New esthetic service offerings plus the All Natural Facial

Posted on 10/01/2011 by Administrator

We just updated our Esthetic Services page with new offerings and prices including our new all natural facial. Many of the salon skin treatment products as well as your personal skin care products contain either dangerous preservatives like parabens, formaldehyde, and other harsh chemicals. Others use non-toxic ingredients, but still use natural oils which can be irritating to your skin. So please click here to check it out all the new services including the Natural Facial featuring the Sense products – You’ll love it.

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How does VelaShape Work?

Posted on 09/30/2011 by Administrator

VelaShape™ features the revolutionary Elos technology, a combination of Bi-Polar Radiofrequency (RF), Infrared Light Energy, plus Vacuum and Mechanical Massage.

The precise heating ensures a safe, effective, fast treatment with no downtime. Vacuum and specially designed rollers for the Mechanical Massage smooth out the skin to facilitate safe and efficient heat energy delivery. The net result increases the metabolism of stored energy, increases lymphatic drainage and reduces or shrinks the size of the actual fat cells and fat chambers.

The result:

  • Gradual smoothening of skin’s surface with a noticeable reduction in cellulite
  • Circumferential Reduction, with noticeable reshaping of the treated area

In a clinical multi-center study, 85% of the treated areas have reported Circumferential Reduction of thighs of at least 1cm; ranging up to 7.2cm in reduction.

With VelaShape™ it is easy to enhance your body, improve your lifestyle and feel better about yourself!

Come visit us at Bella Pelle Laser for a free consultation to see what VelaShape can do for you. We’re located in Broomfield Colorado. If you’re in Boulder, Denver, Westminster, Erie, Northglenn, Arvada, Superior, or the metro Denver area, then we’re close to you.

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Fish oil and healthy skin

Posted on 09/27/2011 by Administrator

Fish oil containing the Omega 3 essential fatty acid EPA helps to prevent wrinkles and can delay the aging process of the skin according to recent research published in the Journal of Lipid Research in 2005. Scientists have also found that fish oil containing EPA can limit the damage to the skin produced by overexposure to the sun and help to reduce the negative effect of UV rays. This has particular relevance when we consider the recent and dramatic rise in cases of skin cancers caused predominantly by exposure to the suns harmful rays.

Essential Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are known to play a critical role in promoting healthy skin. They help to regulate cellular function and maintain elasticity and suppleness in the skin. Consequently, a fatty acid deficiency will show up as skin problems. Most of us do not get enough of the Omega 3 fatty acids in our diet whereas Omega 6 fatty acids are in plentiful supply. Symptoms of Omega 3 fatty acid deficiency include skin problems like eczema, dandruff, dry and flaking skin and poor wound healing.

Three reasons why EPA is so beneficial to the skin?

  • EPA is known to reduce inflammation by helping the body to produce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. These are hormone-like substances that are responsible for regulating all the cells in our body.
  • EPA helps to inhibit the production of androgens, which are hormones that influence the production of sebum in the hair follicle. Excess sebum production can lead to acne and other skin problems.
  • EPA helps to limit production of Arachidonic acid, which is responsible for pro-inflammatory responses in the body, high levels of which are found in people with inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis.

The Omega 3 fatty acids are ALA, EPA and DHA. Alpha linolenic acid (ALA) is found in dark green leafy vegetables and algae. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) can be found in oily fish such as salmon, herring, anchovies, mackerel and Tuna. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can also be found in oily fish. We can convert ALA to EPA and DHA but the conversion is very inefficient and dependent on a number of factors. However, we can convert EPA into DHA if we get enough EPA.

Supplementing with fish oil that contains EPA can alleviate the symptoms of skin disorders such as dry and flaky skin, psoriasis, eczema and acne as well as many other inflammatory skin conditions. However, it is important to choose a fish oil that is high in EPA as DHA has been shown to reduce the effectiveness of EPA.

Fish oil supplements can contain mercury. To be safe take only a pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplement.

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Can Laser Hair Removal Stimulate New Hair Growth?

Posted on 09/24/2011 by Administrator

There has been some discussion in recent years, mostly on forums, on whether laser hair removal causes more hair growth, but the general answer to that question is no. This method does not make the hairs grow, but instead reduces the amount of hair that is growing. However, there is a small amount of people who swear that hair started growing, in areas where there previously had been none, after they had received laser hair removal. While this type of occurrence is rare and has not been scientifically proven, it is not an impossibility that a laser somehow would be able to reinvigorate hairs and make them grow.

Normally, laser hair removal will definitely help to reduce hair in any area of the face or body, because the heat from the laserdevice is so strong that it severely and permanently damages the hair follicles. However, there is something called vellus hair, or peach fuzz hair, which is very fine hair that can appear anywhere on the skin, and this hair can be difficult to treat. For reasons that the experts are still not completely sure of, the laser can have a hard time in treating and eliminating these hairs. In addition to the vellus hairs, single sparse hairs can also react similarly.

One theory is that the beam from the laser hair removal machine is easily absorbed by normal, dark, long hairs, also called terminal hair, but that vellus hair has a harder time absorbing this light due to their finer texture. This can result in the vellus hairs not getting completely destroyed but only minimally damaged. The smaller damage that wasn’t really “enough” can make the vellus hairs try to repair themselves by supplying more blood to the hair follicles and thereby be able to grow longer and stronger. After all, hair protects our skin and our bodies are programmed to produce it. It appears that the fine hair can be especially hard to get rid of because it provides warmth and shields the skin.

So how can one make sure that laser hair removal does not stimulate hair growth? One way would be to avoid treating the fine hairs, also called vellus hairs. While it may be very tempting to treat them, they are rarely visible to anyone and it is best to leave them alone. In fact, there are laser hair removal clinics that refuse to treat vellus hairs because they have received reports of more hair growth in areas where the vellus hair was treated.
The normal hairs, the ones that are long, dark and highly visible, also called terminal hairs, are the only type of hair that should be treated. The vellus hairs can be removed with an alternative hair removal method, such as electrolysis; even though it is expensive and time consuming it can permanently remove any type of hair with high success.

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Hey, we do Esthetics too!

Posted on 09/16/2011 by Administrator

We do more than laser hair removal, we also offer a full range of esthetic services, peels, facials, and everything you need for a beautiful, youthful complexion.

We take a multi pronged approach to treating skin problems. Peels and facials give immediate results, but the results can only be as good as your skin is. If your skin is as healthy and naturally glowing as it can be, then you’ll have incredible results from esthetic treatments. So start with optimal nutrition, add to that a skin care regime which pampers your skin and is free of paraben, formaldehyde, and other irritating preservatives, and you’re skin will be as healthy as it can possibly be – Andy, you’ll be as beautiful as you can possibly be.

We use Image and Usana products for their purity and science based formulations.

We serve the metro Denver Boulder area, so give us a call to schedule an appointment.

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Vitamin D for Diabetes Prevention

Posted on 09/12/2011 by Administrator

Go on, head outside for a sunny spring walk: The vitamin D we get from everyday sunlight—as well as from fish, fortified milk, and supplements—may curb diabetes risk, suggests new research.

In the 17-year Finnish study, people with the highest blood levels of vitamin D reduced their chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 40 percent. Of the more than 4,000 people in the study, the 187 diagnosed with type 2 registered the lowest vitamin D levels, regardless of age, sex, or time of year.

The vitamin D effect remained even when the researchers controlled for education, smoking, body weight, blood pressure treatment, and exercise, though it weakened slightly.

Also interesting was a discovery that people who exercised the most also showed the highest vitamin D levels, says lead researcher Paul Knekt, PhD, of the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki.

Why might vitamin D be higher in exercisers? Is it due to more time jogging in the sun? A healthier, fish-rich diet in this health-conscious group? More vitamin D supplementation? Or might exercise itself affect the body’s vitamin D processing?
That’s all fodder for future research, says Knekt, as is the question of whether vitamin D can reverse type 2’s progression. “Similar studies should be replicated before we can make firm conclusions about the role of vitamin D in diabetes prevention,” Knekt says.

The findings were published in the October 2007 issue of Diabetes Care.

Just remember that as the sun is going lower in the sky it is more difficult to produce Vitamin D from the sun, so you’ll need to supplement over the winter. In the northern half of the US it is almost impossible to produce enough vitamin D from the sun as the sun’s rays aren’t strong enough.

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Kids are back in school, so now is the time for Laser Hair Removal

Posted on 08/30/2011 by Administrator

Most of the kids are back in school and the summer vacations to the lakes and the beach are done. That makes now the perfect time for Laser Hair Removal.  Start laser now and you’ll be ready for the hot tub at Aspen or you can wear that little black dress on New Years Eve and been hair free into the next year!!

Bella Pelle Laser offers free consultations, so give us a call www.BellaPelleLaser.com

 

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Electrolysis vs Laser Hair Removal

Posted on 08/08/2011 by Administrator

Electrolysis versus laser hair removal, which is better to remove your facial hair? These are the two best methods for permanently getting rid of hair, or at least reducing the amount.

We know facial hair can be the most annoying of all unwanted hairs because we can’t hide it under clothing if we have to, like on the body. Everyone, but especially females who have struggled with a large amount of facial hair knows how annoying the process can be of constantly worrying about ways to get hairless.

Can I Use Either Method?

  • Laser: The majority of laser units can only be used on those with light skin and dark hair. It can burn those with dark skin. The Syneron Elos (which we have) does work or light hair, but can take longer than those with dark hair.
  • Electrolysis: Can be used on anyone despite their skin or hair color because it attacks the hair follicle itself, and not the pigment in the hair.

How Long Is a Session, and How Many are Needed?

  • Laser: Facial zones are small, so they aren’t that time-consuming. To give you an idea, a treatment for the eyebrows generally takes about 15 minutes. Usually 5- 7 treatments are needed, spaced out about a 6 weeks apart to achieve the best hair reduction results.
  • Electrolysis: Each hair follicle has to be individually treated, and approximate times depend on the type of electrolysis used, as some are more advanced than others (read more). For example, one treatment on the eyebrows amy take 15- 30 minutes with an experienced technician. Anywhere from 15 – 30 sessions are needed to get the best results.

Electrolysis Versus Laser Hair Removal: Prices

  • Laser: Each visit averages $50 – $100 (for facial hair), based on the size of the area being treated. Other salons may charge much more though.
  • Electrolysis: An average 30-minute session is about $45 and will treat a small area, like the eyebrows.

Pain Factor

  • Laser: It feels like a rubber band ‘snapping’ against your skin and a heat sensation. Everyone has their own tolerance to pain and discomfort. Coarse, dark hair feels more of the burn. So a man’s laser hair removal in the beard and mustache area will feel more painful than a woman’s lip, cheeks or chin.
  • Electrolysis: Everyone has their own tolerance to pain. Electrolysis has been likened to a stinging and pricking sensation, and each follicle has to go through it.

Possible Side Effects?

  • Laser: Laser hair removal on the eyebrows can be dangerous if the laser light comes into contact with the eyes. Therefore, you need to wear protective eye shields and keep you eyes closed for the entire treatment to avoid any contact. Scarring, although rare is a possibility. Laser can also stimulate hidden facial hair to grow in women.
  • Electrolysis: Skin can get discolored if it’s done improperly.

Results

  • Laser: Approved by the FDA for permanent hair reduction. Facial hair on women is often lighter and finer than on the body, and this hair may not respond as well to the laser because it targets pigment (color) in the hair follicle.
  • Electrolysis: The only method approved by the FDA for permanent hair removal. It has the best track record, but isn’t 100% guaranteed for everyone. For example, hair follicles can be bent or misshapen from previous waxing or tweezing, now making getting the electrolysis needle to the root more difficult to destroy the follicle. However, electrolysis is effective for ridding fine facial hair, whatever the color may be.

Can I Do Electrolysis or Laser at Home?

  • Laser: Tria Laser is a home device cleared by the FDA for permanent hair reduction, but not for the face, only below the neck. However, Silk’n SensEpil also FDA approved for permanent hair reduction, uses IPL (intense pulsed light) and can be used on the face from the cheekline down. The downside of these devices is that they are much slower and take much longer than a professional laser.
  • Electrolysis: Sure, electrolysis units are sold for use at home. But just think how electrolysis is performed, by inserting a needle into the follicle. I personally don’t feel electrolysis at home can be done safely or effectively.

Electrolysis Versus Laser Hair Removal: The Bottom Line

If you have dark skin, you can’t rely on standard laser hair removal for safety issues or to give you optimal results on your face.  Electrolysis may then be your only option.

But if you have light skin and dark facial hair then you can choose between either option. Laser is the generally the less expensive of the two and requires less time and treatments. Laser might be your better choice if you would be happy with most of the hair being removed, or the hair being finer and lighter. If you have a lot of light hair removed or the hair is something that you want the best chances of getting permanent hair removal, then I recommend electrolysis.

For more information please visit our Hair Removal Pages. We can treat those with dark and light hair and also offer electrolysis. We are located in Broomfield and serve the metro Denver Boulder areas.

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Skin and Sun Tanning (or Burning) and What About Sunscreen

Posted on 08/05/2011 by Administrator

Skin, the body’s largest organ, is its protective covering that receives external sensory stimuli. It consists of the outer layer, or epidermis, over a thic

ker layer, the dermis.

Epidermis is made of cells that include immune defenses, sensory receptors, pigments cells and keratin producing cells. Keratin producing cells migrate to the surface and form a dead, relatively dry outer layer that continuously sloughs off.

Dermis contains sensory nerves and blood vessels within connective tissue. Fibers of collagen and elastin make skin tough yet elastic.

Is a suntan, as opposed to sunburn, good for you?

No, because there is no safe way to tan. Melanin is the body’s substance that gives pigmentation to skin and helps protect the skin from sun. A tan is a telltale sign of skin damage. When ultraviolet rays penetrate the epidermis, the skin’s outer layer, the body produces more melanin in response to the injury.

With each tan, damage accumulates. It increases your risk for all types of skin cancer. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and International Agency for Research on Cancer panel have declared ultraviolet radiation from the sun

and from artificial sources, such as tanning beds and sunlamps, to be a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance).

Ultraviolet light damage also accelerates the aging process. Chronic exposure to ultraviolet light, both natural and artificial, changes the skin’s texture, causing wrinkles and age spots.

What in ultraviolet light causes the damage?

Ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays can each cause harm.

  • UVA rays penetrate deeper into the dermis, the thickest layer of the skin. UVA rays can cause suppression of the immune system, making it harder for your body to protect against development and spread of skin cancer. UVA rays also lead to premature aging of the skin through wrinkling and age spots.
  • UVB rays are the burning rays. They are the primary cause of sunburn.

How do you treat sunburn?

  • It can take up to 24 hours for all of the effects of sunburn to show.
  • The two most common types are first-degree and second-degree burns.
  • First-degree sunburns cause redness, but will heal, sometimes with peeling, within a few days. Cool baths, moisturizers and over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams can help.
  • Avoid “caine” products, such a benzocaine, as they might cause sensitivity to broad range of chemicals. Anti-inflammatories, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can help ease the pain.
  • Second-degree sunburns cause blisters. Such burns can be considered an emergency, if a large area of skin is affected. Don’t break the blisters because it can delay healing and lead to infection. A layer of gauze may be used to cover the area until healed.
  • If severe sunburn is accompanied by headache, chills or fever, seek medical help immediately.

What about sun and vitamin D?

  • Sun exposure prompts vitamin D production in the skin.
  • Wearing sunscreen does decrease the production of vitamin D. Those who worry about not getting enough vitamin D should talk to their doctors about getting sufficient vitamin D from food and vitamin supplements

Now what about Sunscreen

Is SPF 30 twice as protective as SPF 15?  Sadly no,

Definition and Workings of Sunscreen:

  • Sunscreen is a lotion formulated with unique chemical components to absorb UV light.
  • When sunscreen is applied to the skin, the chemical molecules form an invisible, protective layer on the skin that protects from penetrating UV rays.
  • All sunscreens protect from UVB rays, but only “Broad-Spectrum” sunscreens protect from both UVB and UVA rays.
  • UVB rays affect the top layers of the skin and are responsible for Burning.
  • UVA rays affect the lower layers of the skin and are responsible for Aging.
  • Remember to always buy a sunscreen that is broad-spectrum!

SPF… What’s it All About?

  • SPF stands for “Sun Protection Factor.”
  • Always wear a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher!
  • SPF was developed to describe the amount of protection that a sunscreen provides. No sunscreen can protect your skin from all of the UV rays, but a higher SPF number indicates protection from more rays.
  • The SPF number tells you how much longer you can stay outside without burning while wearing the sunscreen product as opposed to not wearing any sun protection product. SPF measures “time to burn.”

SPF Math

SPF Number x Time to Burn Without Sun Protection = Time to Burn while wearing sunscreen*
*assuming that sunscreen is applied properly

Example: If your skin would burn in 10 minutes in the afternoon sun without any sun protection, and you applied a sunscreen with an SPF 15, you would have 15 x 10 = 150 minutes (2.5 hours) before you would burn.

Percentage of Protection from damaging UV rays:
SPF 15 = 92%
SPF 30 = 97%
SPF 40 = 97.5%
There is some controversy about very high SPF numbers and just how much more protection they provide. As you can see from the percentages of protection of the different SPF numbers, the difference in UV ray protection in SPF numbers becomes minimal as the number increases past about 30 or 40. The difference of protection between SPF 15 and SPF 30 is great (5%), but the difference between SPF 30 and SPF 40 is minimal (0.5%).

The Confusing Part About Sunscreen

  • Many people think that SPF values can be added. Actually, SPF values cannot be added – if you apply a sunscreen of 8 and then one of 12, you will not have the protection of an SPF 20. You will only be getting the protection of an SPF 12.
  • Reapplication only helps to ensure that you have the amount of protection and time before you burn that you calculated when you first applied sunscreen that day. Since no sunscreens can protect your skin from all UV rays, some rays will get through.
  • After your calculated “time to burn” has expired, your skin has absorbed all the UV rays that it can handle before it will start to burn. Even if you reapply sunscreen at this point, you will still burn because some rays will get through to your skin and your skin has already been saturated with UV. Therefore, you need to get out of the sun at this point and let your skin rest before exposing it to more rays.
  • Reapplication only ensures that you have your original time outside – sunscreen can wear off because of sweat, wind, and other factors you need to reapply in order to be protected.
  • So what’s the lesson to be learned about sunscreen? If you know that you will be in the sun for a long period of time, start with a higher-SPF sunscreen in order to have protection for the entire time that you are exposed.

 

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What does organic mean for cosmetics?

Posted on 08/04/2011 by Administrator

‘Organic’ doesn’t quite mean the same thing whether you’re in the food or in the cosmetic industry. To consumers it can mean ‘natural’, ‘green’, ‘chemical free’, or ‘found at Whole Foods’. But according to this article, the US organics market is completely confused.

http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Products-Markets/Study-highlights-confusion-in-US-organics-market.

Primarily because there is no industry-agreed meaning for terms like ‘organic’ or ‘natural’. Unlike the farming industry, these terms are not regulated for cosmetics. Companies can pretty much claim anything is natural or organic.

For example, imagine a body wash formula. It contains all kinds of synthetic surfactants, fragrances, preservatives and colors. But it also contains 85-90% water. A company might simply claim “90% organic or natural” and be telling the truth. Certainly, this isn’t in the spirit of what people believe organic to mean, but it is within the law.

Are organic products better?
Incidentally, natural or organic cosmetic products don’t really provide any added benefit for consumers. Most companies are just fooling you when they say their products are natural. What isn’t? And for companies like Burt’s Bees who strive to make ‘organic’ or ‘all-natural’ products, their finished products are mostly functionally inferior to more mainstream products. This is the real trade-off of natural or organic products. That and an incredibly higher cost for an inferior product.

Remember cosmetics are not food. No one has ever proven there is a benefit to ‘organically’ derived cosmetics.

Marie Bertrand 
M.Sc. Microbiology & Immunology, U of Montreal

In the cosmetic industry Consultant to:

  • L’Oreal Canada – Vichy, LaRoche-Posay
  • Bioderma, Europe
  • Uniprix Pharmacies, Quebec

In the biotech industry

  • National Cancer Institute – USA
  • Molecular Biology Specialist
  • BD Biosciences
  • Geneka Biotechnology

Visit us at Bella Pelle Laser. We cary the Usana Sense line of paraben and formaldehyde free skin care

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