The hot-wax mask loved by celebrities 'that wipes years off your face'

It is billed as the quickest way to a 'non-surgical facelift'.

So it's no wonder beauty experts are waxing lyrical about it.

The paraffin wax facial, a thermal mask painted on to the skin and then kept warm under infra-red light, is the latest A-list craze in the quest for more youthful skin.

The treatment begins with an hour's intensive massage by Emma Hardie, the renowned celebrity facialist who came up with the idea.

During the massage, which is known as the Natural Sculpt and Lift facial, she uses moisturising oils and massage to stimulate the skin cells and a 'deep-tissue' kneading technique to give softer, plumper skin.

She then uses a specially formulated rose and geranium thermal paraffin wax mask which is painted on to the skin while warm and left on for half an hour.

This helps the skin to absorb the moisturising oils and soothes and relaxes the facial muscles to help release tension and leave the skin bright and glowing.

The wax is kept warm under an infra-red light so that it doesn't solidify before it is wiped off.

read more

Cream of the crop: Want to be sure your anti-ageing cream isn't just snake oil? Look for the ingredients that really work

We are obsessed with looking younger. We spend £600 million a year on anti-ageing face creams and this figure is set to rise as yet more products enter the market.

But with a vast array of lotions and potions competing for our cash, how can you be sure the cream you are buying is not just a gimmick? The answer is to look out for the proven ingredients that can really halt skin ageing.

Here are the ‘super-ingredients’ that you should be scanning for ...

RETINOL

A form of vitamin A, retinol is a tried and tested wrinkle reducer. This powerful ingredient exfoliates the top layer of the complexion and stimulates the production of skin-firming collagen.
With consistent use, sun-damaged or slack skin can gradually become smoother and tauter —– six months is the norm.

read more

Botox or no-tox... How high-maintenance is YOUR beauty regime

By Elsa Mcalonan

The Big British Beauty Poll, commissioned by Olay, is one of the biggest beauty surveys ever conducted in the UK  -  20,000 women, aged 18-65, were asked about their beauty habits, covering everything from how much they spend to how they feel about Botox.

The results are in, and here we can exclusively reveal what British women really think about beauty.

BOTOX VERSUS NO-TOX?

Botox is out! Now it’s official — women prefer ‘Super Facials’ as the top anti-ageing treatment. The ‘frozen look’ has been given the cold shoulder as women opt for the needle-free method of turning back the years.

When asked ‘Would you consider having, or have you had, any of the following anti-ageing treatments?’, 67 per cent chose anti-ageing facials, 43 per cent micro-dermabrasion, 27 per cent facial peels, 25 per cent laser re-surfacing and 24 per cent cosmetic surgery.

Botox was least popular, scoring only 21 per cent. As high-profile celebrities such as Dannii Minogue say ‘no more’ to Botox, women are following the trend and turning to super-charged facials as alternatives to firmer, younger-looking skin.

A-list facialist Anastasia Achilleos says: ‘I’ve noticed more and more women switching from Botox to high-performance facials.

'They’ve heard about the rejuvenating effects you can achieve from new facial techniques and are looking for a softer, more individual approach to anti-ageing. Now that celebrities are ­coming out against Botox, there’s a growing trend for a more natural look.’

read more

Severe acne linked to higher suicide risk

Experts say people with acne should be monitored for depression and suicidal thoughts

 

By Peter Russell
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Dr Farah Ahmed

 

12th November 2010 - People with severe acne are at a heightened risk of attempting suicide, according to a new study in the online edition of the bmj.

It also found that those who had been treated with the commonly prescribed acne medication isotretinoin may be at an additional suicide risk. However, the authors stress that this is more likely to be because of events associated with their medical condition than the drug itself.

Isotretinoin has been used to treat severe cases of acne since the 1980s. It is marketed under the brand names Roaccutane, Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Clarus or Decutan. Researchers in Sweden set out to determine whether there was any truth in case reports of an association between isotretinoin, depression and suicidal behaviour: for instance, a five year study which found that Finnish army recruits treated with isotretinoin were more likely to use mental health services than those who were not.

read more

From the facelift in a jar to the gel that boosts your bust, do these miracle creams EVER work?

Every month a new product is hailed as a miracle that will banish wrinkles, zap cellulite or give you a bigger bust.

But how many wonder lotions work?

JENNY STOCKS of the Daily Mail asked two top dermatologists, Dr Nick Lowe, of the Cranley Clinic, and Dr Stefanie Williams, of Harley Street clinic Eudelo.com, to find out...

THE CELLULITE BUSTER

Biotherm Celluli Laser D Code, £37, Boots

What is it? Only a lucky few will escape the curse of cellulite and so there are dozens of creams on the market that claim to lessen the dreaded orange peel effect. But one product caused a real splash, back in April, when 94 per cent of women during clinical trials reported less dimpled legs after use. 

Biotherm’s pink gel contains a chemical, phytosveltyl, which helps skin cells burn more fat and store less of it.

Dr Lowe’s verdict: ‘Whenever I see the word laser in a non-prescription cream, I’m worried. It’s doubtful any product can do the same as a laser.

‘This contains moisturising glycerin and caffeine, which may cause a slight tightening, but it would be a very temporary result.’


read more

What is a Wellay Personal Skin Laser and will it Rejuvenate My Skin?

What is a Wellay Personal Skin Laser and will it Rejuvenate My Skin?

After 18 years of Botox, how I finally unfroze my smile...

Was it the day I looked in the mirror and saw an unfamiliarly, glassy face staring back at me? Or was it the humiliating moment in A&E when the young doctor treating me for a cut on my forehead asked me to raise my eyebrows and I simply couldn’t do it?

Either way, after nearly two decades of having Botox, I’ve decided to quit. And as I hit send on the email cancelling my latest appointment — saying that I wouldn’t be rearranging it — I felt wonderfully liberated. Hell, I even raised an eyebrow in celebration.

My Botox days started 18 years ago, when, at the age of 29 I was asked by a magazine to test this radical new treatment. It really did seem to work magic, and although I wasn’t plagued with wrinkles, I had injections sporadically over the years, when I started to look tired.

read more

Fighting Wrinkles With Lasers Scientifically Unraveled

Laser pulses enable skin rejuvenation, as research at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) has shown. Laser treatment introduces heat into the skin. Under the influence of heat shocks of 45°C, skin cells produce more collagen. This is the protein that gives the skin its firmness and elasticity. Susanne Dams describes this process in the dissertation for which she gained her PhD degree from the Biomedical Engineering Department at TU/e.

Laser treatment is quite common in the practices of beauticians and dermatologists. Although the technique has been widely used for many years, its impact and the underlying processes are still to be unraveled.

read more