Min's Beauty Equipment: November 2014

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Botox vs Fillers Demystified: How to Fill Cheeks, Soften Nasolabial Folds and Marionette Lines

Two weeks ago I went to the Anti-ageing Show in Manchester where I saw cosmetic procedures being performed life, expert doctors talking about various treatments and a lot of other things that anyone who looks after themselves might be interested in.

Smile or laughter lines and marionette lines
By lifting cheeks with fillers, it is possible to soften nasolabial
folds and marionette lines
One of the things that I watched was Dr Aamer Khan from Harley Street Skin Clinic in London performing filler injections life. He gave an explanation as to what fillers are, when they are used and he also explained the biggest misconception about Botox.

Very often people talk about Botox, because often it's the only thing that they know about. Everyone heard of it and everyone seems to use it, but Botox is not always the best solution. It is only used for dynamic lines, i.e., the lines that appear when our facial muscles move. For static lines, i.e., lines that are there irrespective of our facial movements fillers may be the answer.

For a long time I wondered how fillers worked and how they addressed problems such as nasolabial folds, also known as laugh or smile lines, and marionette lines. I always thought that fillers get injected into the folds themselves, but that just doesn't seem to be the case and the evidence of it was the life show performed by Dr Khan two weeks ago. The folds are lifted by lifting cheeks and not injecting into the folds themselves. When the cheeks are lifted the folds soften up naturally due to the lifted skin. Totally makes sense, in this case you will not only achieve a reduction in smile and marionette lines, but you will get the killer Kate Moss's cheekbones too, pretty cool!

So, one thing we must not forget is that Botox is not the answer to everything, don't forget to consider other things too as they may address your aesthetic needs a lot better. This partly explains why you need to go to a qualified practitioner. If you go to someone who only does Botox, no way that person will ever tell you that Botox is not the best solution for you. A good practitioner will understand the anatomy of ageing and he will know how to restore your face. "Don't use a permanent filler", doctor Khan says. Also, it is important not to overfill face and lift cheeks naturally. If any of these procedures is overdone, the person will lose her identity.

As with every other procedure there are some risks with fillers. Mainly it is the technique itself. Blood vessels and nerves the doctor needs to be aware of. Using a qualified practitioner is particularly  important if you have fillers injected around eyes as there are arteries affecting vision. Advanced knowledge of techniques and training is particularly important in this case.

The main risks are bruising, swelling and discomfort. There is a low risk of allergies to hyalluronic acid filler, however, the risk is very low, i.e., 1 to 10,000, according to Dr Khan who only uses the mentioned type of fillers.

Before fillers fix into their position they can be moved around a bit by massaging the face. Using a face cream is ok after the procedure, but it's important not to massage, press or stretch the skin.

Alcohol is better to avoid after Botox for about 24 hours. With fillers it is usually possible to see if there is going to be any swelling, so a bit of alcohol after the procedure is ok if no swelling is envisaged.

Certain medications can increase bruising such as anti-inflamatories, alcohol consumption within the last 48 hours before the procedure. Age also affects how much bruising we are going to get. The older we are the more likely we are to bruise.

Results are immediate after fillers, but the filler softens up within a week or so.

Fillers are not a facelift, it's a volumetric lift, so it is wise to have reasonable expectations. The lady at the Show who had fillers injected into her face had the following instantaneous improvements:
  • The jowls lifted.
  • The bags around her eyes improved.
  • The cheeks are more held up.
  • Nasolabial folds softened up.
  • Marionette lines softened up.

Fillers can be used to address other problems, but I am not going to talk about them in this post.

Let me know if you would ever consider having filler injections. What about Botox?

Below is the YouTube Video for those who like to watch instead of reading. At the end of the video there is an extract of Dr Khan's speech in case you would like to see what it was like to be at the Anti-ageing Show in Manchester, 2014.



Monday 17 November 2014

Join Once The Never Ending Giveaway for Free - Prize This Month: Multipeptide Novelty Beauty Mask

Today I am introducing my new initiative. I am offering everyone to join my never ending giveaway which you join once completely for free and you will stand a chance to win some beauty product every month forever.*

Anti-ageing mask cloth
Multipeptide Calming Revitalising Mask
Cloth - Timeless Truth
Face Mask Cloth Anti-ageing
Multipeptide Calming Revitalising Mask
Cloth - benefits and user instructions

This month's prize


This month all my old and new subscribers (see details below for the rules to join the giveaway) will have a chance to win this novelty beauty mask/cloth by Timeless Truth. Multipeptide Calming Revitalising Mask is an exceptional, patented Functionality Cloth actively restoring and revitalising skin's natural radiance. It helps tissue cells' regeneration. The pink powder impregnated in the cloth contains negative ions which increases circulation helping to relax facial tension. It firms skin, thereby, reducing fine lines and wrinkles. It moisturises, hydrates skin and leaves it soft and radiant.

The rules to join the giveaway


It's open internationally.
  • Subscribe to my e-mail notifications with the e-mail that is in use. I don't post very frequently, so you won't be spammed with lots of messages every day. Also, I will never ever sell or give your e-mail address to anyone else. You can unsubscribe at any time, however, you will lose your right to participate in any further giveaways. Current subscribers will be included automatically.
  • Like my Facebook page and any one of the posts there. The Facebook "like" button is on the right of my blog posts. If you don't have a Facebook account, you will still be eligible to participate in a giveaway, provided you are subscribed to e-mail notifications.

How will the winner be announced?


This is not your usual giveaway, so the usual rules of a giveaway don't apply. The giveaway doesn't have an exact date of when the new product for win will be announced nor an exact date for when the winner will be announced, but it will be approximately once a month when it is convenient for me.

The e-mail address given must be genuine and used on a regular basis as the winner will be announced in a blog post and no further attempt will be made to contact the winner. It is up to the winner to claim the prize. If I don't hear from the winner within 28 days, I will simply announce a new winner with the original winner losing the right to the prize. Please use my e-mail provided in the Contact Details section to acknowledge the win and provide me with the address to send the prize.

The winner will be picked randomly from the subscribers list on the day of a random draw.

A prize for the next month will be announced in the same blog post as the winner for the previous month.


* I reserve the right to change the terms or cancel the giveaway at any time without further notice, however, I will ensure delivery of the prize if it has already been allocated. Also, although I will endeavour to make the giveaway a monthly occurrence, the actual frequency depends on the availability of the prize and my time constraints.

Tuesday 11 November 2014

The Anti-ageing Health and Beauty Show in Manchester, November 2014 - Review & Highlights

The Anti-ageing Health and Beauty Show which took place in Manchester Event City on the 8th and 9th of November is over. Show participants and visitors have had some time to think about what went right or wrong and so had I. Below are my thoughts.

The Show was great from a visitors perspective. There were some amazing brands offering new products at introductory discounted prices, demonstration of various cosmetic procedures and speakers that talked about how to prevent ageing and so on.

For exhibitors it must have been a different story as the event seemed to be eh... empty. Saturday was totally quiet, Sunday was a bit busier, but still nothing to match the promised 16,000 affluent consumers as advertised on their website for exhibitors. Not even close..













Let's review some of the products that I enjoyed the most at the Show:
  • Ogra - Organic Irish Peat skincare brand. The company has a very interesting history which totally makes you want to try out their products. I was listening to a girl from my home country talking through the benefits of their products and how the brand came to existence. I found the story fascinating, therefore, I will write a separate blog post about it at some point. Also, they gave me some products to try out. One of them is a moisturiser that you can see in the picture. I started using it straight away as I believe in skincare benefits of peat. The moisturiser feels really good on my skin, but I'll talk about it later in another post.

Peat skincare range
Ogra Organic Irish Peat Anti-aging Facial moisturiser


  • Melody-Claire Elegant Depilation hair removal system sounds outstanding. The lady brushed my arm in a circular motion in one direction, then in the opposite direction and the hair was gone. She says that it goes away from the root. Impressive! I would like to try!

Hair removal system review
Melody-Claire Elegant Depilation hair removal system 













  • Power board and massage device by Casada. Another two great devices, both of them very powerful. The power board looks small, but it can be used for gym as it can stay on for many hours a day. It can also be used at home. Unlike massive power plates that we often see in gyms, this one is very convenient even for home use due to its size. It's not less powerful either. I am in love. I tested the massager as well and it's also very strong and really relaxing. 

Power board and massage device home use or for gym
Power board and massage device by Casada


















  • The Magic Lamp. Off course it's nothing magic about it. It uses the same LED technology that I wrote about before in this article, however, the company advertises the device as a weight loss aid. If you have the lamp on while exercising, it makes you a lot more energetic, which in turn makes your exercise session more enjoyable and helps you lose weight too. Other benefits that are more difficult to quantify include the following: slows down ageing, works as SAD light therapy which helps combat winter depression.

The Magic Lamp
The Magic Lamp

  • Salt scrub by KEDEM is another product that left a good impression on me. I tested it on my hands, but it is mainly used in the shower and works instead of a moisturiser. You use a little bit of salt to rub your body with, wash it off and your skin stays moisturised for a week. I am not sure about that week thing, but if it shortens my daily routine even by one step, then it's worth a try. My hands felt really good after the scrub.

Salt scrub
Salt scrub moisturisation

  • Heat packs and snoring aid are other two great products. The heat packs can be microwaved and stay warm for 20 minutes to half an hour. They can be used for neck pain or anywhere else on your body. There is even a heat pack for eyes. The snoring aid may be used for teeth grinding as well.
Microwavable heat packs and snoring aid
Heat packs and snoring aid










  • There were demonstrations of cosmetic procedures and treatments which I enjoyed watching, but I will talk about them later when I have the videos ready.

Hope you enjoyed reading this and do visit the Show next time. It's fun.

Have you ever been to any anti-ageing, health or beauty show? Do you enjoy this subject?

Tuesday 4 November 2014

Don't be Sad - Use SAD Lights to Beat Winter Depression

As winter months are fast approaching, natural daylight is becoming more of a commodity. Most of us miss long summer days and even if we don't miss our bodies still react to the lack of sunlight. Some people even develop symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter depression, also called winter blues.
Seasonal affective disorder lights to combat winter blues
SAD light therapy

Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include lack of energy, tendency to sleep longer, overeating, insomnia, anxiety, withdrawal from social engagements, loss of sex drive, weight gain or loss. All of this leads to depression and can make a sufferer's life very miserable during the dark months. Funny enough, but this may be a human form of hibernation.

Is there any way to address this problem or is it the misery that people simply have to learn to live with? Few of us still know about SAD lights. No, they are not sad, they are actually quite happy. A lot of people react very well to them and report mood improvements. On Amazon you can buy one for as little as £40. With light of 10,000 lux illuminating the room like a daylight on a hot summer day you should quickly see the difference. A lot of people feel happier after using the light box, even though a lot of the reviewers may have not necessarily been diagnosed as having SAD by their doctors. Nevertheless, it's good to know that somebody feels more cheerful than they otherwise would be feeling in winter without the SAD therapy.

Please consult your doctor before using the lights if you have any of the following:
  • Severe depression
  • Hypersensitivity to light (diabetes, epilepsy, etc.)
  • Eye problems (cataract, glaucoma, etc.)
  • Taking certain medication (antidepressants, malaria tablets, etc.)
  • High blood pressure
Other than that, have a happy winter and stay pink, not blue!

Have you ever tried SAD therapy? Did it help?

Saturday 1 November 2014

Say 'No' to Wrinkles and Sagging Skin - Radio Frequency Demystified

Oh God, there is a lot of techniques and devices that women need to get to grips with if they want to improve their skin appearance in a non-surgical way. Once you reach a certain age face creams and scrubs can only do that much; at some point you will need to visit a clinic and have your face treated with some anti-ageing devices. Radio frequency (RF) is only one of the many that you need to understand before choosing the right procedure for your aesthetic needs.

Before and after eight sessions of radio frequency with Lynton Promax
Before and after eight sessions with Lynton Promax radio frequency device
When you go to a clinic, you will most likely have a consultation with a clinician who will advise you on the best treatment for you, but it's always good to have an opinion of your own, so you can challenge the practitioner if required.

A few other non-surgical facial rejuvenation methods seem to do a similar job to radio frequency: one of them is ultherapy and another popular one is lasers. Whichever you are offered, I guess, depends a lot on a practitioner and the devices that they have in their practice. Which one of them is better is highly debatable and it is often a matter of opinion and personal choice. Ultherapy is mainly used for improving skin laxity and sagging, but not usually for wrinkles or fine lines, although recently it has been cleared by FDA to treat neck and décolletage area skin texture. Lasers are often used to treat wrinkles, fine lines and skin laxity, but they require a lot of downtime and they are expensive, and so is ultherapy. Radio frequency requires less downtime, but a patient will need a few sessions to achieve visible results. Radio frequency seems to cost a bit less than the other mentioned methods of facial rejuvenation.

Given my limited knowledge of radio frequency, I asked a specialist Maria Jacobs, a weight loss and aesthetic skin treatments practitioner and the owner of Manor Health Clinic, to answer a few questions about radio frequency. She was very happy to help, so read her answers below.


Q: So what is RF?

Lynton Promax device pic
Lynton Promax radio frequency device
A: Radio Frequency offers an effective yet comfortable way to achieve facial skin tightening and wrinkle reduction. After a course of treatments you can enjoy tighter, firmer and younger looking skin with improved skin tone, texture and elasticity. Our Radiofrequency tightening treatment kick starts collagen and firms facial contours. Fine lines disappear and deeply etched lines are noticeably softened.

The beauty about this treatment as opposed to other skin rejuvenation treatments is that we can safely treat the delicate eye and lip area which is often the place we show early signs of aging.

Q: What areas can be treated with RF?

A: Full face, eyes, upper lip, neck and décolleté.

Q: What areas are the most popular among your patients?

A: Eyes, full face and neck.

Q: What type of skin problems can RF solve, such as sagging, wrinkles or anything else?

A: The general feedback I get regularly from clients is:

  • Fine lines disappear
  • Deep lines appear much softer, therefore, less obvious when makeup is applied
  • Puffy eyes vastly improve, this is because the vacuum on the machine helps to drain excess lymph fluid (this is an instant improvement)
  • Sagging jowls also improve  

Q: How dramatic results/improvement?

A: Clients will notice an improvement in their skin after the first treatment.  Fine lines and skin firmness will start to improve after the third treatment, this is because it takes time for the fibroblast cells to produce new collagen.  The client will still see improvements up to 8 weeks after the end of their course.

Q: What percentage of people are satisfied and what percentage is very satisfied with the treatment? What percentage see no improvement?

A: Everyone is satisfied as there is always an improvement.  I would say that 40% of clients are satisfied and 60% of clients are very satisfied.  The more wrinkles a client has, the more they see an improvement as the effects are much more obvious.  This treatment most definitely has the wow factor.

Q: I believe the results build up over the course of a few months. Confirm that it is correct. Do you get to see your patients a few months after the treatment?

A: Yes results build over the course of treatments; a course of 6-10 treatments is recommended depending on how deep wrinkles are.

Q: What is the RF device that you use in your practice called? How did you decide which one to get?

A: I use the Lynton Promax.  I decided on this as I have other equipment from Lynton which I have never been disappointed with.  I tried 4 different machines but the Promax delivered the best results.

Q: How is the treatment performed?

A: We divide the face in to four sections. The specialised facial applicator can be used all over the face, neck and décolleté including small treatment areas such as around the eyes and mouth.

Q: What should people watch out for when choosing a practice for their treatment?

A: That the clinician is confident and explains the treatment well. Also, look out for certificates that are displayed which show qualifications for the machine they are using.

Q: Have you ever had patients with unreasonable expectations? What were they?

A: I think clients generally have expectations that you set, so I prefer to under promise and over deliver.  I talk honestly about the results other clients have had and what they can expect. If people's expectations are unachievable, then honesty is the best policy.

Q: RF versus laser versus ultrasound. Which one is the best for what?

A: Ultrasound is safe but I’m not confident that it can deliver results that RF or laser can.  RF and laser are both exceptional but RF is a slightly more comfortable treatment which some clients prefer.  I do love laser too, so it all comes down to personal choice and what type of treatment the client would prefer and what is going to achieve the best results for the skin concerns a client has.

Q: What is the approximate price for various areas separately and for the whole face, neck…?

A: A full face is £69, full face and neck is £79. This is slightly lower than I was advised to charge, but it is appropriate for the area I work in.

Q: Is the treatment painful?

A: No, it does feel quite warm, but we monitor the temperature throughout, so it always feels comfortable.

Q: How long does it take?

A: Full face – 45 mins, full face and neck – 60 mins, full face, neck and décolleté - 75 mins, eyes, neck or décolleté - 10 to 15 minutes.

Q: Complications. What is the worst that ever happened in your practice?

A: One gent had an alternative agenda, so he was very unpleasant to deal with. Fortunately, it is rare that something bad happens.

Promo Code

If anyone would like to try a radio frequency treatment, all new customers at Manor Health Clinic in London can get a 10% discount on their first treatment by quoting a promo code "Min's Beauty Equipment".

Final Word

Have you ever tried any treatments similar to radio frequency? Would you like to try at some point?