Monthly Archives: February 2016

Simply Skin

When life throws you curve balls it’s easy to get down. To feel sad and grumpy. I know that all too well as of late. My husband has had the usual police officer stressors and then some, we lost my Father-In-Law, I have two kids under 3 years of age, just a full plate in a busy life that doesn’t seem to have time to slow down. We all have our own coping mechanisms. I personally use simplicity. I slow down and take time to really enjoy the small simple things that make each day great. By changing my focus to the little happy things, it leaves little room for sadness and anger. It may be something as simple as a warm, quiet shower, a soft snuggle from my baby, a poached egg that’s cooked perfectly or just a breeze in the air that feels amazing. You know the little things that make you smile. Making things simple just brings life into focus for me. This weekend I’ve been really working on simply enjoying every second. What do they say? “the days are long but the years are short”.  Making life simple makes the time that passes easier and happier. As that time passes, so do most of the curve balls and life circumstances that have been trying to get you down. So I started thinking about how to simply care for your skin. Skin is the largest organ in your body so you need to take care of it. Some people probably don’t want to go to the extent that I do daily so here is how to very simply care for your skin (no injections, no regimens,no lasers, nothing complicated).

  1. Moisturize- Dry skin can crack and be prone to infection, itching and flaking. At least slap on some moisturizer right after the shower once a day.
  2. Avoid irritants- Avoid colors, fragrances, additives and chemicals. This is easy if you follow a simple rule while picking out products: avoid products that have more than 10 ingredients.
  3. Use a good sunscreen- I recommend UVA/UVB, at least 30 SPF, water resistant and preferably a physical blocker such as zinc oxide. (I like BOB, Elta MD, SkinMedica and Bare Republic brands).
  4. Be gentle- Don’t scrub, pick, scratch nor pop your skin. Simply avoid loofas and scrubs.
  5. SUN PROTECT-Sunscreen is just a small slice of the pie! Seek shade (cheap and easy), avoid the hottest parts of the day and wear sun protective clothing! Wide brim hats are so in style right now this should be a simple outdoors outfit staple!

Follow these tips and your skin will simply thank you…..

I hope you simply enjoyed your weekend, I know I did!

XOXO, Nina

FacebookTwitterGoogle+PinterestTumblrShare

Be Mine Valentine

Valentines Day is all about love. Kisses, hugs, snuggles, roses, chocolate and all the good feels. That’s what makes a great Valentines Day, right? I’ve spent the day hugging my girls a little tighter and giving out extra kisses to my hubby. I hope you all have had as much love in your day as I have enjoyed today. If you are lucky enough to have some smooches today, I hope your lips were smooch ready. Here are my tips for getting those lips ready for the big kiss!

  1. Be bold- No one looks bad in red lipstick. If you think you can’t pull it off you’re wrong. If you need a day to try it, Valentines is THE day! My favorite right now is Jane Iredale lip crayon in hot.
  2. Don’t be afraid of filler- Do you want fuller lips? Want more of a cupids bow? Want a sexy pout? Don’t be ashamed of filler, it’s in style and can be done to look very natural. Do you follow us on snapchat(@jdermatology) and instagram(@johnsondermatology)? That’s where we have video and before and after of injections for you to check out.
  3. Avoid irritating lip colors and products- Some “chapsticks” tingle or burn when you put them on-don’t use these they can irritate and dry out the lips.
  4. Apply sunscreen daily-Pick a lip balm that has broad spectrum SPF 30 (at least). You can get skin cancer on your lips and it can be aggresive so sunscreen is a daily must. Plus sunscreen can prevent brown spots on your lips and premature aging.
  5. Stay hydrated- Drink plenty of water. And keep the air hydrated during these dry winter months. Consider a humidifier.

Hope you felt the love today. For the rest of this month you get a free Jane Iredale lip color of your choice with the purchase of just one syringe of Juvederm for your lip injections. Now that’s a Valentines present you deserve! Hope I get to see you at the clinic this month where love is in the air.

Happy Valentines, x’s & o’s, Nina

Hair Be Gone

It always surprises me what people like and don’t like aesthetically speaking. Some people like a hairy armpit and some can’t stand the thought. Almost everyone I know has removed hair from one unwanted area on the body or another. There are lots of hair reduction and hair removal techniques including creams, waxing, laser reduction, shaving, blading, sugaring and threading (just to name a few). Some of these techniques can result in rashes, burns, infections and even scarring. Here are my do’s and don’t of hair care to avoid these complications.

  1. Shaving- Make sure you change your blade frequently to avoid infections. You also want to have a sharp blade. If your blade dulls you will be more prone to folliculitis or razor burn.
  2. Waxing- I usually don’t recommend waxing because I want all my patients on a retinol and you can’t wax on a retinol. Waxing can cause hyperpigmentation which is a dark discoloration left behind. You’re especially prone to this when you are tan.
  3. Creams- There are both over the counter and prescription creams. Be cautious with these because some of them can irritate the skin. I would advise doing a small “test area” first and follow directions exactly. These can cause chemical burns when not used with care.
  4. Laser reduction- When done by a trained medical professional laser is an excellent option for dark hair. Blonde or white hair doesn’t respond well to the laser. We have both the YAG and the elos lasers for hair reduction at Johnson Dermatology. We usually recommend monthly treatments for 3-5 sessions until desired results are achieved.
  5. Blading- This is a really good option for blonde, gray or white hair. I usually recommend this for people that want to get rid of their facial “peach fuzz”. It’s a tool that gently removes the unwanted hair at home. Most people do it every 2-4 weeks. You can schedule a cosmetic consult for more information at Johnson Dermatology.

Thank you to Honey who helped me form this blog as we enjoy the super bowl. Our half-time was spent talking about hair reduction and dancing to Beyonce. Hope your team takes home the trophy! Hope to see you this week at the clinic!

XOXO, Nina