by Debbie Kho | Aug 13, 2015 | Acne Treatments, Skin Care Tips, Skin Health and Well Being
There you were, just going about your normal morning routine when something in your reflection caught your eye…
AHHH! A pimple? No way! You’re not a teenager!? What did you do to deserve this!?!
There’s no mistaking it; you are breaking out. You’ve got acne. Now what?
Well, take small comfort in the fact that you are not alone. Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States, affecting 40 to 50 million American’s annually.
So why are you the lucky one, and why now?
While no one knows exactly what causes acne, there are several factors that can bring on a breakout or worsen it, such as:
- Heredity or genetics (thanks mom!)
- Diet
- Medication
- Skin care products
- Skin Care regime
- Hormones
- Menstruation
- Emotional Stress
If you have done any research on-line about acne, one thing you will find is a LOT of information. It can be confusing sorting through it all since some of it it is misleading, much of it is contradictory and a whole bunch of it is just wrong.
As a professional esthetician, a common thread with every one of my acne clients whether female or male, teens or adults is that they are incredibly self conscious about having acne.
Teens, especially young girls, have expressed that they “feel like a freak” (in truth, around 85{d0e9dd2b7f7f77c6b9439fde6e913c4a7d9a2a38e49608c4a07ac89b301b8ed5} of people between the ages of 12 and 24 experience at least minor acne.)
Adults are not as self conscious, but it goes without saying that it is not a pleasant experience.
My heart truly aches when feeling my clients’ pain and frustrations with acne.
How I Treat Acne
So you might ask, “Debbie, what do YOU do differently than doctors and other estheticians when it comes to treating acne?”
My answer: I treat each and every acne client differently. Because no two people are the same, and the treatment will vary depending upon the nature of their skin.
Every one of my acne clients that has seen a doctor for the treatment of acne tells me that they were “prescribed meds, to take internally and topically. No other questions asked.”
One of my favorite teen clients has been taking a prescribed antibiotic and topical acne cream from ages 12 to 18! She still had acne when I first saw her at age 18. I was utterly horrified! So, applying my individual approach to her treatment, I was able to help her clear up her skin within a few short weeks.
Why do I treat each and every acne client differently? Like I said before: because no two people are the same and the bottom line is, I know a lot about skin, and what works and what doesn’t.
Teenage acne differs from adult.
Females and males have separate acne issues.
Sometimes I get great results by just changing up a skin care routine or skin care products.
Others take a little more work, including education about a healthier diet, and still others others need work on stress management.
In all cases, I focus on increasing lifestyle and health awareness while at the same time rebuilding self-esteem.
I always have a thorough consultation where we discuss prior and post treatment options.
My firm belief is that medicine can’t fix everything, it only masks symptoms and the elimination of acne is not a magical overnight quick fix.
What I offer is education, knowledge, making diet and lifestyle changes and a real focus on long term skin care.
Give me a call and schedule a consultation today – 503-307-3833
by Debbie Kho | Jun 3, 2015 | Acne Treatments, Add Ons, Bride to be facial, Celebrity Facial, Facial Treatments, Instant skin rejuvenation, Intraceutical Oxygen Facial, Oxygen Facial, Packages, Red Carpet Facial, replace botox, Skin Care Tips, Skin Health and Well Being
Oxygen Facial does not require injections or application of any chemicals or have any down time, it is performed by a licensed esthetician in a spa setting. Prior to the treatment, the skin care specialist follows same protocol as any other facial by offering a consultation to determine whether the Oxygen Facial is the best choice for the client’s skin. Following the
consultation the esthetician will than cleanse and exfoliate your skin to ensure it’s free of dirt and oil. After manual exfoliation or using a product to exfoliate the skin, a serum is chosen just for your skin type, than the serum is gently misted on to the skin and oxygen is introduced directly on the skin like a cool spray of air. The serum is packed full of botanical vitamins, aloe and hyaluronic acid that are highly and naturally beneficial for the skin, to help the skin retain its firmness and soften fine lines and wrinkles. Oxygen Facials are just as relaxing as any other facial, painless, with no harsh chemicals and it’s focus is to oxygenate the skin for a more youthful, healthy, more radiant looking skin.
Unlike chemical peels or injections, Oxygen Facial has no side effects, burning, stinging or pain. The method of delivering oxygen into the skin is very gentle, which makes Oxygen Facial for those with sensitive skin, and those who choose not to have harsh injections to get rid of wrinkles. After an Oxygen Facial one can resume normal activity, apply makeup without any concerns of irritations or down time.
The combination of fusing the skin with vitamins and oxygen is excellent for the skin as it encourages regeneration of new cells as well as collagen. This treatment may also rejuvenate skin that has been damaged by pollutants, free radical and other toxins that have starved skin cells of oxygen. Intraceutical Oxygen Facial is less expensive and safer than Botox injections or other chemical form of facial fillers. Oxygen Facial has been used to help get rid of acne scars and helps the skin create new cells at a faster rate to help reduce the appearance of blemishes.
Oxygen Facials has gain in popularity as THE facial for celebrities such as: Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow to drop a few names. And they’re just some of the high profile stars who use Oxygen Facials to keep their skin looking well-rested and radiant. As well as being a popular skin booster for weary celebrities, it’s also a great treatment for brides-to-be who need their skin to look stunning before their big day or any special event. This is because there is no risk of side effects that may occur with any other professional skin care treatments. Most importantly after the treatment your skin looks naturally years younger, luminous, glowing, plump and radiantly healthier for weeks!
by Debbie Kho | Feb 13, 2015 | Skin Care Tips
Delicious chocolate comes from the cacao fruit. Cacao bean have been around for thousands of years. Original use for cacao was for medicinal purposes. Fresh cacao are packed full of antioxidant, containing 10,000mg of flavanol antioxidants for 100g of cacao. Compared to other foods, dark chocolate is among the best source of antioxidant.
What are Free Radicals?
Pollution, smoke, radiation and harmful chemicals create unstable molecules called free radicals. These free radicals are unstable, therefore, robbing from stable molecules which they turn into unstable molecules, creating a chain reaction. Why is free radicals bad? Free radicals may cause loss of elasticity, skin damage, wrinkles and some cases cancer.
Benefits of antioxidants
Antioxidants neutralize unhealthy chain reaction of free radicals.
Dark chocolate and its skin benefits
The antioxidants in dark chocolate fight free radicals, therefore, they maybe able to fight off or delay fine lines, wrinkles, hyper-pigmentations and cancer. According to a study of The Journal Of Nutrition, people that drank chocolate daily for 12 weeks showed a “25{d0e9dd2b7f7f77c6b9439fde6e913c4a7d9a2a38e49608c4a07ac89b301b8ed5} reduction of redness in skin from UV exposure with improvement in skin texture and hydration,” by Rory Evans in Allure magazine.
Beware: Added ingredients such as: dairy products, sugar, flavoring and other additives reduces antioxidant in dark chocolate. How do you know what to look for in cacao? Aim for at least 50{d0e9dd2b7f7f77c6b9439fde6e913c4a7d9a2a38e49608c4a07ac89b301b8ed5} of cacao and consume daily throughout the day 3-5ozs.
Enjoy your dark chocolate!
by Debbie Kho | Jan 12, 2015 | Skin Care Tips
Do you have reactions or sensitivity to skin care products? Very important! Please read!
Skin care products absorb into the bloodstream within 26 seconds.
A client was experiencing allergic hives using an organic facials serum. She did not know why. I read the ingredients in her facial serum; it had organic coco-nut, almond and jojoba oils, among other ingredients.
After doing my CSI skin chat with my client, comes to find out she has nut allergies! Of course, facial products with nut oils are not the best choice for her!
On blood pressure medicine? Be your own CSI of skin care ingredients. Beware of skin care products or shampoo with grapefruit in its ingredients.
Chocolate or honey allergies? Watch out for chocolate masks or royal jelly in moisturizers. Royal jelly is bee pollen!
Please read your ingredients in your skin care products!
consultation the esthetician will than cleanse and exfoliate your skin to ensure it’s free of dirt and oil. After manual exfoliation or using a product to exfoliate the skin, a serum is chosen just for your skin type, than the serum is gently misted on to the skin and oxygen is introduced directly on the skin like a cool spray of air. The serum is packed full of botanical vitamins, aloe and hyaluronic acid that are highly and naturally beneficial for the skin, to help the skin retain its firmness and soften fine lines and wrinkles. Oxygen Facials are just as relaxing as any other facial, painless, with no harsh chemicals and it’s focus is to oxygenate the skin for a more youthful, healthy, more radiant looking skin.
