Menopause….

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Taking Care of your Skin When  Menopause Hits

 

Menopause can be a stressful time for your body, physically, emotionally and mentally. Something that happens to all us females, but thank goodness, it’s not a taboo subject anymore!

Menopause should just be a transitional time for many women; unwanted symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, insomnia, low mood, menstrual irregularity, crying spells, vaginal irritation and lowered libido can make menopause a very unwanted experience. From speaking with other women in the salon, we know that anxiety can be a huge problem during menopause, as is trying to adjust to these new personality traits.

However, we can help guide you through the years of peri & menopause to help ease your skin journey and give helpful advice to treat you as the whole person.

Menopause is the body’s way of officially stopping menstruation and is defined as “when a woman has not had a menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months.’’ Although it’s common in women who have come to the end of child-bearing age (usually around early 50s), this isn’t always the case – some women have been known to enter menopause as early as their 30s.

Menopause generally takes time to complete its transition and may last several years. Hormonal fluctuations in the body and changes in skin can occur from the peri-menopausal (first) stage. You might notice that you are no longer oily despite years of having oily skin. Increased sensitivity is common, but other issues can occur such as spot breakouts, itchy skin, redness, wrinkles and changes in texture and overall appearance. If you already have acne, you may find that it worsens during this time as skin gets more sensitive. Increased sensitivity can also provoke allergies and low oestrogen levels commonly lead to dry skin. Also, you’ll start to notice skin starting to sag during this time.

So, what you can do about it?

At Fresh Images our philosophy is always to look at the body as a whole. We treat the skin on the inside & outside. Lifestyle changes such as reassessing your diet and upping your water intake can make a big difference to the condition of your skin. Drinking less alcohol (yes even the few glasses of wine) and learning to cope with stress can also help you manage external conditions such as itchy skin.

A diet with nuts, seeds and fish will benefit your skin and help to boost your wellbeing. Maintaining a regular sleeping pattern can be hard to find, but taking some exercise will help the body. If you need a further boost, try a skin supplement such as Omega Oil, to support healthy skin function and Vitamin B Complex to help with stress management. This also effects the skin and stress levels particularly increase during these hormonal changes.

Personally, I found taking supplements of Magnesium 500mg & Vitamin D very beneficial, as magnesium help ease pain & sleep, it’s also could for your muscles and Vit D, is good for immunity especially with our lack of sunlight in Ireland & bone health.

You’ll find that weight easily gains around your middle, so upping your exercise routine is a must! But back to the skin….

If you’re suffering with Dry Skin-avoid hot baths and apply moisturiser regularly to comfort the skin. We would always use a serum on this skin type and exfoliate regularly, as this skin makes a lot of dead skin. Use a sunscreen daily to protect your skin, we recommend our Heliocare range, full of natural mineral care and has a full PA++++ listing. It has a full range to suit all skin types and we can help recommend these if you’d like some advice when choosing one. Avoid harsh soaps and detergents that can aggravate dehydrated skin.

Sensitivite skin: Stay away from heavily scented skincare. Look out for anti-inflammatory ingredients such as aloe vera, chamomile and calendula extract to calm angry, red skin. Guinot’s Créme Sensitive (€66) and Serum Sensitive (€76) are amazing products that instantly cool down irritation. To help calm redness try our (€83 ) Asap Super B Serum after cleansing morning and evening. This serum contains phytoestrogen which helps to disguise redness. Again our Heliocare Mineral fluid Spf 50 (€38) in Mineral fluid is ideal for this skin type, as it has no chemicals in it. You may find your body temperature feels higher during menopause & your face might flush easily.

Oil problems: You may find you get spots on your breasts, back and other parts of your body because of night sweats and hot flushes. Try Asap which have a clear skin body gel (€48) contains salicylic acid to help treat body acne and remove dead skin cells. Vitamin A is fantastic Serum used every 2nd night to keep skin from reacting and sloughing dead skin gently. We love our Asap Vitamin A Serum(€75), because it has biomimetic tripeptides that improve hydration and skin texture as well as oil production too

Sagging: Unfortunately we will eventually have sagging skin – it’s a natural part of the ageing process. But sun protection is paramount from an early age and vitamin A is key to preventing premature sagging, treatments such as Rejuvapen FDA approved microneedling or our EndyMed RF & Pure resurfacing treatment can have a significant effect on it.

We have a variety of products from the famous houses of Guinot and Asap, that can relieve skin problems associated with menopause, as well as a variety of treatments to help ease you through this time.

If you have any health concerns, please do seek advice from your GP and remember we are always here to help with your skin & offer an ear to listen!

Micro-needling

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Microneedling , also known as CIT (collagen induction therapy). Meaning that it stimulates your own skin, to produce its collagen and bring it to the surface. This happens over a period of a few months. So the treatment is usually done monthly for 3 to 6 treatments, and gives amazing results.

At Fresh Images , we use the FDA approved Microneedling device called Rejuvapen. Not all microneedling is the same. There are many imitation products on the market that will give inferior results. We have the clinical data and before and after pictures that will show you the results of the Rejuvapen treatments.

Microneedling is fantastic for treating :

Acne Scarring

Reduce Pores

Lines & Wrinkles

Stretch Marks

Hyperpigmentation ( brown spots & melisma)

Stimulate collagen Production , making the tensile strength in the skin much better, helping an impaired skin barrier

Best results are seen in a course, at monthly intervals. And we can make treatments even more advanced by adding specialised products during the treatments.

 

So to find out more and book in for your consultation, as a full medical history is required. There are some contra indications, give us a call at 012963222.

Anti Ageing Skin Treatment EndyMed3Deep

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If you’re like me and in your 50’s , your skin is starting to get lax and the start of fine lines and wrinkles are appearing. I’ve looked after my skin over the years, Anti age needs to start as early as you can, so now is the the time to catch it and stop it in it’s tracks or it will get to the point of no return! We all want to age gracefully and look good. And as menopause approaches, you will begin to notice huge changes in our skin. This will include things like, lines around your eyes and mouth, jowls appear along the neckline, skin can be looser, drier, or oiler, rosacea appears. So listen to what I can tell you, that can make it better!

With myself & my clients in mind I went off and researched treatments available in the Aesthetic area, which can treat this problem. I’m looking for things that are not injectables for clients that want something different.

Enter the EndyMed 3Deep !!!

This machine is and FDA approved device that can firm your skin from deep within to make it produce it’s own collagen. This is my favourite. Your own skin doing the work. This in turn will firm your skin, tighten it and with the FSR treatment, also resurface uneven skin texture, lines & wrinkles and many more treatments. Here are some of the things that we can treat…

Lines & wrinkles

Acne Scarring

Stretch Marks

Uneven Skin Texture

Enlarged Pores

Pigmentation

Sun Damage

Rosacea

Skin Rejuvenation

You will see an immediate result, but best results are seen in a course. Now you will have to be a little patient, as the best result is in fact 3 months post course, as collagen doesn’t just jump to the surface of your skin, it takes a little time to stimulate and get to its best condition, but the results are long lasting and amazing, so I whole heartedly stand over this treatment and tell you its an amazing Anti Age Treatment. I take pride in the fact that I research all of the treatments that we bring to Fresh Images, so that we know that we can get you the best result possible.

 

Book a consultation today and we’ll have a chat about the best treatment available for you!

What’s my skin type ?

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There are different clues from your skin as to which type you are and what category of products you should use. Although sometimes these need to be blended. So, the main groups are as follows;

Dry or Dehydrated?

Its hard to discern between dry & dehydrated skin sometimes, because both look similar and feel tight. But 1 is caused by genetics and hormones and the other is caused by lifestyle.

Dry skin is caused by the lack of sebum [oil] in the skin. It finds it hard to hold onto moisture and is caused by genetics and hormones. It can be uncomfortable & itchy, but there are still treatments and changes that we can make to alleviate dry skin. A good measure for testing for dry or dehydrated skin is, when you apply your moisturiser in the morning, does your skin feel tight again during the day, but when you moisturise it, it feels fine? If it does, its just dehydrated!,

Dry skin can be flaky, itchy or cracked. Dry skin is always dry and only soothed with products, treatments and diet. Dehydrated skin on the other hand, can be comforted with products and treatments that will heal it. Hyaluronic Acid is very effective on dry skin, as it locks in moisture 1,000 times its own weight & serums like Vitamin B( asap’s Super B ) work particularly well with this skin type , Niacinamide heals and hydrates & Hyaluronic acid locks in moisture

Dehydrated skin also feels dry and can be flaky, but is reduced with care and attention. It has lost its water content and can be assisted with lifestyle choices, such as, more intake of fruit & vegetable, water, less alcohol, good environment (ex: less central heating) and good skin care & treatments.

These skin type, are prone to ageing younger , so it is very important to have treatments to relieve this condition, and use creams, serums and products to keep it moist. Taking Vitamin supplements like Omega oil 3,6 & 9 and B Complex , also work well with this dry/dehydrated skins.

It benefits a lot, from having help in the form of a weekly scrub to remove dead skin and promote new skin growth. This will bring vitality back to the skin and the new skin will be in better condition, & more receptive to serums and moisturisers. An example of good skin peels are asap’s Daily facial scrub and Guinot’s Gommage Parfait & Biologic. In a variety of forms. All work to remove dead skin cells gently, paving the way for what comes next…

Salon treatments such as  Guinots HCE Hydradermie or Age Summum are fantastic for this skin type as is, asap’s Gym 4 the skin & Medi Facial Microplus+.

And just as important is how you cleanse your skin & remove your make up. I recommend a cream cleanser if your dry and don’t want to mix with water, or we have gentle washes from asap too. It depends how you like to clean your skin, and sometimes a mix of both is required, as new make up technology is longer lasting and takes more time to break down. I like these 3….

Asap’s gentle cleanser, soaps up beautifully and has Aloe Vera in it, so is very gentle, The daily facial cleanser contains Aha’s , so great for deeper cleansing, and Guinots lovely Hydra Friacheur is for those of you that don’t want to use water.

Now you can have dehydrated skin with oily too, so this is where we skin specialists start to mix products across the skin types. We sympathise with our oily skin suffers, because it can be hard to get it right and takes time. But its all about the ingredients in the products used that will get you results. Vitamin A, Salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid and Spf, all work for this skin type. We have an amazing range in asap & Guinot , especially dedicated to this skin , but asap’s main product is called Clear complexion gel, with salicylic acid, an exfoliating acid, that cuts through oil and penetrates deeply into pores to dissolve blockages. We have a fantastic Clear skin Body Gel if you have any breakouts on your back, and the results from using this are astounding on acne. Vitamin A serum will help control oil production. Hyaluronic makes the skin not get too dehydrated, as this can cause more problems and spf or Oil free Moisturiser , provides a matt appearance & protection. Our best sellers for this skin type are…

 

This skin type has fantastic results with salon treatments such as asap’s skin peels and Microplus+ Microdermasbrasion & Sonophorisis

And finally the sensitive skin. Now most Irish people think that they have sensitive skin and we do have a lot of red undertones in our skin. But sensitive skin is defined as often sore to touch, reddens easily by touch or change in temperature and products can sting this skin. So it is very important to get the skincare right!

Sensitivity often comes from dryness and dryness makes skin sensitive. Therefore, it is important to cleanse and exfoliate this skin type too, but very gently and carefully. Sometimes only when we reduce irritation first. This skin needs assistance in paving the way for penetration of further products, but they should be extra gentle and not aggressive in any way. Vitamin B Complex as a supplement works well with this skin type , as the Niacinamide calms irritation. This is in our Asap Super B serum , to be applied directly onto the skin to aid this function. This skin type does not like a lot of rubbing, so a gentle cleanse followed by our B serum & moisturiser to soothe and calm is all that is required, until we reduce the fragility of the skin. Products that are fantastic for this skin type are

For a detailed consultation and skincare advice book online at www.freshimages.ie

 

 

About Waxing….

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Regular waxing reduces hair growth when performed every four to five weeks. It’s one of the cheapest methods of hair removal available and gives a smooth appearance of the skin, hair free.

While shaving crops the hair at the skin’s surface, waxing pulls it out by the root, so it grows back softer, finer, and thinner. Waxing is great for those who are tired of the hassle of shaving several times per week. The more you wax, the less hair grows back.

It may take up to three waxing treatments to achieve smooth skin due to the fact that hair grows in stages and all of your hair is never at the same stage. It is very important to avoid shaving between waxing appointments, as this will interrupt the process and stimulate the hair growth again. So if you’re going on holiday and want to be hair free while you’re away you need to plan your waxing treatments now, for the best results

To encourage regular waxing and to guarantee you the best results, we offer a discounted price for maintenance within 5 weeks of your last wax treatment at our salon. Ask for details…

Rubber Base

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We get asked all of the time what is the difference between Rubber Base and normal gel polish?

We’ll the answer is that rubber base is a stronger base that adds strength to your own nail. It is applied thinly under your gel polish or nail extension and prolongs the gel polish wear to usually 3 weeks, chip free polish.

It can be used to seal a break and add strength on your own nails, or we can even extend your natural nail tip with it too, whilst keeping it as thin. It’s fantastic to help your own nails grow up , if you tend to be a nail biter or just have weak nails.

The treatment takes about 30 minutes with a mini manicure or gel polish manicure and can be soaked off or buffed off. Nails are exactly the same underneath.

Costs €2 extra, but well worth it.

How to apply self tan at home

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The Question so many people ask me , how do I get that perfect salon tan from my home care one? We’ll here are my tips:

1/ Exfoliate and shave or wax at least a day or 2 before tanning. If you leave it until the day, you have a higher chance of reacting to the tan.

2/ Before applying the tan, apply a moisturiser on your feet, hands, knees, elbows and any area that has creases on you body and face, or that has drier skin.

3/ Start by applying your tan onto the mitt and I always start with my lower legs, otherwise if you have a bigger tummy, it will get tan all over it when you are bending down to do them. So lower legs first. Front and back in circular motions, now when you can clearly see the tan is nearly gone and is mostly on your legs, sweep the remaining residue on the mitt over your feet! Paying attention to the sides of the feet the toes and the heals . It is so important that it is only the residue you use here, and the cream on your toes and heals underneath will stop it clumping there. Take a fresh bit of tan to your mitt and on up to the thigh, do both front and back in circular motions and when the residue is left , sweep this around your knees and join together. Then I do my belly with some more tan and sweep up in circles over your boobs and onto your neck. Personally, I always have my moisturiser on underneath to stop the tan becoming too dark, but also to stop it blocking my pores. Then it’s down to the arms. Again in circles lower arm and upper and sweeping the residue only over my elbows and wrists down onto hands, obviously not the palms, but make sure that the residue is only use here and sweep along the side of your hands. You cant do your back properly on your own, so ask a friend to apply it in circles across your back and backside.

4/Most tans now are made that you can get straight into your PJ’s or tracksuit, and this is the case with the Bellamianta tan that we sell. Then leave it for at least 4 hours for a light tan, more sunkissed, but this is lighter, so comes off faster. But I love this on Irish skin, because we are fairer, in Winter especially. So this looks amazing , whilst being quite naturel. Leave on for 6 to 8 hours for that deeper summer tan. Wash over with a quick light shower after the required time and apply moisturiser generously every day to keep the tan at its best. Top up your tan again by repeating this process after a few days.

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Removal of Gel Polish/ Shellac or Acrylic and Gel Nails at home

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With all of us stuck at home at the moment due to the covid pandemic, some of you are having to remove your own gel polish or gel/ acrylic nails. So I’ve put a list of the procedure here below, for those brave enough to give it a go. You can get the kit that you need here on our website. For Gel and Acrylic it will be a bit of a longer process, but gel polish should take 15 to 20 minutes.

1/ Using the stronger side of the file, rub across the gel polish, acrylic or Gel surface gently. Remove the shiny layer gently.

2/ Put Acetone onto cotton pad inside the foil wrap. Soak it well.

3/ Wrap the foil around the nail tightly and soak the nails for 15 mins for gel polish, 30 mins for acrylic and gel nails.

4/ After the required time peel of the foil and discard into bin.

5/ Use orange wood stick to scrape of any remaining product.

6/ Buff the nails very gently with the white buffer black until the surface is clear of gel polish.

7/ File nails into shape, put solar cuticle oil on cuticles and gently push back cuticles and after apply a generous amount of Ultra Caring Hand Cream.  Gel or Acrylic might require another soaking and repeat. Now you are ready for top coat if required. But it is a good time to let nails breathe now in between applications, whilst no one is meeting up.