We, as the consumers, have a tendency to spend a noted amount of money to rejuvenate our faces and at best our décolletés. But what happens to the rest of the largest organ of the body? It cries out for help by mimicking the Sahara, an alligator, the Rocky Mountains … well you get the idea. Read More

Hot stone massage therapy is not a new modality anymore. Although some massage therapists and clients may consider this to be a trend, the use of stones and gemstones for healing purposes dates back thousands of years. Read More

Do you know what is more difficult than getting sunscreen on that hard to reach spot in the middle of your back? It is knowing and understanding the vast array of information on professional quality sunscreens from SPF to UVA, including all of the new labeling rules and skin cancer facts. Just like applying sunscreen takes a helping hand, so does learning some sun care basics. Here are some essential facts about sun protection to help educate your skin care clients and select the best sunscreen brands for your spa, medical spa or skin care center. Read More

The dangers Ultraviolet rays (UV rays) impose on skin are well known. They are the primary external cause of skin aging. Not only does UV radiation found in sunlight reduce the youthful appearance of the skin, but it is also an environmental human carcinogen. Society is more aware of the damage caused by UV rays, yet the occurrence of skin cancer is on the rise. Fifty percent of all cancer in the U.S. is skin cancer. The toxic effects of UV rays from the sun and tanning beds are a major health care concern. The effects of UV irradiation include photoaging, immuno-suppression and ultimately ... photo-carcinogenesis. Read More

The summer months are when clients typically have the most down time, making it an ideal time for corrective, rejuvenating treatments. Summer is also peak time for many spas and salons, depending upon the locale. However, administering peels and other corrective treatments during the summer months will cause a client's skin to be even more vulnerable to sun damage. So how can skin care professionals bolster protection of the skin and simultaneously reverse the effects of photoaging? What do professionals need to know about caring for skin – face and body – post-peel or corrective-treatment during the summer months? Read More

Sun protection, while once relatively straightforward, has become an increasingly challenging topic in recent years. Today's consumers are confronted with an often-puzzling array of product formulations, well-publicized concerns about the prevalence of vitamin D deficiencies, and conflicting information about the safety of technologies and ingredients employed in sunscreens. You could say that protecting our skin has become a bit akin to navigating a battlefield – and that is before we even step outdoors! Read More

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. with more than two million Americans diagnosed annually. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma make up the majority of these cases. The third type, melanoma, arises from pigment producing cells called melanocytes. The ability to spread widely to other parts of the body is a unique characteristic of melanoma that the other skin cancers do not readily possess. This characteristic makes melanoma the deadliest, accounting for only four percent of skin cancers but 80 percent of skin cancer-related deaths. The number of new cases of melanoma is increasing steadily and dramatically. In the U.S. alone, the incidence of melanoma has tripled over the past three decades. In 2010, approximately 70,000 new cases were diagnosed. Read More

A LITTLE HISTORY Laser hair removal procedures in 2010 totaled to 936, 121, which reflected a -26.9% decrease from 2009 – most likely as a result of a flexing economy.1 It is a procedure, however, that continues to be popular. Lasers (including the CO2 laser) were introduced in dermatology and surgery as early as the 1960s.2 The CO2 laser became more popular during the 1990s for skin resurfacing to improve wrinkles, dischromias, scars, atrophic scars, pitted acne scars and others.3 These pioneering procedures also meant longer recovery periods. Read More