Archive for February 2011

KISSING LIP LINES GOODBYE

Monday, February 21, 2011 –

Although these cold winter months can do a number on lips, leaving them dry and chapped, they need to be given special attention throughout the year in order to minimize wrinkles and lines, keeping them soft and young looking.

Lips, as well as the skin around your eyes, are very sensitive and need a gentle, but effective, process to maintain their appearance. As we age, the skin in these areas begins to shrink and become thinner, which makes it all the more important to get into a good regimen of nurturing your lips early on. Practicing the following suggestions will go a long way towards having beautiful, healthy lips:

  • Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
  • Drink ample amounts of water (6-8 eight oz. glasses/day)
  • Cut down on caffeine, as it has a dehydrating effect
  • Consider taking antioxidant supplements to aid in keeping lips soft
  • Give up smoking, if you currently smoke (it dries skin and reduces oxygen supply to skin)
  • Use lip balm with SPF
  • Apply topical moisturizers (with peptides, when possible)
  • Use lemon wedges to lighten brown spots


Just as you would with the other skin on your face and body, exfoliating your lips on a routine basis helps regenerate the skin by removing dead cells. Rather than use regular exfoliants, which can be too harsh for your lips, try this:

  1. Apply your usual lip balm
  2. Wet a washcloth, then dip it into a small amount of granular sugar
  3. Gently scrub your lips
  4. Wash off lips
  5. Reapply lip balm

If your lips are currently dry, rough, scaly and/or show evidence of fine vertical lines, a specialized product, such as RX Systems PF Reparative Lip Gel, can accelerate the improvement of the look and feel of your lips while instituting the abovementioned steps to younger looking lips.

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Types of Rosacea

Tuesday, February 8, 2011 –


As mentioned in my earlier blog post, there are millions who suffer from rosacea without even knowing it. The fact that there are four different sub-types of rosacea that can afflict sufferers helps to explain why there may be confusion regarding a “diagnosis” of certain skin problems and symptoms by those not familiar with them.

The first sub-type of rosacea is called erythematotelangiectatic rosacea…not nearly as hard to recognize as it is to pronounce! This sub-type is the most common and is what much of the population, in general, would think of when somebody mentions rosacea. It is routinely seen across the forehead, cheeks, and nose. Other symptoms of this sub-type are:

  • Telangiectasias (abnormal dilation of capillaries just below skin surface)
  • Flushing
  • Redness
  • Burning
  • Stinging
  • Swelling

Sub-type 2 of rosacea is called papulopustular rosacea, which pretty well describes the symptoms of this sub-type…papules (bumps), pustules (pimples), and red patches. It has been called the “classic” sub-type. Papulopustular rosacea very much resembles acne (without the blackheads) and is sometimes called acne rosacea. Again, those dealing with Sub-type 2 rosacea may experience stinging or burning.

When talking about phymatous rosacea, sub-type 3, the most recognizable symptom is the development of excess tissue in areas of the face, including the chin, ears, forehead, cheeks, and…most significantly…the nose (think W.C. Fields). In addition, thickening of the skin in these areas, as well as nodules, may also occur.

Ocular rosacea, the final sub-type, can be evidenced by the following:

  • Bloodshot and watery eyes
  • Dryness and itching
  • Burning
  • Blurred vision
  • Swollen eyes
  • Light sensitivity
  • Feeling of having object in the eye
  • telangiectasia (see definition above) of the conjunctiva (mucous membrane lining of the inner eyelid and part of eyeball) and lid margin.

Obviously, with any of the symptoms exhibited by these four sub-types, a physician should be consulted. There are numerous treatment options for rosacea (see last week’s blog post), and leaving it untreated could lead to worsening of the condition.

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