze applied to the base of the lashes will give an all natural- curl finish,” says Sinclair.
HIGH: M.A.C curler ($19 at M.A.C)
LOW: Quo eyelash curler ($5, at Shoppers Drug Mart)

6. GO FOR CULT FAVORITES
Time and time again, you’ll see certain mascaras pop up on “best of” lists in beauty magazines. They seem to do it all: lengthen, add volume, hold a curl, and last all day without flaking or smudging. These two tubes have long withstood the test of time.
HIGH: Dior Diorshow ($31, at Dior counters)
LOW: Maybelline Great Lash ($8, at Shoppers Drug Mart)

7. GROW THEM WITH SERUMS
Infused with lash-growth peptides technology, these paint brush like wands, meant to be applied like liquid eyeliner once or twice a day, help stimulate your lashes to appear longer, fuller, and stronger with regular use. Higher priced ones claim to deliver results in as little as two weeks.
HIGH: Envy Derm Eyelash Growth serum ($100, envyderm.com)
LOW: M.A.C. Prep and prime Future Length Lash serum, ($37, at M.A.C.)

8. EXTEND THEM
“Eyelash extensions are applied to your natural lashes one by one with special medical grade adhesive. The procedure can take anywhere from 1 to 2.5 hours and results last from four to eight weeks,” explains Urla Duncan, owner of Winks Eyelash Boutique in Toronto. “Clients feel they can wear less makeup, some even say that their extensions ARE makeup! Because of the instant appearance of brightness around the eye area, eyelash extensions make you look younger, and, of course, sexier.”
COST: $30 to $90, at winksboutique.com

From Elevate Magazine - Written by Helen Vong | Nivember/December 2011