Sleep — who needs it? You can get by on 4 hours a night without any problem, right? Wrong. Just because you’re not passing out at the wheel on your way to work doesn’t mean that lack of sleep isn’t affecting your body. There is no set rule for how much sleep a person needs. Try turning off the alarm on a weekend night. Fall asleep at your normal time and see when you wake up in the morning. Try to duplicate that schedule during the week. Your body will thank you!
Health Scents
Who says aromatherapy is just for candles in your bathroom? With 21 Drops, you can take powerful, effective scents with you to help augment your mood on-the-go. High blood pressure? Try their “De-Stress Blend” with frankincense, ylang-ylang and lavender. Or light a spark under your love life with “Passion,” a rich combination of jasmine, cardamom and sandalwood. Best of all, these sleek little bottles fit perfectly in just about any purse; $29 each, 21Drops.com.
Skin Rejuvenation
Aging may be inevitable. However, when it comes to the visible signs of aging on the skin, we have a large armamentarium to help prevent and revert the process. Many topical creams are available to treat darkening of the skin (which is among the most common sign of photoaging), such as hydroquinone, Vitamin C, azelaic acid, kojic acid and tretinoin. Chemical peels are used not only to fight fine wrinkles but to lighten dark pigmentation. Peels may include the use of glycolic alpha- or beta-hydroxy acids and trichloracetic acids. New treatments available include the Fraxel Laser and Intense Pulse Light. Both of these treatments can be used for facial rejuvenation and for acne patients. The Fraxel Laser causes skin tightening with minimal downtime. Fillers such as Restylane, Juvederm, Perlane, Sculptra and fat are safe to restore volume and fullness to the skin to correct moderate-to-severe facial wrinkles. They can provide immediate and long-lasting correction. The choice is tailored to the patient’s needs and sometimes a combination of products can be used. Dynamic wrinkles are caused by contractions of the delicate underlying facial muscles every time you smile, laugh or frown. While you may have earned every one of your worry lines, you don’t have to show them anymore! Using a tiny micro-needle, a very small amount of Botox/Dysport is injected very precisely into several locations on the face. You may resume normal activity immediately and see results within days.
› Dr. Susana Khouri is a Board-Certified Dermatologist at the Dermatology & Plastic Surgery Center at 580 Crandon Blvd. in Key Biscayne. For more information or a consultation, call 305.361.8200 or visit MiamiDermatologyCenter.com.
“Temperance and labor are the two real physicians of man.”
— Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Bite Me
Ever wonder why mosquitoes and BBQs seem to go so well together? Like the rest of us, they love the beer — or rather the effect beer has on your body, warming it and seriously increasing CO2 production.
Berry Smart
Scurvy problems? Forget oranges and reach for the strawberries. They pack a high Vitamin C punch, with 96 mg per 8 medium strawberries versus 74 mg for an equivalent serving of oranges.
Gross Out
Grab the Lysol: The human body contains 10 times more bacteria than it does human cells, with over 500 varieties inhabiting the surface of your skin alone —most of which are actually good for you!
