Laser hair Removal 101

IPL Laser Hair Removal 101

Looking for a way out of excess hair growth and or lessening the amount ?

Than IPL laser is your best friend

Causes of excess hair growth

• Aesthetic - most often related to ethnic background or heredity
• Medical - related to endocrine disorders resulting in androgen over production. Common signs include irregular menstrual cycles, acne, alopecia, hirsutism.

So why have IPL laser hair removal?

•  non invasive
•  faster session times
• suitable for small & large body areas
•  minimal maintenance
•  long term reduction of hair
• It reduces the amount of ingrown hairs
• up to 80- 90 percent reduction 

A common question often asked by my clients, is why do I require more then one treatment?

The reason a course of IPL laser hair removal is recommended, is because it’s important to catch hair in the Anagen stage of growth or the active stage.

Not all follicles grow hair at every given moment. Active follicles grow hair in cycles and at an avg rate of about 0.33mm per day.  Dormant follicles do not grow hair but can become active at any time due to hormonal changes and other reasons.

When the hair is fully connected to the blood supply, it is impossible to tell at what stage the hair growth is at, so a course of treatments will remove the hair when it is at it’s most active.

IPL Laser Hair Removal Explained

IPL only treats dark coarse hairs, it will not treat white, blonde, grey or red hair.

This is because the light is attracted to the melanin pigment in the hair follicle. The light energy absorbed in the follicle is transformed into heat which coagulates the follicle. 

Each pulse takes less than a second, small areas include the underarm, lip and chin which can take minutes to treat, areas such as the the arms, legs, chest and back may take 30 minutes or more.

At our spa we recommend between six to twelve treatments and then regular maintenance, over time treatment will be pushed out to just a couple of times a year, exactly how much depends on the clients hormonal hair growth.

I believe honesty is the best policy with my clients, unlike many un-reputable companies…

I always explain IPL hair removal is not permanent, we aim to get 80 to 90% reduction of unwanted hair, so my clients are under no false illusions about their future treatments.

Preparing for Laser Hair Removal

• Before undergoing a hair removal treatment you must not PLUCK, TWEEZE or THREAD for 6 weeks, as this stimulates hair growth, turning it from fine vellus to coarse terminal hair
• Ideally you don’t want to be WAXING because IPL targets the root of the hair which is temporarily removed by waxing
• It is really important that you are wearing no FAKE or GRADUAL tan, or that the areas being treated have not been directly EXPOSED to the sun, because IPL is attracted to pigment in the skin
• Ideally the LENGTH of your hair should be a few millimeters above the skins surface before treatment, so shaving 24-48 hours before treatment is recommended
• So you get the most from your treatment, the IPL light is always adjusted to your particular colour, thickness, and location of hair

Laser Hair Removal Consultation

Below are a list of questions you can expect to be asked before treatment:

1. What areas are you interested in having treated?
2. What do you normally do for hair removal?
3. In the last two weeks have you been in the sun or had fake or gradual tan on the area to be treated? If the answer is yes the treatment cannot be performed, as laser light is attracted to pigment in the skin.
4. How long ago did you have hair removal?
5. Have you waxed or plucked in the last four weeks? Again if the answer is yes, this may indicate that your hair will grow back quickly, drawing blood to the hair follicle.
6. Before a treatment can be performed, hairs must be no longer than two mm’s as obviously hair must be showing above the surface in order to target the hairs.
7. You are allowed to shave or trim between treatments, but no plucking, tweezing, waxing or threading.
8. Are you aware of any hormonal imbalances you may have, such as PCOS?
9. Are you pregnant? Diabetic? Cancer? Epilepsy?
10. Are you currently on any medication? If you are on accutane for instance you cannot have laser for six months, as this medication thins the skin.
11. Due to the intensity of the heat it is normal for the skin to appear a little swollen and red after; It is important that you avoid heat treatments such as the sauna, direct heat and the gym for 24 hours after treatment.
12. It can take up to two weeks for the hair to completely fall out of the follicle, so you need to be exfoliating from the following day.

Important Laser Information

IPL is a medical treatment and should not be taken lightly, because if administered incorrectly there is a real potential to do harm.

Anyone, whether trained or not can legally operate an IPL or laser machine; A scary thought when some of the side effects include burning, pigmentary changes including hypo-pigmentation, hyper-pigmentation, scarring and reactivation of herpes viruses.

I don’t write this to scare you, because IPL does have fantastic results, and in the right hands it is safe and effective and the results are far superior to conventional methods of hair removal.

It’s your skin, so you need to make sure the hands that administer your treatment are well trained……

Because ultimately many adverse reactions can be minimised, especially with the correct use of wavelength for the person’s skin and hair type and by using a cooling system on the skin.

Ensuring you have a thorough consultation and are offered sound post-treatment advise is also key, if the treatment is to be administered safely.

Live Well, Be Healthy and Take Time to Renew Yourself,

Renu U Aesthetics.

Getting Married? Skin Care Prep Tips for the Bride

My wedding day in 2011 was fabulous! Here is my six month plan to ensure the glow on your wedding day.

6 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING:

Find a reputable skin care professional. Six months is the perfect amount of time to ensure that your skin is clear, smooth and glowing for the big day. It’s important to find a trained skin care professional that is able to give your skin everything it needs.  Let RENU U Aesthetics make a plan to get your skin glowing for your wedding day.

Schedule a consultation. What may work for your friend may not be right for you, everyone's skin has different needs and reacts to stress differently. Be sure to ask a lot of questions; particularly the cost of treatments, side-effects and the results they can guarantee.

Fit it in the budget. Generally, a good skin care plan (both professional and home-care products) can range from $500-$2000. Tip: If the budget is tight, let your maid of honor know that getting your skin in good condition for your wedding day is a priority and she may plan a shower where everyone pitches in to give your skin care services as a gift…

Patch test your skin. When starting a new skin care program, be sure to do a patch test if you’re trying out new skin care products as allergic reactions can take up to four weeks to heal. Rub a small amount of product on the side of your neck and wait 24 hours. If redness or irritation occurs, avoid using the product.

Follow the plan set forth by your skin care professional. A variety of skin care procedures such as facials, microdermabrasion, photo facials, and chemical peels will all be beneficial in getting your bridal glow.

IF YOU HAVE BREAKOUTS:

-Exfoliate well. This will keep off dry skin cells to lessen clogged pores and blemishes, and help fade post-breakout scars. Look for products with exfoliating acids and enzymes.  For an at-home exfoliant to smoothe and clear your skin, try Thalgo's exfoliant best suited for your skin from RENU U Aesthetics.

-Keep the skin clear of bacteria. Products using ingredients such as Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree help to eliminate bacteria and prevent the spread of breakouts. Regular High Frequency treatments at RENU U Aesthetics can also help minimize bacteria presence on the skin.

-Be sure to keep the skin hydrated. If you’re prone to blemishes, your skin needs water-based moisture to keep cells healthy to discourage dead skin cell buildup. Make sure to use an oil-free lotion such as Thalgo's 24H Source Marine Gel Cream.

IF YOU HAVE DISCOLORATION AND BROWN SPOTS:

-Use a skin lightener. By combining exfoliation, skin lighteners and daily use of sunscreen, the pigmented cells will slowly start break down and fade their color. Exfoliation is beneficial for breaking up the pigmented cells while a skin-lightening agent like Vitamin C or Kojic Acid will suppress the melanin cells and accelerate the fading process. 

IF YOU HAVE REDNESS AND ROSACEA:

–Avoid washing your skin with hot water. Cooler temperatures will keep reduce redness and keep the skin calm.  

–Use soothing ingredients in your products. Chamomile, Azulene and Sea Whip all help to comfort the skin and reduce redness.

-Make sure you get facials that cater to sensitive skin. Although facials can be extremely calming for red skins, you must make sure that your esthetician has experience in caring for this very delicate type of skin. Avoid strong chemical peels as they will only exacerbate redness. Also, avoid use of hot steam during a facial and use a Lucas Pulverizer.

3 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

Make a commitment to not pick at your skin. Acne breakouts usually last just 3-5 days, but when you pick at a blemish, the red mark that lingers can be there for three months! We know it’s tempting, but you can make problem skin much worse by forcing bacteria deeper into the skin, resulting in scarring and further break outs. A better solution for problem skin is a regular facial schedule, where your pores can be cleaned professionally. 

Cut back on the invasive skin treatments. If you have been having IPL treatments or a series of skin peels, now is the time to start cutting back on those. You need to start going into maintenance mode. Hopefully, those aggressive procedures helped to clear up break outs, post-breakout acne scars and discoloration and now the focus is on maintaining the results. Get a professional facial every 3-4 weeks for the remaining three months.

1 MONTH BEFORE THE WEDDING

Go easy. Now that you’re on the home stretch, it’s not the time to be experimenting with new products or services. Keep everything gentle by backing off aggressive professional treatments.

Avoid dairy products if you’re prone to acne cysts. Many people have heard that greasy foods and chocolate cause breakouts. Breakouts, especially those that are cyst-like in the chin and jaw line area, most often are related to too much ice cream, yogurt, milk and cheese. Try cutting back and watch your skin clear up!  

Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is not only important to keep dark circles at bay, but it is also the time when your body is most metabolically active, ridding itself of toxins which would otherwise wreak havoc with your skin. Sleep also reduces stress, the #1 aggravator of acne!

Keep your skin care products cold. When nerves are at their highest, it can cause increased blood flow to the skin. Try keeping your skin care products in the refrigerator. Cleansing, toning and moisturizing with cool temperature products keep the skin calm and soothed.

2-3 DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING

Get your final facial. The facial should focus on skin smoothing via exfoliation and hydration. Keep extractions to a minimum to avoid unnecessary redness.

Don’t experiment with any new products. You don’t want to risk having an adverse reaction to anything—stick with tried and true.

Avoid shell fish. Especially for those who have traveled to a tropical island for their wedding, you’ll be tempted with all the wonderful seafood that is there. Many people are allergic to iodine commonly found in shell fish which can result in very serious skin and body reactions, so now is not the time to be eating foods you have not tried before.

Limit your intake of alcohol. Alcohol leads to skin and under eye puffiness, so for every alcoholic drink, follow it with a 4-8 oz glass of water. This will help prevent unnecessary morning puffiness.

Avoid crying (if possible). With all of the celebratory speeches that are given, it’s only normal that a few tears may be shed. If at all possible, try to avoid crying since it causes the eyes to swell resulting in excessive morning under eye puffiness. (Do cucumber slices on the eyes help reduce puffiness?)

WEDDING DAY

Apply a hydrating mask. Thalgo's Marine Source Masks are water-based so they won’t add any oil to the skin and interfere with wedding day makeup. They calm the skin from wedding day nerves, and gives your skin a smooth, healthy glow.

Drink a lot of water. To prevent skin from puffiness due to shedding tears or alcohol intake the night before, drink cold ice water throughout the day. This will also help prevent your mouth from getting dry due to nerves.

Practice deep breathing. There is nothing better to calm the nerves than frequent deep breathing. Relax. Enjoy. Your day is here.

Baby steps to a healthier you

How to start getting healthy

For a lot of us it can be very hard to get healthy, we are all stuck in front of the television wishing for a body like the ones we see. We don't know where to start. We don't know how to start! A completely new lifestyle started cold turkey can be good for some people. However for others it can be a challenge to keep it up because we are so used to something completely different, sometimes it's been years since the last time we did anything remotely close to healthy. So here are a few tips on how to get started:

1. Do you go to bed at a decent hour?

Say you wake up every morning to go to work at 6am, are you in bed sleeping (or at least trying to sleep) by 10 pm. That's 8 hours right there.

Try to get your 8 hours of sleep to start, you'd be surprised how much healthier you feel and actually are when you sleep enough.

* We have tips on how to get a more restful sleep in our blog.

2. Do you eat often through out the day?

It's very important to have good eating habits. They say eating smaller meals more often through out the day is very important to keep one's metabolism running efficiently. This means that you are constantly burning what you are eating and not putting too much stress on your digestive system, or starving it.

Don't skip meals! This is important.

3. Do you drink enough water?

Taking in enough fluids is very important some people use the 8, 8 ounce glasses of water a day rule. But you can also measure your hydration level by the colour of your urine. It needs to have a pale yellow colour to it. Not clear and not dark, you can actually be over working your kidneys if it's too dark or too clear.

Hydration is very important to help keep your body moving along smoothly. Fluids are like the oil in your car, it keeps things going the way they are supposed to.

4. Do you exercise?

If you are a very sedentary person, you should always take it slow. Try to get the minimum amount of suggested exercise a week to start out and go from there. According to Health Canada for an adult that's a least 2.5hrs of exercise a week. That comes out to just over 20 minutes a day of exercise!

You can gradually increase the amount of time you spend exercising as you go, but for someone who doesn't lee active this is a good place to start.

It's suggested focus on exercises that get the blood flowing. Jumping jacks, dancing, aerobics etc... Choose something that you enjoy.

5. Build some muscle.

So if you already have all this down. Building muscle will help you get rid of any unwanted/unhealthy excess fat. You wonder how come people who are fit can eat "what ever they want" it's because getting fit and having lean muscle actually helps to keep you fit. A well oiled machine runs at peak efficiency.

And women are very afraid of looking bulky, but to get "large" for a woman takes a lot of dedication and a lot of food, and supplementation. Using weights every once in a while will actually tone and thin out your arms and legs rather than make then grow.

6. Be calm!

Stress is one on of the #1 causes of death these days. It causes major complications in the body. Stress can be seen in many ways. Eating things that put pressure on your system, being inactive, under/over sleeping, poor posture etc... It can all make a big difference in your life span and over all health.

Try to take better care of yourself. Take time for you, read a book take a bath do something you enjoy. Go to a yoga class, learn to meditate. It will all benefit you in the long run.



It's important to pick one and stick with it till it becomes second nature and then move on to another and then another. This will help you to build healthy habits for the future. You won't even have to think about what you are doing, you'll just do it. And don't worry if you slip up once or twice, everyone does it. Things take time to become a reality and if you want it badly enough you'll do it. It's all about focus, and strategy.

Keep moving and keep trying any effort you make to take a step forward is still farther ahead then you were yesterday even if you skipped last night's 20 minute work out.

You can do it!

Live Well and Be Healthy,

Renu U Aesthetics

Sleep

Ways to get more of those precious Zs

It's hard we live in a world that's on the go constantly, we carry cellphones everywhere so that we can keep in contact with all our family and friends when we need them or just get bored of ourselves. The you have to be constantly on the ball, always updated with the newest trends and the latest TV shows. Not to mention that we all have house work, partners maybe even children and work to deal with. It's hard to get that well deserved sleep you so cherish. But it's important to keep you strong and healthy.

So here are a few ways that Renu U gets those much deserved Zs that you're always craving, and maybe it'll help you to catch up on the sleep you've been losing.

#1. Turn it off!

Or at very least put it all away. Getting a good night's sleep means letting your brain realize that "night time" is coming.

Melatonin is a hormone released in your brain as the day goes on, if none of us owned artificial lights or computer screens etc... you'd start to notice that as the day goes by you start to get more and more tired, especially around sunset and there after. This is because humans AREN'T nocturnal. 

The clock may have been one of our worst inventions, because we know exactly how much time we are losing and when things are due. So we work well into our nights to get things done.

Try to turn of your gadgets and maybe grab a book or spend some time with your family. Build a skin care and bed time routine. Try to start this between 1-2 hours before you want to go to bed. You'll notice an increase in sleep.

#2. Don't bring it to bed!

Turn on your ringer if you think there may be an emergency and plug in your phone AWAY from your bedroom. leave your computer on a desk in your living room, study etc... as long as it's not in your room.

Studies show that any flashing lights, and/or sounds that are in your room will prevent you from going through your full sleep cycle, which means you'll be tired tomorrow too!

#3. Unplug your wifi

Some say that the wireless signals floating around in the air are causing a lot of people to have difficulty getting restful sleep. They say that it interferes with our bodies more than we really think. Some people argue that it doesn't

HOWEVER

Are you using it? No? Is it taking up power while you sleep? For sure! You might even reduce your electric bill while trying to sleep. I think that's a bonus.

#4. Did you exercise today?

Inactivity is a HUGE contributor to restlessness! 

How many of us work at jobs where we sit at a desk all day long, with only a lunch break to walk around? I know I have days like that! Those days are good days to start the day off with a jog, or a short trip to the gym. You could even use your lunch break to take a run around the building, etc...

Doing a little activity through out the day can GREATLY improve your sleeping patterns that night and over time. But make sure that any strenuous activity isn't done right before bed, or it'll do the opposite of what you are looking to accomplish. A light bedtime yoga routine might help.

#5. Your bed is for sleeping

Don't eat, drink, watch tv or play on your phone in bed. You can read in bed, but nothing that it's going to cause your brain to have to work too hard. If you like cheesy romance novels, this would be the perfect time to read one. However your bed should be for sleeping so try to keep other activities out of the bedroom. This will help you to associate your bed with sleeping.

#6. My room is my sanctuary

Make your bedroom inviting, keep it tidy and stress free. Have only things that help you relax. If you love pillows and warm colours fill your space with those. You enjoy books and things fill your space will books. Just make sure that your space is calming and welcoming to you.

#7. No Stimulants

Don't drink caffeinated beverages or smoke cigarettes before bed. These stimulate the body making it more alert and that isn't something you want to do before bed.

Benefits of good sleeping habits

Longer life expectancy

Youthful looking skin

More alert during the day

Weight loss

Overall better heath (due to immune function)

Better recovery times (the body does it's repairs during this time)

We hope these tips help you to sleep better and feel more awake during the day.

Live well and be healthy,

Renu U Aesthetics

Day Time Makeup

Easy Makeup Routine

A lot of people struggle with a natural looking day time makeup, it seems like it would take to long or is too difficult to do every day. But the truth is it's really not as difficult as it seems, there are a few things that you need to know to make this process simpler.

How to colour match

Look at the inside of your arm are the veins green? or blue? Are some of them green and them some of them blue?

Once you have this question answered you'll know whether or not your skin is warm, cool or neutral.

• Warm toned skin = Green veins

• Cool toned skin = Blue veins

• Neutral toned skin = some veins green, some blue

                                 

Most makeups will tell you whether or not they are warm, neutral or cool. So you choose the one based on the observations you make of your skin.

Then when you are trying to pick the shade of foundation don't match it to your cheek, match it to your neck! The colour should look as though it's disappeared on your skin.

Looking at this picture you can see that the second one to the left is the nearest match to the model's face. And it's best to compare multiple colours to compare and make sure that you have chosen the right colour for your face. You don't want to look orange or yellow or too pink because it will make you look like you are wearing a mask.

Contouring/Highlighting/Blush

It's very important to put some colour back in your face after you have made it all one smooth consistent colour. You can do this by adding contouring, blush and highlighting this adds dimension to your face.

Contour

Use a brown shade that is a couple shades darker than your natural skin tone. For a fairer skin tone choose the lighter coffee colour, for darker skin tones choose the darkest of the browns and medium skin tones the medium brown. Take a smaller blush brush apply a little colour to it, and then tap it off onto a paper towel. This ensures that you won't have too much colour on your brush, swipe this underneath your cheek bone from the ear lightly out towards the center of the face on both side. Pat the left over amount on the outer corners of the forehead. Dust off the brush and then use the now clean brush to brush the contouring out so there are no lines or super dark spots. Remember! A little goes a long way. 

Blush

With your blush you can go a little bit heavier. Smile wide and take pink blush for cool skin tones and a more orangie blush for olive skin tones. Tap off the excess and apply to the apples to your cheeks. Wipe off your brush and blend it out towards the hair line.

Highlight

For Highlighting take a fluffy brush and use the lightest shade to highlight, or if you are very dark of complexion take the lightest brown (coffee/caramel coloured) and apply to brush, tap excess and apply above your blush. You can also apply to your forehead, bridge of the nose, brow bone under your eyebrows. 

Eye Makeup

For day time makeup that looks natural it's best to choose browns, and pinks/purples.

You could use your contouring pallet if you like and make your make up look even more natural by taking your lightest shade and highlighting the brow bone right beneath the eyebrow. Then blending in the colour closest to your skin tone or a LITTLE darker over the lid, and along the bottom lash line. Then you take a darker colour and lightly press it into the crease of your eyelid. change brushes and blend the darkest colour out with a clean brush, this will help to keep you from adding too much product.

You can do the same thing with the store bought tri-packs, which are usually intended for those purposes.

Line your eye and apply mascara. Usually you would do a thin line of liner only on the top lid for day time looks. You can add the darkest of the eye shadow shades in a light dusting on the bottom lash line.

Something like this:

Lips

For the lip colour a nice natural shade for day time makeup or a coat of lip gloss is all you need for a natural look during the day.

You should look something like this when you're all done.

We hope that this helps everyone struggling to do their makeup every morning. Choosing colours really is about picking the ones you like best on you and finding a makeup routine that fits you. However once you've been doing your makeup for a while you will find that this morning routine becomes second nature. You'll know what colours match and what you like to see in the mirror. You'll be shocked when people don't believe that you have makeup on in the first place.

Live well and be healthy,

Renu U Aesthetics.

Waxing 101

Waxing:What you Need to Know

Many people have questions about waxing care, what are we supposed to do before we wax? What are you supposed to do after you wax? What do you use to do the waxing? Etc... Etc...

This will help those of you who are curious about how waxing works and what you need to do before and after to care for your skin.

Before Waxing

• Most important part of waxing is making sure that you exfoliate the day before you go to get waxed. And make sure that you've been moisturizing. You skin will thank you and the wax will be able to cling to the hairs of your leg better without all the extra dry skin clinging to it.
• Make sure that your hair is at least a 1/4 of an inch long (or the length of a grain of rice). However if your hair gets much longer than that it will become slightly more painful.

After waxing

• Do not go tanning for at least 12 hours after you get a wax, the skin will be very sensitive (no one wants a sunburn on their underarms etc...).
• Stay out of the pools, hot tubs and saunas for 24hrs; Sweating, soaking and chlorine can cause quite a bit of irritation which can cause folliculitis.
• Do not apply topical lotions as it can trap bacteria in your open pores and cause infection.
• Tea Tree oil and Lavender oil products can be very helpful at keeping away bacteria and avoiding infection however.

A Few Days Later

• Make sure to exfoliate the area with either a washcloth, loofa, dry brush or body scrub.

When should you come back?

Waxing should be maintained every 3-6 weeks depending on hair growth. Hairs must be at least the length of a grain of salt before waxing can be done again. However if you wait too long in-between you will have more hairs to remove, which can be more painful. 

Hoping this helps you with all your waxing questions :)

Live well and be healthy,

Renu U Aesthetics