Tag Archive for: A Perfect Pinky Spa

wrinkles

Wrinkles are the road map of your life. Not sure about you, but I would like a few less streets, thank you! Even though wrinkles can occur from joyful experiences, through smiling and laughing, they certainly aren’t the most pleasant to have.

The main causes of wrinkles, however, are smoking, sun damage, heredity and aging itself. These factors have our wrinkles fall into two different types called Dynamic and Static. Static wrinkles are directly linked to loss of elasticity and collagen through the aging process, while Dynamic wrinkles are created by repetitive facial movements like squinting and puckering your lips around a cigarette or straw.

Let’s take a look at the various types of fine lines and wrinkles and what preventative measures to take in preventing them.

Forehead Wrinkles

Wrinkles on your forehead run horizontally across the top of your T-Zone. These wrinkles are caused primarily when we raise our eyebrows. Some studies suggest that deep forehead creases are an indicator for cardiovascular disease.

Frown Lines

Frown lines, also known as the ” 11’s”, are the vertical lines that appear between your eyes. These wrinkles usually appear due to squinting, stress, aging and heredity.

Crow’s Feet

Although not the most flattering name, these wrinkles are in fact due to lots of laughing and smiling! Crow’s feet are the deep wrinkles that form at the outer corners of your eyes. They also appear from squinting and aging.

Expression

As the name suggests, these wrinkles (Nasolabial folds) are caused by our repetitive facial expressions; how we move our face when happy, sad and everything in between. These lines of character are all over our face, but primarily extend from the edge of our nose to the outer corners of our mouth.

Marionette

Marionette, or accordion lines, run from the corners of our mouth vertically down our chin. As we age, we lose elasticity causing our cheeks to droop and these jowl wrinkles to form.

Lip Wrinkles

These wrinkles have various names such as smokers’ lines, barcode lines or lipstick lines. Formerly, they are called perioral lines. These wrinkles develop from pouting, puckering, smoking, genetics and sun exposure.

Preventative Measures

Protection

Unless you’re planning on living your life as a hermit, you’ll need to protect your skin from the environment. Sunscreen, hats and sunglasses are some of the top ways to prevent those UV rays from creating unwanted wrinkles and further damage.

Products

There are a multitude of products on the market that can prevent and/or treat wrinkles. How do you know which one works best for you? Well, you need to know your skin type and what you need the product to do for you. If your skin feels dry, choose a cream or serum containing hyaluronic acid to boost moisture and elasticity. Shea butter or vitamin C are good choices to soften and smooth existing lines, while repairing your skin from oxidative stress caused by air pollution. 

Healthy Choices

Okay, this one’s a no-brainer! The best wrinkle fighting ways of life are the healthy choices we make. Eating a healthy diet, consuming less sugar, exercising, keeping hydrated and don’t/quit smoking are all things that keep us looking and feeling our best. Let’s face it though, you need to be a little bit flexible. Rest and reducing our stress level can certainly lessen the visibility of those pesky lines. And a glass of wine or a few nachos can certainly help with that!

Physical Adjustments

Although this may be difficult to do, try to retrain yourself to refrain from your wrinkle causing habits. Relaxing your forehead, not rubbing your eyes, not squinting and quit pouting are all movements to be conscious of. The more aware we become of our wrinkle making motions, the more we can adjust to having smoother skin.

Acids, peels, injectables and facial surgeries are all corrective measures for wrinkles, and other facial needs or wants, offered today. If you are considering having a procedure performed, it should be discussed with an experienced doctor as each has its own risks and benefits. Wrinkle treatments are plentiful, but prevention is obviously the optimal choice when possible.

Let’s Connect

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone. And as always, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

A Perfect Pinky Team

healthy

Social-distancing, self-isolation, and quarantine. These will be the terms associated with the year 2020. We have been asked to stay home by our respective local health officials, and only venture out for essential services such as trips to the grocery store or pharmacy. With these restrictions, our physical and mental wellbeing have become affected in ways we may not have experienced before. Even though these restrictions on our daily life are temporary, we need to keep positive and in control of our physical and emotional states. Staying physically active and eating our usual nutritious foods are imperative to our present situation. 

Eating Healthy Meals at Home

While some aisles have limited supply right now, we can still create healthy meals with what is on the shelves at the grocery store. There are foods that we can eat from frozen if fresh is unavailable, or meals that can be frozen after we’ve cooked them to limit waste. Remember your plate should be 1/4 protein, 1/4 grains and 1/2 vegetables. Perhaps a little fruit for dessert too. Here are some examples of packed food that will stay fresh for a week, if not longer.

Breads

Bread, bagels, wraps 

Whole Grains

Oatmeal, pastas, rice

Fruits

Some fresh (apples, oranges), dried, frozen or canned, fruit juice

Vegetables

Some fresh (broccoli, potatoes), frozen, canned

Soups and Sauces 

Dairy

Milk, eggs, cheese

Meat

Cooked or frozen

And limit junk foods like cookies and chips.  Even though they taste good, they will leave you sluggish and unmotivated.

Regular Exercise

Keeping your regular workout routine, although modified since we are at home, will help to keep us burning calories and manage our stress levels. And since we have the time right now, starting a regular exercise routine is definitely something to consider. There are a multitude of social media accounts that you can follow that have great beginner workouts to try. We need to get outside too! Enjoy the fresh air of a walk, run or bike ride by yourself, or with your kids and spouse. Physical and emotional health go hand in hand. If you feel good in one regard, odds are you’ll feel good in the other. So, get moving!

We, as a worldwide community, are relying on each other more than ever before in our lifetime. To be able to restructure and rebuild our future, we need to keep healthy, in all regards. Let’s do our best to come out of this pandemic stronger and wiser to be able to enjoy all life has to offer. And lastly, please remember to WASH YOUR HANDS.

Let’s Connect

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone. And as always, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Till next time,

Phyllis

Essential Oils the Fragrance of Good Health, A Perfect Pinky, Aurora, Newmarket, York Region

Aromatherapy has been practiced by humanity for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians used many fragrant plants, such as lavender, in many of their cosmetics and ceremonial rituals, like the embalming process. The ancient Greeks used cypress oil to ease diarrhea, while people in India in 500 CE used sandalwood for their exorcism rites, as well as for healing arrow wounds. The word divided means; fragrance (aroma) and encouragement of good health (therapy).

Many scents, or essential oils, appear in our cosmetics, cleaning products and in our salons today. The oils are extracted from various parts of plants (i.e. roots, leaves, flowers), predominantly through a process called distillation. Steam passes over the parts of the plant through a still, then into a condenser where the oil produced is separated from the water. Finally, the oil, or essence of the plant, is poured into a small bottle.

One of the beneficial and most relaxing ways to experience the wonderful scents in our salon is by having an aromatic pedicure. Adding an essential oil to the pedicure bath waters is a perfect way to create a calming or invigorating experience, depending on which scent is chosen.

Just Some of the Aromatics We Use

Tea Tree

An extremely medicinal oil, tea tree oil, carries loads of benefits, and falls under the category of an invigorating aroma. Tea tree helps fight bacterial and fungal infections, like athlete’s foot and nail bed infections, and can ease mild inflammatory condition, such as sinusitis. It also is useful for chronic anxiety, and poor concentration. Tea tree oil is added to many soaps, shampoos and cosmetics for this reason.

Peppermint

Ingesting peppermint candy or drinking peppermint tea can be useful for various digestive system ailments. Breathing this essential oil in is just as helpful. Peppermint can relieve nausea, stress-triggered diarrhea and vomiting. It has also proven to be an effective stimulant, able to improve memory, poor concentration and mental fatigue. And it helps with hangovers!

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is yet another “anti-everything” essential oil. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antifungal properties. It is highly effective for treating various types of wounds like cuts, acne or boils. And breathing it in can relieve congestion, mental exhaustion and boost energy.

Citrus

Lemongrass and orange are both uplifting, fresh scents. Lemongrass oil not only increases mental awareness and concentration, it also relieves anxiety, irritability and feelings of stress. And as a natural detoxifier, when used in teas, lemongrass can flush toxins throughout your digestive tract. Sweet orange is not only uplifting, it simultaneously calms and relaxes as well. A natural mood enhancer, orange is used as an anti-depressant, because of its worry-reducing properties. It is also beneficial in relaxing muscular and nervous spasms, relieving inflammation and easing pain.

Aromatherapy, as you can see, is beneficial in various forms. From relieving stress, to promoting mental clarity, or calming physical inflammation, essential oils are just that, essential. Here at Perfect Pinky we welcome you to experience these essential oils during your pedicure pampering time with us!

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone.  Don`t forgot to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

Phyllis

Common Skin Growths and What To Do About Them

What is that spot?! Growths on our skin can develop for numerous reasons. They could be the result of a virus or bacterial infection, or simply something you’ve inherited from your mother.  Although some are harmless, others are not and need attention from you and your doctor.  Let’s explore some common growths and what to do about them.

Nevi (Moles)

Moles are usually round or oval growths that can sprout anywhere on the body. They range in colour from brown to black, or even pink.  They are usually slightly raised from the skin.  It is always best to have them checked regularly by your doctor for any changes to their appearance (i.e. shape, colour or size).

Cherry Angioma

These growths are cherry red clusters made up of tiny capillaries at the surface of the skin. They can show up anywhere on the body, but usually appear on the torso and upper thigh.  Cherry angiomas are generally harmless and usually appear in adults over the age of 30.

Warts

While they are ugly and annoying little pests, warts are non-cancerous growths that are caused by a viral infection, known as Human Papilloma Virus or HPV, in the top layer of skin. Usually occurring in children and young adults, warts can appear all over the body but are most common on the feet and hands.  They are usually rough and raised, however the plantar wart is flat, occurring on the soles of the feet. They can be treated by your doctor.

Lentigo

The dreaded age spot! There are 3 types of lentigo.  The first is called lentigo simplex.  This is a small spot, usually harmless and tan in colour.  Second are those called liver or age/sun spots.  They are medically referred to as solar lentigo, usually brought on by sun exposure.  And lastly, lentigo malignas.  These spots are dark and irregular shaped, most common in people over 60, and can develop onto skin cancer.

Skin Cancer

There are 3 types of skin cancer to look out for.  The most common is basal cell carcinoma.  Usually appearing as a waxy, flesh-coloured bump, this type is most commonly found on the face, head, neck and hands.  Second is squamous cell carcinoma.  These growths are rough and scaly and often bleed and crust over.  Also commonly found on the head, neck and hands, squamous cell carcinoma can really sprout anywhere on the body.

And the most serious of these is melanoma.  Melanoma often occurs through moles.  Common warning signs of melanoma are moles or legions that get darker, grow larger, and change shape.  All of these cancer types require monitoring and treatment by a doctor.

Your skin is your largest organ. Protect it. Nourish it. Wear sunscreen everyday and limit prolonged sun exposure. Your life may depend on it.

We welcome your questions and feedback. You can connect with us via email or telephone.  Don`t forgot to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest trends and special offers!

Til next time,

Phyllis