Lately I have been getting a lot of questions that I thought had long been resolved. But alas they have not, so I wanted to answer some long standing beauty and fitness questions once and for all. 🤔
Q. If I dermaplane/shave will the hair grow back thicker? A. The answer is no. Cutting hair at skin level, which is what shaving or dermaplaning does, will not affect the hair growth. You may feel that way because you go through a stubbly stage and if you remove it and get used to the way you look when it grows back you may become more aware of it. But the answer is unequivocally NO. Q. Is the higher the skin protection factor (SPF) rating, the better? A. SPF ratings, soon to be revised by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), only refer to protection from UVB rays. A person needs sun protection that has chemical and physical blockers, plus antioxidants. A higher SPF also gives a false sense of security and introduces more potentially harmful chemicals to the body. Plus, an SPF of 50 is only marginally more protective than an SPF of 15; an SPF of 30 has only 2% more protection than an SPF of 15, and a 40 has only 1% more than a 30. Sunscreens need to be reapplied every 90–120 minutes. The key is to use good quality suncreen, layer it and repply frequently. Q. Will lifting weights make me look bulky? A. The simple answer: No. Many people (especially females) are afraid that if they lift weights, they will get bulky (gain a lot of muscle mass), which inevitably changes their physique into what they may view as undesirable. Weight training does one thing very reliably: it makes you stronger. Women will not bulk up like men, because they have a different hormone profile. Men have more testosterone, which promotes muscle growth. For women, both fortunately and unfortunately, their hormone profile allows them to increase muscle without getting bulky, but also deters them from losing all the fat they may desire as easily as men. A clean diet will promote this wanted fat loss for them. For that desired “fit” look, perform sets with a few reps at maximum capacity to be effective. You should have a true “gassed out” feeling at the end of your lifting set and feel unable to perform many, if any, more sets. You need to be strong to be lean, and to do this, the recipe is simple: weight training, clean diet with everything in moderation and cardio. Q. Are natural and organic products are always better? A. Many natural and organic products are not as they claim. Plus, many times, active ingredients have to be synthesized to be bioavailable and efficacious. Synthetic compounds can actually be identical to those found in nature and be more effective. Natural vs. laboratory-processed should not lead to an up or down decision about whether a product is good or bad. Not all chemicals are bad, and not all natural or organic ingredients are good. ![]() I am planning a girls get away to Nashville this weekend and wanted to add a little extra pizazz to my skin. I decided it was a good time to try a new treatment from a trusted colleague. I chose the Micro-Botox facial since it is great for quickly reducing the appearance of pores, improving texture, boosting hydration in the skin and works in a few days. It’s an ideal choice for an event. It is popular with celebrities before award shows as it tighten up the skin. Sounded exactly like what I needed so I asked Dr. Denise Hilliard to sign me up. This is how it went. Normally clients would numb prior to this treatment and after having it I would suggest that is a wise plan. I on the other hand didn't have time so I decided to forego the numbing. The treatment began with Dr Hilliard applying the cocktail of hyaluronic acid, peptides and Botox to my clean face and neck with a brush. Then she needled the mixture into my skin. Again with numbing it wouldn't have been painful but it was a little pokey. She alternated a few times between serum and needling until it was complete. Just like with traditional micro needling you don't add anything else to the skin after the treatment protocol so I was good to go. I had to go directly out to dinner and needless to say looked a bit strange. My face was both shiny and sticky with a few bonus blood droplets. But nobody commented, maybe because my dinner partner who had a plasma treatment a few days earlier looked even stranger 😉. I was told I needed to leave it on for 4 hours or overnight and use a clean disposable sponge or clean hands to apply makeup for the next couple of days. No direct acids, scrubs or retinols. That evening I decided adding a towel to my pillow was a good idea and in the morning was glad I did. ![]() I woke up and couldn't wait to wash my face with a gentle cleanser. I was pleasantly surprised I actually looked better than I expected. I had a couple of dots but not too bad. In fact after I but a bit of cc cream on with clean hands of course, a few people commented on how good my skin looked. Now I can’t wait to see how it is in a couple of more days. Goodbye to 2019 - The Year Of Extremes - And Lets Look Forward To A Year Of Balance In 2020.1/1/2020 Looking back at 2019, and trying to come up with a word that defines that year, extreme seemed to be the most appropriate. While things like politics and social justice received a lot of play in the news and are important topics, I am going to focus on its influence in my sector; health, wellness, fitness and skin and body care. 1. Bigger is BetterAs the owner of a spa that focuses on creating the best version of yourself through balance and self improvement, I was particularly frustrated by the "bigger is better" trend. While I support people doing whatever they want to make themselves feel better there seems to be an inability to have limits and the ability to see the difference between improvement or enhancement and obsession. Eyelashes - While they are the easiest to correct they are also the most obvious. Big, black costume-like spiders on your eyes are not your friend. Strive for something in balance and in line with your skin and hair color. The Duck Lips - A bit of lip filler can look lovely and remove vertical lines, but lips that enter the room before you do are distracting and take away from your other features. Pillow Face - Don't get me wrong. A little filler can highlight facial features and help balance the face and create symmetry. But in the wrong or less talented hands you can end up with an overblown puffy look that is instantly aging. 2. #AcceptMeAsIAmOrElseOk, this one may make you angry at first, but hear me out. There is never any reason to be unkind to anyone regarding the way they look. Never! That being said, it is equally unkind to glamorize unhealthy bodies to make people feel better. I want to word this clearly. The world is full of different body types and all can be beautiful but taking any of those body types and adding 50 - 100 + lbs of health damaging fat, and then telling the world that this is not only fine but should be glorified, is ridiculous. On the same note, people who gain large amounts of weight need support and positive reinforcement, not criticism to help them lose enough weight to be healthy. I said healthy, not skinny. That weight will be different for everyone. So lets stop trying to feed our own egos (look what a nice person I am) by saying we a think somebody morbidly obese looks just as good as someone at a healthy weight. Instead, encourage loved ones who need to lose excess weight, which will lead to all types of life threatening diseases and lifestyle limitations, to instead make changes that will not only keep them around longer but also make them feel better. It's time to get REAL. 3. The Quick FixI deal with this one a lot. Everyone nowadays seems to think that results that look good are healthy and lasting should be easily achievable or happen after one treatment. Trust me - you didn't get that sun damaged skin after one day at the beach. You didn't gain 30 lbs from 2 glasses of wine and you certainly can’t create lasting natural looking change in a day. You need to actually put in the work. I always tell my clients that the treatments done at the spa need to be used as an enhancement to the basics. Without doing these core things you will never get a glowing healthy vibrant you.
In summary, keep the extremes in sports, not on your face and body! Have a Happy and Balanced 2020!
![]() Just a little reminder to wear your sunscreen DAILY. We have come so far from when this ad was created - Tanning leads to premature aging and collagen breakdown that is often difficult and costly to reverse (if it's even possible). If you are still laying out, you are killing yourself. Literally. 1. Issue: Cracked Heels - Winter Feet 2. Issue: Bumpy Arms or Red Dots 3. Issue: Cellulite and Poor Texture
4. Issue: Pigmentation and Brown Spots
5. Issue: Dry Dull Skin 6. Issue: Pasty Skin
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Colette KuhnsmanThis blog was created to provide information as it relates to skin, body and food health.
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