After a long, wet winter and an equally wet spring, West Coasters are about ready for a little sunshine. This year in particular, we are likely to get a nasty sunburn if we don’t cover up properly. Why? Because our skins have not seen the sun in a long time, and will immediately become exposed to the strong overhead rays that June traditionally brings.

So remember to cover up, and try to stay out of the sunshine from the hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Love the beach too much to stay away from it? Then be sure to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection. (This will be marked on the packaging.) For extra protection, whisk ColoreScience Sunforgettable over your face, neck and decolleté. (Some sun-savvy women use this on the back of  their hands too – every day!) Sunforgettable is available from Afterglow.

Since many sunscreens break down in sunlight, to be safe, you should reapply every two hours or so and always after a swim or dip in the pool.  You will need to apply approximately one shot glass full of sunscreen to your entire body to ensure proper protection.  Sunscreen should be applied half an hour before going out in the sun to allow the protective components to fully penetrate the skin.

Finally, be sure to eat as many sun-protective fruits and veggies as possible! Pomegranate juice, broccoli, carrots, beets and dark chocolate all help to provide an internal sunscreen that will help keep wrinkles at bay.

Dr. Shehla Ebrahim thanks her clients for their support at Mount Everest’s base camp (17,300 feet above sea level) in April. Dr. Ebrahim donated partial proceeds from Afterglow over the last 18 months to the Central Asia Institute

She’s back! Congrats go to Dr. Ebrahim for climbing past Base Camp (to 18,500 ft.) and for helping to save a life en route. In our previous post, we told how Dr. Ebrahim planned on climbing to Base Camp, and donating part of the profits from Afterglow to Greg Mortensen’s Central Asia Institute.  Not only would the donation support schools for poverty-stricken girls in Pakistan, “It would also be a nice way to say thanks to Afterglow clients—the men and women who have made my business successful and my climb possible,” says Dr. Ebrahim.

“It was so hard to breathe,” she continues. “Every step required a monumental effort but I felt  incredible power and determination, which enabled me to press on.  Afterglow has a mandate for social responsibility and I do believe in giving back. In North America, we are so blessed and it is a good thing to be able to provide for others who may not be similarly blessed.”

The Everest mission is Dr. Ebrahim’s third major humanitarian journey. In 2002, she travelled to Tibet with a group of physicians to provide free medical care to the nomads that inhabit the eastern reaches of that country.  In 2006, she climbed Kilimajaro and helped raise $50,000 for Children’s Hospital.
And what about the life she helped save on her latest mission?
“At 14,000 feet above sea level, a woman staggered into our camp. She was short of breath and her sherpa guide planned to take her down 1,000 feet however, she appeared to have high altitude cerebral edema,” Dr. Ebrahim explains. When a person has this condition, he or she must be taken down to a low altitude immediately or death will quickly follow, but it was already 7 p.m. and unlikely that the sherpa could get the woman down far enough before nightfall.  Fortunately, Dr. Ebrahim’s team was carrying a gamow bag—a pressurized cylinder that simulates an altitude close to 4,000 ft. below where it is used. With careful monitoring, the woman survived the night and was flown out by helicopter. She survived thanks to Dr. Ebrahim’s diagnosis and quick action.
“I felt like I was meant to be there at that time,” says Dr. Ebrahim, adding that the whole experience has galvanized her desire to perform more humanitarian work in the years to come.

Dr. Ebrahim’s journey was also covered in a detailed news story in the North Shore News, which you can read here.

Congratulations and Bon voyage to Dr. Ebrahim who is now on her way to Nepal. In support of the Central Asia Institute, which funds education for young women in remote, war-stricken areas of Northern Pakistan, Dr. Ebrahim will fulfill one of her many dreams, to climb to Everest Base Camp.  The staff and clients of Afterglow wish her the very best in this admirable endeavour.

To address this issue, and to add more volume to the upper area of the facial triangle, Dr. Ebrahim injected Juvéderm Ultra – a semipermanent filler- into the folds and over the cheekbone area.

In this image, we have shown where Dr. Ebrahim will inject the filler. Enhancing the cheekbones will help elevate the upper edge of the fold.

Injecting the Juvéderm. Since this filler contains lidocaine, Antonia feels barely anything as we inject.

After the procedure, left side.

Right side (where nasolabial fold is more pronounced).

Front, showing higher cheekbones and less deep nasolabial folds.

Juvéderm Ultra and other fillers can be used in a number of different ways to enhance or create more youthful lines for your face.

“The education of our children is the best hope we have for a peaceful and prosperous world,” says Dr. Ebrahim, who in 2006 climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for BC Children’s Hospital, and in 2002, travelled to Tibet to provide free medical service to the eastern nomads.

As of January, 2009, Dr. Ebrahim has pledged to donate 2 percent of Afterglow profits to the non-profit Central Asia Institute. (If you have undergone a rejuvenation procedure with us in the past 15 or so months, part of your payment will be directed to this noble cause…)

Get bright, glowing, rejuvenated skin that has everyone thinking you’ve just come back from a tropical holiday. This fully kitted-out, Zen-inspired medi-spa was opened five years ago by Dr. Shehla Ebrahim, a warm and attentive cosmetic and family physician who has been practising for over 17 years. Book a complimentary consultation to get started on a treatment plan that meets your skin-care goals and concerns. Make rosacea, lines, folds, spider veins, sun damage, unwanted hair and age spots a thing of your past, or opt for a lunchtime pick-me-up of the Botox, silk peel (which uses Vitamin C instead of chemicals), filler or lip-enhancement variety.

The MicroLaser Peel ® : Using the new Sciton Contour TRL™ laser, the upper layer of your skin will be gently and safely treated using a vaporization process. This has the effect of reducing fine lines, as well as toning and texturizing your skin. You will also notice a mild tightening effect.

The Resurfacing Peel: Using a different head on the Sciton Contour TRL™ laser, your skin will be gently treated to a deeper level than during a MicroLaser Peel®. This procedure is for skin that is showing deeper wrinkles or scars and needing increased toning and texturizing. The mild tightening effect will be intensified. (Actual depth of treatment will be determined by Dr. Ebrahim during your consultation.)

Best of all, it will normally take only one procedure to achieve these improvements!

To know more about how the Sciton Contour TRL ™ can help your skin look its very best this year, please call Afterglow at 604-980-3993 or email us to set up an appointment.

Beautiful Lips Package: It’s kissing time again! With all the new spring lip colours on drugstore shelves, many of us are wondering how we can make our lips look plumper and more youthful.

Women generally seek lip enhancement for one of two reasons: They were born with “thin” lips, and would prefer a fuller, more plump appearance, or they are noticing that their lips are becoming flatter and less “padded” due to aging. Either way, a treatment at Afterglow can restore or create natural-looking fullness in the lips, in a mere half hour or so.

To help your lips look their very best, Afterglow is offering a special lip enhancement package, Teosyal Kiss®, a safe and pain-free filler that has a completely natural feel and will not “drift” inside the lips.

Laser Hair-removal Package: If facial or body hair is getting the better of you and you are tired of reaching for your razor, tweezers, depilatory, or waxing kit, a Laser Hair Removal treatment at Afterglow could well be the answer…

Women frequently have unwanted hair on the upper lip or eyebrow area, in the bikini zone, under the arms and on the legs, while men often wish to rid themselves of excessive hair on the back, chest, between the eyebrows or on other parts of the face.

The Sciton BBL™ (Broadband Light) laser offers a safe, effective and permanent alternative to shaving, tweezing and waxing, that you are sure to love.

Please call Afterglow at 604-980-3993 or email us now for more details.

Ten tips for youthful-looking skin

With 2010 already in full swing, a lot of our “of a certain age” clients are wondering how to improve their skin this year. So here are ten tips to help your body’s largest organ look and act more youthful:

1. Follow a skincare regime that is appropriate for your “stage” in life. Today’s professional skincare products are filled with active ingredients that, applied regularly, actually produce a beneficial effect, helping the ski’s cells to behave in a more youthful fashion. Talk to Afterglow staff about Afterglow’s own line of professional products to find a regimen that is tailored to you.

2. Need we say it again? Use your sunscreen every day and —just as importantly—make sure it is marked “broad spectrum.” The SPF rating applies only to UVB rays, however, UVA light is far more damaging to the skin in the long run. This is because it is all around us, even on a dull day, and can pass through a glass window pane. Broad spectrum sunscreens contain blocks against UVA light, protecting your skin from cumulative damage.

3. Get enough sleep. Although skin repair is an ongoing process, lack of sleep causes an increase in the stress hormone cortisol and this can slow the production of collagen. Between 7 and 8 hours a night is the appropriate amount of shut-eye for that youthful bloom.

4. Get enough exercise. By increasing blood flow, physical activity will bring blood and nutrients to the surface of your skin, encouraging a healthy glow.

5. Don’t smoke. Smoking damages the skin. Period. Not only will you develop dynamic wrinkles from all that puffing and squinting, but the blood vessels in the surface of your skin will constrict, resulting in a dull pallor.

6. Eat more fruits and veggies. Their antioxidants are good for your whole body. Fruits and veggies are also hydrating.

7. If you are past menopause, the reduced estrogen in your body will gradually cause breakdown of collagen and elastin, resulting in a thin, sagging appearance. Consider Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). Dr. Ebrahim will be able to advise you on BHRT so you may wish to set up an appointment with her.

8. Treatment with the Pro-Fractional laser has been shown to improve the tone and texture of aging skin. You may also wish to discuss this with the staff of Afterglow.

9. Don’t forget to exfoliate. Exfoliating the outer layer of skin (epidermis) encourages cell renewal in the deeper layers of the skin. Afterglow offers a microdermabrasion treatment that will polish and refine your skin in a mere 20 minutes. It’s a great way to refresh your look for the coming year!

10. Last, but not least, hydrate! Drink lots of pure water or—if you can afford the sugar content—juices. Foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids (walnuts, flax oil, flax seed, salmon, mackerel, sardines), also help keep water in the skin. At night, when skin loses moisture, use a humidifier in your bedroom and wake up to a plumper, more youthful-looking skin.