Blog 9: Teeth Whitening

This week, I'm going to talk about teeth whitening.  I have used everything from the really expensive dentist administered whitening kit ($300) to, Crest White Strips ($35), to the cheapest over-the-counter CVS brand 5 Minute Whitening Kit ($5).  I can tell you that I got the same results from the CVS brand gel as I got from the expensive stuff from the dentist.  If you don't have a teeth whitening trey and don't feel like buying one or getting a custom one made, the white strips are perfectly good for whitening teeth.

My daughter bought the little bottle of stuff that you paint on each tooth and it was a gross mess.  Not the easier thing to use.  I think they were attempting to make a product that you can wear out in public with little noticeability.  But I find that I either make the time to wear my teeth treys around the house or running errands or when I have worn it to work, it was just for a short time and noone noticed or cared.  Note: I do not use a one-fits-all mouth piece (like the ones that come in some products)...I just use my retainer that I got years ago after my braces.  It works brilliantly...plus I get a little retainer time in.  There are some over the counter kits that have the mouth guard in it that you heat up (boil & let cool a bit) and then put in your mouth--bite down and then it creates a custom mouth trey. I've tried that...it didn't turn out all that great for me...it was loose.

A little tip if you want to get agressive.  Put a little gel in your mouth piece and sleep in it overnight.  Warning...if you have sensitive teeth, this will exacerbate the sensitivity. Be careful never to overfill as the gel will squeeze out and harm your gums.  Plus, overfilling doesn't get your teeth whiter.  I'm very conservative with my products.  I'm stingy in that way, I guess. 

Oh...for anyone with sensitive teeth...get a mouthpiece and put a little bit of sensodyne toothpaste in it instead of the whitening gel and sleep in it between treatments.  It really does help with the sensitivity whether you're whitening or not!

My family and I use Shreveport Family Dental on Bert Kouns.  They have a program where for a one-time $99 fee, they will fit you with a custom mouth piece (like my retainer) and each time you come in for your cleaning, you get a supply of whitening gel to last until your next cleaning.  My husband took advantage of this and his results are good so far.  He has sensitive teeth, hence the first-hand knowledge we obtained about using sensodyne toothpaste inbetween.  It really does work.

I am completely satisfied with my $5 tube of CVS brand whitening gel.  I've had the same tube for about a year.  Once you get your teeth white...you only have to do it every now and then (maybe once a month) to maintain it.  The CVS kit claims that you only have to leave it on your teeth for 5 minutes, but I always leave mine on for at least a hour, if not overnight.

A bright white smile makes all the difference to me.  It doesn't take a lot of money to invest in your beauty.  Beauty is not someone else's best...it's your best!!

Happy Whitening!

Blog 8: Scars and Treatments for Scars

This week, I'm going to talk about scars and what products really work to reduce, flatten and fade them.  (Note: I work at LSUS in the Rehabilitation Services department.  My boss is a PT who specializes in burns and we also have Wound Care. The products that I'm talking about are proven and used on our hospital patients for their scars and burns.) 

What is a scar?  A scar is you body's natural way of repairing a wound. The difference between normal tissue and scar tissue is simply the fiber composition of the protein.  The proteins themselves are the same (collagen).  Some animals actually regenerate the exact same tissue as the original tissue, thereby growing back parts of their bodies, so they do not scar at all.

I just recently (4 weeks ago) obtained a scar for which I cannot hide in a baithing suit.  Not a big deal, but I was talking to my boss and she asked me why I didn't just use some Topi-Gel that we carry in our department.  I order the stuff, but never knew what it was or what it was used for.  This opened up a whole new topic of research for me and I immediately googled what it was.  She gave me a sheet of it and told me that it would help keep it flat, reduce the redness and fade it. 

What I learned:  Products like Topi-Gel (and Mepi-form) are silicone gel sheets.  You cut a large enough piece to just cover the scar.  It is clear and sticky on one side (the side that goes on your scar).  The silicone gel keeps the would hydrated and promotes cell turnover.  There are over-the-counter products that work well but they mostly come in tubes of silicone gel that you rub on it.  The key is to keep the scar tissue hydrated. It's the oxygen radicals in the air that impede healing and encourage the production of collagen production, which in this case, creates the scar.

Quick Facts:
Oxygen and UV rays are counter-productive for the healing of scars. 
Scars should be massaged when they're new to break up the fibrous tissue.
Other treatments for scars are steroid injectioins and surgical removal (of keloid type scars).
Aloe vera gel is also good, but not as effective.

Cons:  The process is very gradual.  Placing the gel patches on your body every day is inconvenient and often times, patients quit doing it before the final results are achieved.

So, I have been wearing the silicone patches every day for two weeks and will continue to wear them for as long as I can.  I plan to wear them for several months.  In addition to the Topi-Gel, I'm also using Retin-A to promote cell turnover.  My little incision scars are still pink, but they're fading.  I'm not prone to keloid scars, but they're not raised at all.

Check out the URLs below to read about scars and silcone sheets for yourself. 

Ciao!


http://www.ehow.com/about_5576981_scar-reduction-silicone.html

https://www.ncmedical.com/item_1151.html

http://scar-treatments-center.org/?&s_kwcid=TC-23083-4902059906-be-436482375

Blog 7: Drinking Water

This week I'm going to be talking about the benefit of drinking water...and lots of it.  There are a multitude of benefits of drinking water.  Here are some (but not all):

Regulates body temperature
Detoxifies
Protects joints
Transports nutrients and oxygen into cells
Moisturizes air in lungs
Helps with our metabolism
Protects organs
Helps body absorb nutrients better
Hydrates our skin

It is said that our body is anywhere from 60% to 75% water.  Our brain consists of approximately 80% water, muscles approximately 75% water, our blood is about 83% water, and even our bones contain water of about 22%.

Water is an essential part of our very existence.  Would you believe that our skin is made up of 90% water?

Here's a little trivia that most people don't know...Ever wonder why your fingers and toes wrinkle when you've been in the pool or tub/shower for a long time? 
Answer:  The outer layer of our skin (epidermis) has an oily substance protecting it called "sebum", when this oil is washed away after prolonged periods of time in water; our skin is left vulnerable and absorbs the water. Because our outer-skin is attached to our bodies in certain places, a wrinkled/dimpled effects happens.  Kind of like cellulite, but not.  So, there you have it.

What is my point to all of this?  Water is vital to the overall health of our skin, that includes our face.  When we're not drinking enough water, our skin is dry and over time starts to appear daunt and splotchy.  Here's where I jump on top of my "soap box".  If you are drinking lots of water, but your skin is dry...it's because you probably aren't exfoliating your body/face.  You have to agitate those dead cells off of your skin either by using a wash cloth, facial/body scrub, or some sort of natural acid (alpha-hydroxy, salicylic, and one of my favorites...glycolic).

Myth Busters:  You don't have to get all of your water from literally drinking 8 glasses of water a day.  We extract a lot of water from the foods we eat (ie. apples, greens, meat, etc...).  However, if you're not eating foods that have water in them (ie. chips, candy bars, etc...) and you're also not purposefully drinking water...that's when you run into issues with dehydration.

So, purpose drinking water in your life!  Make it something you do regardless of whether or not you're thirsty.  Get in the habit.  Find a really pretty glass bottle or a sports jug and fill it up and make it a point to drink it down through the course of the day.  I've had the same pretty glass jar for 4 years. It looks like a wine bottle, but it actually came with some fancy water in it.  It's only 22 oz, but it looks bigger and I fill it up twice a day from the water fountain at work. When I pour water from it, I feel pampered (even though it's fountain water).  Everyone knows me for it and it's inspired many of my co-workers to follow suit!

Happy Hydrating!!!
Lydia

Blog 6: Moisturizer

Hi, and thanks for visiting!  This week, I'm covering moisturizers.  There are three main things that I always recommend above all else at minimum that anyone do (man or woman), and that is exfoliate, use sun-screen and moisturize! I covered exfoliation in my microdermabrasion blog.  I've talked here and there about the importance of sun-screen, but one of the best favors that you can do for yourself, no matter what age you are is to moisturize your skin.

When I was younger (highschool and in my early twenties), I had really oily skin.  I had occasional break-outs, but nothing terrible. To counter-balance my oily skin, I refrained from putting anything on my face that even remotely resembled moisture.  Consequently, my face became more and more oily.  So get this, although my face was really oily, when I'd wash it with soap, it would be so dry...it would crack and be pink and itchy.  Later, I learned that because I did not put moisturizer on my skin, my oil glands were over producing to try to hydrate the superficial layer of my skin. So...you can be oily and dry at the same time.  Once I started using moisturizer, my skin balanced out and plumped up. 

Not only is moisturizer good for the obvious...moisturizing your skin, it also acts like a barrier to toxins from the air and pollutants around us.  To boot, most moisturizers now come with a minimum SPF of 15, which is awesome!   I have used moisturizers from every category ranging from over the counter cheap stuff to more expensive lines from Merle Norman, to samples of really expensive stuff that you can only get from the dermatologist.  Notice...I said, "samples". 

I've settled into a small selection of Olay Complete SPF15 & Olay Total Effects 7.  I also keep a tube of Merle Norman's Moisture Rich Facial Treatment-Mask, which is a really thick moisturizer that you wipe off after 10 minutes, but I add a tad bit of water and just leave it on my face.  I use it every now and then, and the whole thing lasts almost a year. 

Here's a huge tip that I learned in my early twenties that I'm so thankful someone told me about.  Starting as early as possible...moisturize your neck and decollete' (chest), and hands the same as your face!!!  Use a daily SPF moisturizer on your face, neck, chest and hands/forearms.  Get into the routine now and hopefully, when you're fifty...you will NEVER KNOW how bad you would have looked!! 

Try this...look at a woman in her thirties and fourties. (After that...the disctinction is clearly wrinkles and saggy skin/musculature).  Really look at them and then ask yourself what makes them look older than you or someone that is 19 (for example).  When my daughter and I sit together (she is 21 and I am 39...until Oct 12th Whoo Hoo!), the difference isn't so much the fine wrinkles that she has (no...JK--"I" have)...it is the spots or freckles that I have that really identifies me as the older one.  Using a moisturizer with SPF in it, over the course of years...really goes a long way when you're thirty and fourty.

Does that mean that you can't tan or lay-out?  No, I love to lay-out in the sun and before every summer vacation, I tan for 1 month prior.  When I lay out in the sun, though, I use a minimum SPF of 30 on my body and at least a 50 on my face.  Trust me...I still get a tan!!  Then, I exfoliate and moisturize the dickens out of myself daily!  After I tan in the tanning bed for the one month, I work hard to undo the damage for the rest of the year until the next summer! Ha!

Take care of your youthful skin!!  Don't take it for granted!  Invest in good practices now that will certainly pay off later-- YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!  Drink lots of water!!!!!  Eat lots of foods with anti-oxidants in it! 

Happy October!!
Happy Fall!!
Happy Halloween!!
Happy PotLucks!!
Happy Crockpots!!

Lydia

Blog 5: "Procedures"

Hey there, thanks for visiting my blog.  This week, I'm going to touch on procedures.  Specifically, Botox, lipo and chryolipolisis.   I'll take them one at the time.

Botox- Although I've never personally tried Botox, I'm not against it...I just choose not to afford it.  Notice I said, "Choose".  Anyone can afford it if they really want to...it depends on their priorities.  I know people on welfare who can "afford" cigarettes, but that's not what this blog is about. I'm not against welfare...I'm against cigarettes.  Not the people that smoke them...just the cigarettes.  Okay, Botox.  I have those "quotation marks" between my brows when I squint or frown and maybe one day, I will consider Botox, but for now, I'm not crazy about the idea of paralyzing my facial muscles.  I have two close friends who get Botox and they look fine...in fact, they look great!  They don't look freaky, they look smooth, so if you can afford it and you're not put off by the paralysis thing...I say knock yourself out!

Liposuction- I love the concept of liposuction.  Let me say (so that we can move past it) that lipo is not for weight loss.  Most of the surgeons in this area won't do liposuction on someone who's very overweight.  It is advertised for its sculpting ability for someone who's close to their ideal weight but who may have some targeted trouble areas that diet and exercise seem to not touch.  I have several of these areas!!  The great thing about lipo is that it's "near" permanent.  So, we're all born with a set number of fat cells.  During the first several years of life and especially during puberty, your brain tells each and every fat cell where to go.  Once it's there, it doesn't move.  My brain evenly distributed my fat cells, or so I thought, until I had children and then I learned that most of them were sent to my thighs and belly.  Once fat cells are suctioned out of an area of your body, they are NOT replaced and therefore will never return.  The remaining fat cells that were left will respond to weight gain or loss, but for the most part, that troublesome fat is gone forever!  I'm committed to be transparent with my blog, so I will tell that I had liposuction about 6 years ago under my chin and on my upper/inner thigh. It was the best thing I ever spent money on that I didn't "need".  No matter how much weight I've gained or lost, that area  my body has remained problem free.  It truly is a problem solver for the area that you have treated.  If you can afford to do your whole body...I say, go for it, but be reasonable and don't do it for anyone but yourself.  I want to also say that beauty isn't all about the outside.  Your true image is what God tells you about you!

Chryolipolisis- Alright, so a good friend of mine told me she was getting chryolipolisis on her tummy, flanks and hips.  After researching it and consulting with the same place that she went, I was not convinced that it worked.  Basically, a machine is used that has a big oblong suction cup.  Inside the suction cup there are two metal plates that are cooled to a specific degree.  NOTE: Okay, I should say that this machine was first used to cool the face after laser treatments and then they found that it had an effect on the treated areas.  The machine is pretty expensive and it's digitalized and all that, so it looks legit, but it's not yet approved for use for fat reduction although it's not illegal to use it for fat reduction.  Alright, so after the suction cup is placed on your targeted area, it's set for about 1 hour.  You feel cold and then numb and it's said to be completely comfortable.  They advertise that you can read a magazine or text and before you know it, you're done.  Then, over the course of a few months, the fat cells just beneath the skin die, are absorbed by your body and excreted through your urine.  I also learned that your skin freezes at a much lower degree than your fat, so your skin is not harmed while your fat is being destroyed.  So after a few months, you're supposed to see a noticeable reduction in fat in that area.  So, my friend who had it done (it's been a month since her treatment) is not happy with her results.  Basically, she sees no results yet.  I'm really hoping that she does, but I'm thankful that she is honest with me.  She's shows me her side and tummy and I don't see a difference.  She spent a lot of money (over $1000) and that was a reduced fee since the lady who did it was trying a new machine.  It's more expensive elsewhere.

Okay, so if there's a moral to this blog, its wait until things are tried and true.  Liposuction has been around for decades.  It's been refined and nearly perfected.  I've seen the results with my own eyes and have LOTS of friends who've had it and the results are incredible.  Botox is relatively new, but the results are instant and I've never heard of anyone having a bad reaction to it.  There's a lot of work to be done in the chryolipolisis area.  Oh, I didn't mention that they use anti-freeze gel between you and the machine.  I'm guessing it's so that it doesn't freeze your skin and give you a burn if the temp get's too cold.

As always, do your research, consult with several local doctors before settling on any one doctor.  Ask around and look at before and after pictures.  Go to someone reputable and don't be cheap unless cheap is reputable.  Don't jump on bandwagons!

Take care of your bodies...you only have one!  Love your face!  Don't smoke...it's bad for your skin (and lungs).  Invest in yourself...You're Worth It!!!

Lydia