Allyson’s Pick …

As a new Mom, efficiency is KEY! The most I can get done in the least amount of time is my constant goal. That's why Skin Medica's TNS Essential Serum and TNS Ultimate Daily Moisturizer with SPF are two of my faves! They both pack a powerful punch by combining multiple ingredients into one product. Beautiful! TNS Essential Serum is an AWESOME anti-aging product and TNS Ultimate Daily Moisturizer is the perfect daytime sunscreen. Both are staples in my skincare regimen!


Kristy’s Pick …

I’m a gadget person so my favorite products have to be my Clarisonic Opal and Clarisonic Brush. Honestly I was doubtful that either could make a difference in my skin but they have!

Don’t believe me? Stop in the office and check out my 47 year old skin! It looks pretty darn good.

I use the Clarisonic Opal morning and night around the eye area – and when I am out of the eye serum contained in the Opal I simply use my Obagi Elastiderm Eye Gel - another favorite. After I am done with the eye area I move on to my upper lip area. Although the Opal is designed for around the eye I figure it can’t hurt to infuse a little product into the upper lip area where women my age start to form lines!

The Clarisonic Brush is perfect to remove that extra layer of sunscreen I have been applying to my face all summer along with any dead skin cells that need a bit of help sloughing off. Better yet the products I am using can penetrate my skin better making them 30% more effective.

The best is that you can buy them both this week and save $113!


Amanda’s Pick …

I have been dealing with small breakouts off and on for about 6 months now and it took quite a while to find something that worked well for my skin. After trying to self medicate and do things my way, I took Dr. Clinton’s advice and found haven in the SkinMedica Acne Toner and the Derma-RX Blemish Spot treatment. I have to be honest, someone with more severe and persistent acne problems would probably need a more revved up skin care regimen, but this turned out to be the perfect combination for me. The Purifying Toner contains 2% Salicylic Acid and is gentle and non-drying. I use it twice a day right after washing and it leaves my skin with a nice tingly clean feeling. The Blemish Spot treatment is a really neat little concoction made of Sulfur, Salicylic Acid and Zinc Oxide. I use it at night before bed and just sleep in it, and if I wake up with a new pimple I put it on while I’m getting ready and take it off before putting on my makeup. It really dries up my pimples fast and I love it!

Kate's Pick ...

I have always had acne prone skin, so thick luxurious moisturizers or sunscreens are on my list of things to avoid. It wasn't until I came across SkinMedica’s AHA/BHA Cream that I was able to introduce a moisturizer into my life! This cream boasts the power to exfoliate, revitalize and protect skin with a combination of 15% alpha-and beta-hydroxy acids as well as antioxidants. I started using it at nighttime to help with some of the texture and dryness that I was getting from other acne fighting products and now I’m hooked! It is basically a blend of both glycolic and salicylic acid delivered in the form of a moisturizer. I use it 1-2 times daily and notice that it not only provides my skin with the hydration it needs but has made my makeup go on smoother as well.

One month into Obagi and doing great!

I am now one month into my Obagi Nu-Derm System for oily/normal skin with 0.1% Tretinoin and my skin has never looked better!

Now, I have to admit that at first these products put my skin through the ringer! The first 2 weeks my skin peeled, itched, and was a nice shade of pink. In fact, Dr. Clinton looked at me one day and said…”Allyson, have you been playing with the Chemical peels again?!”

By week 3, I began to see some lightening of my sun damage, as well as brighter quality to my skin tone. My skin was still tight, flaky and pink, but not quite so sensitive. I did a light SilkPeel with hyaluronic acid infusion to gently exfoliate the superficial dead cells, while hydrating the deeper layers of my skin. I also began using Kinerase ProTherapy Cream as the final step in my nighttime regimen in order to add a little bit of moisture back into my skin.

I have now been using the products for one month and my skin seems to be adjusting to my new Obagi routine. I still have some days where I am a little more dry and pink, and other days were my skin seems to be just fine. I have been using my Clarisonic Skin Brush with my cleanser in both the morning and evening which has really helped to gently exfoliate away any of the dead cells that are ready to come off the surface of my skin. The best part is that I am really seeing some great changes in my skin color and texture. I have definitely noticed a more even and clear color, as well as a silkiness that has never been there before. I have to say, I’m loving it!!!

For those of you who are just getting started with Obagi, here are a few recommendations I’d like to share from my experience over the past month.

1. Avoid using #2 (Exfoderm Forte) around the eye area. This product has a combination of alpha-hydroxy acids which has quite a bite when applied around the eye area where the skin is thin and delicate.

2. Use caution when applying Tretinoin (Retin-A) on or near the corners of your mouth and near the nasolabial folds. This tends to be an area of increased sensitivity, so don’t be surprised if you notice peeling and redness in this area first. It’s normal!

3. Don’t forget to extend your products to your neck! You want the improved color, texture and tone of your skin to flow evenly from your face to your neck.

4. Don’t skimp on your sunblock! You want to make sure you are using #6 Sunfader as the last step in your morning application every day, even when it is cloudy. I even go the extra step and use my La-Rosche Posay Anthelios SPF 15 moisturizer as the last step of my morning routine. Not only does this provide better protection against UVA rays which can penetrate through windows and clouds, but it also gives my skin a little extra moisture which it can definitely use while I am adjusting to the Retin-A.

That’s it for now. I’ll report back and let you know how I’m doing as things progress. I can’t wait to see what my skin looks like a few weeks from now!

Are you worried about your pore size?

Do You Have Porexia?

Allure Magazine recently published an article highlighting a growing quest for smaller pore size. The term "Porexia" was given by a professor of dermatology to describe our preoccupation with a desire for "impossibly small pores". In the pursuit of perfect skin, many consider large pores undesirable. Smaller pore size does reflect light better and gives a more youthful appearance. Pore size is largely determined by genetics, skin type and age. As we age, we start to lose collagen and elastin that help to support the pores causing them to sag around the edges and look larger (imagine what a deflated inner tube would look like).

We must remember that pores are a biologically necessary component to our skin and to get rid of them is impossible. However, there are some things that can be done to improve the size and appearance of them making them far less noticeable.

Over the counter products will help them to look clearer but once you stop the product, the pores will return to their original condition. Exfoliating cleansers with salicylic acid, lactic or glycolic acid all stimulate cell turnover and help to clean pores. Moisturizers should be oil-free with the addition of Vitamin C or retinol to increase cell renewal and collagen production. Sunscreen is a must and needs to offer both UVA and UVB coverage. Masks with algae firm the skin and masks with clay will absorb oil.

Unfortunatley, many people do not notice dramatic improvement with over the counter products. Timeless Skin Solutions provides a variety of products and procedures, only available through a physician's office, that offers more aggressive options in our quest for smaller pore size.

Our Obagi product line contains a system of products that work together to improve overall skin texture and tone. The prescription strength Retin A in this product will give more dramatic results than over the counter retinoid products to improve cell turnover. The system also includes prescription strength Hydroquinone which will improve any dark spots or hyperpigmentation in the skin that might have been caused by previous blemishes or sun damage. The Toner portion of the system will help with oil control and the exfoliator and sunscreen will help with cell turnover and help to prevent any future sun damage respectively. Our TNS SkinMedica system will give similar results as the Obagi line but with a less aggressive form of Retin A, retinol. This would be more appropriate for people with sensitive skin. Our Anthelios line of sunscreen is the only sunscreen on the market with the patent for the protection of short UVA rays. The short UVA rays penetrate deepest into the skin and are the rays of ultraviolet light that can pass through glass.

Our physician strength chemical peels combined with regular medical grade microdermabrasion (the Silk Peel in our office) will promote exfoliation to improve overall texture and rejuvenation of the skin. Intense Pulse Light combined with Laser Genesis will target uneven tone and decrease sebaceous gland activity to reduce oil production. This in turn will reduce the tendency of the pores to be clogged with sebum (oil) which leads to cleaner and smaller appearing pores. The IPL component of this treatment also moderately stimulates collagen which will reduce the laxity of the skin and will help to support the edges of the pores. The Titan 3-D procedure is combination of the IPL and Genesis along with the addition of the Titan laser. The Titan laser targets the fibroblasts in our skin which are the cells responsible for the production of collagen and helps to stimulate their activity. As we age, the fibroblasts slow down in their production of collagen which cause skin laxity. The skin laxity is usually most evident in the jowl line and neck but it also affects the edges of the pores as mentioned above.

All of the above products and procedures offer significantly more benefit than just reduction in pore size which we will be happy to review during the consultation process.

Jay T.'s Review of Obagi

Jay T. is a patient of Dr. Carol Clinton. He is using the Obagi Clenziderm M.D. Acne Therapeutic System to treat his acne. He will be documenting his treatment and progress on this blog. This isn't an endorsement or paid advertisement for Obagi.

Entry 2

When I woke up this morning, I could still feel the tautness in my skin from the application last night. It was almost midday before I noticed that I still had the same feeling. I took a shower after applying the cleanser. This time around I followed it up with the pore therapy application. It states on the instruction card to use any cotton ball or square. It made me wonder why I could use any normal cotton with the pore therapy but I had to use the specialty cotton squares with the serum gel. Maybe the specialty cotton squares where indeed part of the overall treatment as I concluded from my first entry. This time the serum gel application feels more like regular rubbing alcohol. If you have ever rubbed or massaged your face with rubbing alcohol, like they used to do in the old days, you will have an understanding as to what I'm referring. After the application, I could feel it working its way deep into my skin and after awhile that minty eucalyptic feeling is back on. Glancing at the mirror, I noticed that my nose and especially my forehead isn't shining like before, hmmm. Dr. Clinton also recommended that whenever I go out that I apply some sunscreen on my face. I decided to stay in today so I didn't use the Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizing Cream with Sunscreen that she recommended. Like before this is not an endorsement of Anthelios SX or of any La Roche-Posay products.

Entry 1

My skin gets oily easily causing me to break out during the winter months. When I break out, I get little baby pimples mostly on my forehead close to my hairline and around my mouth...especially when I don't shave. On occasion I'll get one or two in my nose. Typically I have one or two pimples and not a full breakout. I've encountered common problems when using popular acne medications available at drug stores. They normally would dry up the initial breakout but I'd often find new pimples right next to the location of the old pimple...or the pimple would just return. Ssometimes they tend to form the results of a linear equation! Aside from my face, I have regular acne on my scalp, which thanks to Dr. Clinton, I just discovered can be treated with Selsun Blue. I was referred to Dr. Clinton by my wife who recommended using Obagi. I've been using the product for a little while. I've missed some treatments and I feel like my face just got oilier. With recent weather conditions, my face feels like it did the first time I visited Dr. Clinton.

Here is my treatment routine: Around 10 p.m. I apply some daily care foaming cleanser to my face. It feels like a body wash. After rinsing it off, my skin feels taut and after an hour it feels like I just washed my face. Next I use the serum gel with the enclosed cotton pads. The pads don't feel like ones you can get anywhere else. They feel like they have a special coating. After the application, my skin starts to tingle deep down. If you ever spilled acid in a chemistry lab and it got on your skin... well, the feeling is about the same but without the burn. No wonder they have a disclaimer about temporary tingling or stinging during the first week of usage.

I'll be sure to post again.

We Now Carry Obagi

Timeless Skin Solutions now carries the Obagi skin care line. Here is some information about Obagi:

"Obagi Medical Products is a pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, markets and sells proprietary prescription skin care Systems. The Systems are designed to prevent and improve the most common and visible skin disorders in adult skin. Obagi Medical Products has developed prescription-strength skin health systems focused on preventing and/or improving skin conditions including photodamage, hyperpigmentation (chloasma, melasma, freckles), acne, vulgaris and rosacea. The Obagi Nu-Derm System is the number one brand of Physician Dispensed products in the United States. Because the Obagi System products contain prescription strength formulations, the Systems are only available through physicians, which include over 3,500 in the U.S., primarily Dermatologists, Plastic Surgeons, Medical Spas and other Skin Care Specialists."

Feel free to stop in to learn more about Obagi.