The different layers of our skin

Your skin is your body’s largest external organ. It provides a barrier between your body’s essential organs, muscles, tissues, and skeletal system and the outside world. This barrier protects you from bacteria, changing temperatures, and chemical exposure.

Your skin also feels sensation, communicating with your brain what is going on around you. Your skin, in cooperation with your nervous system, is the primary organ for your sense of touch.

Your body couldn’t perform the functions that keep you alive without the protection of your skin.

The three layers of skin

The skin has two main layers, both of which serve a purpose. Beneath the two layers is a layer of subcutaneous fat, which also protects your body and helps you adjust to outside temperatures. Some health conditions start or exist only in certain layers of your skin.

Keep reading to understand more about the layers of the skin and their role in different diagnoses.

Epidermis

The epidermis is the top layer of your skin. It’s the only layer that is visible to the eyes. The epidermis is thicker than you might expect and has five sublayers.

Your epidermis is constantly shedding dead skin cells from the top layer and replacing them with new healthy cells that grow in lower layers. It is also home to your pores, which allow oil and sweat to escape.

There are conditions that start in the epidermis layer of your skin. These conditions can be caused by allergies, irritations, genetics, bacteria, or autoimmune reactions. Some of them are:

• seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff)

• atopic dermatitis (eczema)

• plaque psoriasis

• skin fragility syndrome

• boils

• nevus (birthmark, mole, or “port-wine stain”)

• acne

• melanoma (skin cancer)

• keratosis (harmless skin growths)

• epidermoid cysts

• pressure ulcers (bedsores)

Dermis

The dermis is thicker than the epidermis and contains all sweat and oil glands, hair follicles, connective tissues, nerve endings, and lymph vessels. While the epidermis covers your body in a visible layer, the dermis is the layer of skin that really enables the function of pathogen protection that your body needs.

Since the dermis contains collagen and elastin, it also helps support the structure of the skin that we see.

Here are some of the conditions that occur in or start in the dermis. Some of these conditions can eventually impact your epidermis:

• dermatofibroma (benign skin bumps on the legs)

• sebaceous cysts (cysts that contain sebum, an oil your body produces)

• dermoid cysts (cysts that contain hair or teeth)

• cellulitis (a bacterial infection of the skin)

• rhytides (wrinkles)

Subcutis

The layer of skin beneath the dermis is sometimes called the subcutaneous fat, subcutis, or hypodermis layer. This layer provides insulation for your body, keeping you warm. It also provides a cushion that works like a shock absorber surrounding your vital organs.

There are plenty of blood vessels contained in the hypodermis. This is the layer that attaches your skin to the muscles and tissue below it. This layer can be thicker in some parts of your body than others and tends to be determined by genetics.

Unlike visceral fat, which accumulates on your body as a result of metabolism, diet, exercise, and other factors, subcutaneous fat is always underneath your skin and shouldn’t worry you.

One condition that occurs in this layer is called panniculitis. This condition is characterized by inflammation in the layer of fatty tissue under your dermis. In newborn babies, this condition is called “subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn.”

Sarcoidosis, a condition that causes lumps to form in your skin tissue, can also impact the hypodermis. If your body has trouble regulating your internal temperature, it could be a sign of Raynaud’s phenomenon and related to your subcutaneous fatty tissue.

Star Medispa VIP Packages

Our VIP packages are designed to give you the best of what we offer and to build a close relationship to you.
For those wanting more, our VIP packages are our most desired and effective treatments all in one package. Choose between 5, 10 and 20 visits and experience the below treatments at your desired times.

CO2 Fractional Laser

Ultrasound Facial Leafting

Radio Frequency

Fat Freezing/Reduction

Oxygen Facial

Laser Hair Removal

Picosure Pigmentation

Micropen Age Prevention

Clatuu Fat Reduction

The ideal candidate for CLATUU Freezing Fat Away is a person whose BMI (Body Mass Index) is mildly above ideal, due to specific areas of unwanted fat that cannot be removed with diet or exercise. These might be fat bulges such as muffin tops, love handles, fat deposits on the abdomen, upper arms, pack, flanks. CLATUU treats both men and women.

CLATUU offers a solution to these issues — without surgery or downtime.

CLATUU Freezing Fat Away is not a weight loss treatment, nor does it replace the benefits of proper diet and exercise. It does not treat obesity. We recommend that patients who have had CLATUU treatments follow a healthy regimen of diet and exercise post-treatment in order to maximize the treatment benefits.

HIFU

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a relatively new cosmetic treatment for skin tightening that some consider a noninvasive and painless replacement for face lifts. It uses ultrasound energy to encourage the production of collagen, which results in firmer skin.

HIFU is most widely known for its use in treating tumors. The first reported use of HIFU for aesthetic use was in 2008.

HIFU was then approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009 for brow lifts. The device was also cleared by the FDA in 2014 to improve lines and wrinkles of the upper chest and neckline (décolletage).

Several small clinical trials have found HIFU to be safe and effective for facial lifting and refining wrinkles. People were able to see results in a few months after treatment, without the risks associated with surgery.

While the procedure is also used for overall facial rejuvenation, lifting, tightening, and body contouring, these are considered “off-label” uses for HIFU, meaning the FDA has yet to approve HIFU for these purposes.

More evidence will be needed to find out who is best suited for this type of procedure. So far, HIFU has been found to be a promising treatment that could replace face lifts, especially in younger people who don’t want the risks and recovery time associated with surgery.

HIFU won’t work as well for people with more severe cases of sagging skin.

HIFU facial

HIFU uses focused ultrasound energy to target the layers of skin just below the surface. The ultrasound energy causes the tissue to heat up rapidly.

Once the cells in the targeted area reach a certain temperature, they experience cellular damage. While this may seem counterintuitive, the damage actually stimulates the cells to produce more collagen — a protein that provides structure to the skin.

The increase in collagen results in tighter, firmer skin with fewer wrinkles. Since the high-frequency ultrasound beams are focused on a specific tissue site below the skin’s surface, there’s no damage to the upper layers of the skin and adjacent issue.

HIFU may not be appropriate for everyone. In general, the procedure works best on people older than 30 with mild-to-moderate skin laxity.

People with photodamaged skin or a high degree of loose skin may need several treatments before seeing results.

Older people with more extensive photo-aging, severe skin laxity, or very saggy skin on the neck aren’t good candidates and may need surgery.

HIFU isn’t recommended for people with infections and open skin lesions at the target area, severe or cystic acne, and metallic implants in the treatment area.

Benefits of high-intensity focused ultrasound

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), HIFU and other nonsurgical alternatives to facelifts have seen a major increase in popularity over the last few years. The total number of procedures performed has increased 64.8 percent between 2012 and 2017.

HIFU has many aesthetic benefits, including:

• wrinkle reduction

• tightening sagging skin on the neck (sometimes called turkey neck)

• lifting the cheeks, eyebrows, and eyelids

• enhancing jawline definition

• tightening of the décolletage

• smoothing the skin

Study results are promising. A 2017 study involving 32 Korean people showed that HIFU significantly improved skin elasticity of the cheeks, lower abdomen, and thighs after 12 weeks.

In a larger study of 93 people, 66 percent of those treated with HIFU perceived an improvement in the appearance of their face and neck after 90 days.

HIFU is considered a safe, effective, and noninvasive procedure for tightening the facial skin.

Its advantages over a surgical face lift are hard to deny. There are no incisions, no scarring, and no required rest or recovery time. HIFU is also far less expensive than a face lift.

Most people see full results three months after their final treatment.

If you’re looking for a treatment that is quick, painless, and noninvasive, HIFU is an excellent option compared to a surgical face lift.

Of course, HIFU isn’t a miracle cure for aging. The procedure is best suited for patients with mild-to-moderate skin laxity, and you may need to have the procedure repeated in one to two years as the natural aging process takes over.

If you’re older with more severe skin sagging and wrinkles, HIFU may not be able to eliminate these skin issues.

Cosmetic Injections coming soon to Star Medispa

Photo by Aro Ha

Star Medispa will soon offer a vide range of cosmetic injections, contact our friendly staff to find out more!

Spider Veins Removal at Star Medispa

Our advanced spider vein laser treatment will erase those unwanted spider veins on your legs, body and face!
We offer facial spider vein removal treatment which is very popular and so much more convenient than spending time and effort masking facial veins with makeup every day.

This page will give you all the information you need about spider veins, including what they are, how they form, and how Star Medispa can banish them safely and quickly.

What Causes Spider Veins?

Veins transport deoxygenated blood back to the heart. In the legs, the superficial veins (veins just below the skin’s surface) collect blood which is then delivered to other, deeper veins within the calf muscle. The normal functioning of the calf muscle helps to pump blood back to the heart, against the force of gravity. Valves inside the veins stop the blood from travelling back down the leg.

However, if the valves become weak and can’t close properly, blood collects in the superficial veins. As time goes by, these veins become ‘varicose’ – they distend (swell) with blood. Varicose veins are characterised by a twisted, knobbly and bluish-purple appearance, and can be painful.

Spider veins

Spider veins are like varicose veins – they form in the same way – but they are smaller and closer to the skin’s surface. Most of the time, spider veins don’t pose a health risk, except for rare cases when they are associated with:

• the formation of ulcers as a result of the vein not draining properly

• bleeding of the thin, easily injured skin over the spider vein

• formation of blood clots in the vein (thrombosis)

• vein inflammation, called phlebitis, caused by clotted blood in the vein.
  
  

Spider veins are usually blue or red, and sometimes have an appearance similar to a tree branch or spider web – this is why their common name is spider veins. The most common places they occur on the body are the face and legs. Spider veins may affect a large or small area of skin.

The diagram on the right shows the difference in appearance between spider veins and varicose veins:

How Does Laser Spider Vein Removal Work?

The laser energy from our Dynamis Long Pulse Nd:YAG or Diolite KTP laser is absorbed by the pigment in the blood (oxyhemoglobin) contained within the spider veins. As the energy is absorbed, the area of skin above and around the spider veins will become temporarily white in colour. After a few minutes, the spider veins won’t be visible anymore, which indicates the desired effect has been achieved. This makes the process very controlled and safe. Selective Photothermolysis is the name of the method used for spider vein removal. This process is the conversion of light energy to heat energy, with the heat affecting the target spider veins but not damaging the tissue surrounding them. This selective heating up of the spider veins causes them to disintegrate and shrink, allowing them to be absorbed safely into the body.

What The Spider Vein Removal Process?

Initial Consultation:

You’ll have an initial complimentary consultation with one of our experienced practitioners, who will look at your spider veins and explain how laser spider vein removal works, the number of treatments you’ll require. After the consultation, you can either go ahead with the treatment right away or book in for another time.

During treatment:

For the treatment, you’ll lie on your back or stomach, depending on where your unwanted spider veins are located, on a comfortable table in a private room while your dedicated practitioner performs the treatment by passing the laser beam over the affected spider veins.

After spider vein removal:

There is no recovery period needed after spider vein laser treatment. You walk in right before this treatment and walk straight out the door after it finishes – it’s as easy as that.

The skin on the treated area can be a little red and irritated or there may be no adverse reaction to the treatment at all.  Because everyone is different and their body responds differently the after affects vary from person to person.

We will explain everything to you in detail at your initial consultation.

Under Eye Dark Circles

Dark circles under the lower eyelids are common in men and women. Often accompanied by bags, dark circles can make you appear older than you are. To make matters worse, they can be difficult to get rid of.

Though they can affect anyone, dark circles are most common in people who:

• are elderly

• have a genetic predisposition to this condition (periorbital hyperpigmentation)

• are from non-white ethnic groups (darker skin tones are more prone to hyperpigmentation around the eye area)

While fatigue may seem like the most logical explanation for this condition, there are a number of factors that can contribute to dark circles under the eyes. In most cases, they are no cause for concern and do not require medical attention. Read on to learn more.

What causes dark circles?

There are a number of contributing factors for dark circles. Some common causes of include:

Fatigue

Oversleeping, extreme fatigue, or just staying up a few hours past your normal bedtime can cause dark circles to form under your eyes. Sleep deprivation can cause your skin to become dull and pale, allowing for dark tissues and blood vessels beneath your skin to show.

Lack of sleep can also cause fluid to build underneath your eyes, causing them to appear puffy. As a result, the dark circles you see may actually be shadows cast by your puffy eyelids.

Age

Natural aging is another common cause of those dark circles beneath your eyes. As you get older, your skin becomes thinner. You also lose the fat and collagen needed to maintain your skin’s elasticity. As this occurs, the dark blood vessels beneath your skin become more visible causing the area below your eyes to darken.

Eye strain

Staring at your television or computer screen can cause significant strain on your eyes. This strain can cause blood vessels around your eyes to enlarge. As a result, the skin surrounding your eyes can darken.

Allergies

Allergic reactions and eye dryness can trigger dark circles. When you have an allergic reaction, your body release histamines as a response to harmful bacteria. Other than causing uncomfortable symptoms — including itchiness, redness, and puffy eyes — histamines also cause your blood vessels to dilate and become more visible beneath your skin.

Allergies can also increase your urge to rub and scratch the itchy skin around your eyes. These actions can worsen your symptoms, causing inflammation, swelling, and broken blood vessels. This can result in dark shadows beneath your eyes.

Dehydration

Dehydration is a common cause of dark circles under your eyes. When your body is not receiving the proper amount of water, the skin beneath your eyes begins to look dull and your eyes look sunken. This is due to their close proximity to the underlying bone.

Sun overexposure

Overexposure to the sun can cause your body to produce an excess of melanin, the pigment that provides your skin with color. Too much sun — particularly for your eyes — can cause pigmentation in the surrounding skin to darken.

Genetics

Family history also plays a part in developing dark circles under your eyes. It can be an inherited trait seen early in childhood, and may worsen as you age or slowly disappear. Predispositions to other medical conditions — such as thyroid disease — can also result in dark circles beneath your eyes.

Contact us today to see what we can do for your unwanted under eye dark circles!

Essential oils work wonders for the skin!

Essential oils are often used in aromatherapy, which is a form of alternative medicine.

However, some of the health claims associated with them are controversial.

This article explains what you need to know about essential oils and their health effects.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants.

The oils capture the plant's scent and flavor, also called its "essence."

Unique aromatic compounds give each essential oil its characteristic essence.

Essential oils are obtained through distillation or mechanical methods, such as cold pressing.

Once the aromatic chemicals have been extracted, they are combined with a carrier oil to create a product that's ready for use.

The way the oils are made is important, as essential oils obtained through chemical processes are not considered true essential oils.

How Do Essential Oils Work?

Essential oils are most commonly used in the practice of aromatherapy. They are either inhaled, or diluted then rubbed on the skin.

Essential oils are not meant to be swallowed.

The chemicals in essential oils can interact with your body in a number of ways.

When applied to your skin, some plant chemicals are absorbed.

It's thought that certain methods can improve absorption, such as applying with heat or to different areas of the body. However, research in this area is lacking.

Inhaling the aromas from essential oils can stimulate areas of your limbic system, which is a part of your brain that plays a role in emotions, behaviors, sense of smell and long-term memory.

Interestingly, the limbic system is heavily involved in forming memories. This can partly explain why familiar smells can trigger memories or emotions.

The limbic system also plays a role in controlling some unconscious physiological functions, such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. Some people claim that essential oils can exert a physical effect on your body in this way.

Popular Types of essential oils.

There are more than 90 types of essential oils, each with its own unique smell and potential health benefits.

Here's a list of 10 popular essential oils and the health claims associated with them:

• Peppermint: Used to boost energy and help with digestion.

• Lavender: Used for stress relief.

• Sandalwood: Used to calm nerves and help with focus.

• Bergamot: Used to reduce stress and improve skin conditions like eczema.

• Rose: Used to improve mood and reduce anxiety.

• Chamomile: Used for improving mood and relaxation.

• Ylang-Ylang: Used to treat headaches, nausea and skin conditions.

• Tea Tree: Used to fight infections and boost immunity.

• Jasmine: Used to help with depression, childbirth and libido.

• Lemon: Used to aid digestion, mood, headaches and more.

Dermapen 4

Dermapen MicroNeedling regenerates the affected area by stimulating the production and distribution of collagen. This is achieved when the 12 or 16 needle cartridge glides over the skin, creating up to 1920 fractional microchannels per second that penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, triggering the body’s natural wound healing response. The result is an overall improvement in the appearance of problematic skin breakouts, black/whiteheads (comodones), acne reduced, and scarring minimised.

Treatments with the Dermapen 4

Anti Aging

Dermapen treatments designed to create a safe healing response within the body to ignite natural collagen and elastin production from within the skin, without harsh side effects and downtime, along with repairing the surface layers to result in healthier skin; looking brighter, tighter, more even toned, refined pores and reduced wrinkles.

Your face, lip area, eye area, ears, neck, chest, hands and scalp are all treated with pinpoint precision to promote rapid lifting, firming and toning of facial features and contours.

What’s more, the microchannels allow your skin to carry up to 80% more active ingredients which dive deep into your skin to feed and be absorbed by the underlying cells.

You'll see results in just one session.

• Scarring

  Dermapen 4 is the only microneedling device with a dedicated scar setting and protocols for revision of deep, atrophic scars; including surgical, burn contracture, striae and post-acne scars. Needle penetration can now be increased up to 3.0mm. AOVN technology, automatically calibrates the motor speed, pressure and penetration for targeted precision. No dragging. No pulling of the skin. A popular Dermapen Scar Treatment is for the treatment of Stretch Marks, both old and new. Both practitioners and patients have found Dermapen treatments to be more effective for stretch marks than any laser treatments. Dermapen Scarring Treatments may include: atrophic scars; including surgical, burn contracture, stretch marks/striae and post-acne scars.

• Pigmentation

  Unlike some Laser treatments, Dermapen removes the risk of heat injury and hypopigmentation risks, whilst promoting optimised cell function. This makes it a suitable procedure for any patient affected by melasma and with a predisposition to hyperpigmentation. Treatment is also suitable on all Fitzpatrick Skin Types and ethnicities. Dermapen treatments have also been found to be effective on Hypopigmentation Vitiligo treatments. Clinically Dermapen treatments work in four ways to reverse the production of hyperpigmentation and melasma.

Vascular Veins Removal

Why leg veins appear and how we can treat them

Having spider or varicose veins can affect more than your appearance. These veins can cause serious discomfort. Some varicose veins put you at risk for a complication like a blood clot or open sores on your legs.

Minimally invasive treatment can get rid of or fade leg veins. Treatment can also diminish symptoms like pain and fatigue and prevent complications.

Why we get visible leg veins

Varicose and spider veins are damaged veins. We develop them when tiny, one-way valves inside the veins weaken. In healthy veins, these valves push blood in one direction — back to our heart. When these valves weaken, some blood flows backward and accumulates in the vein. Extra blood in the vein puts pressure on the walls of the vein.

With continual pressure, the vein walls weaken and bulge. In time, we see a varicose or spider vein.

Some people have a higher risk of developing these veins. If blood relatives have them, you have a higher risk. Many people get them because they sit or stand for long periods most days of the week. These veins also become more common with age and during pregnancy.

Spider veins can also be caused by sunlight, hormonal changes, or an injury.

How dermatologists treat leg veins

Treatment options range from self-care to minor surgery. A dermatologist may use one or more of these treatments:

Self-care: Your dermatologist can give you tips to improve your circulation. These tips include:

• Exercise

• Elevate your legs

• Sit for long periods? Get up and walk around every 30 minutes

• Stand for long periods? Take a break every 30 minutes

• Avoid soaking in hot baths for long periods of time

Self-care tips can help prevent new varicose and spider veins but cannot get rid of existing ones.

Compression stockings: These stockings apply steady pressure to help move the blood back to your heart. The steady pressure also lessens swelling in your lower legs and reduces the risk of getting a blood clot. You’ll still have visible leg veins, though.

If you need compression stockings, a dermatologist can examine you so that you get the proper size and right amount of pressure.

Sclerotherapy: This is the most common treatment for leg veins. Over the years, dermatologists have improved sclerotherapy to make it safer and give patients better results. Today, dermatologists use it to treat spider and small varicose veins.

If you have sclerotherapy, this is what happens during treatment:

• Your dermatologist injects a chemical into the spider or varicose vein, which irritates the wall of the vein. Different areas of the vein are injected.

• After the injections, your dermatologist may massage the area.

• A compression stocking is then placed on each leg.

• You will be observed for a time and then be able to go home.

• To help prevent possible side effects, you will need to take daily walks and wear the compression stockings as directed. Most patients wear the compression stockings for 2 to 3 weeks.

• You can return to work and most activities the next day.

Sclerotherapy causes the walls of the vein to stick together, so the blood cannot flow through it anymore. This improves circulation in the treated leg and reduces swelling.

Spider veins usually disappear in 3 to 6 weeks. Varicose veins take 3 to 4 months.

To get the best results, you may need 2 or 3 treatments. A dermatologist can perform these treatments during an office visit. No anesthesia is needed.

Laser treatments: Dermatologists use lasers to treat spider veins and small varicose veins. During laser treatment, your dermatologist directs the laser light at the vein.

Small spider veins may disappear immediately after treatment. Larger spider veins and varicose veins will darken, and you’ll likely see them for 1 to 3 months before they disappear. To get complete clearing, you may need 3 or more treatments.

Most patients can return to work and many of their normal activities the next day.

After each treatment, some patients need to wear compression stockings for a short time.

Every patient will need to protect the treated area from the sun for 3 to 4 weeks. This helps prevent dark spots from developing. Protecting your skin from the sun year round helps to prevent new spider veins and skin cancer.

Endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA): EVLT and RFA are newer treatments. They often replace the need to surgically remove a vein.

Both treatments work inside the vein to destroy it. Dermatologists use EVLT to treat spider veins and small varicose veins. RFA is used to treat large varicose veins.

This is what happens during these treatments:

• You receive local anesthesia, which numbs the area to be treated. The anesthesia also causes the area to swell.

• Your dermatologist then makes a small incision and inserts a laser fiber (for EVLT) or catheter (for RFA) into the vein.

• Your dermatologist activates the laser or radiofrequency device, which heats up the vein, causing it to collapse and seal shut. The heat does not harm the surrounding area.

• After treatment, a compression stocking will be placed on each leg.

• You are observed for a time and then able to go home.

• To help prevent possible side effects, you will need to take daily walks and wear the compression stockings as directed. Most patients wear the compression stockings for 1 to 2 weeks.

• You can return to work and most activities the next day.

It takes about 1 year for the treated vein to disappear with both EVLT and RFA. To get best results, you may need more than one treatment.

Physical exam essential before treatment

A physical exam helps your dermatologist decide if leg vein treatment is safe for you. During the physical exam, your dermatologist will look closely at your leg veins and ask about your medical history.

Non-invasive tests that look at the veins in your legs may also be necessary. A Doppler ultrasound will show the blood flow in your leg veins. Plethysmography (pla-thiz-muh-graph-ē) uses a blood pressure cuff to measure changes in blood volume, which can help find problems like abnormal blood flow.

After reviewing all of the information, your dermatologist can tell you if leg vein treatment is right for you and which treatment would be most effective. Sometimes, more than one type of treatment will be recommended to give you the best results and reduce side effects.

If treatment is recommended, be sure to ask whether insurance will cover it. You’ll likely have to pay if treatment is performed only to improve the look of your legs.

Skill is the key to getting best results

The results you will see depend largely on the person performing the leg vein treatment. Because dermatologists made many of the advances that have given us safer, less invasive treatments for leg veins, they have a leg up on using these treatments.

The Benefits of Drinking Water for Your Skin

Drinking an adequate amount of water daily is important for overall good health because water aids in digestion, circulation, absorption and even excretion.

But what about drinking large amounts of water for proper skin health? Claims have been made that drinking water gives you a radiant, healthy, younger- looking complexion, while others say it has no effect on skin's appearance whatsoever.

Which is true?

The fact is that skin is an organ, and just like any other part of the body. your skin is made up of cells. And skin cells, like any other cell in the body, are made up of water. Without water, the organs will certainly not function properly or at their best.

If your skin is not getting the sufficient amount of water, the lack of hydration will present itself by turning your skin dry, tight and flaky. Dry skin has less resilience and is more prone to wrinkling.

As water is lost in large quantities every day, you need to replace it somehow. The unfortunate truth about drinking water and skin is that water will reach all the other organs before it reaches the skin. So, it's important to apply water to our skin and keep it there - this will not only show a visible difference in hydration, but it can prevent wrinkles, as well.

So what is the best way to add water to the skin?

• Apply a hydrating moisturizer within 2 minutes of leaving the bath or shower. The skin is still porous and is vulnerable to products that are applied following the bath or shower, allowing better absorption.

• Apply a product containing hyaluronic acid prior to your moisturiser.

• Drink more water. Drinking at least 8 glasses a day will help rid the body and skin of toxins. Many people often report that by increasing their water intake, their skin has a more radiant glow. Those who suffer from acne have reported the same results. Nothing will happen overnight, but even a good couple of weeks of increasing water intake should be enough for you to see how hydration affects your own skin.  

Benefits of vitamin C

The antioxidant properties of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and its role in collagen synthesis make vitamin C a vital molecule for skin health. Dietary and topical ascorbic acid have beneficial effects on skin cells. It may help prevent and treat ultraviolet (UV)-induced photo damage.

Vitamin C in the skin is normally transported from the bloodstream. Transport proteins specific for ascorbic acid are found on cells in all layers of the skin.

Collagen Boost

Our body needs vitamin C to produce collagen, and we need collagen for healthy skin. Collagen is the main structural protein found in your skin and connective tissue. In fact, 70% of all the protein found in your skin is collagen. It’s responsible for the elasticity of your skin, and keeps everything looking young and fresh.

Increased Sun Protection

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which your body uses to fight off harmful free radicals. Many of these are produced when ultraviolet radiation from the sun comes into contact with your body.

Improved Texture

Efficient blood flow to your skin’s surface can prevent a rough texture and appearance. In fact, creams containing vitamin C are marketed specifically to help smooth out rough skin.

Less Discolouration

Vitamin C can help prevent the DNA in skin from reacting with sunlight and causing discoloration.

Faster Wound Healing

Vitamin C to help heal injuries to your skin. Collagen helps not only to close wounds, but also to create scar tissue that helps protect the site. Slow wound healing can be a sign of vitamin C deficiency.

How Does Cryotherapy Help With Reducing Cellulite?

Cryotherapy activates collagen production in the skin, which repairs broken connections in the skin – thus reducing the appearance of cellulite! Cryotherapy will actually activate collagen production throughout the body: Collagen is found in skin, tendons, ligaments, bones, blood vessels, the gastrointestinal tract, discs and even teeth! So in addition to reducing cellulite, cryotherapy will make you stronger, increase your mobility, and flexibility.

In addition to increasing collagen and smoothing out areas of cellulite, cryotherapy reduces fat deposits since fat cells are extremely intolerant of the cold. When fat cells are exposed to extremely cold temperatures they actually self destruct. By eliminating fat deposits and the fat underlying cellulite, the appearance of cellulite is also diminished.

Other Benefits of Cryotherapy

Athletic Recovery – Many popular athletes boast of the benefits of cryotherapy as they are able to recover faster to get back to training.

Arthritis and more – Cryotherapy has been said to be helpful in the treatment of arthritis, fibromyalgia, acne, psoriasis, inflammation, and more.  We can now add cellulite reduction to this long list of benefits.

Skin Healing – Cryotherapy is extremely effective at healing skin cells post-operatively or following cosmetic procedures such as microdermabrasion, laser treatments or injections. Cryotherapy reduces the appearance of bruises, swelling, edema, inflammation and pain. In addition to these benefits, your skin will feel tighter, more firm with more elasticity.

It’s safe and comfortable – Cryotherapy involves the application of very cold DRY air to the skin. Therefore the treatment is very comfortable and safe. Frostbite only occurs in the presence of water/moisture. Treatments are also time limited to 3 minutes making hypothermia impossible.

It’s cost-efficient – Cryotherapy is very cost-effective compared to other cellulite reducing treatments

It’s natural and non-invasive – It’s for everyone who wants to feel amazing with no down time.

How Does Laser Tattoo Removal Work?

It just… zaps it away, right?

Well, not exactly. There’s a bit more to it than that.

Understanding how laser tattoo removal works is really important when it comes to choosing a clinic or technician to carry out your treatment. After all, your skin is your biggest organ, so you want to find someone who is going to treat it with respect, understand the trauma involved and has the right laser equipment to get the job done as quickly and effectively as possible.

So, how does laser tattoo removal work? 

It’s all about physics.

On a laser tattoo removal machine, a laser beam produces one or more specific wavelengths of light that is delivered in short, sharp bursts. Tattoos are removed by the burst of light passing through the skin’s surface at a specific wavelength, and absorbing the ink.

This rapid absorption of light causes the tattoo ink to disperse into tiny particles which are then removed by the body’s natural filtering and immune systems. You’re essentially flushing the tattoo out through your bodily functions (we won’t go into any more detail on that one… but before you ask it, no, neither your pee or sweat is going to show any signs of the colour pigmentation after you’ve had laser).

By this merit, the effectiveness of your immune and lymphatic system will play a part in how quickly your body can help get rid of your tattoo after a laser session (as well as the colour and placement of the tattoo).

When you get a tattoo, the different colours that are used will sit at different levels beneath the skin’s surface, which is why it makes sense that you would need a laser that can fire off laser beams at different wavelengths to get the job done.

For example, black is the deepest colour and surprisingly the easiest to remove, using a 1064 wavelength beam. 532 is the length required for red and orange, which are the most shallow colours underneath the skin. Somewhere in between those two lengths sit all of your blues, greens and yellows.

Contact us today to book in your complimentary consultation today!

Led Light Therapy

Dermalux™ LED Phototherapy is a non-invasive hand and facial treatment that uses narrow band, non-thermal LED light energy to trigger your body’s natural cell processes to accelerate rejuvenation and repair of the skin. It’s recommended for skin rejuvenation, sun damage, acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, sensitive and inflammatory conditions, wound healing and scarring as well as anyone looking to restore skin’s radiance.

LED Light Therapy is great in every single facial to calm any areas of irritation and it’s also brilliant at brightening the skin.

When used consistently, over time, LED lights are thought to penetrate your skin at different depths and cause various reactions in your skin, such as fighting acne-causing bacteria, plumping skin and reducing wrinkles.

A course of treatments offers corrective and long-lasting results, although you’ll be able to see a difference after the first session. Light therapy is also particularly calming, so you’ll leave feeling refreshed.

LED Light Therapy uses colour wavelengths of visible light which have specific skin benefits. As a result of ageing, skin disorders or trauma, healthy skin cells are compromised and unable to renew themselves normally.

The skin uses the light as a source of energy to fuel the repair and rejuvenation of damaged cells, or, in the case of treating acne, kill bacteria. The energy stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, boosts circulation and accelerates tissue repair. During the treatment, you’ll simply lie underneath a light screen while the device does all the work.

We use LED in the majority of our facial. We start with the cleaning of the skin which includes a Lactic brightening peel and extractions if needed. We then go onto the advanced side of the facial and finish with a full session of LED.

If someone is coming only for LED we clean the skin, then apply LED and SPF to finish.

Different types of LED light

Blue Light:

This is a powerful antibacterial properties for the treatment of acne without irritation, reduces oil production, prevents future breakout and offers a UV-free alternative for the treatment of eczema and psoriasis.

Red Light:

This increases natural hydration levels, reduced redness and inflammation, shrinks the appearance of pores, regulates oil production, improves circulation, accelerates skin repair as is a medically-approved treatment for rosacea.

Near Infra-Red Light:

This is the most deeply absorbed wavelength, it increases cell permeability and absorption, smooths lines and wrinkles, improves elasticity, reduces pain and inflammation, accelerates wound healing and heals cystic acne.

Sun Exposure & Health

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the leading cause of skin cancer in Australia. There are two types of UV radiation:

• Ultraviolet A (UVA).UVA radiation can pass through glass. Research suggests that it may:

  • Cause premature aging and wrinkling of the skin

  • Play a role in causing basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma

• Ultraviolet B (UVB).UVB does not pass through car windows or other types of glass. UVB radiation:

  • Is more closely linked with the development of skin cancer and melanoma

  • Causes sunburn

It is important to protect your skin from both UVA and UVB radiation.

Tips for using sunscreen

Sun damage builds up over time. It is important to use sunscreen every day, even if it is cloudy.

• Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation. Make sure it is water resistant and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Other types of sunscreen may help prevent sunburn, but they will not protect against skin cancer.

• Use a lip balm or lipstick that contains sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.

• Apply at least 1 ounce of sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors. One ounce is enough sunscreen to fill a shot glass.

• Reapply sunscreen to your entire body every 2 hours. Reapply every hour if you are swimming or sweating.

• Sunscreen creams are better for dry skin. Gels are better for the scalp or hairy areas.

• Wear sunscreen year round whenever you are outside.

• Do not use sunscreens that have expired.

Other sun protection tips

• Limit sun exposure. The sun's rays are the most intense between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Practice the shadow rule: if your shadow is shorter than you, you should find shade. Always keep babies younger than 6 months old completely covered and in the shade.

• Pay attention to the UV index. This numbered scale measures how damaging exposure to the sun will be on any particular day. It is often included in the weather report. When the index is 10 or higher, people should try to stay indoors.

• Be careful around reflective surfaces. Water, snow, and sand reflect the damaging rays of the sun and increase your risk of getting sunburned.

• Wear protective clothing and sunglasses. Make sure you have a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and a hat that shades the face, neck, and ears. Dark clothing with tightly woven fabric blocks more sun than white or loosely woven fabrics. For additional protection, look for clothing made with special sun-protective materials. Make sure your sunglasses have 99% to 100% UV absorption.

• Be aware of medication side effects. Some medications may make you more sensitive to the sun. These include specific types of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, antifungals, blood pressure medications, and some types of chemotherapy.

• Avoid recreational sunbathing. Also, do not use sun lamps, tanning beds, or tanning salons.

Permanent Maceup at Star Medispa

In today's fast-paced world, it seems like people will do anything to save time. Drive-throughs are now found at your local pharmacy, and there's no need to write checks when there's automatic bill pay -- people like things fast and easy. It's no wonder then that many people choose to speed up their morning regimen by getting permanent makeup. The idea of permanent makeup may sound strange, but it's just one of many ways people choose to make routine tasks quicker.

Permanent makeup is essentially a tattoo that makes you appear as if you're always wearing makeup. In fact, the procedure is much like that of getting a tattoo -- the technician applies the pigment with a needle, and eventually you may have to return for touch-up visits. During the consultation, you can select the shades of your permanent makeup, and the technician will sketch the areas on your skin to be pigmented. Permanent makeup technicians use a hollow needle that releases color into a hole in your skin. Although pigment is applied to the top layer of skin only, the procedure may still sting -- just like it does when you get a tattoo. It takes about three weeks for the pigment to fade to the color you selected.

Permanent makeup is also called micropigmentation or permanent cosmetics. The art of permanent makeup has become a specialized service within both the tattoo community and the cosmetic industry, and the field is growing as more technicians become available to treat a growing number of clients [source: Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals].

If you're thinking about getting permanent makeup applied, take some time to consider the benefits and the possible complications. While permanent makeup may save you time and energy each morning, there are some medical problems associated with it. Furthermore, you may not always want to wear black eyeliner -- and tattoo removal can be difficult. Read on to learn more about this growing practice, its benefits and its drawbacks.

Benefits of Permanent Makeup

The most obvious benefit of permanent makeup is that it can simply save you time. People with busy schedules, long commutes and numerous commitments can several minutes out of their morning routine each day. And you never have to worry about your makeup smudging or fading -- permanent makeup won't come off after swimming, working out or showering. But there are many reasons for someone to get permanent makeup beyond the timesaving benefits.

People with physical disabilities or impaired motor skills, such as arthritis, Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis, may want permanent makeup because it's difficult for them to apply makeup themselves [source: Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals]. With permanent makeup, they can continue to wear makeup without having to worry about whether they've applied it accurately. People with poor eyesight may invest in permanent makeup for the same reasons.

There are also cosmetic reasons why people use permanent makeup. After reconstructive surgery, especially of the face or breasts, permanent makeup can help return the skin's appearance to normal if pigment was lost during surgery. In fact, some people choose to undergo permanent makeup procedures to improve the results of cosmetics breast surgery [source: Hess Plastic Surgery]. People with hair loss conditions that cause them to lose their eyebrows may invest in permanent eyebrow tattoos, whereas people with lip scars can use permanent lipstick to hide the unsightly marks. Permanent makeup can also benefit people with cosmetic allergies or those with pigmentation conditions like vitiligo, which causes the appearance of irregular white patches on the skin.

PicoSure

PicoSure® is the world’s first, fastest and most effective picosecond aesthetic laser. This unparalleled breakthrough in laser technology delivers ultra-short pulse bursts of energy to the skin in trillionths of a second. Picosecond pulse width is 100 times shorter than nanosecond technology, enabling unmatched photomechanical impact for better clearance with fewer treatments and less fluence.

Boost adjustable pressure
Boost amplifies PicoSure’s PressureWave™ to levels never before possible. Magnifying pressure 70% and shortening pulse widths to 550ps allows for unprecedented treatment options.  Boost is ideal for recalcitrant tattoos and enhanced shattering of pigment for optimised results.

Skin Revitalisation with Focus Lens Array
Picosecond technology combined with the powerful Focus Lens Array has shown excellent skin revitalisation outcomes.

Why investing in a silk pillowcase is a must!

Waking up with perfect skin and hair sounds like a myth reserved for the realm of rom-coms. In real life, we get up to weird grooves etched across our faces and hair that's suspiciously less shiny than it was the night before. Happily, more and more beauty and textile brands are coming out with pillowcases specifically designed to target certain beauty concerns, like wrinkling skin and frizzy hair. Some of these styles are classic and elegant, but others are staggeringly high-tech. Night is the best time to repair skin, so it makes sense that so many innovations are happening right now in this field. Since we spend up to one third of each day asleep, why not make the most of these hours?

Reasons to Sleep for Skin Health

A good night's sleep can mean good skin health because when you’re sleep-deprived, your body makes more of the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol can lead to increased stress and inflammation in the body, hurting your skin’s quality.

But the relationship between skin health and lack of quality sleep can be a vicious cycle.

Poor sleep can lead to increased stress hormones in the body that increase the severity of inflammatory skin conditions such as acne or psoriasis. This can result in increased itching, which can disrupt sleep. As the vicious cycle continues, skin conditions and sleep quality can increasingly worsen together. In contrast, skin conditions and sleep quality can also improve together. Getting a good night's sleep will help to clear up skin, which allows sleep to improve and, in turn, will improve skin health.

Need more convincing? Here are six reasons why not getting enough sleep detracts from skin health and your health in general:

1. Not enough sleep worsens existing skin conditions. Increased inflammatory response shows up as increased acne breakouts, increased skin sensitivity, increased allergic contact dermatitis reactions, and increased irritant dermatitis — and more severe conditions mean more treatment and skin care.

2. Not enough sleep detracts from your skin's natural beauty. Increased inflammatory cells in the body lead to an increase in the breakdown of collagen and hyaluronic acid, the molecules that gives the skin its glow, bounce and translucency.

3. Not enough sleep makes immune-related skin problems worse. Increased inflammation in the body throws off the body's ability to regulate the immune system, which leads not only to getting sick more often, but also to flares of immune-related skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema. Psoriasis is not just a skin disease; it's also an indicator of body inflammation.

4. Not enough sleep results in less beauty. While you're sleeping, the body's hydration rebalances. Skin is able to recover moisture, while excess water in general in the body is processed for removal. Not getting enough sleep results in poor water balance, leading to puffy bags under your eyes and under-eye circles, as well as dryness and more visible wrinkles.

5. Not enough sleep accelerates the aging process. During deep sleep, the rise in growth hormones allows damaged cells to become repaired. Without the deeper phases of sleep, this won't occur, allowing daily small breakdowns to accumulate instead of being reversed overnight. This results in more noticeable signs of aging.

6. Not enough sleep contributes to weight gain. Sleep also helps with weight management, which is good for your skin. Sleep also makes you feel less hungry.