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Category Archives: Clinic Blogs
The Facts about Laser Tattoo Removal
Tattoo Removal
Do you have a tattoo you regret or maybe you just need it fading for a cover up. Well here are some key points to consider when having your tattoo removed:
Set your expectations
You need to keep in mind what your expectations are when looking to have your tattoo removed as some tattoos fade only partially after treatments, also some tattoos may leave a ghost image of the tattoo rather than completely disappear.
It won’t be gone in one treatment
Having tattoo removal isn’t a one session fix, you will be required to have multiple treatments, and also the number of treatments can’t be predetermined during your initial consultation. You will also be required to have intervals between treatments, this is key. You may want to remove the tattoo as quickly as possible but treating to soon can increase the risk of side effects like skin irritation and open wounds. You will be advised that the average time between sessions is usually 4-6 weeks.
Older Tattoos are better
Older tattoos fade generally more easily with laser treatments than newer ones.
Body Placement
Location Location Location! Fading is generally slower for tattoos located further down the arm or leg this is due to circulation so tattoos nearer the heart will fade quicker due to better circulation.
Is it a professional Tattoo?
Was your tattoo done by a professional or amateur? An amateur tattoo tends to be easier to remove than a professional one as the professional tattoo penetrates deeper in the skin so will take longer for the colours to break down and be absorbed back into the body.
Colours and Lasers
Do your research on lasers before you choose to have your tattoo removed, most lasers can’t remove all tattoo colours. Our Q switch machine is one of the only ones that can remove the majority of colours except white. Different dyes respond to different light wavelengths so some colours may take longer to fade.
Your Skin
Having a tattoo may scar or change skin texture, this is often hidden by the dyes. When having laser removal it may uncover skin changes so you may be left with what looks like a ghost of your old tattoo.
Contact us for your FREE consultation 0161 627 1114
Treatment for Excessive Sweating
Did you know that Anti-wrinkle injections can be used to treat things other than wrinkles?
In fact this treatment is used to help with what can be described as uncomfortable and embarrassing – excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). It is thought that about 1 person in 200 has some form of excessive sweating. People with hyperhidrosis produce sweat in amounts far greater than needed to control their temperature and it seems to be triggered more by social situations rather than temperature.
Hyperhidrosis can affect the armpits, hands, feet or face but armpits are the most common issue.
When severe sweating gets in the way of certain daily activities and antiperspirants are not working, then this treatment is a great alternative.
Anti-wrinkle Injections are approved by the FDA to treat the symptoms of severe underarm sweating when medicines used on the skin do not work well enough.
Anti-wrinkle injections are injected into the affected areas to help control this condition by temporarily blocking the chemical signals from the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. When the sweat glands do not receive chemical signals, the severe sweating stops.
What’s involved in the treatment?
Prior to the treatment: Numbing cream can be applied to the area for 30 minutes before although some patients prefer not to use this and opt for an ice pack to numb the area instead. Many patients do not require either. Please be advised that for underarm treatments, we will require the area to be freshly shaved or the hairs to be trimmed to a length of 1cm long
The treatment: The actual procedure takes about 20 to 25 minutes and is relatively straightforward. A series of small Anti-wrinkle injections are injected to the relevant areas through a very fine needle
Post treatment: Simply avoid touching, rubbing or applying anything on the treated area for 4 hours to prevent infection and spreading of the medicine. Also, it is recommended not to exercise for 24 hours after the procedure. Specific instructions will be given to you on the day of treatment by our therapist.
When will I start feeling the results and how long does it last?
You will start seeing and feeling the results at about 1-2 weeks after having the treatment.
The results will last around 6-7 months. Your symptoms will return gradually, and you will know when the time is right for another treatment.
It is recommended to have the treatment every 6 months to receive the best possible results. A plan for regular follow-up treatments to maintain the initial result can be created for you.
What if I decide to stop having the treatment?
If you decide not to have further treatment, your sweating will gradually return to its pre-treated state. The effects of the treatment will gradually wear off, and your underarm sweating will resume.
Where does the sweat go?
Your sweat doesn’t go anywhere or get backed up because the sweat simply is not produced in the treated areas. Remember, the rest of your body is free to produce moisture normally.
Contact us for your FREE consultation 0161 627 1114.
ProMax Lipo
Monday 4th January shall be forever emblazoned in the minds of the aestheticians who were lucky enough to undertake the Lynton Laser Pro Max Lipo training, as the day we found the next best thing in the world of non-invasive cosmetic treatments.
Rarely has the arrival of a new treatment platform caused a fever pitch such as the one felt in the training room that day. If you can picture the scene in Only Fools and Horses which sees Del in a wine bar encouraging Trigger to “play it cool”, before he takes a sip of his cocktail and leans on to the bar only to fall straight on the floor, then you can imagine the level of fervour in the room, as we tried to “play it cool” in front of our trainer Rhiannon.
In order for you to fully appreciate what had reduced us from fairly level headed professionals into a cluster of over enthusiastic fools, allow me to introduce the Pro Max Lipo!
The word lipo had already peaked our interest when we had seen the title of the training course, and when we turned the first page of the training manual and saw the three main headings “inch loss, cellulite reduction and skin tightening”, it was clear that our enthusiasm had not been heightened under false pretenses, this truly was the holy grail. With the cogs in our heads already turning about which area of our bodies we would treat first, the course began and we educated in the science and technology behind the Pro Max Lipo.
The machine uses 3 clinically proven technologies via a multi-platform device that has been uniquely designed to offer the 3 most popular body treatments as well as face, neck and eye treatments.
Ultrasound Cavitation is used for inch loss and fat reduction. Sound waves are used to affect the permeability of fat cells, allowing fat to escape and be metabolised by the body. This works especially well on stubborn areas of fat that are typically resistant to exercise, such as abdomen and outer thighs.
Multi Polar Radio Frequency energy is used for cellulite and skin tightening. Safely and effectively heating the skin to a temperature which increases local blood circulation and accelerates the production of collagen and leads to contraction of collagen fibres resulting in skin tightening and restructuring.
Vacuum massage then encourages drainage of fatty deposits into the lymphatic system, promotes the breakdown of fibrous tissues and leads to reduction in the volume in fat cells.
What’s not to like?
Considering the innovation and technology involved in this machine you’d be forgiven for thinking that there would be a compromise between achieving dramatic results and the comfort of the treatment process, with the Pro Max Lipo no such compromise is made. You can expect to achieve measured results in minimum sessions, but to also expect those sessions to be comfortable and relaxing.
We have started our own treatment plans and will update you with the progress of our treatment journeys over the next few weeks. If like us you have been hooked, then please feel free to call us on 0161 627 1114 the clinic to book a full consultation, and as an extra incentive for January and February 2016, we’d like to offer all Pro Max Lipo treatments with a massive 50% off.
Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 18
Well it’s been a long journey but here is the final installment of my blog:
Week 18
Let me begin by apologising for the hiatus between weeks 6 and 18 of the blog, the clinic has been extraordinarily busy and the 6 weeks school holiday played havoc with my personal free time.
When I left you I was at the end of week, and I had started to peel again, but was hopeful that my Blue Peel Radiance treatment would remove any excess flaking in order to boost my skin in to the “restart” phase of the programme. Wow, was I wrong!
Initially after the peel my skin felt the softest it had ever felt, possibly since birth. This was however as short lived as one of Jordan’s marriages and by the morning following the treatment my peeling had gone into overdrive.
This peeling lasted well into week 12 and my next peel treatment only acted as a catalyst for even more peeling. I wouldn’t have believed it possible for any one person to have this much dead skin on the whole of their body, let alone a solely on their face. The pigment I was so desperately fighting against for willing to go a full 12 rounds with me, and I wasn’t about to give up.
I persevered through a break away with the family in Devon; and let me tell you there are few things that sting quite like salt water on open skin. When it came to our holiday to Menorca I decided that as we only had carry-on luggage and as I have peeled consistently for 3 months, I deserved a break from being flaky and pink, so I only packed the cleanser, toner and SPF in my see through plastic bag and left the active products at home. It didn’t take long for my skin to return to a normal colour and texture, and I was really careful to keep my SPF topped up, wear a hat and sit in the shade. I had no tan to speak of when we came home and not just because we had torrential rain for 4 of our 7 days, I was a living advert for being sun safe. Regardless of this I still picked up a few freckles which have yet to go back down.
So, today I am off Nu-Derm after 18 weeks and in limbo as to what to do next, there are so many choices and protocols that would be suitable for my skin that I am having trouble deciding which one is best for me to move on to. I could go for CRX to keep my skin fresh and bright or I could move on to 360 with retinol for mild anti-aging or I could stay on nu-derm and reduce the frequency of my active products to keep peeling at bay and treat all major skin concerns in one system.
As Nu-Derm goes, would I do it all over again if I had known just how intense it was going to be? Yes, I would. Even though I peeled beyond anyone’s expectation and for the entire duration of the programme, my results have made it all worthwhile. I have seen genuine transformation in my skin. The pigmentation is dramatically reduced, my fine lines and wrinkles are visibly diminished and the tone and texture of my skin is the best it has been in years.
If there is a specific treatment you would like me to road test on your behalf, so that you can get a real perspective on how it all works and what to expect please feel free to contact me on fayem@thefaceandbodyshop.co.uk
Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 6
Week 6 should be the end of the “delete” stage of the Nu-Derm programme, when you can expect the peeling and redness to have stopped and the pigment on the skin should be significantly reduced, ready to start the next 6 week cycle, the “restart” phase. Let me stress the word SHOULD in that sentence. I have been told on more than one occasion in varying aspects of my life that I am “different”, generally this is said with an inflection of sympathy for those around me. It would seem that my skin has some idiosyncrasies of its own that it would like present and feels that this is the perfect time for its very own expo in how to be non-conformist.
Week 5 was amazing in terms of my skin health and it was with great excitement and the chariots of fire music playing on my inner monologue that I entered week 6. There I was a naïve fool believing that I had options in the way of maintenance programmes, that I would not need the full 18 weeks to tame the problems with my skin, I am a trailblazer, a maverick with super skin. The sound effect I would like you to imagine going along with the next statement is the noise played on family fortunes to accompany an answer so ridiculous that the host is forced to reply “if it’s up there, I’ll give you the money myself”, UR ERRRRRR and a huge flashing X! Week 6 brings with it a return to peeling and hue of pink that any self-respecting sow would be proud of. I had not banked on this. The peeling is nothing like I experienced in the first few weeks of the programme but totally out of the blue. It has however made up my mind that I need to continue on with the Nu-Derm system as it obviously still has work to do. I was so pleased with the appearance of my skin in week 5 that if this is only the interim result then it is worth persevering with the remaining length of the programme in order to get the maximum benefit from everything the system can achieve.
At the end of each 6 week cycle on the Nu-Derm programme Obagi recommend having a Blue Peel Radiance treatment to kick start the beginning of the next phase and it may just be that my skin is ready for that treatment and that is why I am experiencing the light flaking around my nose and mouth again. I intend on having the treatment at the beginning of week 7, so keep your fingers crossed for me that, that will clear the residual peeling in order to “restart” a whole new skin!
I have put together a baseline photo and a week 6 photo to show the improvement in the pigment and the tone of my skin. I hope the blog has been of some help in providing an insight into how Nu-Derm works and the stages you can expect to go through on the journey to your best possible skin.
I will keep you informed of my progress at week 12 as I prepare to begin the “refresh and restore” stage.
Thanks for reading
Faye
Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 5
It dawned on me yesterday that I have two weeks before I take part in the Manchester to Blackpool bike ride and so I schedule in a practice session to test my legs. I apply my SPF to protect whilst I’m out and will do my full morning routine when I get back. The AM products have to be on the skin for at least 4 hours to make sure they achieve the penetration depth they need so it will still have plenty of time on the skin before I need to apply the PM products.
The bike ride over to Hebden Bridge not only tested my legs but also my will to live. I hit a physical wall in Heyside and whistled for my husband, a mere blip on the horizon by this point, to stop. He understood the seriousness of my situation when I begged him to buy me a Lucozade and a Mars Bar. Years of experience in the field of my behaviour had taught him that this was not a drill or a test, I was in serious need of a sugar rush and this time he would not be berated in the future for letting me have the glucose and calorie hit I requested. I don’t think I even chewed the Mars Bar, I inhaled it like a Gremlin being fed after midnight. I managed to make it home! It was no longer morning and if there had not been a date indicator on my watch I wouldn’t even have been sure it was the same day, but I still had the necessary time and energy to apply my AM routine, and my skin has stood up to the ride much better than my legs, bum and mental state. We had cycled through, wind, rain, fog and sun but my skin still looked radiant. A shallow victory, but I’ll take it!
Day 2
I decide to change my exercise today and go swimming, I really enjoy swimming but haven’t really been since week 3 when my face was still peeling and the chlorine made it feel very tighter and more uncomfortable than it already was. Being of the belief that the peeling was behind me I felt it is once more safe to venture into the water.
Day 3
It seemed like I had gotten away with it, the perfect crime, exercise and good skin. It was not to be, and today the peeling has found a winning return to form. I have an awards bash to attend tomorrow and would rather not peel all over the venue. Fingers crossed for not only a FAB, but also a facial win on the night
Day 4
A nerve wrecking night at the Skills for Business Awards and my skin has managed to hold out on what is the hottest day of the year so far. Lisa and I are joined by Maxine Parfitt our sponsor from Tameside College at The Point at Old Trafford, sharing our table with several other nominees. As I sit and try and explain to the gentleman next to me that when I mentioned body shop, it was the beauty kind and not as he had assumed the motor vehicle kind, we are announced WINNERS! Euphoria, an amazing night had by all, backed by the reassurance that should we fail to make it in beauty, we could still pass as panel beaters in a very different kind of body shop.
Week 6 on the horizon and with the home straight, I now have to decide where to go maintenance wise from this point, I still have a week, I’ll decide later!
Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 4
Day 1 of week 4 is also day 1 of a 4 day hangover, although my skin does not show it. Where I would usually be a morbid grey colour with matching purple suitcases under my eyes, I appear fresh faced and radiant. My head is banging and my stomach is demanding I eat everything in the kitchen cupboards, but my skin is performing some kind of smoke and mirrors illusion which is telling the casual onlooker that I’m fine. I am not, and won’t be for some time.
Day 4, the fog in my head has cleared and I am thrilled to report that the peeling seems to have stopped. My forehead is luminous and I can see a visible refinement in my pores especially across my cheeks and nose.
Some lucky people do not need to wear make up to look presentable but I have never been one of those people, I have missed wearing make up so much! Aside from the party last week I have only really worn make up to come into work and even then I have only really worn mascara and lipstick as any kind of foundation has made the peeling look more obvious. I decide to give a mineral foundation a try. Mineral foundation would never have been an option for me before as it didn’t cover the pigment and blemished areas on my face enough to mask them. Today even the very lightest dusting has given my skin a healthy natural glow. It may well have all been worth it!
Day 6 and I’m actually getting excited in the morning to look at my skin and see how much it has changed in the night. It is a lot brighter and more even looking and the redness around my mouth has subsided but not completely disappeared. I have had a few comments on my skin in recent days, but if I’m honest I’ve had more comments on how brave I am to be putting pictures of myself looking so awful on social media for the world to see. Finger crossed the swan is about to emerge from the ugly duckling.
This week’s brave yet awful photo does not quite do justice to the improvement my skin has made.
Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 3
While my nose gently weeps
Day 1 of week 3 and my sore red face needs to make an appearance at a BBQ with the “Reggae Weekenders” as a group of friends we are now that close they feel that brutal honesty is not only allowed but compulsory. The BBQ is at 2pm and my shedding period has become later in the day, I may get away with it, unfortunately the more I talk the more my face peels and after an hour of catching up my face hits full peel, cue generous amounts of laughter and head shaking from the male members of the group. We leave after 2 hours to go and collect my eldest son from a cricket match in Preston. By now my face is losing skin in sheets I try and cover it over with a scarf, but it’s a hot old day over in Preston and the heat is too much for me to bear. I remove the scarf like they remove bandages in films when they are revealing a person’s face after they’ve had surgery that’s gone horribly wrong, slowly unwinding to expose the abomination beneath.
After a short while staring a lady finally plucks up the courage to ask if I have seen my Dr about a possible vitamin c deficiency! Having spent all afternoon explaining my shedding to friends I’m at my wits end, so go along with her line of questioning assuring her I will make an appointment with my Dr first thing Monday morning.
Day 3
I’m shedding in the night now too! I give my face a vigorous rub over with a damp face cloth after I have cleansed. Arrrghhhh, why does the toner sting so much this morning? Oh that will be because I have scrubbed with a little too much vigour and made my nose weep, and what is that? A few spots, sore, yellow, I’ll just do a little extraction. Note to self, leave spots alone! Instead of popping they have just bled under the skin and now I have a series of blood blisters on my chin to distract from my weeping nose, can’t wait until later on when I start to shed too!
Day 5
I have turned a corner, the past few days the peeling has calmed beyond measure, it is no longer shedding during the day, just a little at night and the redness around my mouth has calmed, excellent just in time for my gorgeous sister-in-laws 30th birthday party. During the process I have not really worn much make-up as it only draws attention to the shedding so fingers crossed I will be able to wear some to the party.
Day 7
Party night! I have applied make up, I am pleased to say that the skin on the upper part of my face looks flawless, the system is definitely working it’s magic there. My mouth and chin areas are still dry so my make-up doesn’t sit as well there but it’s a huge improvement from last weekend. The party is a rip roaring success and as such I am still up and dancing at 3am (yes I am too old for this). My face has given up well before my feet and I started to peel around midnight, like Cinderella this should have been my cue to leave. At 4am when I finally roll home I drag myself in to the bathroom and against the odds do my entire night time routine. When I wake a few hours after the fact that I did manage to apply my creams is a complete miracle, the fact that it will take me until the middle of next week to shake the hangover is less of a surprise. Week 4 will be sponsored by Obagi Nu-Derm and copious amounts of water and ibuprofen!
Obagi Nu-Derm the journey to my youngest possible skin…..Week 2
Here is our next instalment from Faye on her journey to younger skin.
EAT, SLEEP, PEEL, REPEAT……..
Week 2 appears to be a breeze, I’m taking the peeling in my stride and those in the know now know to stand down wind of me for fear of falling skin. I say appears to be a breeze, as the morning of day 3 rolls round I question my youngest son on exactly how long it is since he last had a shower. The answer is so disgusting that my jaw hits the floor and the side of my mouth cracks OUCH!!!!!! The pain, the disgust, the pain, the disgust, but which is worse? As I try and eat breakfast I realise the pain is infinitely worse. For the next few days I nurse the crack at the side of my mouth and make a mental note to be more careful with my product application. Too close to the mouth and creases of the nose may cause cracking and bleeding, I have said it so many times to clients as I have advised them on the correct use of the product, I now know from experience this is not an empty threat.
Days 4, 5 and 6 this week have been particularly sunny and I have taken extra care to be sun safe but I have not let the programme restrict any of the things I like to do, I have just been aware that I need to keep my SPF topped up and try as best I can to keep out of direct sunlight. I have been out on my bike, walking the dogs and gardening and my face has been fine; apart of course from the fact that it’s bright red and peeling.
Day 6 of this week see’s us celebrating, our now fresh and clean son’s 9th birthday. A trip to Old Trafford Cricket with a few of his friends and a bite to eat. James’ friends must be the most polite set of children I have ever met, not one of them questioned why on earth my face was as red as a beetroot and shedding all over my clothes, even as they watch my husband carefully batting it off the fallen debris from my jumper. I spend most of the night trying to shield the shed from public view by wearing a horse mask, hiding in plain sight, I think I got away with it!
Day 7 and I hit a wall! When will I stop shedding? I know it is generally 6 weeks of shedding that clients should prepare for, but after 2 weeks I cannot believe that there is any skin left around my mouth that my face does not require to stop my teeth being visible. After an early start on the wine and a FULL bag of chocolate raisins I decide to suck it up and go apply my night time regime, stick with it! Bring it on week 3.
