burn, baby, burn!

in keeping with the idea of 'soft, silky and smooth', we are going to explore one of my favourite topics: skincare. seems like no matter how trends evolve, good skin is always trendy but achieving good skin has its price. one of the tags happen to be chemical peels. sounds good? it does... until you are lying down at your dermatologist and going through the procedure. 

what we want to achieve

speaking from personal experience (in a nutshell from a nut), the acid is applied to the face and left for a certain amount of time. once the alarm sounds, another chemical (probably alkali-based) is used to neutralise the acid. this is when the 'fun' really begins. you will actually hear sizzling sounds coming from your face. the next couple of days, as the dead skin cells flake off, you are almost like a winter wonderland.

the use of chemical peels to soften and improve the appearance of the skin dates back over 3,500 years to the ancient egyptians. historians describe the use of several different techniques, including the use of animal oils, salt and alabaster to smooth the skin. egyptian women bathed in sour milk or rubbed fermented grape skins from the bottom of wine barrels over their skin to enhance beauty. little did they know that they were benefiting from the superficial skin peeling effects of a family of chemicals called hydroxy acids which remove the outer layers of the skin. these acids have now been identified as lactic acid in milk and tartaric acid in grape skins. later in history, poultices (something like our modern face packs) containing mustard, sulphur, and limestone were used for similar purposes. indian women mixed urine (yes, urine!) with pumice.

Samantha Jones, Sex and the City

today, scientists have identified numerous forms of acid which can be used to induce beneficial changes for our skin, including salicylic acid, trichloroacetic acid and phenol peels. facial peels have grown enormously in popularity over the past twenty-five years and now it can be a very effective treatment when performed by an experienced practitioner. such is their success rate that chemical peels are now the fifth commonest cosmetic procedure in the united states of america. official statistics from the american society for aesthetic plastic surgery (asaps) reveal that just under 385,000 procedures were performed in 2011. the depth of peel relates directly to the pain experienced and number of side effects.

Sharon Stone

superficial peels: during the procedure most patients experience a mild stinging sensation whilst the glycolic acid is on the face. the face is often pink after the solution is removed and there may be a faintish white discoloration in some areas, or a blotchy appearance to the skin that usually fades within a couple of hours. some patients do not experience any visible peeling off of the skin after treatment, but the treatment still has a beneficial effect, like a very good exfoliation. side effects or risks of superficial peels can be hyperpigmentation (too much pigment which causes brown blotches on the skin) and a high factor sunscreen should be applied at all times to help reduce the potential for this problem. in rare cases, patients may experience an infection in the skin or an out-break of cold sores. 

Pigmentation - side effect of chemical peeling

medium depth peels: the face may swell shortly after the solution has been applied and turn pink, with some burning and stinging of the skin that can last for thirty minutes to an hour following 25% - 35% tca peels. over the next few days, the face may turn a dark brown colour, with streaks of white appearing amongst the brown. the skin will then begin to peel, over a five-to-six day period, and may begin to itch during this healing phase. after peeling, the face will be bright red – this will fade to a fresh pink tone in most people over the following 3 - 6 weeks. hyperpigmentation or brown spots may occur, even if you follow your doctor’s advice and apply sunscreen before going outdoors. bleaching creams may be used to help reduce the appearance of these brown areas. redness of the face may also last for longer than two-to-three months in some patients; however, this should disappear over time. 

another image from dipity

deep peels: patients often feel unwell for several hours after this procedure. pain can be moderate to severe for several days but is usually controlled with pain-killing tablets. you would normally need to be driven home following this procedure and only soft and liquid food can be eaten for a few days as chewing can be painful after the peel and it is a good idea not to disturb the face’s skin with vigorous chewing. the swelling of the face is usually at its worse at around two days after the procedure, but this will reduce over the following week. itching can be a problem during the healing process, which may take up to fourteen days before you are presentable in public with make up and a concealer to cover the remaining signs of the treatment.

fast-forward to 3:50 for maximum eek! sigh. the things we do just to get smooth skin (i use 'we' because i tried fruit acid treatments for a period too!).

fash'on... BAM!

five types of skin

we've gotten two of the big things out of the way, hair and body. so hopefully, from henceforth, when you are engaged in a discussion, you can use phrases like... that's a lovely dress but i don't think it is suitable for my apple-shaped body. i will also prefer pants because they compliment my perm. sounds like a fashionista eh? 

well, for tonight, we shall continue the basics series and talk skin. i did do a brief introduction on skin here but it was more focused on skincare and how it's important to keep skin moist. this post focus purely on what skin types there are. once again, there are five. if you are not sure which skin type you belong to, you can head over here for a quick check.

image from samrx

skin types can be dry, oily, sensitive, normal or combination. know that it can change throughout the day. for instance, my skin tends to become very dry after swimming. when skin types change, so must your regime. so while it is good to have your regular stock of skincare, do have one or two items that are suitable for other skin types. (tip: ask for samples or trial sizes. there is no point in buying a huge bottle / jar and not finish using it.)

next point to note about skin products (and i learnt this very early on) is that there are oil-based and water-based ones. hence, you have to pay attention to that little detail in your buys. i remember in my youth, i used an oil-based series and my skin (face) did not react too well to it. outbreaks were pretty common, i thought it was my diet and i even avoided oily food for three months. after a switch to water-based products, everything cleared up within two weeks.

anyway, here are some pointers for the different skin types.

dry skin: hydrate regularly from the inside (yes, drink lots of water) and outside with mists, rich hydrating creams or lotions. i would recommend you pick up products that claim long hours of moisture lock-in.

oily skin: prone to acne if not cared for. doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you should steer clear of oil-based products. on the good side, oily skin generally remains younger looking. keep blotters handy but don't overdo the blotting... herbal steam treatments and clay masks are good.

sensitive skin: reacts to environmental conditions and do not take well to cosmetics containing alcohol, synthetically manufactured oil type ingredients, fragrance oils and artificial colours. you will benefit more from natural, gentle products and treatments.

normal skin: (i hate these fortunate souls!) you will benefit from regular cleansing, toning and moisturising. also if you send me cash (i take all currency), your soul will benefit from it as well. good karma follows.

combination skin: (welcome to my nightmare world!) i had combination skin for a while. this means different parts, different conditions. 

image from skin of life

usually you will have an oily 't-zone' area which covers the forehead, nose and chin while skin around cheeks, eyes and mouth is dry. this means different parts, different treatments. after six months of trying to DIY, i gave up and went for regular facials... let other people do the work. 

on a final note, skincare is essential and not just for the face. we have five senses as human and two of them relate to our skin. how we look and feel will determine how someone else responds to us. you don't really want to feel like sandpaper when someone holds your hand, right?

fash'on... BAM!

i want baby bum

yup... it's official... i have gone mad... i actually want baby bum BUT not literally... i'm not ready for babies to poop all over me yet. however, we often remark how babies and children have such soft and delicate skin... (touch skin of children, then touch your own skin) it's like the end of the world... but is it?

i don't think so... i may not boost of delicate, soft, succulent skin but i think there are things one can do to in order to revitalise your skin... what can be more fashionable than great skin?

first, some must-knows... skin is the largest organ of the human body... your skin has different layers hence different layers can (and will be) of different types... you can have very dry skin on the surface but the deeper layers are oily... the degeneration of skin is often caused by the loss of collagen in the body...

so how do we save our skin?

1) moisturise, moisturise, moisturise... i'll love to tell you what products i use but i'm a realist... that would be product endorsement... haha

2) protect your lips too! we sometimes slap layers of protection on our faces and skin but forget to wear lip balm... by the way, here's a little trick... if you want soft lips in the morning, apply a generous layer of lip balm just before you go to bed... once again, i have a lip balm that i swear by... apparently people who climb everest used it when climbing for lip protection.

3) diet... this i can share... i do try to include foods high in collagen. i'm not totally sure but hey, every little bit helps... soya, dark green vegetables, foods with omega fatty acids... i'm not much of a pill popper so i like to eat my nutrients... =)

here's to great skin! fash'on... BAM!