Did you know...

If I were stuck on a desert island with only one skincare machine, which one would I choose?

After 10 years in this business I've seen alot of skincare gadgets. My favorites have included infrared facial masks, hot/cold Jade spoons and microcurrent machines that connect 50 electrodes to the face at one time (The last one left me wondering. Is this a hospital or a skincare show?)

As hokey as some of these may seem, I have to admit I'm a skincare gadget junky. Of all the gadgets that I own, I absolutely could not live without my Infrared Photon Light. Backed by tons of science, including NASA studies, infrared light treatments are regularly used by dermatologists, plastic surgeons and estheticians alike. My "wonder light" calms redness in my rosacea clients, heals blemishes and past acne scarring in my acne clients and softens wrinkles and plumps skin for my anti-aging clients.

Because it's a high intensity light and NOT a laser, a series of treatments are needed for best results. Check out these before and after shots:

On Acne (combined with homecare)







On wrinkles (It has some staying power too. Look at this guy almost 8 months after treatment)








On rosacea (It really calms it down and helps control breakouts.) Sorry, this was not my client but I have a handful from my Miami practice with results like these:

Do you know...What top skincare mistake I see people make over and over?

Every new client I see seeks me out to solve a problem. It can be premature aging, sun spots, acne, large pores - you name it. But there are some mistakes in handling our skin that I see over and over. The most common mistake deals with exfoliation, or sloughing off the dead cells from out top-most layer of the epidermis. If overdone, the skin's health suffers. If underdone, no results are seen. I help people find the right type of exfoliant, and determine how often to do it to get the best results.

Finding the right exfoliant isn't always easy for the average consumer. There are so many options: acids, peels, enzymes, buff puffs, at-home-microdermabrasion etc. The choices are so overwhelming that I find many clients choose to skip it altogether. This is where I come in to clear their confusion.

Last week I had a client come in complaining of dryness and wrinkles. We determined she was using some great, nutrition packed topicals, so that wasn't the issue. Upon closer inspection of her skin, I saw what looks like a plastic coating of dead skin cells. I like to call this "Barbie Doll" plastic skin: it's tough and occlusive, and none of those fancy products she's using can penetrate it!

I told her to use her gentle jojoba bead scrub exfoliant sitting on her shelf at home. It was time, her skin was begging for it! She's been using it daily and getting nice results. I saw her today at a meeting and was pleased to see her skin's progress. I imagine it saying, "Ah! I can breathe. I can eat! Finally!"

When consumers can't afford expensive laser treatments, where do they turn for skin rejuvenation?

I'm always on the lookout for low cost yet effective ways to rejuvenate the skin without harming it. A couple weeks ago I spoke about Dermarolling or Collagen Induction Therapy via micro needles that barely puncture the skin. I was excited about it then and I'm MORE excited about it now. The procedure is quick, semi-painless (especially compared to laser) and inexpensive! Laser treatments cost thousands, dermarolling costs one tenth of that. It's great for wrinkles, acne scars, pigmentation (both hyper and hypo, or an excess or loss of pigment) and stretch marks.

Just look at the before and after photos of this client's forehead after only two treatments with the dermaroller: (Sorry about the color, the photos were taken in two different rooms. Oops! But if you look at her forehead you can see the difference I'm excited about. Also, her face looks so much fresher, also not so evident in the photos.)


The before photo was taken 3/5/09 and the after photo was taken yesterday 3/31/09. I'm sure we could get even better results with the proper home care, but we are taking baby steps here. (Sunscreen is half the battle!) Clients who use prescribed home care products and daily sunscreen can expect even better results.

I like to do a peel before hand and the Infrared light afterward for quick healing. Clients feel like they have a mild sunburn after the treatment, but it heals very quickly and can be covered by makeup as soon as the next day.

The real magic happens 6 weeks after the treatment, as new collagen takes time to mature. She can expect lines to soften even more, as well as gradual pigmentation correction (as long as she uses sunscreen!) This is a powerhouse of a treatment option for anyone looking for an alternative to painful and expensive Fraxle laser treatments.