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How Hormones Affect Your Skin

   Skin Care  Apr 20, 2018  Comments Off on How Hormones Affect Your Skin
How Hormones Affect Your Skin

Hormones definitely play a role in aging, particularly when it comes to signs of aging in your skin. A woman’s endocrine system produces and regulates female hormones. As women age and go through menopause, these hormones definitely decline—sometimes drastically.

Factors like pollution and UV radiation are external factors that age your skin, but changes in hormones age your skin from the inside. Scientists are just now discovering all the ways that hormone decline ages your skin. Here’s what they’ve discovered.

How Hormones Help Your Skin

Estrogen

Estrogens are actually a group of incredibly important female hormones. Estrogens help the body make cholesterol, which helps the skin stay thick and wrinkle free. Estrogens also increase levels of important substances like hyaluronic acid which keeps skin moist and helps skin’s structure, too. When estrogen levels drop, skin can become thin and wrinkles start to appear. Skin moisture is affected too, and skin starts to become dry. It is amazing how dry your skin can be after menopause. Most importantly, estrogens stimulate collagen production, so when they drop, skin loses collagen and becomes saggy. Estrogens do the same things for your hair, so without them, your hair may be dull and brittle.

Thyroid Hormones

Many women experience thyroid issues caused by an underproduction or overproduction of thyroid hormones. These hormones affect body temperature and metabolism. With too much hormone, your skin can often be flushed and sweaty. With too little hormone, skin can become very dry and can even thicken. Thyroid hormones also affect your hair, leading to thinner hair or even hair loss.

Testosterone

Contrary to popular belief, testosterone is not just a male hormone. Females have it too, and an increase in testosterone can mean skin aging and even female pattern baldness. In fact, increased testosterone is the most common cause of hair loss in women. It’s not so much that you’re producing more testosterone, it is just that your estrogen drops and the ratio becomes imbalanced. Many women experience oilier skin or even acne because of the testosterone prevalence.

Many women have turned to topical treatments that replace hormones. This is a very new area of skin care and much more research is needed, but the treatments are showing promise where hormones are the single cause of skin changes. Patients are seeing improved moisture and elasticity. Preliminary data is showing that these treatments are not effective in reversing aging caused by external factors like sun damage. Talk to your skin care specialist to see if this new treatment is right for you.

3 Things To Know About Waxing For Men

   Waxing  Apr 09, 2018  Comments Off on 3 Things To Know About Waxing For Men
3 Things To Know About Waxing For Men

If you are looking to wax your body for the first time and end up with velvety smooth skin and a hairless chest, arms, back and more, there are things that you need to be aware of beforehand.

3 Things To Know About Waxing For Men

Waxing is a painful experience.

Waxing means that you are removing hair from the roots, and pulling the roots out of the many follicles that are embedded in your body. One of the most sensitive areas that you can get waxed is your underarms.

If you believe that shaving might ease the pain and tension that you may experience from waxing, it will not. It may even hurt even more, considering more pressure is being created by having to rip out shorter hairs on your body.

If you have not used any hair removal techniques before, it is possible that your hairs could be too long to be waxed. If this is the case, they also might be more painful when removed. Your body hair should be trimmed to an appropriate length before you start to wax. As the licensed esthetician you are considering for advice regarding your hair length.

Allow a waxing professional to handle your body.

Be sure that the doctor or professional that you want to wax your body is skillfully trained and certified. There is a right way to wax, and there are 99 wrong ways, so it is important that you have a person you can trust to get the job done properly.

A certified professional will know how to pull the strips off your body as fast as possible, and parallel to the skin. If not done properly, it will still hurt and a lot of wax will stay on your body, but not much hair will be removed.

An experienced waxer has successfully waxed men’s body parts a hundred out of a hundred times, so try to relax as you trust them not to screw up.

Exfoliate before waxing.

Before the removal of your body hair, always exfoliate beforehand. Waxing removes moisture from your skin, but exfoliation and other moisturizers will allow the wax to stick better to your skin and help to retain some of that moisture.

After waxing, be sure to exfoliate up to three times per week, following a shower. This will make your skin stay smooth and free of any ingrown hair that may develop over that stretch of time.

If this post didn’t turn you off of waxing, confidently talk to a licensed esthetician and get scheduled to have your body hair removed. If not, there are other alternatives to waxing, such as epilators for men, that you can consider buying for home use.

Choosing Prom Makeup for Sensitive Skin

   Makeup  Mar 29, 2018  Comments Off on Choosing Prom Makeup for Sensitive Skin
Choosing Prom Makeup for Sensitive Skin

With prom night just around the corner, young women across the country are gearing up for a night of fantasy and fun. Of course, you want everything to be perfect. You have the dress. Your accessories are styled. You’ve even experimented with some updos. Now it’s time to choose your prom makeup.

Choosing Prom Makeup for Sensitive Skin

Pick The Right Brand

Brand plays a big role if you have sensitive skin. Even if you don’t normally wear much makeup, prom is a night where you may want to try a little more. Between new blushes or eye shadows, you can have a lot of fun with prom makeup, but just take a few steps to ensure it won’t result in a breakout or allergic reaction.

Look For Keywords

Like your regular, everyday makeup, opt for something that’s hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and contains soothing ingredients. Creamy foundations and blushes tend to provide more hydration and will keep regularly dry skin from flaking during the big dance.

Research A Product’s Reputation

While prom night may be a great time for experimenting with a new makeup look, don’t go totally rogue when picking your products. Try to stick with the same brand you usually use, since you know how your skin will react to it. If you need to branch out, then do some research to find makeup products that scored high reviews from others with sensitive skin.

Try The Skin Test

If you find a new brand in a color or style you love, be sure to test the product out before you apply it to your face. You don’t want to risk breaking out into hives right before your big night. Apply a small amount of product to an inconspicuous spot on your hand, arm or neck and wait between 24 to 48 hours to see if there is any reaction. If not, you’re in the clear!

Have Fun With Colors

When picking a color, get something that complements your skin tone and matches your dress. Keep in mind that your makeup and outfit don’t need to be the same color. You can find different hues that pair well together, like navy and silver, pink and green or red and black.

Once you find prom makeup products that your skin loves, it’s time to have fun! Look for prom makeup inspiration in magazines and movies, or scour Pinterest and YouTube for some tutorials. Or have a professional help you decide on and apply your prom night makeup.

Now get ready to rock your prom night!