Monthly Archives: November 2015

Black Friday in Fort Smith

Black Friday is out of control. So much so that people miss their Thanksgiving dinner, or worse, the whole day because they are camped out in front of some large store to get a deal on a TV. You’ve seen it…. the tents at Best Buy, the fights at Target, it all makes the 5, 6 and 10 o’clock news. I must shamelessly admit I have participated. There is something rewarding about being the person that got that deal everyone wanted. I really like to shop local though and this year I’m going to keep it local even on Black Friday. I love Fort Smith and how much it’s grown since I started calling it home. I like getting to know the  little shop owners and feeling like my money is contributing to my community. I want all the Fort Smith small businesses to thrive and be successful.

I’ve hardly been able to think about anything this weekend other than our “gratitude evening” tomorrow night at Johnson Dermatology. I’m so excited to have a fun time and see all your pretty faces while you shop our products. From 5-7pm we are saying Thank You to our patients with 20% off cosmetic procedures, lasers, make-up and products. Carrot Dirt Organics will be there with juice samples for you. Roots hair salon will have a braid bar set up so you can get a cute braided do while you pick up some of the best hair products known to man (they are bringing the davines line I use). We will have a tester bar of our GRASS regimen (come find out more if you don’t know what that means). So much exciting things happening I am giddy just typing this! But we aren’t the only ones enjoying Thanksgiving with some Black Friday deal madness. Here are some local shops that are celebrating Black Friday and I’m not going to miss it. Enjoy the Black Friday deals this year while keeping it local because I know you love Fort Smith and its citizens as much as I do! I’ll see you there!

1. Hazels Haven- Did you hear they are moving? Their grand opening is Black Friday at 4120 Rogers Ave in Williamsburg Square. They open at 10AM with the best specials so the earlier you show up the best deal you will get. Be the first to see the new location while getting amazing deals? Winning! Plus, I hear Sweet Bay Coffee is going to be there all day! Don’t miss it, you will need the caffeine!

2. Suite One- Are you an early bird that will stand in line for a deal? They are kicking off at 8AM and they will have 40% off the entire store for an hour.  BUT, the first 15 people in line get 50% off! Tell me you wouldn’t feel like a winner if you were one of the 15?!?!

3. Inscriptions- Are you going out Thursday night but don’t want to be standing outside in a cold a line?! Inscriptions is opening at midnight and having specials and snacks until 6AM!

4. Kens & Co- Have you seen how cute my kids dress? This shop carries half of their outfits. It’s a booth in Mama Says Emporium on Garrison and if you haven’t been, you must go. Black Friday she is having 10% off of everything (even already marked down items). But do you want to wait until Saturday to miss the Black Friday crowd? Head here for small business Saturday and get 15% off the entire booth!

5. Baby Chic- The other half of my girls outfits are from this store. She usually closes during the Black Friday madness but she is opening this year so you know it’s gonna be good. Baby Chic’s new location is in Green Pointe shopping center conveniently close to Carrot Dirt so grab some organic cold pressed juice for some shopping fuel while you’re there! Baby Chic will be open from 11AM-2PM on Friday and she is going to have a surprise special every hour! I’m going to have to go out of curiosity if nothing else, haha!

I really hope I get to see you guys tomorrow night at the clinic so I can personally say Thank You for trusting my skin advice for you and yours. If not, maybe I will see you around Fort Smith on Black Friday at one of our local small shops…. I guarantee there won’t be any physical brawls on scene at these classy little shops.

Happy Turkey Day to all, Nina

 

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Do your skin a favor, it will be grateful.

I’ve really been focusing on making gratitude my attitude this month. I’m grateful for my blog readers. At the suggestion of my mentor this week I’ve really been thinking about excellence, not success. To sum it up, excellence is being your best self and success is more comparing yourself to others. Excellence often leads to success. It’s easy to get caught up in being successful and forgetting that sometimes success is not excellent. I want you all to know that I am grateful for this blog and I hope to make it more and more excellent. This week I’m shooting for a post that appeals to all of you. I think male or female, rich or poor, Arkansan or Oklahoman we all care about our skin health and how it looks. So this week I’m listing my general skin rules. Do your skin a favor and follow them for better skin health.

1. Be gentle. Scrubbing, exfoliating, wash cloths, loofas, washes with little beads, sugar scrubs and anything else that doesn’t feel like butterfly kisses from a toddler should not be a part of your regimen. These things can cause inflammation which can cause acne, dullness, redness, wrinkles and rashes.

2. Use sun protection, other than sunscreen. We all know that sunscreen is a good thing but protecting yourself from the sun with clothing and avoiding the sunniest parts of the day are even better. More and more frequently I’m reading articles about this concept. Wear sun protective clothing. Seek the shade. Avoid outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day. UV damage can cause wrinkles, brown spots, leathery looking skin and put you at risk for skin cancer.

3. Use good sunscreen. Too often I hear people say “It’s in my make-up” but usually that isn’t enough. The main things to look for are an SPF of at least 30, UVA/UVB (broadband) and water resistant. I usually tell people to look for the ingredient zinc as this is a physical rather than chemical sunscreen.

4. Use sunscreen correctly. Did you know sunscreen needs to be reapplied every 2 hours?  Even more often than that when swimming? Well now you do, so do it!

5. Use Retinol. It’s the tried and true. It has been researched more than any other anti-aging ingredient. It is the one thing almost all dermatologist agree on. No retinol is created equal. Talk to your dermatologist about a good one for you. I use SkinMedica 0.5 strength and most people love it as much as I do.

6. Get your skin a dermatologist. Dermatologists are skin experts. Skin is what their education focused on, skin is what they do all day, skin is what they know. Get a baseline skin cancer check. Get in a gown and let your dermatologist look at your skin from your scalp to your tiny pinky toe. Let your dermatologist recommend how often to have one done after that, most likely at least once per year.

7. Check your skin. Look at your skin and know your moles. I will often recommend people check their spouses too. Take pictures of your moles (use your phone if you want) and compare the pictures to the moles every few months to track if they are changing. Most skin cancers are found by the patient.

8. Moisturize. Do you take an aspirin everyday for your heart? A multivitamin for overall health? Exercise daily? Eat healthy? These are all health maintenance. Things you do on the daily to keep yourself healthy. Moisturizing is a great daily practice to take care of your skin. Keep the water in your skin and prevent dry, cracking skin that is prone to infection. I keep 100% petroleum jelly in the shower and take the lid off and let the hot water warm it up while I shower. After I pat dry I dump the water off the top of my vaseline and rub warm vaseline all over my skin. It locks in moisture and it feels like I’m at the spa {insert hair flip here}.

9. Don’t pick. Don’t scratch until you develop a sore from scratching. Don’t pick and pop your acne. Just don’t do it. There are lots of things in dermatology that we attribute to “picking” such as lichen simplex chronicus, prurigo nodularis, trichotillomania and more. On the other hand, there is nothing in dermatology that we treat by telling you to scratch it and pick it and dig at your skin. If you think something needs “popped” see a dermatologist first. (I know you’re all imagining those youtube videos of cyst right now. Resist, no fingernail surgery).

10. Strive for excellence not success. Make your goal for your skin to be your best. I promise you that’s the way you will feel good in your own skin. It could always be worse and probably could always be better. See a dermatologist and let them help you make your skin look how you feel.

I hope you all enjoy the blog. I truly enjoy skin and love writing about it in this blog. I’m always open to suggestions if there is a topic you would like me to post about. Johnson Dermatology has started snapchatting and instagramming (are those words? Get with it spell check, it’s 2015) and I hope you follow us there too. Our snapchat user ID is jdermatology and our IG is johnsondermatology. You won’t want to miss my snaps at the clinic.They provide a peek into what we are doing every day at the clinic.

“The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment.”

-William Arthur Ward

Have an excellent week, Nina

My Stock Pile

For some reason, when marketing their products, companies use the words “science”, “research” and “proven” improperly. So then we, the consumers, don’t know how to chose the best. People often want to know my personal regimen. You want to know what I use and what works for me? I think you all know by now that I have Botox and filler injected into my skin and I’ve had laser treatments and peels. Those are all things I suggest you buy during our Thanksgiving week special coming up if you have ever considered them. Although we use the week as a “Thank You” to our consumers, our only sale of the year, it is a good time for first timers to take the leap. It’s easier to get your first Botox treatment when it’s on sale, right? But what products do we sell that I stock pile? That I can’t live without all year? That you must get during the sale? Here they are, what I use and photos to prove it!

1. The BOB for my car. BOB stands for brush on block. It is a powder sunscreen that brushes onto your skin clear. I keep it in my car so I won’t forget my sunscreen during my morning bustle. I can reapply when I’m on a long drive or if I forget sunscreen at home I always have some in my car. My kids love it because it isn’t greasy and it’s fun to apply. I love it because it doesn’t melt and get yucky when kept in my car and because it’s so easy to use. Get one!

The BOB in my car, please ignore the dust! My husband is mortified that I'm posting this picture. Life.
The BOB in my car, please ignore the dust! My husband is mortified that I’m posting this picture. Life.

2. Jane Iredale Lip Crayons. I’m borderline obsessed. The colors they come in are all flattering on any skin tone. They are easy to apply and they stay on. They are marriage between lip stick and lip liner so it’s almost like getting two in one! Must have!

This photo is me standing in front of the pearly gates with my little piece of heaven.  (Or it might be in front of my bathroom window with my personal Jane Iredale lip crayon stash) OH! and all I have on is lip crayon, no make-up otherwise, just great skin care products!
This photo is me standing in front of the pearly gates with my little piece of heaven. (Or it might be in front of my bathroom window with my personal Jane Iredale lip crayon stash) OH! and all I have on is lip crayon, no make-up otherwise, just great skin care products!

3. A great sunscreen. If you want one with anti-aging properties that goes on like a powder then I recommend the tinted Total Defense and Repair by SkinMedica. I use this one when my skin isn’t super winter dry. Beware if you have been sensitive to sunscreens in the past. If you are more of a sensitive skin, acne prone and you are even drier during these cold winter months then I recommend the Elta MD sunscreen. It’s not greasy but it gives me a little extra moisture when I’m feeling dry.

4. Retinol. It’s the little black dress of skincare. Without it my skin is just blah. When I was pregnant I had moments of sorrow just looking at my retinol, wishing I could apply it. My skin was depressed. Retinol is the antidepressant of skin! It lightens, brightens, prevents acne, treats acne, helps with fine lines and wrinkles, decreases oil, smooths, evens texture…… it would be quicker if I just told you what it didn’t do. If you aren’t pregnant you better get this SkinMedica Retinol (I use the 0.5 strength).

5. Specialty Products. We only have one sale per year people. It’s like black Friday. It’s like new years day at Dillards. It’s the one time you can get the products you’ve wanted to splurge on all year with a good excuse (they are on sale). I use Lytera to lighten and brighten my dark discolorations I have from pregnancy and acne post inflammatory hyperpigmentations. I also use TNS recovery complex. This is growth factor, not to be confused with growth hormone. Growth factor is the pre-curser to collagen. It really helps those fine lines, great for crinkled tissue-thin aged skin. I think of it like breast milk. You can’t duplicate it nor understand exactly why it’s so good, but it is that good. Formula just isn’t the same as breast milk and neither is any other growth factor. The SkinMedica TNS recovery complex can also be bought with Vitamin C in the two pump TNS essential serum. The Vitamin C is a little creamier and thicker and I like the gel-like consistency of the TNS recovery complex alone better for me personally as I am acne prone. Mandelic Acid is what I used when I was pregnant. If you’re pregnant it is a good replacement for your Retinol.

My bathroom drawer. It includes my skin care products, my fav perfume and a thank you card that I haven't been able to give away because I like to read it every morning. Weirdo
My bathroom drawer. It includes my skin care products, my fav perfume and a thank you card that I haven’t been able to give away because I like to read it every morning. Weirdo

If you feel overwhelmed by all the skin care products and lines out there you are normal. Join the club. I saw three different products while scrolling through my facebook feed as I wrote this post. Did you know that you can schedule a free skin care consult at Johnson Dermatology with Dani? She will personalize a perfect plan for you that fits in your time schedule and budget. There are going to be some really good announcements and giveaways this month on the Johnson Dermatology social media sites too so don’t forget to follow us! Follow us not only on Facebook but on instagram @JohnsonDermatology and on snap chat userID: Jdermatology I’m kind of obsessed with snapchat and I’ve been doing a lot of the snapping at work. It’s a great way to see what is happening day to day at the clinic so follow along with me! Last week I snapped live Botox injections! Let me know what you want to see next!

I’m grateful for all my blog followers! Keep it skintastic, stay grateful, have a blessed evening, Nina

How to Make Gratitude Your Attitude

Today is the first day of November. Halloween is gone. Daylight savings has made our clocks fall back an hour. For all those stores that think this means putting out the Christmas decorations I would like to remind you the next holiday is actually Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday because we are all celebrating giving thanks and there are no presents or other things that make us all forget the reason for the season. This month at Johnson Dermatology we are all concentrating on making Gratitude our attitude. We are working on not just being grateful but expressing gratefulness. Gratefulness for each other, our patients and all of our blessings. Sometimes it is easy to be grateful and sometimes it is difficult. Here are some reminder tips for all of us to be grateful and show gratefulness this month. Happy Thanks month.

1. Find the positive in negative. When one door closes, another opens. After kids running all around my house all day yesterday hyped up on candy I laid my head on my pillow and felt exhaustion and started to fret of all the cleaning that waited for me when I would awaken. I had to stop myself and instead I went to bed thinking of how grateful I am to be able to have a home full of healthy children to make a mess and lots of memories.

2. Accept the fact that some things just stink. If we didn’t experience things that put us in a bad mood or people who were not nice to us then how would we know how grateful we are to experience the wonderful experiences and people we do have in our lives.

3. Speak your gratefulness often. You may be grateful for your husband, your coworkers and your kids but if you don’t tell them how do they know? We live in a fast-paced busy world. I spend most my days taking care of patients, kids and home and I’m horrible at “stopping to smell the roses”. But when I do take the time to thank my husband or my boss and it puts a smile on someone else’s face, that’s when I realize just how grateful I really am for the people in my life.

4. Realize it could always be worse, always. Remember that your worst might be someone else’s best. Therefore there is always something to be grateful for, always.

5.Decide you are grateful. It’s really the better option. A mood is a mood. Sometimes we are in bad moods and sometimes we are in good moods. But we control our mood. We don’t control the circumstances around us oftentimes but we do control how we let it affect our mood. So you can be unappreciative of the cards you have been dealt or you can choose to be grateful. I choose to be grateful because it is on a happier island and I want to live on Island Happy, don’t you?

I’m grateful for an excellent job that I love. I’m grateful for the best patients. I’m grateful for  a loving family. I want you all to know I’m grateful you read my blog and trust me with your skin.

As a Thank you to our patients we will be celebrating with 20% off cosmetic procedures, products and lasers the week of Thanksgiving. I hope you all get to come to our clinic that week and enjoy all the fun things we have happening.

“In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day–or to celebrate each special day.” Rasheed Ogunlaru

Hope your today is special, Nina

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Gru and his Minion

Happy Halloween!

Grateful for my Monkeys!