Nothing But Nails
Posted on 1 February 2012 | No responses
Ten Tips to help prolong the life of your manicure.
1.Keep nails short. Long nails are more prone to chipping and breaking than short, professional-length ones. Aim for nails no more than a quarter inch past your fingertips.
2.Groom cuticles. When polish is applied to overgrown cuticles, it peels off easily. Keep cuticles in check by applying a drop of oil to them and gently pushing them back with a wooden tool. (Don’t cut cuticles, which can cause them to grow back even thicker.)
3.Clean nails. Apply polish to nails that have been cleaned with a cotton swab dipped in nail-polish remover. Any oil or lotion left on the nail bed will prevent polish from bonding to the nail — and cause peeling in a day or two.
4.Apply a base coat. Even if you’re in a rush! A specially-formulated base
coat gives colored polish something to stick to so it lasts longer.
5.Apply polish in thin coats. Wipe one side of the nailbrush against the neck of the bottle to ensure excess polish is removed. Then sweep the brush up the length of the nail in thin coats. Thick coats of polish bubble and peel.
6.Allow polish to dry between coats. Manicure experts say that giving polish some time to dry before applying a second coat allows the first coat to form a better bond to the nail. The second coat will then bond to the first.
7.Wrap polish onto nails. When applying polish, sweep a bit across the edge and under the nail tip. This “wraps” the end, minimizing chipping.
8.Toss old polish. Old nail polish changes consistency and becomes thick and gloppy. That means it won’t have the staying power of newer polish. If you can’t bear to toss your favorite old bottle, add a bit of polish thinner (not remover) to make it smoother.
9.Protect hands from water. Immersing your hands in water for too long can
cause polish to lift off the nail, shortening the life of your manicure.
Use rubber gloves when you’re washing dishes, and keep showers to a quick
ten to fifteen minutes.
10.Apply topcoat daily. It’s the number-one way to ensure your manicure lasts. Sweep on a protective topcoat daily to increase your nail polish’s staying
power
Don’t forget you may also want try a “no chip” manicure which will last
up to 10-14 days.
Ask Our Esthetician
Posted on 16 January 2012 | No responses
Q: I have Rosacea and my esthetician says that she can’t use steam during my facial. Is this true?
A: This actually is true. Rosacea prone skin can become inflamed with heat. Not every person with Rosacea will have a flare up with steam but the majority of people do and your esthetician was correct by playing it safe with your skin. Rosacea is a condition that can progress with each and every flare up, so avoiding a flare up is key. Some other things your esthetician should be avoiding during your facials are extremely hot towels, scrubs, and aggressive facial massage. Your skin care routine is also very important; you need to treat your skin with gentle products that are made for Rosacea prone skin. One of my favorite skin care line for Rosacea is Dermal K. This wonderful moisturizer keeps the skin hydrated and is packed with calming Vitamin K that helps to strengthen the capillary walls. If you live in the Hilton Head Area you can pick up your Dermal K products at FACES DaySpa or you can find a retailer near you at www.dermal-k.com.
A Massage Minute
Posted on 29 December 2011 | No responses
“Put your best foot forward”. “Start off on the right foot”. “Light on your feet”. These and a thousand other little sayinsg bear witness to the fact that, somewhere deep in our minds, we understand that our feet are one of the most important parts of our anatomy… under appreciated but important.
It seems unfair that, despite how important our feet are, it’s incredibly easy for them to be damaged. The pain and discomfort from that damage can radiate throughout the body.
Flat feet, or Pes Planus, happens when the longitudinal arch of the foot is either damaged or underdeveloped. The longitudinal arch is the curve that runs along the inside of your foot. When you walk this arch acts as a natural shock absorber. When the arch is either damaged or under developed the shock of each step radiates through the ankles, knees, hips, and low back, causing muscle pain and discomfort. People with flat feet also tend to stand on their toes which can cause the calf muscles to be chronically tightened.
The first course of action with any condition is a trip to the doctor. A podiatrist is likely to advise the use of orthotic shoe inserts; these can help distribute the weight of the body across the foot properly and absorb the shock of walking. The doctor may also recommend wearing loose fitting shoes, with good arch support.
Over the years of walking around on flat feet the effects on the joints of the lower body and the muscles that support those joints will become more and more obvious; this is where massage can help. Massage naturally alleviates pain without the use of drugs. This is exactly what someone with chronic pain needs. While there may not be a cure for flat feet there are natural and effective ways to alleviate the discomfort associated with it.
Nothing But Nails
Posted on 17 December 2011 | No responses
What causes fingernail ridges and white spots?
Both of these questions are very simple to answer. Leuconychia is evident as white lines or spots in the nail plate and may be caused by tiny bubbles of air that are trapped in the nail plate layers due to trauma. This condition may be hereditary and no treatment is required as the spots will grow out with the nail plate. -Vertical Ridges are also characteristic of aging, although are not limited to the aged or elderly. The nail plate grows forward on the nail bed in a ‘rail and groove’ effect, much like a train rides on its’ tracks. As we age, the natural oil and moisture levels decline in the nail plate, and this rail and groove effect becomes apparent. This disorder can also be caused from having your hands in water a lot, or using household cleaning solvents without wearing gloves. Ridged nails will improve through re-hydration of the nail plate with twice daily applications of a good quality nail and cuticle oil, like our Solar Oil, containing Jojoba and Vitamin E. -Horizontal ridges are something else, and can be caused by poor health, vitamin deficiency and other factors, although stress is not one of them. Vitamins and minerals that factor fingernails, are A, B, B12, Zinc, and Iron. Always consult a doctor before starting any new regimen.
Ask Our Esthetician
Posted on 6 December 2011 | No responses
Q: I was at your holiday Open House last month and I heard a little bit about the Tanda light that you are selling now. What do LED lights do and what skin concerns do they help?
A: Tanda/ LED lights are used to treat a number of problems. Blue lights are used for the treatment of Acne. The Blue light puts off a specific wavelength of light that actually penetrates into the follicle and kills P. acne bacteria. Your body’s natural response to bacterial infections is to send white blood cells to the area. This is what causes the redness and inflammation associated with acne. When you use the blue light to minimize P. acne bacteria in the skin your body will naturally have fewer breakouts.
Red Lights (anti-aging lights) are used to penetrate the skin to increase cell energy and increase your body’s natural collagen, elastin and circulation. Topical products work from the surface down where LED lights work from the inside-out. As we age everything slows down and with the LED lights you can actually cause your skin to act younger from within. Tanda lights not only use LED lights but they also incorporate sonic vibration and a unique warming massage head to help with circulation. Tanda lights are great additions to any skincare routine and can help with multiple anti-aging concerns and skin imperfections.
A Massage Minute
Posted on 13 November 2011 | No responses
There is probably no time in life that is more exciting yet stressful than pregnancy. It’s a time of great expectations for the joy of starting a new family and falling in love with your baby to be. It’s also a time of incredible anxiety: fears about the birth, being a parent, financial worries. Perhaps no one deserves a massage more than a pregnant woman!
But is it safe? This is a valid question many pregnant women may ask themselves before getting a massage; one of the many they will ask over the next eighteen years. There are precautions to take when working with pregnant clients. The first major concern is massage during the first trimester. While there are no conclusive studies showing massage to be a danger to the mother or baby during the first trimester the chance of miscarriage is about thirty percent higher during the first trimester than any other time during the pregnancy. With this in mind it is safest to avoid massage until after the first trimester. Massage therapist are also concerned with anything that may classify a pregnancy as high risk: preeclampsia, incompetent cervix, blood clots. As always, if there is any concern about the safety of massage check with your doctor.
How can massage help during pregnancy? A study at the University Of Miami suggest that massage during pregnancy helps to lower anxiety, decrease back and leg pain, improve sleep, and decrease stress hormones. And, as with any massage, pregnancy massage will help you feel calm, relaxed, and ready to face the stresses of the day whether they are baby related or not.
Ask Our Esthetician
Posted on 24 October 2011 | No responses
Q: I have lost my brows over the years and wanted some tips on making them look better.
A: There are a few things that you can do to help with your brows. First of all I would try Revita-Brow, a product that stimulates hair growth. You use it once a day by drawing the clear liquid in the shape of your brow. I have seen this product work wonders for most people. Tinting your brows can help them look fuller if you are starting to grey; this is done by your hair stylist or esthetician. One way to create a more dramatic brow is to use a Brow Mousse. This can help darken the hairs and keep them in place at the same time.
Now for designing your own brow with makeup, you will want to find a good Brow Pencil that is close to the color of your hair. Once you have your brow pencil you will start by placing dots in three spots and connecting the dots with short wispy strokes. The dots should be placed in these areas:
A. Place your brow pencil vertical from the side of the nostril up to the brow line and place the dot at the brow line.
B. Place your brow pencil vertical from the outer edge of your Iris as you are looking straight ahead up to the brow line. Place a dot just a little higher than your first dot along that same line.
C. Place your brow pencil diagonal from the bottom of your nose to the outer corner of the eye. Where the pencil crosses the brow line, place a dot.
A Massage Minute
Posted on 8 October 2011 | No responses
How often should I get a massage? The goal of any conscientious massage therapist is to do the greatest possible good for a client with the least possible expense. This leads to a delicate balancing act; massage can be expensive, and not everyone can afford to come with the frequency necessary to treat their difficulties. On the other hand, if clients don’t come enough any progress made in one session can be lost by the time the client returns. So, how often should I get a massage?
The standard rule for maintenance or relaxation is one hour long massage a month. This is a short enough span of time that the cumulative positive benefits of massage won’t entirely wear off between appointments. And it is affordable enough for many clients interested in frequent massage.
When dealing with an acute, recent, injury it is beneficial to come more frequently. Most of the benefits of massage come from increases circulation in the area of injury. This helps to reduce swelling, decrease pain, and aides in the beneficial formation of scar tissue. However, all of these things are cumulative; the more massages the more pronounced the effect will be. A good rule of thumb will be a half hour massage focusing on the site of injury twice a week for three or four weeks. As the injury begins to feel better the massages can become less frequent moving into a maintenance mindset.
Chronic, or long term, pain like headaches or back pain may benefit from longer massages initially. With acute injuries there is a concern with over working an active injury. With chronic conditions the injury has healed as best it can. The body has adopted whatever compensatory postures it needs to. These things are locked in and need a more focused attention. Starting out, and hour long session twice a week will allow the therapist to help the body let go of these muscular patterns; if there is too much time between appointments the body will just slip into its old patterns. As the chronic pain begins to feel better massage can be administered less frequently finally settling into the maintenance mind set of once hour long massage a month.
All of these a general rules of thumb allowing for optimal benefits. Depending on the needs and financial resources of the client these schedules can be adapted to guarantee the best possible outcome for everyone looking for massage.
Ask Our Esthetician
Posted on 31 August 2011 | No responses
Q: My esthetician recommended that I use your BHA Enzyme Surface Peel a few times a week, but I am afraid to use it because I don’t want to be peeling all the time. Can you recommend something else that would be good for my skin? I have acne and really clogged pores.
A: Actually, let me just explain first what an Enzyme Peel does so that you understand why your esthetician recommended it for you. Enzyme Peels digest dead skin cells and, unless you are super sensitive, it should not actually cause your skin to peel. Peel is a word that the used loosely in this industry but it isn’t something that you should be scared of, especially if your esthetician recommended it for you after she evaluated your skin. “Peel” in the esthetic industry means anything that is not a mechanical exfoliation (i.e. microderm, scrubs, etc.). Knowing that you are clogged and acneic I believe that particular peel would be the best form of exfoliation for you. This is because enzyme peels can actually dissolve dead skin cells that build up inside your pores and not just brush away the dead skin cells that lay on top of the pores. Also, the BHA’s that are in that peel help to cut through oil, which can help with your acne as well. I hope this helps!!
A Massage Minute
Posted on 29 July 2011 | No responses
I come from the last generation of adults whose parents didn’t know that sunscreen was an absolute necessity. I remember playing on the beach until my skin turned a nice healthy bright red followed by a week of crying whenever I laid down for bed! Blisters, peeling, wincing every time my shirt rubbed across my tender shoulders; all good summer memories!
Now we know better. After years of government recommendations and campaigns by the medical community, we know that too much sunlight or time spent in a tanning bed is really no better than poisoning yourself. Now we slather ourselves in sun block to walk down the street; a preventative against the pain of sunburn and melanoma, the cancer it can cause.
Melanoma is the least common but the most dangerous form of cancer. It is caused by the abnormal growth of melanocytes, the cells in your skin that give you a tan. Years of excessive exposure to UV radiation, be it sunlight or tanning beds, can cause those cells to mutate and grow out of control.
Any change in an existing mole should be treated with caution. If a mole grows, starts to hurt, changes color, or bleeds a visit to the doctor is in order. Dermatologists caution us to pay attention to the ABCD’s of moles.
- A: asymmetry. Is one half of a mole different from the other half?
- B: border. Is the border uneven? Is the mole growing?
- C: color. Has the color of the mole changed? Are there different colors throughout the mole?
- D: Diameter. Is the mole larger than 6mm (the size of a pencil eraser)?
If you can answer yes to any of the preceding questions it may be time to see a doctor.
How can massage help with melanoma? It pays to be reasonable when working in holistic fields of health care. Never go to a massage therapist as a treatment for cancer; you need the help of a qualified oncologist. However, massage can have a role to play in living with cancer.
As massage therapists we spend a lot of time looking at people’s backs. While a massage therapist should never diagnose anything, we may be the first person to notice a suspicious looking mole, or a change in an existing mole that the client can’t see.
Massage during treatment for cancer is a questionable proposition, and is best to be approached cautiously. Realistically, massage is very unlikely to cause any harm to someone with cancer or going through treatment for cancer. But given the effects chemotherapy and radiation may have on the immune system it is best to get your doctors approval before receiving a massage.
After finishing treatment for skin cancer, massage is a fantastic way to approach a new dedication towards health and wellness. Massage can help with the swelling some patients experience with lymph node removal. Massage has a positive effect on the body’s immune system. And it pays to take the time to relax, enjoy the positive health promoting benefits of massage, and be well.