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13 Ways to Beat Rosacea

March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When rosacea attacks, it blitzes in full-force. From every direction. Redness appears because of abnormally increased blood flow to the skin. Raw flushing and bumps develop because of surface irritation. Then all these symptoms are amplified by inflammation. Your skin is assaulted from the inside as well as the outside.

This means your nutrition, your exercise, your sleep, your hormones, your skincare, your environment—everything!—can affect your rosacea.

To defeat rosacea you’ll need a well-rounded strategy that covers many fronts. In honor of National Rosacea Awareness Month, BodyLase has pulled together our best rosacea tips. Stop irritating your delicate skin and find out how to erase redness now.

External Rosacea Triggers

Avoid all external irritants. Though the source of this skin disorder is internal, external factors can greatly irritate your skin. By following some tips you might be able to drastically reduce your rosacea symptoms. Help your skin find freedom from discomfort.

  • Stay out of direct sunlight. Warmth and irritation from the sun’s rays can cause rosacea flares.
  • Humidity can disturb your rosacea. Both excess humidity and extreme dryness are reported irritants for rosacea sufferers. Try avoiding both extremes.
  • Don’t slather on a makeup or skincare product that makes your rosacea worse. Listen to your skin. If it’s telling you that it’s irritated by something, stop using it immediately.

Internal Rosacea Triggers

Many rosacea patients report food triggers. To control and minimize your rosacea symptoms, discover what your own internal triggers are.

  • A diet high in carbohydrates and sugars is a reported to cause rosacea flare-ups. These carbohydrates and sugars can cause large insulin spikes. Excess insulin can lead to inflammation.
  • Foods high in tryptophan or vitamin B3 (like coffees and cereal to name a few) stimulate prostaglandin production, which in turn causes your blood vessels to dilate.
  • Alcohol causes temporary flushing as surface blood vessels dilate. But alcohol can also cause inflammation, which contributes to lingering redness and prolonged irritation.
  • Processed foods and fast foods are filled with unsaturated vegetable oils. These are high in the linoleic acid, a type of omega-6 fatty acid that is pro-inflammatory. To avoid inflammation, it’s good to avoid foods with linoleic acid.

Rosacea Nutrition

Get to the bottom of your disorder by talking with your doctor or nutritionist about ways you could boost your anti-inflammatory response and your immune system. Avoiding pro-inflammatory nutrients while seeking out anti-inflammatory nutrients is a great start.

  • Gamma linolenic acid (GLA), another type of omega-6 fatty acid, is an anti-inflammatory nutrient unlike it’s pro-inflammatory counterpart linoleic acid. Evening primrose oil and borage oil are a great source of GLA.
  • Vitamin D3 is also identified as an important nutrient in anti-inflammatory responses. It is also said to boost your immune system.

Rosacea Skincare

Skincare is an crucial step of managing and soothing your rosacea. It can make or break your redness. Since everyone’s skin is different, it’s important to learn what products are good for your skin and what products deserve a kick to the curb.

Here are some things to look for: gentle products that don’t irritate or dry out the skin, hydrating products that relieve dryness associated with rosacea, soothing products that can calm inflammation, and camouflaging products that can conceal redness.

The following are our favorite rosacea skincare products:

Obagi Rosaclear System

  • Obagi Metronidazole Gel 0.75% has antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties that help calm advanced rosacea-related inflammations, redness and bumps.
  • Obagi Rosaclear Gentle Cleanser is a non-irritating, non-stripping cleanser. It is specially formulated so it will not dry out sensitive skin.
  • Obagi Rosaclear Hydrating Complexion Corrector is a double-duty moisturizer that’s soothes and offers a little redness-coverage. Anti-inflammatory effects are delivered by allantion (extracted from comfrey plants), licorice, aloe, lavender, and sea whip.

Avene Rosacea Products

  • Avene Antirougeurs Anti-Redness Dermo-Cleansing Fluid is a cleanser that’s free of any abrasive cleansing ingredients. It offers a soothing, hydrating clean.
  • Avene Diroseal Anti-Redness Skincare Lotion is a non-irritating moisturizer that includes a green tint to neutralize any redness.

For more information on time-tested rosacea-reducing products and methods, stop by our BodyLase spas in Raleigh-Durham and Cary.

April Rosacea Special

To help you calm rosacea redness and erase broken veins, we’re offering a Rosacea Special this month. Buy 3 treatments and get one free! Get an IPL package and save $299. Or grab a laser facial package and save $199. Also, you can enjoy our special 2D treatment, which combines both IPL and laser facial in one great all-around rosacea-combatting treatment, and you’ll save $349. Our rosacea special also lets you share with friend! Call us to grab your deal today.

Filed Under: healthy diet, Obagi Skin Care, rosacea Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Feast Your Way to Beautiful Skin

November 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Soon you’ll be feasting away this holiday season, indulging in yummy treats, traditional eats, and those classic homemade specials. But who would think that you could benefit from pre-feasting! By eating right before the holiday season kicks off, you’ll be able to prime and prep your skin. And just in time to show off that flawless glow. Find out what nutrients could help you smooth your complexion this winter.

Tackle Wrinkles

A number of factor play into creating those unsightly creases. And sun exposure hits the top of the list. Photodamage, often not taken so seriously in our youth, is a major factor is forming those funny furrows. So put the brakes down now by giving your body what it needs to fight of the wrinkle-causing free radicals of photodamage. Antioxidants are known to do the trick. Try substituting green tea or white tea for your morning coffee. If you need a stronger caffeine kick than a simple cup of tea, try the Japanese favorite: a full-bodied matcha tea in powder form. You’ll get that super caffeine kick that coffee offers, but the 10 times the antioxidant power of a single cup of normal green tea. Also take vitamin C and vitamin E supplements. The two together have been shown in medical research to play a part in collagen synthesis and protection against oxidative damage.

Even Out Splotchiness


Splotchiness can be genetic and it can be caused by physical factors. But did you know splotchiness can also be caused from the inside? Eating lots of sugar can cause insulin spikes, which in turn gives your skin many problems. Insulin spikes are believed to cause skin inflammations and acne in some. By avoiding sugar kicks and making your that you ingest sugar with or after a balanced meal, you could fend off that skin-damaging insulin spike. For rosacea sufferers, red splotchiness can be caused by other dietary triggers like alcohol and caffeine. Try to detect what food may cause your red splotchy skin and moderate your intake.

Reverse Acne

Like sensitive skin flare-ups, acne breakouts often have triggers too. Some common acne-triggers are high processed foods, greasy meals, and sugary snacks. To help calm your skin, repair it from the inside with healthy nutrients. Kick up your portion of veggies and steer away from the convenience of processed foods, at least until your skin clears. Try making meals wholly from the produce section—where you’ll find all the nutrients your skin needs to heal. To give it an extra boost take vitamin B5 (panthothenic acid), vitamin A, and zinc. While panthothenic acid is known for improving skin quality, vitamin A and zinc are known to calm sebum overproduction.

Heal Dry, Flaky Skin

Many women suffer from dry, flaky skin. In many cases, this could simply be genetic. In other cases, it could be caused by hormonal swings, namely estrogen drops. Estrogen drops occur right before a menstrual period, after childbirth, and throughout menopause. The estrogen drop is a big factor in breakouts and dry skin during these periods. Evening primrose oil is a natural supplement which is a rich source of gamma-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid. Clinical studies have demonstrated GLA helps stabilize hormones at key times, which can help fend off dry skin. Additionally clinical studies have demonstrated a strong link between taking evening primrose oil and an improvement in eczema dryness.

Filed Under: acne, anti-wrinkle, dryness, healthy diet, rosacea Tagged With: , ,

Tips for Ultimate Wedding Skin

June 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Ok, we can go with the Pinot Grigio but, I’m telling ya, those wine bottles don’t match the table cloth. Sound familiar? Without fail every bride-to-be descends into a state of acute visual awareness. But on the day of the do, the last thing she wants to worry about is the way her skin looks. Brides, that’s why we’ve created a primer to coach you through the dos and don’ts of ultimate wedding skin. Forget about skin stress and save your wedding day worries for wondering whether the floral arrangements have arrived on time.

Great skin takes a lot of commitment. So get crackin’!

Weight Control

Many brides focus on losing weight before the wedding. They say anything to look fab in the dress. But before you start your super-regimented health kick, beware. Losing too much weight can really show in your face. Chances are that your face and body look gorgeous the way they do. So going on a drastic weight-loss plan just months before your wedding could mean that you’ll be looking a little saggy in white.

Happiness Cocktail

But no one says toning up and staying fit is bad for your skin. In fact, exercise is the healthiest ways to de-stress during times of wedding planning. Hitting the gym or pounding the pavement is a great way take the edge of those bridezilla nerves. But what does it do for your skin? Higher heart rates can help you release a cocktail of happy hormones. Sweating helps release nasty toxins while also cleansing your pores. For an extra pore-cleansing boost, be sure to hit the sauna! In the end it’ll all show in your glow.

Home Revival


While the BodyLase team will do our best to ensure that you get the right treatment to get you glowing on your special day, it’s really essential to put in some effort at home. Be sure to wash your face regularly. It might sound like child’s play, but are you doing it right? Make sure you’re using a cleanser that’s perfectly suited to your skin type. If have some doubts about your current cleanser choice or you’re just not sure about your skin type, feel free to come on into BodyLase for a recommendation. We’re currently loving the entire range of Obagi. This brand has something for every skin type. And to make your skin even more radiant nothing beats the exfoliating genius of a Clarisonic brush.

Glow and Lashes Special
If you grab the Clarisonic Brush this June, you’re in for a treat. For every Clarisonic Brush purchase we’re giving away a FREE Latisse. That means you’ll be able to get your skin glowing and your lashes growing naturally! Visit BodyLase to grab this special while it’s on!

Go the Extra Mile


They say a little good goes a long way. And if you’re taking your vitamins and drinking plenty of water, you’ll see that the extra effort will really pay off in the long run. Nutritionists have discovered that what we eat is really linked to what appears on our face. For more essential tips on how to care for your skin from the inside out check out our Nutritional Skin Foods Guide.

Eliminate the Baddies

To help those teeth shine brighter and that skin to glow bigger, try kicking some bad habits. If you’re following all the tips above, you’re already doing a lot of good already for your body. So why not take the final steps? Stop smoking and reduce your caffeine and alcohol intake. Smoking causes wrinkles in the long run. But did you know that even in a short span of time, smoking can really pronounce your lip wrinkles? Alcohol and caffeine on the other hand really affect your hydration levels, which tends to show up directly on your skin.

What are your secrets for great wedding day skin? Add your tips in the comments below.

Filed Under: Clarisonic, healthy diet, Latisse, skin rejuvenation Tagged With: , , , ,

Sun Scares Be Gone: Enjoy Sun Without the Pain

April 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You are so set for summertime fun that you’re practically already horizontal on a lounge chair. But beware of the sun scares!

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. So BodyLase is promoting good habits for reducing your risks of melanoma, the most serious of sun scares, as well as other sun problems. Everyone loves a little sun. That’s why every time you step out of the shade it’s important to manage your risks. Check out this guide to find out how we chase away the sun scares.

Skin Cancer Awareness

Sun. It’s undeniably wonderful. Thanks to that golden orb in the sky we can enjoy longer days, ripe fruit and weekends at the beach. But oy, those sun problems! The worst problem being skin cancer. One out of every 3 cancer patients suffers from skin cancer. It’s the most common cancer in the world. In this year alone, around 65,000 people will die from skin cancer.

As you throw on your suit and sunnies, remember to the following:

  • Grab some shade! Avoid peak sun times between 10 am to 4 pm.
  • Cover up! Bare shoulders are often the most obvious victims to sunburns. But skin cancer does not discriminate. Be sure to watch out for your face, legs, tummy, and back. Care for them just as much as you take care to cover up your shoulders.
  • Slather up! When you do plan to get some sun, be sure to apply high levels of SPF protection. For more info on sunscreen that’s works for your skin type and needs, check out these mineral-based sunscreens.

All in all, be smart about your summer sun time. Or as Skin Cancer Foundation advises, just go with your own glow!

Pigment Puzzles Solved

No matter your complexion, it’s important to take cover. “There’s a misconception that if you have darker skin, you will not get melanoma,” says Dr. Claudio Dansky Ullmann, a researcher at the National Cancer Institute. Naturally pigmented skin is, of course, less sensitive to the sun. But just because you might not burn like your porcelain buddy sitting beside you, this doesn’t mean you’re immune to the sun scares. So, no matter your skin type, be wary of your sun time!

Internal Damage Rescue

Who knew that delicious melon wedges could combat the effects of sun damage!

UV rays cause your cells to experience oxidative stress. And in turn oxidative stress can lead to diseases like skin cancer. Antioxidants can help your cells reverse nasty oxidative damage. Lucky for us, some of our most favorite foods is filled with antioxidizing super powers. Cantaloupe is chock full of superoxide dismutase, an important enzymatic antioxidant. Other great antioxidizing food choices include green tea (thanks to the antioxidizing effects of flavinoids), tomatoes (lycopene), red grapes (resveratrol and quercetin), and spinach (lutein).

Reversing Tell-Tale Signs

Sun damage rears its ugly head in many forms. Hyper-pigmentation, rough skin, sun spots, and wrinkles are some common offenders. At BodyLase there are various ways to reduce the appearance of sun damage. Facial peels can help gently slough off the topmost layers of damaged skin. For more intensive treatments, check out other procedures including IPL Photofacial (which reduces spots and uneven pigmentation caused by sun damage) and Fraxel (which tightens and smoothes saggy, leathery, wrinkled skin resulting from long-term sun damage).

For more information on how to combat sun damage with our spa products or reverse the signs of sun damage with our treatments, leave us a note below or give us call!

Filed Under: anti-wrinkle, healthy diet, IPL Photofacial, skin rejuvenation, sun protection Tagged With: ,

Restful Rejuvenation Results You Can’t Believe

December 22, 2010 By 1 Comment

Out with the old and in the new. There can’t be a more apt adage for the start of the new year. After we enjoyed our fill or two of indulgence, January is the perfect time to re-center and rejuvenate. To help, we’ve got some wonder-products and refreshing ideas on how to find your new sense of peace.

Bottled at the Fountain of Youth


Ok, so the fabled font of fairy tales may not exist. But if it did, we’re sure it’d be flowing with this stuff: Skinceuticals C E Furelic Acid.

It’s a super-cocktail of real-life age-combating ingredients. Antioxidants including pure L-ascorbic acid, alpha tocopheral, and ferulic acid are included. All together these ingredients beat the signs of oxidative stress by reducing premature aging, balancing hyperpigmentation, improving elasticity, and prompting collagen production.

If the ingredients and benefits aren’t enough to wow you, the overwhelming rave reviews will surely be. Ranging from “I love to watch the genuine shock on faces when I tell them I am 64 years old. Priceless!” to “A few days into wearing it, people are asking me if I went away on vacation, and saying I have a nice glow,” its reviews are wildly enticing. So if surgical is not your style, this rejuvenating serum just might have your number.

Since it looks like fairy tales really do come true, does it sound like something you’d use to turn back the clock?

Superfood Swap

Move over, blueberries. Another superfood’s in town. Well, make that superfoods.

It seems scientists are always digging up the antioxidizing wonders of the world’s most neglected foods. Lucky for us, all it takes is a simple trade-up to reap the benefits.

“Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants,” explains researcher Zhimin Xu to Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

So for your next rice dish, trade in white or brown rice for black rice. The rejuvenating results have wonderfully long-term effects.

What food-swaps have you done to get more antioxidants in your diet?

Eat Smart, Feel Great

For a more immediate results, try sprinkling your mealtimes with foods that have a low-gyclemic index (low-GI foods).

Low-GI foods release glucose more slowly throughout your body—so you feel fuller longer. This is a great way to eat nutritiously while also curbing the desire to overeat. As a result, you might feel more energetic and refreshed.

But no worries! You don’t have to create an entirely new recipe for every meal. Simply substitute low-GI foods for others.

For cereals, skip the shredded wheat and go for bran or porridge. During lunch, say no to the ever-lurking bagel and grab a healthier dose of grain-filled breads like pumpernickel, linseed or rye. For snacks, hit the nuts and dried fruits. And whenever possible, be sure to integrate a variety of legumes.

Think low-GI foods will help you feel fresher this January?

Positivity Does a Body Good

They always said “Be happy, don’t worry.” But we didn’t think this had anything to do with wrinkles.

Scientists have now pinned down the stats to back a long-suspected notion: positive thinking might actually be good for your body. Harvard professor Dr. Herbert Benson is quoted in the Washington Post as saying, “The mind can actively turn on and turn off genes […] What we have found is that when you evoke the relaxation response, the very genes that are turned on or off by stress are turned the other way.”

So what’s his remedy for worry-induced wrinkles? Dr. Benson says, “We all are under stress and have many manifestations of that stress. To adequately protect ourselves against stress, we should use an approach and a technique that we believe evokes the relaxation response 20 minutes, once a day.”

So there you have it. Start thinking “Worry-free equals wrinkle-free”, and you just might see—not only feel—the results!

Filed Under: healthy diet, skin rejuvenation, wellness Tagged With: , , ,

Learn How to Keep Your Summer Shape

September 14, 2010 By 3 Comments

Hunkering down for chilly weather doesn’t mean your summer shape should go the way of your summer vacation—a beautiful, but distant memory. Four simple tips could get you on track to a keeping your beach bod all year round. Learn how to keep your shape with 4 simple steps.

Facial Treatments

Facial Treatments

Mind Over Matter

Your head’s telling you to hit the gym, but your lazy bones are saying no. Stop the negative talk and you’ll find it’s easier to get motivated and stay motivated. Before a session at the gym, mentality prepare yourself with positive phrases like, ‘I want to work out, I want to work out.’ No matter how far from the truth it may be at first, you’ll be thinking, ‘I love doing something great for my body and health,’ before you’re through!

Eat Smart

Summer gave us a lot of great foods. Berries galore, watermelon slices, and heaps of healthy fish. But it seems fall just wants to round us out with hearty foods like juicy corn, roast dinners, and the acres of pies to come. Remember: though the summer’s gone, you can still grab fruit and vegetables all year long. Make it an mission to integrate fruits and fresh vegetables just as you eagerly did this summer.

No Daylight, No Excuse

Zerona Contouring

Contact us about Zerona Non-Invasive Body Contouring

Shorter days doesn’t give you an excuse to cut the afternoon run. If earlier sunsets are throwing you off your exercise regime, join a gym. Pound treadmills instead of pavement, and get the added bonus of feeling motivated by the fellow fitness-lovers.

Tone Up

So you’re staying motivated, you’re eating right, and you’re even hitting the gym. But some stubborn areas just don’t want to listen. How do you deal with those problem areas that just don’t understand your slimming, healthy ways? Zerona Laser Treatment is a non-invasive way to get stubborn fat that refuses to shape up to simply ship out. This slimming laser treatment is a great alternative to invasive surgical methods.

Find out more by checking out Zerona Laser FAQs. Have more questions? Schedule a consultation at BodyLase now.

Filed Under: facial treatment, healthy diet Tagged With: