The Truth about Vitamin C for your Skin

Posted on December 6, 2021 by clarite

Have you ever gone to your favorite pharmacy or shop that sells skin care products and been overwhelmed with all the  products containing Vitamin C. Creams, lotions, potions, serums and more.   Where to start?

WHY

is vitamin C important for your skin?

  • it possesses an anti-oxidant effect which means it protects cells
  • it has  anti-inflammatory actions
  • it may inhibit tyrosinase which is the enzyme partly causing pigment
  •  it enhances collagen production
  •  vitamin c prevents and treats photodamage
  •  it improves wrinkles and hyperpigmentation

HOW TO CHOOSE

Formulations  of Vitamin C pose a challenge.  It is not a stable molecule and is NOT stable in a cream base.  Have you ever cut an apple and left it for awhile?  The cut part turns brown  The same occurs with Vit C. It may lose up to 50% of its activity at 1 month.

We do know that ascorbyl photsphates can be absorbed into the skin and transported into the dermis where it is converted into the active form of vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid.  This formulation tends to be more expensive, but is more effective.

There are a couple of companies who have devised a method to combat the instability of the product.  One line has combined the Vit C with ferulic acid to act as a stabilizer.  Another has formulated the product such that the granules of the Vit c are in the top of the bottle, to be activated with pressure to ensure each bottle is containing active product.

CONCENTRATION

The product should have a concentration of more than 10%.

WHEN TO APPLY

Vitamin C serum should be applied once a day in the morning after washing and before your sunscreen.  A good formulation will be absorbed in the cells and will not wash off during the day.

Give it 6-8 weeks and you should start to see a difference in the skin – healthier, smoother, and more even pigmentation

 

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Acne from the Teens to Sixties

Posted on February 21, 2021 by clarite

Acne varies with seasons


What exactly is acne?

Acne is a chronic condition involving the pilosebaceous units of the skin and mostly affects the face although can affect the back and chest also.  It can affect a wide range of age groups from the teens to the 60’s.  It is a complex condion affected by genetics, hormones and an overproduction of sebum.  Actually, this latter point is now under review as we are not certain that this is a factor. 

What are some of the factors that cause acne?

-overgrowth of bacterial that are naturally on the skin 
-genetics
-too much oil production
-oil and dead skin clogging follicles
-androgen levels
hormonal imbalances 
environmental factors
-diet which is high in sugar and dairy.  This point is contraversal currently.  Some people definitely notice a difference and others don’t
-inflammation

Many factors are involved in acne and treatments address several of these.
Acne can affect everyone differently. You may know someone who doesn’t care if he/she has acne, yet others can have their self esteem affected and suffer a negative emotional  impact . Also, acne scarring affects skin colors differently.  Darker complexions can suffer from hyperpigmentation (dark spots) and lighter complexions have red or pink spots from the acne. 

How do we  chose what treatment to use?

Cosmeceuticals, or skin care products will  be reviewed during your visit.  Harsh products should be avoided, or those that overly dry the skin.  Sometimes when clients come in for their first assessment they bring a bag full of products.  We review them , analyze what ingredients are needed in their situation and reduce  to the minimal effective products often with significant improvement of the skin. 


Prescriptions include benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, topical retinoids, azelaic acid and adapalene.  Recently Health Canada has approved a new topical medication indicated for truncal acne – that is – acne on the back and chest. 
If the acne is deeper, or cystic, then oral medication such as antibiotics or isotretinoin or  oral hormonal therapies in women  could be tried.


Is a wash with benzoyl peroxide effective? Probably not because there is too short a contact time with the skin. It may be of some help, but  a  longer contact time is needed for it to be effective. Prescription benzoyl peroxide may cause worsening of the acne initially before the skin improves. The skin can be dry, stinging and red but this usually settles after awhile by using hydrating moisturizers. Be careful with your sheets – benzoyl peroxide bleaches the clothing!


Retinoids also can cause acne to be worse initially before helping to clear the skin.  Sun sensitivity can occur so night time application is advised.
There are a few products that are combination of the above that can be helpful also.

And remember – NO PICKING!

Along with prescriptions, treatments such as chemical peels, acne facials   and IPL (photofacials) and a picosecond laser  can be helpful in the treatment plan.

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Nanobrow in Ottawa

Posted on September 9, 2020 by clarite

 

Nanobrow Transformation

Nanobrow

 

brow correction

Brow Correction by Nanobrow Technique

 

Are you tired of penciling in your brows? Now with everyone wearing masks, the eyes and brows are noticed more than ever.

Nanobrow is an advanced semi-permanent tattooing method. Each brow is tattooed stroke by stroke to create the individual look you want.   Whether the tail end of your brow is very fine, or your entire brow needs reshaping and filling, this could be the perfect technique for you.

At Clarite our technician is not only an artist, but has 10 years experience working with hair dyes, and has been working as a tattoo artist for two years. She will work with you to create the shape and colour that you want.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes tattooed  brows look too heavy or dark? Our artist will create the right colour and tone suitable for your face and hair colour regardless of your hair tone and age. 

What should you expect?

Services are provided with the safety you would expect in a medical facility. All rooms and surfaces are disinfected between clients, equipment is sterilized through a medical autoclave and much more. 

During your first visit, our artist has a consultation with you which includes mapping out the brow shape your would like and discussing any other of your brow goals. 

Before tattooing, a numbing cream is applied for 1/2 an hour.  

How long does the tattooing take?

It can vary between 1 – 2 hours. The entire appointment takes 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours.

After the procedure, you will be provided with after care information and a kit.  

What to expect when healing.

You can expect the brows to be sensitive.  The brow’s colour will be darker and lighten as the healing occurs over 3 weeks.  No make-up should be applied on the area. 

In the 1st 24 hours you will experience some redness. You will be provided with after care information and products.

After 24 hours you may experience some itchiness and flaking for which advise will be  given. 

For examples of our artist’s work see Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/moonfox.ink/?hl=en

 

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Redness of the Skin and Rosacea

Posted on July 14, 2020 by clarite

Rosacea is a skin condition caused by a variety of factors including genetics, possible involvement of the immune system, and the presence of microbes.
With rosacea, there is an increase in blood flow to the affected skin area which causes the pinkish or redness appearance .

What are the triggers?
– cosmetics
– alcohol
– hot temperatures
– hot drinks or spicy foods
– menopause
– anxiety

The triggers vary between individuals but each person usually gets to know what their triggers are over time.

Rosacea does not just cause redness of the skin. It can affect the eyes too, causing ocular rosacea or an enlarged nose.

Quality of life can be affected also. A survey by the National Rosacea Sociaety found that 90% of patients had a lower self esteem and some had symptoms of depression.

Treatment
Fortunately there are several treatments now available. Firstly, only use gentle cleansers and avoid hot water. Avoid or try to minimize your triggers. There are cleansers and moisturizers now made specifically for red or rosaceous skin.

Sunscreens are SO important. Your sunscreen should have UVA and UVB protection. The SPF number alone is not enough. This only tells you about the UVB. Preferably use a sunscreen with a physical blocker such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which do not contain chemical filters that can irritate the skin.

Several prescription medications are available. Please consult your physician or visit our Clarité clinic for an assessment.

Light and laser based treatments can also be effective. IPL – Intense Pulsed Light -is a form of light energy that helps to reduce the redness, while also improving the texture of the skin.  Note that using poor quality or abrasive at home products after IPL treatments can defeat their purpose. Facials specifically for rosacea are also effective.

At Clarité we can combine treatments to provide the most effective results in treating your rosacea.

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Skin Tightening with Radiofrequency in Ottawa

Posted on October 27, 2019 by clarite

Radiofrequency is a form of energy used to heat the tissue to stimulate collagen production. It is known as a “lunchtime” procedure.   The result is reduction of the appearance of fine lines and loose skin. It also can help the skin appearance of cellulite by smoothing the  appearance of the  skin and reducing the dimpling appearance.

Radiofrequency can be delivered as monpolar, bipolar or tripolar technology.   Of the three modalities, monopolar has the ability to penetrate deeper than the others.   It works by achieving a target tissue temperature and holding it for a certain length of time .

Who cannot have the treatment?  Those with a cardiac pacemaker or a cochlear implant.  Prior to treatments, we always have an assessment to ensure the client is a suitable candidate.

We have a new and novel way to give you treatments with consistent results and no downtime.   This is a monopolar treatment used both for the face and body.  For the face it is used around the eye area to tighten the skin and may be used on the forehead to lift the brows and to tighten the lower face.  On the body it may be used to reduce the appearance of cellulite, “mommy tummy”,   loose skin above the knees, legs and buttocks.

Through  radiofrequency, heat is delivered to the correct depth for the correct temperature for the correct time – all very precisely.

As with any cosmetic procedure, there is no guarantee of success, but we have had only very few non-responders.  It is for this reason it is sold in packages  initially of 3, as we have seen by 3 treatments a good response is usually present.

How many treatments are needed?  This depends on the area, the degree of severity of the problem , laxity of the skin, and individual response.Some of our clients are satisfied with 3 treatments and others require up to 7.

Our physician has carefully chosen the technology after reviewing many other machines and found this was one of the safest and gave the most consistent results.

What can it treat?

mommy tummy

crepy skin
tired appearance of the eyes
sagging skin
stretch marks
jawline contouring

This treatment is done every 3-4 weeks for 3 – 7 treatments on average.  After that a maintenance regime of  1 – 3 treatments a year may be done.

All photos below were taken at Clarite Laser. The first and third photo are under the eye tightening, 2nd is under the arm after one treatment, and the 4th isof the leg  also after one treatment.  You can see in phote #3 the skin is much tighter and the crepiness is reduced.  Possibly she will require an under eye (tear trough ) filler to fill in the hollow once the skin is tighter.

Call us at 613 822-7956 or email laser@claritelaser.ca to book an appointment for an initial assessment

 

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Laser Hair Reduction Ottawa NdYag

Posted on October 21, 2019 by clarite

It is well known that  lasers can be used for hair reduction.

At Clarite we use a medically proven Health Canada approved laser called the Cynosure Elite  which combines the 755 Alexandrite laser and the 1064 laser to  treat both light and darker colored skin.

How does it work?  The laser works by the energy in the beam of light being absorbed by the pigment (melanin) of the hair to damage the hair follicle.  The 1064 wavelength is more protective and therefore safer  for darker skin tones.

Benefits of Laser Hair Reduction  . the laser results in up to an 85% reduction in hair which is permanent.  The skin can become smoother . It is useful to treat ingrown hairs which can leave scarring, or for men around the beard area.

 

Ingrown hair improvement

 

Are there other methods of Permanent Hair Reduction?  Electrolysis is the other method of removing hair.  The advantage is that it can treat white hairs .  The laser cannot.  The disadvantage is that it is very time consuming because each hair is individually treated manually by the therapist.

Is there downtime?  Laser treatments  generally do not have a period where you have to change your daytime routine.  In some people, redness around the hair follicle may occur, or some itchiness.  This can be discussed with our doctor and measures be taken to reduce these effects.

How Many Sessions Are Needed?  Each individual varies in the response. We cannot give an exact number of sessions, but usually you can see some improvement after 3-7 sessions.

What are the possible risks?  Lasers are very effective but must be used by trained personnel.
-pigmentation changes.  Pigment changes may occur especially those with darker skin tones.  Usually the results are temporary
-irritation.  This can be expected. We apply cool air and aloe gel to help.
-scarring.  Although great care is taken to ensure safety, the laser does cause heat which carries a small risk of   damaging the skin.

Why Clarite Laser?  Clarite Laser is considered one of the best laser removal clinics in Ottawa.  For over 10 years we have been performing this service.  Our doctor is constantly doing upgrade training including Laser Safety training at Harvard School of Medicine. Your first visit consists of a patch test during which  Dr Rice and the  medical esthetician work together to ensure you have the safest treatment possible.  After that you will be seen by the medical  esthetician for your treatment.

 

 

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Acne varies with seasons

Posted on December 17, 2018 by clarite

Did you know that acne can vary with the seasons?  Often the skincare you use in summer is not suitable in the winter.  Why?

We now know that winter dryness affects the ceramides in the both healthy and acneic skin. By replenishing the health of the skin, acne can be reduced during these times.  By understanding  skin function and barrier function, we can now help with topical cosmeceuticals as well as prescription based topicals.

acne varies with seasons

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