Shizuka New York Day Spa Blog

A study this year at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University used a unique method to show the effects of lifestyle choices on aging. Researchers photographed and interviewed 186 pairs of twins during the 2006 and 2007 Twins Festival in Twinsburg, OH and compared these data to find clues into how our daily choices affect the way we age.

In the above example, researchers recorded an over-11-year gap in perceived age difference between 61-year-old twin sisters Jeanne (left) and Susan (right). “We don’t have the same taste in men and weather,” says Jeanne who lives in Ohio and has aimed for “as little sun exposure as possible” in contrast with her sun worshiping Floridian counterpart. In addition to her tanning habit, Susan also smoked a pack-and-a-half per day for 16 years during her 20s and 30s.

The evidence of aging is far stronger in twin sister Susan’s hyperpigmentation (sun damage and age spots) and the greater appearance of fine lines and wrinkles under the eyes and around the mouth.

In addition to sun exposure and smoking, another major factor in the appearance of age in the twins was weight. In women below 40, lower weight generally translates to a more youthful appearance.  However, in women over 40, more weight contributes to a younger look by filling in fine lines, wrinkles and skin sagging. In the case of the above 46-year-old twins, Laurie (left) weighs 38 pounds less than her sister Lisa (right) which contributes to her more pronounced wrinkles and sagging in the eye area.

Other factors that could contribute to aging include birth control pills (younger), antidepressants (older) and stress (older). [MSNBC.com]

DCL’s Super Sheer Sunscreen SPF 50+ DCL Skin Care’s Super Sheer Sunscreen 50+ combines powerful sun protection in a lightweight and sheer application. DCL’s Super Sheer Sunscreen SPF 50+ is non-whitening, PABA-free and fragrance-free for all skin types. Size: 2.5 oz Price: $24.00

Okay, so baby Botox is technically not Botox for actual babies, although that subject is surprisingly less than fictional.  Julian McMahon’s character on Nip/Tuck recently faced the moral dilemma of whether he should inject dermal fillers into the lips of an infant model.  Okay, so that’s still technically fictional, but check out this site and a clip of a young “Toddlers and Tiaras” type of girl who desperately wants plastic surgery because “I love my mommy.”  Huh?

Baby Botox actually refers to a less-is-more approach to injecting Botox Cosmetic that aims to simply soften fine lines and wrinkles without creating the cliche “frozen face” or perpetually quizzical look.  Baby Botox is becoming more popular especially among younger women in their 20’s and early 30’s (Jessica Simpson was having regular Botox injections and lip fillers as early as 25!).

The New York Daily News printed an interesting and related article this week on anti-aging skin care for teenagers, stating that “a third of women under 25 years old regularly apply anti-aging products meant for the 40-plus crowd.”

Some British dermatologists have spoken out about this trend and it’s potentially negative effects for the youth-obsessed teens: “cosmetic products that boast of maintaining youthful skin contain high concentrations of retinoids and AHAs, which can actually accelerate the aging process for those with vibrant skin.” These retinoids and AHAs (alpha hydroxyacids) can stimulate cellular renewal in those with more mature skin. However, in the young, the dermatologists contend, they can lead to redness, irritation, itchiness and a greater susceptibility to sun damage and hyperpigmentation, especially if the teenagers are not wearing sunscreen.

So how young is too young?  Unless the teenager has an acne problem, we recommend keeping skin care simple.  It is a great time to learn proper skin care basics and to create routines that will hopefully last a lifetime, including daily cleansing, hydration and, most importantly, sun protection.  Botox will always eventually wear off.  However, sun damage is not an easy problem to fix.

Shizuka New York Day Spa hopes you had a safe and fun Labor Day weekend.  Looking ahead to the the fall, facial peels are a great way to treat skin distressed from too much summer sun and sunscreen products.

Take 10% off these three great facial peels at our New York City day spa through October 11, 2009!

Lunchtime Chemical Peel ($150 $135)
“Crystal Peel” Microdermabrasion Treatment ($250 $225)
T-Zone Facial ($140 $126)

Learn more about these facial deals by taking a look at our spa newsletter.

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In case you need yet another reason to eat your veggies like mom always told you to, Penn State University has recently found that compounds found in green vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, when combined with selenium, could be a potent drug to fight melanoma.

So far, the new skin cancer treatment has only been tested on lab mice, but researchers speculate that the new drug could be effectively delivered to humans intravenously, or as an additive in sunscreen products.

Source: Penn State Live

Uh-oh!  It looks like years of excessive sun, drinking, and smoking can catch up to even the most beautiful among us!

British supermodel Kate Moss learned this the hard way when she saw pictures of a recent St. Tropez vacation posted online.  35-year-old Kate was shocked to see that her skin had seriously aged.

According to a Daily Mail source:

“Kate didn’t like seeing pictures of the state of her skin while she was on holiday. She knows it’s down to her lifestyle, so she is deciding to try a particular health plan to help regain a fresh look.”

As a result of seeing her deep forehead wrinkles, crow’s feet, and blemishes, Kate has decided to turn over a new leaf and lead a healthier lifestyle by cutting down on the drinking and smoking, revising her diet, and upping her water intake.

These are all great steps and we applaud Kate.  As we’ve stated in previous posts, excessive sun exposure, drinking and smoking can be serious skin-agers.  It’s so important to remember that our lifestyles directly affect the way we look on the outside.  Exposure to the sun’s UV rays leads to wrinkles, sun damage, and potentially skin cancer (also take a look at this post on tanorexia). Too much drinking can dehydrate the body and affect the quality of our regenerative sleep. Smoking robs the body and skin of essential Vitamin C and can also lead to hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.

For anyone feeling like Kate, we recommend microdermabrasion or chemical peeling procedures to even out the skin texture and Botox Cosmetic at our New York City Medical Spa to smooth forehead wrinkles and crow’s feet in addition to leading a healthier lifestyle.

Source: Daily Mail

Celebrity funny-man Will Ferrell of Anchorman and Saturday Night Live fame uses his best “assets” to support cancer survivors with his new line of sunscreens.

With provocative names such as “Sexy Hot Tan,” “Forbidden Fruit” and “Sun Stroke,” 100% of the proceeds of Ferrell’s signature sunscreens benefit Cancer For College, an organization that provides college scholarships to cancer survivors.  According to CFC’s website, over 10,000 bottles have already been sold.

In true Ferrell form, the descriptions of the SPF 30 sunscreens are equally as hilarious as the very exposing pictures of him on each bottle:

• Sexy Hot Tan
  Are you Sexy?  Are You Hot? Then who wouldn’t want a sexy, hot tan? This sunscreen is made with our very own streaking strength formula plus one.
• Sun Stroke
  What golfer wouldn’t want to sport a rich dark tan and add 57 yards to their tee shots?  This sunscreen provides improved accuracy, added distance and the ultimate bronzing power…we think.
• Forbidden Fruit
  Honestly, the less we say about this one the better for fear of being cast into a pit of fire.

More information about Will Ferrell Sunscreens and Cancer For College at CancerForCollege.org.

Experts in the cancer branch of the World Health Organization have now moved tanning beds and other forms of ultraviolet radiation into the top cancer risk group along with arsenic, mustard gas, smoking cigarettes and chimney sweeping, among others.

Tanning beds have long been considered “probable carcinogens” likely to lead to skin cancer by the WHO, but this news, published in the medical journal Lancet Oncology, concludes through the analysis of about 20 different cancer studies that skin cancer risk increases by 75% in people who start using tanning beds before the age of 30.

“People need to be reminded of the risks of sunbeds,” remarked Vincent Cogliano, one of the researchers. “We hope the prevailing culture will change so teens don’t think they need to use sunbeds to get a tan.”

Studies show that the use of tanning beds has increased in the under-30 generation, including teens. This is easy to believe due to high visibility of bronzed celebrities gracing our movie theaters and television screens (see our previous post on Tanorexia and UV protection).

Cogliano went on to elaborate that ultraviolet radiation is not healthy in any form, whether it be from a tanning bed or even the sun.  This research only further emphasizes the need for us all to limit sun exposure and to always protect our skin by wearing sunscreen or sunblock daily with an SPF of at least 30. In addition to the cosmetic problems such as hyperpigmentation and wrinkles that prolonged sun exposure can cause, it has now been confirmed what a serious health risk tanning can be.

As an alternative to tanning, the American Cancer Society recommends cosmetic bronzers and self-tanners as an alternative to tanning beds.  Let’s all remember to protect our skin this summer!

More information about this story at USAToday.com.

What is Tanorexia?

Tanorexia is basically an addiction to sun tanning. Tanorexia is a condition in which a person participates in excessive outdoor sun tanning or use of other skin tanning methods (such as tanning beds) to achieve a darker skin complexion because they perceive themselves as unacceptably pale.

Could that “healthy glow” actually be unhealthy?

Absolutely. Keep in mind that a suntan is your body’s natural way of defending itself from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.  UV exposure causes the skin to produce more melanin (the pigment that gives your skin its natural color).  While you may enjoy the look of a tan, the UVA and UVB rays also work in ways you may not appreciate as much:

• UV light weakens connective tissues that give your skin firmness and elasticity, resulting in wrinkles and thinner, more translucent skin.
• Hyperpigmentation—usually seen as small dark spots or freckles—occurs when an excess of melanin is produced in these small patches of skin.
• In extreme cases, overexposure to the UV light can lead to skin cancer.  According to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures 2009, over 70,000 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year, and New York State ranks fourth in the nation for the most estimated new cases in 2009 following California, Florida and Texas.*

America’s Next Top Tanorexic is…

It is not surprising that California ranks #1 for melanoma risk with the great number of tanning salons and the abundance of very tanorexic celebs such as the ones pictured above, including Victoria Beckham.  However, BeautyNewsNYC also reported last year that there are a growing number of celebrities who are staying away from tanning beds and “fake bakes” and sporting more Geisha-like porcelain complexions (think Anne Hathaway, Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman and Dita von Teese).

Tanorexia Makes You Look Old

As further proof of the need to protect your skin from sun damage, scientists have found through computer imaging that hyperpigmentation directly influences how old we appear to others.  Using digital images of 169  women, aged 17-70, the color distribution on each woman’s face was imposed on a generic 3-D form devoid of fine lines, wrinkles, and other traditionally age-defining characteristics. Faces with more even color distributions were perceived to be healthier and younger in appearance.

Protect Your Skin This Summer!

Summer is the time for New Yorkers to flock outdoors en masse to sunny destinations such as Central Park, Coney Island, the Hamptons and Jersey Shore to soak up those intoxicating rays and work on their tans.  As great as it feels to be outdoors during the summer, be careful (i.e. not a “tanorexic”) and protect your skin every time you are outside with these summer skincare tips:

• Minimize sun exposure, especially between 10am – 4pm when the sun is at its brightest.
  Always protect your skin by applying sunscreen 30 minutes before you step outside.
• If your schedule requires you to be in the sun for extended periods of time, wear protective clothing such as hats, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants.
• Remember that you can burn as easily on an overcast day as a sunny one.
• Be cautious of reflective environmental surfaces such as sand, water, concrete, and snow as these can multiply the power of the sun’s light.
• Stay away from tanning salons, tanorexic conventions, and UV tanning beds, and beware of false advertising claims that indoor tanning with UVA light is safer than sunlight.
• Teach children the dangers of tanorexia and the benefits of proper sun protection from a young age. The effects of sun damage accumulate over their lifetimes, and it is never too early to create good habits.
• Although darker skin is less likely to burn, it is still important for those with darker complexions to protect their skin with sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, wrinkles and other signs of aging.

The temperature is beginning to rise in New York City and it especially important to think about protecting your skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

Dermatologic Cosmetic Laboratories (DCL) has just introduced a new sun protection product, Super Sheer Sunscreen SPF 50+. This silky-smooth sunscreen carries a rating of PA+++ based on its score of 16 in the Persistent Pigment Darkening Test adopted by the Japan Cosmetic Industry Association (the minimum score for PA+++ is 8).  What this translates to is superior sun protection in a sheer formula that leaves a non-whitening matte finish with no sticky residue.

This quick drying and fragrance free sunscreen also contains supplemental antioxidants to safeguard the skin from environmental free radicals.

Shizuka highly recommends Super Sheer Sunscreen SPF 50+ ($24.00) this summer.  It is available for purchase, along with other sunscreens and sunblocks online, in the spa, or by phone at 212.644.7400.