The "Connect 4" to Hormone Havoc that Causes Hair Loss

Many of our guests (salon family)  are fast paced - multitasking -super women!    Naturally, this brings on excess stress, fatigue and hormonal challenges over a period of time. Common first experiences of hair loss is after giving birth.  Years later women reach menopause or other hormonal imbalances, and all not uncommon for women to start losing hair. And while hair loss is a normal process  -  it’s also something that can be remedied by addressing underlying health and hormonal problems.

I appreciate the recent post shared by Dr. Sara Gottfried MD.  You may know of her most recent book "The Hormone Cure."   Sara understands the fundamentals of functional medicine and how it relates to women's health and hormones - inside out.  Enjoy the quick read and thank you, Sara!

4 Hormone Horrors that Cause Hair Loss

If hormones can zap your energy and steal your sex drive, it’s probably no surprise that they can also turn your tresses into a mess. Here are just a few ways that hormonal issues can cause hair loss:

1. Excess Estrogen.

Estrogen, the power player in women’s bodies, is your friend when it’s appropriately balanced. It makes you feel energized, helps stabilize your moods and contributes to a healthy sex drive. Yet too much estrogen, which can be caused by weight gain, perimenopause or toxicity from exposure to endocrine disruptors (which are rampant in our food, water and plastic products), can lead to thinning hair. During and after pregnancy, for example, estrogen levels peak and then dip, causing sudden hair loss for many women.

2. Insulin Issues.

Insulin, that helper hormone in charge of regulating blood sugar levels, also affects a number of different body processes, including fat storage, heart health and, you guessed it, hair growth. One study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Risk found that women with some markers of insulin resistance have a greater risk for androgenic alopecia (AGA), or female pattern baldness.

3. Tricky Testosterone.

In men, testosterone is associated with being big, burly and hairy. But too much testosterone in women creates all sorts of unpleasant results. Namely, it can cause hair growth on the face, neck or chest, and hair loss on your head. Not pretty.

4. Thyroid Woes.

Your body is an intelligent system. So when it’s under stress due to hormonal imbalances, like fluctuating thyroid levels, it redirects energy used for noncritical processes (hair growth) to more important matters at hand (balancing your hormones). Low thyroid is often the cause of that thinning scalp some women get as they age.

3 Ways to Maintain your Mane               

If you’re tired of yanking out gobs of hair from the bathroom drain or piling on products to pump up your ponytail, here are three strategies that have helped many of my patients address the root cause of hair loss:  

1. Get tested.

Because there are a number of different factors that can contribute to hair loss, it’s best to ask your doctor for a few different tests. I recommend checking: fasting glucose, iron levels and complete blood count (which can determine if you have anemia), as well as thyroid, estrogen and testosterone levels. These assessments should give you a better understanding of what hormonal issues may be at the root of your problem.

2. Eat clean.

Incorporating more fiber into your diet will help to lower estrogen levels through the process of “elimination” (i.e., excess estrogen will come out in the wash). Focusing on a high-protein,

low-carbohydrate diet with lots of veggies will improve insulin resistance that may be contributing to hair loss.

3. Pop a quality multivitamin. 

Nutrients, or lack thereof, can affect hair growth, too. Vitamin A helps fat synthesis in hair follicles, encouraging growth; vitamin E helps protect your hair cells from damage; and B vitamins also help to restore hair thickness and shine. Vitamin C and zinc also help to repair cellular damage from the inside out, which makes for a healthy mane.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic solution, pill or product that will correct hair loss entirely. But if you think of your hormones as a cast of characters, knowing which ones are leading the show and which ones are only playing a supporting role can help you get to the bottom of the issue.  Manage your stress levels and get enough sleep. This will help with general hormone balance and can protect your precious locks from any further damage.

Find Sara's article here!

A missing link! Vitamin K2 and your Skin + Bone Health!

Vitamin K2 and it's amazing role in our 'Beautiful Health" both internal and external.

New evidence has confirmed that vitamin K2′s role in the body extends far beyond blood clotting to include protecting us from heart disease, ensuring healthy skin, forming strong bones, promoting brain function, supporting growth and development and helping to prevent cancer – to name a few. In fact, vitamin K2 has so many functions not associated with vitamin K1 that many researchers insist that K1 and K2 are best seen as two different vitamins entirely.

Vitamin K2′s role in the body includes protecting us from heart disease, forming strong bones, promoting brain function, supporting growth and development and helping to prevent cancer – to name a few. It performs these functions by helping to deposit calcium in appropriate locations, such as in the bones and teeth, and prevent it from depositing in locations where it does not belong, such as the soft tissues. One of the health benefits of vitamin K2 not often discussed is its role in ensuring healthy skin, and this vitamin is likely beneficial for preventing wrinkling and premature aging.

Adequate dietary vitamin K2 prevents calcification of our skin’s elastin, the protein that gives skin the ability to spring back, smoothing out lines and wrinkles.  This is because K2 is necessary for activation of matrix proteins that inhibit calcium from being deposited in elastin fibers and keeping these fibers from hardening and causing wrinkles. In fact, recent research suggests that people who cannot metabolize vitamin K end up with severe premature skin wrinkling.   Vitamin K2 is also necessary for the proper functioning of vitamin A- and D- dependent proteins. As I discussed in the first article in this series, vitamin A is essential for proper skin cell proliferation, and cannot work properly if vitamin K2 is not available. Therefore, vitamin K2 is important in the treatment of acne, keratosis pillaris, and other skin symptoms of vitamin A deficiency.

It’s important to get adequate amounts of dietary vitamin K2, particularly if trying to heal the skin or prevent wrinkles.

Foods high in vitamin K2

• Natto

• Hard cheese

• Soft cheese

• Egg yolk

• Butter

• Chicken liver

• Salami

• Chicken breast

• Ground beef

It is important to note that commercial butter and other dairy products are not significantly high sources of vitamin K2, as most dairy cattle in our country are fed grains rather than grass. It is the grazing on vitamin K1-rich grasses that leads to high levels of vitamin K2 in the dairy products of animals, so be sure to look for grass-fed dairy products when trying to increase your intake of vitamin K2. (11)

A great all-around supplement for skin health is Green Pasture’s Fermented Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil blend. It has a great mix of vitamins A, D, K2, and omega-3s in the proper ratios to help maximize skin health, especially in people with acne.

New research has expanded our understanding of the many important roles of vitamin K2.  Proof is being published at a rapid pace to bring clarity to one of the most poorly understood by medical authorities and the general public.

For more information on VK2 and how to source this supplementally, contact us at Kassie@kasiaorganicsalon.com. 

Guest Post Reference For more information on VK2 - head over to Chris's Blog: http://chriskresser.com/vitamin-k2-the-missing-nutrient

SPRING FORWARD: Two Quick Liver Cleansing Yum-a-licious Smoothie Recipes!

It's that time of year - to SPRING FORWARD!

Spring is a time of change, a time to detox, and a time for......GREEN!

Liver Season

Bitter greens are a foundation food to bring into the spring diet.  Bitters contain compounds that help the liver with its multitude of functions.

About the liver:  It is the second largest organ in the human body and performs over 500 different jobs!  We breathe, ingest, and absorb toxic compounds daily. In addition, our bodies produce poisonous compounds during normal biochemical reactions. It is the liver who is responsible for filtering the blood to remove these toxins and excess hormones. The liver is responsible for changing the chemical structure of those toxins to make them water soluble so that they can be excreted in the urine.  LOVE your liver, please!

Hidden in your fat?

Many of the most threatening and dangerous toxins are fat soluble.   Unless these compounds are detoxified they are more likely to lodge in your cells and remain there causing damage. This is why a diet high in potential pesticides and toxins dramatically increases your intake of toxic compounds. (Organic and sustainably raised animal products have less toxic compounds and should be taken seriously). By supporting your liver with certain foods, you can detoxify and dramatically increase your energy and quality of life, energy, and beauty!

Now, what foods support the liver? We are looking for foods that contain nutrients to produce and activate enzymes involved in the various phases of detoxification.

So what are they?

• Sulfur-containing foods such as onions, garlic, and legumes are a good start.

• Cabbage family vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, and cabbage are very important.

• Foods high in water-soluble fiber such as pears, apples, and oatmeal are fairly easy to consume on a regular basis.

• Certain spices even help such as turmeric, cinnamon, and licorice root. Hmmm, you see why we eat a lot of curry!

• And lastly, greens, glorious greens! All green foods are particularly important in liver health.

  

Let's look at a few greens......

Dandelion greens, sorrel, baby kale, collard greens, and wild mustard. Others may include arugula, spinach, mizuna, tat soi, and sunflower spouts.

All of these wonderful fresh, raw greens can be blended into a delicious-tasting smoothie! This is also an easy way for you and your children to get a healthy dose of green foods into your daily diet.

 Below is the recipe that can be changed everyday   depending on what is available. Soon the local fruits from the season will be available and you can change up our the recipe.

The key is - SPRING is a time for CLEANING OUT THE LIVER AND GALLBLADDER.  The intake of greens, bitters, and alkalizing agents will be beneficial as your body, mind, and soul transition seasons.   

 Two Yum-a-licious Spring Green Smoothie Recipes

I use a Vita-Mix for this, but if you have a smaller blender then cut this recipe in half. 

Spring Cleanse Smoothie with Cucumber, Pear and Kale

1/2 cucumber, sliced1 pear, sliced

1 cup kale

1/2 cup water

Sprig of mint to garnish (optional)

Spring Cleanse Smoothie with Apple, Ginger, Pear and Kiwi

2 ripe pears, cored

2 apples, cored

2 kiwis

1 very large chunk of fresh ginger

2 lemons, juiced

water

Blend the fruit mixture until smooth and creamy.

Beauty Benefits of a Super-Citrus Blood Orange Smoothie! (recipe inside)

Orangerie Benefits!

If you've been to the market lately, you've seen plenty of sweet oranges, grapefruits, tangerines and blood oranges…citrus galore!  Change it up and trade out the standard orange with a red flesh of blood orange!   This swap is especially satisfying when we learn of the beauty benefits that come along with this Mediterranean variant.

Superfruit power of vitamin C  stimulates collagen production and anthocyanins, the potent antioxidants found in berries. Both prevent free radicals that cause premature aging and ward off disease-causing inflammation. Paired with cucumber and greens, this smoothie is bursting with nutrients.

Blood Orange Smoothie Directions: Fill blender with…

• 10 oz coconut water

  

• 1 blood orange peeled and seeds removed

• ½ cucumber peeled

• ½ frozen banana

• 2 tsp chia seeds

• handful spinach

• juice from ¼ lemon

Blend ingredients until smooth and enjoy your organic Blood Orange Smoothie.

 Cheers!

Guest Recipe: BY LAURISA TRUEMPER

Winter Rehab: *NEW* Organic Oxygen Rescue Mask (70% Organic + Blueberry + Cranberry Fresh)

 Enjoy our NEW Organic Oxygen Rescue Mask in a Organic Facial, or for your own use at home.  Winter rehab to the rescue!

You may already know that berries are good for you. They’re considered one of the fruits that are particularly high in antioxidants, which can be key in protecting the body.

This antioxidant capability also makes cranberries and blueberries useful in skin care, as they can protect the skin from damaging free radicals that accelerate the appearance of aging. What’s really exciting about fruit seed oil, however, is that it is the only oils we know of so far that has a perfect ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, which means that it absorbs super well into the skin, giving you great hydration. It also means your skin is more likely to absorb the potent antioxidants, Vitamin E, and other nutrients in the oil.

In light of the long and harsh winter we had in Minnesota, we saw the missing link to our Kasia Natural Skin Line and our guests needs for extra MOISTURE!  So - you spoke, we listened ...and we delivered!  

Au-Natural and 70% Organic Get great looking skin in minutes with this fruit-filled mask!

Blueberries and cranberries hyper-oxygenate the skin with antioxidants, active bioflavonoids and vitamins to even texture and add youthful vibrancy.

A fresh fruit pulp and Glycolic and Alpha Lipoic acids slough away dead cells and boost collagen production, leaving skin revived and refreshed.

if you’re seeing dull, dry, sagging, skin, this unique oil is the perfect remedy.

Directions: Apply generously to face and neck. Leave on for 15-30 minutes. Remove with a damp cloth or warm water.

Contact our team today to purchase or book a custom organic facial today!   Schedule@kasiaorganicsalon.com 612.814.7611

STRESS Biologically AGES You: Learn WHY and HOW you can turn it back.

The New Biological Clock: How you can turn it back

Guest Post:  Thea Singer, Telomere Expert

Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little older.

Telomeres sit on the very tips of our 46 chromosomes, which are the threadlike bodies in the nucleus of cells that carry our genes. Telomeres have been compared to the plastic tips on the end of shoelaces—they protect the chromosome from being damaged. As cells replicate, which many do constantly, the telomeres wear down. In healthy times, the enzyme telomerase comes to the rescue, topping off the fraying ends with dabs of telomere DNA; otherwise the cells would stop replicating and die. But telomerase production slows with age; generally speaking, older people have shorter telomeres than younger ones. So do people living with constant stress, Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn and UCSF health psychologist Elissa Epel found.

In the above illustration, the yellowish tips are the telomeres. As you can see, each time the cell divides—one cell becomes two, two become four, and so on—the telomere gets shorter. That's what makes telomeres a marker of biological aging—their length indicates the age of our cells. Research shows that people who perceive themselves as being under chronic stress have shorter telomeres by a shocking 10 years or more. But as my book, STRESS LESS, shows, there are many research-backed interventions you can do yourself to slow or even reverse that aging process.

Margie E. Lachman’s office at Brandeis University, where she is a professor and the chair of the Department of Psychology, is enormous and sunlit. Impressionist oil paintings on loan from the school’s famous Rose Art Museum illuminate the walls, and gifts from students—glass flowers, a model of a Vietnamese “longevity” turtle—rest alongside a blue and yellow tin of Lucy’s Predic-a-Mints, of I Love Lucy fame. Lachman, a cheerful, wholesome-looking woman with rectangular glasses and dark wavy hair swept up in a silver barrette, clearly mixes whimsy with her academic rigor.

Lachman specializes in the area of life span development, including the sense of control we feel we have (or don’t have) in adulthood and old age. She was one of the original investigators on the massive study Midlife in the United States (MIDUS I), launched in 1995 to explore the health and well-being of more than seven thousand Americans, and she continues as an investigator on the study’s ten-year follow-up, MIDUS II.

I’m talking with Lachman to try to understand why we baby-boomer women may be the most stressed-out beings on the planet. “Stress is highest in young adulthood and midlife,” Lachman writes in the scientific paper that brought me here. These adults, she continues, “experienced more frequent overload stressors, especially involving children and financial risk.”

Why might that be? For starters, midlife in general presents unprecedented challenges, say social scientists, leaving us more vulnerable to day-to-day stressors from the get-go. It’s at midlife that we become aware of our mortality. Our bodies are no longer under our control the way they once were: no more reversing Friday night’s chocolate-cake binge with one day of Boca burgers and egg whites. Our health—and that of our partners—is increasingly precarious. “We find that a lot of people, as they get older, think that aging is just this inevitable, irreversible process of decline,” Lachman tells me, noting that such thinking can work against us. Lachman knows whereof she speaks: She’s a baby boomer herself—one of the forty-two million women between the ages of forty and fifty-nine living in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2005. It’s a group that comprises more than fourteen percent of the total American population. “The beliefs that people hold regarding aging really do have an impact in terms of how they behave and how they react and what the actual outcomes are,” she says. “People who feel that they are not in control of aging actually look different from people who feel that they are.”

No control. It lies at the heart of everything stressful, to a greater or lesser degree. The economy is in terrible shape. We (and our graying mates) are losing our jobs—maybe even struggling to hold on to our homes. We are caring for growing children with one hand and aging parents with the other, while also trying to save for those kids’ college and our own retirement. A survey from the Pew Research Center on the “Sandwich Generation” presents the stark stats: A quarter of women—particularly those between the ages of thirty and fifty—reported caring for a parent or other older relative. A whopping fifty-four percent of those in such a caregiving role said it caused them “at least some stress,” and twenty percent of that group said they were under “a lot of stress.”

Also adding to the burden is the fact that most of us work outside the home for economic reasons, even as we continue to do the lion’s share of housekeeping and child care (we’re expected to bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan, to paraphrase the old Enjoli perfume ad). Compounding the pressure is that our workplaces are often unsupportive of our multiple roles. If we work on our own as consultants, as more and more of us do as companies shrink, we also have to deal with the loss of work camaraderie and hours of social isolation. (And no, Facebook, virtual office that it can be, does not replace that chat by the watercooler.)

And unlike other generations, we cut ourselves little slack. Boomer women essentially invented the Superwoman syndrome—we would do it all, for everyone, and do it well. Now, at midlife, we’re taking stock, questioning whether we’ve achieved what we could or “should” have—and invariably beating ourselves up for falling short. Baby-boomer women “even made parenting a competitive sport,” notes Cornell University’s Elaine Wethington, a medical sociologist specializing in stress and midlife, in an article in the university’s publication Human Ecology. “It wasn’t enough to have and raise children. They had to have perfect children.”

Such demands can have a steep price: One of Wethington’s recent studies shows that a quarter of American women have had at least one episode of depression—a rate twice that of men.

It’s not just the major stressors that do us in—job loss, death of loved ones, long-term debt. The daily hassles—family fights, traffic, work deadlines—take their toll, too, piling up like bumper-to-bumper cars on a weak bridge. David M. Almeida, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist at Pennsylvania State University, has subjects in his studies fill out daily stress diaries over various periods of time so he can assess how overloads occur. In a weeklong study, he and colleague Melanie C. Horn, Ph.D., found that young adults and those at midlife reported more days with stressors, more days with multiple stressors, and more frequent “overload stressors” than older folks did. More support for Lachman’s contention. I wasn’t surprised.

“It’s at midlife when we are pulled in many directions in terms of being responsible for others, from our own children to our aging parents,” says Almeida. “It’s also a time when we’re more likely to be in management positions at work. All of these things expose us to more ‘danger’ events, the most prevalent types of stressors.” Danger events, he explains, are those that lead us to worry about the future—for example, hearing that the company’s revenues are down just when your son goes off to college, or that your mother, two hundred miles away in New Jersey, has been taken to the emergency room by ambulance. “We’re in the driver’s seat, which supposedly would give us more control,” he says. “But we also have more responsibility.”

Such repeated stress frazzles us. It makes us snap at our partners and kids—even growl at the dog. It keeps us awake at night and clouds our professional judgment. We’ve known for years that it puts us at greater risk for any number of diseases. What we didn’t know until now is that it actually physically ages us, all the way down to the DNA in our cells.

It was through such stressed women—they were caring for their chronically ill children—that2009 Nobel Prize-winning cell biologist Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Ph.D., and health psychologist Elissa S. Epel, Ph.D., both at the University of California, San Francisco, made the groundbreaking discovery from which this book sprang: that chronic stress literally gnaws at our DNA—its tips, or telomeres, to be precise—speeding up the rate at which our cells age by an alarming ten years or more.

The implications are clear: For us midlifers, stress has become the new biological clock.

Yet, as the research in this book will also show, there’s good news to go along with that shocking discovery—ways that we can slow, and even turn back, that relentless timepiece. For the Epel and Blackburn findings also reveal that what matters in cell aging is the level of perceived stress, which means that the antidote lies, significantly, in our own hands—or, more precisely, in our minds and our behaviors.

Of course, no scientist would ever suggest that we eliminate stress, whether psychological or biological. Indeed, as stress guru Bruce S. McEwen, Ph.D., puts it, if we got rid of stress, “we’d be dead.” Director of the neuroendocrinology laboratory at the Rockefeller University, in New York City, McEwen has been a leader in the study of stress for decadess, training generations of young scientists who make up a veritable who’s who of stress researchers.

Temporary, or acute, stress, in fact, can be very good for us. Exercise is a prime example. Researchers such as Gordon J. Lithgow, Ph.D., at California’s Buck Institute for Age Research, have shown that acute stress can even extend lifespan. Lithgow, a lanky, enthusiastic man with a broad forehead and inquisitive eyes, studies stress and aging in that most elemental of beings, single-celled worms (C. elegans). He’s shown that acute stressors—say, increased temperature for several hours—enable the worms to live up to thirty percent longer than their nonheated peers. How so? The added heat perturbs the homeostasis, or internal constancy, of the worm’s single cell. The cell in response kicks out what are called heat shock proteins, which, in a process called hormesis, causes the cell to metaphorically thicken its skin, making it better able to withstand future insults that could contribute to its demise. (We have homeostatic systems, too, as you may recall from high school biology. An example is body temperature: We operate at full throttle only when it’s near that constant 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Why do we care about stress in, of all things, worms? Scientists in search of so-called longevity genes—such as the University of Michigan’s Richard A. Miller, Ph.D.; the University of Washington’s Matt R. Kaeberlein, Ph.D.; and Harvard’s David A. Sinclair, Ph.D. — rely heavily on the fact that many cellular responses to stress are conserved throughout evolution. Worms may not be us, but the mechanistic lessons from worms may, they believe, apply to us.

Distinctions also split psychosocial stress—the heart-quickening, stomach-tensing kind we automatically associate with the word stress. Many scientists break psychosocial stress into two categories, and limn how our bodies and brains respond differently to each. There’s challenge stress (good for you), which refers to situations we find demanding but for which we have the resources to cope. Waiting in Whistler at the top of the mountain to slalom to Olympic gold—that’s challenge stress, as is (yes!) sex (see Chapter 3). In contrast, threat stress (very bad) refers to situations that are overwhelming, in which we feel helpless in the face of the onslaught. Caring for a chronically ill child, as the subjects in Blackburn and Epel’s research were doing, qualifies as threat stress.

Stanford University neurobiologist Robert M. Sapolsky, Ph.D., another giant in the stress-research world and author of the acclaimed Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, elaborates. “Our goal isn’t to have a life with no stress—anyone ranging from a development psychologist to a gerontologist knows that,” he wrote in an e-mail before our first meeting. “The idea is to have the right amount of stress. So what’s the right amount? Generally, it’s for challenges/stressors that are moderate in severity and transient in duration. And what does that define? Stimulation. ‘Moderate in severity’—it’s not for nothing that three-minute roller-coaster rides aren’t so severe that they rip your internal organs loose. ‘Transient’—it’s not for nothing that roller-coaster rides aren’t three weeks long. Another way of framing what good stress is: circumstances where you voluntarily relinquish a degree of control and predictability in a setting that overall is benevolent. You’re willing to let yourself be utterly out of control as to when the scary thing happens on the movie screen—because you know that the murderer is going to stay on the screen.”

McEwen, for his part, refines the psychosocial stress categories even further. Challenge stress, he says, encompasses both positive stress, in which you have good self-esteem and relish the chance to rise to the challenge, and tolerable stress, in which “something bad happens, but you have good social support and self-esteem, so you have the tools—economic, personal, and so on—to weather the storm.” Finally, there is toxic stress. “That’s the really bad stuff, where you don’t have adequate resources,” he explains. “Maybe you’re poor, maybe you don’t have good social support, maybe you’ve been abused as a child.” These are the folks who may not be able to rebound, and for whom pathology—major depression, for example—may develop. Blackburn and Epel’s caregivers with the shortest telomeres fit there.

Where do you fall on that stress spectrum? To help you find out, I’ve provided a targeted test at the start of each chapter in this book; use the tests together to develop your own stress profile. Questions they’ll help you answer include: What is my personal stress level? Which behaviors of mine increase my stress level and which ones reduce it? How should I change my lifestyle to bring about the latter so I can slow the aging process? These are not cobbled-together pseudoscientific scales but the actual tests used in scientific studies on stress and the behaviors that inform stress: diet, exercise, psychological outlook, social support, sleep, and more. Indeed, many of them come directly from the studies cited in these pages.

The discussions following the tests delve deep into Blackburn and Epel’s groundbreaking research on stress and aging, as well as that of dozens of other scientists whose hours spent bent over pipettes and petri dishes, crunching numbers from intricate surveys, and analyzing the behavior and brain changes of subjects from rats to people provide crucial new insights into our understanding of stress and how it ages us. They also explore the latest science showing how to manage our stress so we can slow the aging process.

Driving this approach is my own understanding of the mind-set of so many midlife women like me: The how-tos of combating stress are not enough—and not only because we are, constitutionally, it seems, dedicated to understanding the why of things, avidly researching our own health concerns both online and in print. It’s also because, for us, meaning begets action. We act not blindly but with definite intention based on reliable, concrete information we’ve dug up ourselves. We are knowledge seekers. Our old mantra, “Don’t trust anyone over thirty,” has become “Don’t trust the experts alone to tell us what we need to know.”

And so, be prepared to take a collaborative journey inside your body and brain to learn what makes your stressed self tick—and how you personally can slow that clock. The study of how stress contributes to our cells’ aging—which Blackburn and Epel opened the door to—is incredibly new. But be assured: By the time you finish this book, you, too, will be comfortably batting around the word telomere at cocktail parties and the gym, and making the lifestyle choices, based on rigorous science, that speak specifically to you. My intent is not to lay out an ironclad program for you to rigorously follow, but rather to let you, the intelligent and informed reader, pick and choose your strategies for reducing stress. After all, lack of control and unpredictability induce stress. What all of us need, now more than ever, is to trust our own good minds to make our own wise choices.

As Margie Lachman told me: “You can’t stop aging, but you can slow or compensate for it—you can prevent certain changes, or at least minimize them.” That’s what control is about. And control over stress and aging is what this book will teach you, on your own terms.

"Peeling Away" what a Facial Peel Is - and Can Do for You

What Are Facial Peels?

Facial peels are products that are applied to the skin in order to remove dead cells and expose the fresh, softer skin below. The term is also used to describe the treatment you receive when a peel product is applied to your skin.

Estheticians use mild facial peels that affect only the outermost layer the epidermis — skin that’s most hardened, and no longer “alive.” Dermatologists, plastic surgeons and other similar medical professionals apply peels that delve deeper into the skin’s “live” dermal layer.

How Do Peels & Exfoliation Differ?

The term exfoliation refers to any procedure that sloughs away dead skin to reveal softer, fresh skin below, and that includes facial peels. We can exfoliate our skin manually with scrubs or a microdermabrasion procedure, or chemically by applying products such as peels.

Any method that helps remove dead, crusty skin is a form of exfoliation. Doing something as simple as using a washcloth to remove product will help exfoliate your skin.

What Are a Few Products Estheticians Use for Facial Peels?

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) are acids that remove dead skin by dissolving the “cement” that holds cells together. They are often formulated from glycolic acid (derived from sugar cane), lactic acid (from milk) and malic acid (from apples). Read an article by Dr. Diana Howard, which explains why products made from lactic acid might be a very good choice for your peel.

Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHAs) exfoliate the surface of the skin, as alpha hydroxy acids do, and are also lipid soluble, a characteristic that allows them to penetrate into pores to soften oily blockages.

Salicylic acid is an antimicrobial BHA used in chemical peels. It can be an effective treatment for acne and other blemish-prone skin, but does come with a few warnings:

• Pregnant or lactating women should speak to their doctor before having this type of peel, because  salicylic acid is absorbed through the skin and could impact the baby and mother’s milk.
• Salicylic acid peels should not be used over large areas of the body unless approved by a physician.
• People with kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes or poor circulation may not be able to use products containing salicylic acid.
• Anyone with an allergy to aspirin should avoid salicylic acid, since the two products are related

Always ask your dermatologist or skin care therapist to explain the pros and cons of any product used in a skin peel.

Why Should I Have a Facial Peel?

Superficial chemical peels can benefit the skin in many ways:

• Stimulate blood flow and increase the rate of skin turnover, bringing newer cells to the surface more rapidly
• “New” skin has a smoother appearance, and is better able to retain moisture.
• Improve the effects of sun damage, including a softening of fine lines and a lightening of hyperpigmentation (commonly called age spots)
• Helps to remove open comedones (blackheads) or make their extraction an easier process; often makes it easier to remove closed comedones (whiteheads) which must be lanced prior to removal
• Improves red, pus-filled acne blemishes (by making them easier to extract when they’re ready)
• Improve overall skin texture and remove debris from the skin’s surface.

After evaluating your specific concerns, your skin care therapist may recommend a series of peels.

Conventional Peel Strengths & What to Expect

Each state regulates the strength of peels that can either be sold over the counter or applied by an esthetician. Acid peels are only left on the skin for a few minutes, but your skin will probably become red during the procedure.

Your skin will be sensitive after a peel, so don’t forget to wear sunscreen, and a wide-brimmed hat sure can’t hurt. Many people opt to undergo a series of peels in the fall and winter months, when the sun isn’t directly overhead. Your therapist will offer recommendations for complete home aftercare.

Peels applied by physicians are more intense, and recovery time varies. Ask your doctor to explain the process thoroughly before you have a medium to deep peel.

Kasia Organic Medi-Facial - NO Down Time - Best Organic Peel Alternative 

A revolutionary facial treatment that will have you rethinking the average facial “peel.” This treatment is safe, painless, and will not strip or damage your skin.

The  Kasia Skindeep Organic Medi-Peel and/or Facial have a 2.0% Retinaldehyde, making it the only non-acid peel that will infuse the dermis with fibroblast stimulators, immune boosters, antioxidants, pigment lighteners, and calming anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial ingredients.

Expect results with this powerful synergy that rejuvenates the skin by increasing collagen production, fighting free radical damage, scavenging scar tissue and helping reduce hyperpigmentation making it an amazing treatment for any skin type or condition.

Learn more here about our Medi-Facial

Enzyme Exfoliants Can Be an Excellent Option

Enzyme exfoliants, also usually called peels, are an excellent option for most of us, and are especially useful for skin that is too sensitive for other types of peels. Kasia's pumpkin enzyme peel is a personal favorite of mine, for removing that very outermost layer of hardened skin and for preparing clients for much easier blemish extraction.

Skin Peel Advice from Skin Care at Blue Ridge Comforts, ©2012

Common Industry Skin Care Terms You Need to Know

Getting familiar with common skin care terms is helpful when choosing skin care products! Understanding the following words will help you to understand your own skin and it's needs.

Alpha-Hydroxy Acids AHAs include lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, and pyruvic acid. Found in sugar cane and citrus fruit, AHAs loosen and remove cells from the stratum corneum (skin surface). In doing so they reduce the visibility of wrinkles and cause the skin to look and feel smoother. They also assist your skin in retaining moisture. Glycolic acid has the smallest molecular structure of the AHAs and can thus most easily penetrate into the stratum corneum.

Amino Acids Amino Acids are the building blocks of proteins. They are mild on the skin and strengthen connective tissue and stimulate collagen to keep the skin smooth and elastic. They have also been noted to improve skin tone and increase hydration.

Antimicrobial An element that slows and restricts the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Antioxidants Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) and enzymes (proteins) that repair cellular damage. They do so by counteracting Free Radicals damage, binding to the Free Radicals and transforming them into non-damaging compounds. They also stimulate new collagen growth for smooth, firm, youthful skin.

Astringent Astringents constrict cellular tissues, reducing pore size and minimizing oil production. They remove dirt and oil from the skin and are often used after a cleansing product to remove residue. Astringents help to keep the skin clean, clear, and properly functioning.

Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Broad spectrum sunscreens protect against both UVA and UVB radiation. UVA radiation causes aging while UVB radiation causes burning. It is important to protect against both forms of sun radiation to prevent premature aging of the skin.

Cell Renewal The process by which skin produces new cells that travel from the lowest level of your skin to the topmost layer. After some time they shed and allow new cells beneath them to emerge. These cells form a paper thin barrier on the surface of the skin to guard against moisture loss and environmental damage.

Cellular Regeneration The process of cell renewal, cell restoration, and cell growth.

Collagen A natural protein found in the dermis (middle layer of the skin). Collagen makes up 75% of the skin. It provides strength to the skin and gives it its form, shape, and firmness.

Comedogenic A product applied to the skin that contains an ingredient which increases the accumulation of dead cells within skin follicles. Comedogenic products lead to acne and blackhead formation, it is important to look for “Non-Comedogenic” skin care products.

Dermatologically Tested Clinical tests performed under the supervision of an independent third party dermatologist.

Dermis The middle layer of the skin comprised of blood vessels, hair follicles, and oil glands. Here is where collagen and elastin live, two proteins that offer the skin support and elasticity.

Elastin A natural protein found in the dermis. Elastin gives the skin strength, giving it its form, shape, and elasticity.

Emollient A mixture of agents designed to make the external layers of the skin (epidermis) softer and more elastic. They help the skin retain moisture by reducing evaporation.

Emulsifiers A substance that allows oils and liquids to mix (creating an Emulsion). Emulsifiers help to keep products in tact and help to remove oils from the skin.

Epidermis The Epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin and is in charge of Cell Renewal. It is composed of 5 layers; the topmost layer is made up of flat, dead skin cells (the stratum corneum) that shed about every two weeks. The bottom layer is made up of column-shaped cells that push already made cells from the Dermis to the surface. Although the Epidermis the thinnest layer of the skin it is responsible for producing pigment and protecting the skin from the environment.

Exfoliants Substances that break down and remove dead, dull skin cells that naturally build up on the skin’s surface. Exfoliants smooth and brighten as they help the skin achieve and maintain optimal performance. Suggested use is usually 2-3 times a week to keep the skin looking fresh and young.

Flavonoids Flavonoids are natural substances found in fruits, vegetables, pine bark and green tea. They are loaded with antioxidants and work actively to strengthen blood vessels and stabilize elastin and collagen to keep the skin young and vibrant.

Free Radicals Free Radicals are atoms or molecules with an odd number of electrons. Normally, when a chemical bond splits it doesn’t leave an odd, unpaired electron. However, when weak bonds splits a Free Radical is formed. The subsequent lone electron will steal a proton from another molecule to complete itself, causing a chain reaction of damage that can eventually disrupt a cell.

Humectant A Humectant is a substance that promotes the preservation and retention of the skins natural moisture.

Hygroscopic Hygroscopic is the ability of a substance to readily take up and retain moisture from its surrounding environment.

Hypodermis The Hypodermis is the deepest layer of the skin. It is composed of fatty tissue and is attached to the dermis via collagen and elastin fibres. The Hypodermis is responsible for conserving the body’s heat and protecting vital inner organs.

Keratin Keratin is a key structural protein that makes up hair, nails, and the surface layer of the skin. Keratin determines the skins rigidity.

Lipids Naturally occurring compounds that protect the skins natural barrier. Topically applied, Lipids help the skin to retain its natural moisture to keep it soft, supple, and protected.

Melanin Melanin is pigment that gives the skin its color. The more melanin you have the darker your skin will be. The amount of melanin you naturally have is based on your genetic makeup, sun exposure, and your hormone levels. Melanin is produced at the base of the epidermis.

Moisture Barrier A function of the epidermis that protects the skin from excessive moisture loss.

Non-acnegenic Non-acnegenic products are products that do not cause acne, versus non-comedogenic products that do not cause clogged skin pores.

Peptides Amino acid chains that create a protein that maintains the health of hair, nails, and skin.

pH The measure of acidity in a substance. Neutral pH is 7.0 (the pH of pure water). Substance with a pH of less than 7.0 are acids and with a pH of above 7.0 a base. The lower the pH the stronger the acid, and higher the pH the stronger the base. Very high or low pHs are irritating to the skin.

Salicylic Acid Salicylic acid works as an exfoliant and fights acne. It penetrates the follicle and encourages the shedding of dead skin cells to keep the pores clear of buildup.

Sebum The skins natural oil produced in the dermis.

Surfactant An active agent that promotes the foaming, dispersing, and spreading properties of a product. Surfactants may act as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants. They help products get their job done.

T-zone The area of the face that produces the most sebum. Located on the forehead, nose, and chin.

Toner Skin care products used after a cleanser and before a moisturizer. Toners remove any traces of cleansing product, dirt, and makeup.

Toxins Irritating substances that cause the skin to break out.