Let there be light!

Light: such an important part of our lives that influences our mood, our wellbeing and our health. As the days get shorter, we start to notice (and miss!) the transformative power of light in our lives even more. Made up of different wavelengths, light has a number of therapeutic properties, which when used correctly can play a role in aesthetic procedures as diverse as hair removal, skin rejuvenation and anti-ageing, acne treatment and the removal of vascular lesions.

Lightfusion is a new, totally non-invasive treatment which is soaring in popularity thanks to its skin-calming, healing and rejuvenating properties. Using light in the visible and near-infrared part of the light spectrum, Lightfusion is able to move into the skin where it is absorbed by mitochondria in the cells. This stimulates cell repair and proliferation; increases collagen and elastin production (which helps to improve the elasticity of the skin and reduce lines and wrinkles); and increases blood and lymph flow in order to deliver essential minerals and vitamins whilst removing toxins.

The overall effect is glowing, plumped, hydrated and healthy skin. Plus it’s a super-relaxing treatment. What more could you want?!

IPL or Intense Pulsed Light delivers a controlled pulse of broad-spectrum light which is filtered to remove damaging wavelengths, such as UV. This light is able to penetrate beneath the surface of the skin where it is absorbed by pigmentation and blood vessels. The heat created by the IPL causes damage to these areas of pigmentation and small vessels, causing them to break down and be removed, while at the same time stimulating the natural healing and rejuvenation processes of the skin. The Harmony AFT/IPL Skin Rejuvenation system is the ideal way to refresh dull complexions and reduce pigmentation, brown spots and sun damaged skin, giving a powerful anti-ageing and skin tone enhancing treatment. Perfect for this time of year to combat pigmentation gained over the summer months.

Laser light has many uses within the aesthetic/beauty world, not least thanks to its power to destroy unwanted hair follicles, resulting in permanent hair removal. Laser light differs from other light formats because it tends to be emitted in narrow beams which can be highly focused. Soprano ICE Laser Hair Removal emits laser at an 810 nm wavelength which is able to move into the hair follicle, where it heats the bulb and destroys it, causing permanent hair removal. It comes with an in-built cooling system so the whole treatment is comfortable and quick. So no more shaving, waxing, plucking or ingrown hairs!

Light in the infrared spectrum is also used successfully in many treatments where its cell-stimulating effects are combined with other powerful technologies to amplify treatment and results. One such treatment is Velashape III , a non-invasive body contouring procedure for problem areas such as thighs, waist and abdomen.

Velashape uses three combined energies to ensure the deep heating of fat cells, which increases circulation and lymphatic drainage, breaks down fatty tissue and speeds up cellular metabolism.

So there you have it…the endlessly versatile power of light!

Autumn Calling

It’s that beautiful time of year again with golden colours and mellow days as Summer fades into Autumn. Now is the perfect time to think about repairing our skin after the sun exposure and heat of the warmer months and trips abroad, and preparing our bodies for the change of season….so we have rounded up our top tips and treatments to help you maximise and enjoy this golden month…

Repair

Sun exposure has the wonderful benefit of increasing our Vitamin D levels but it can also play havoc with hydration, cause hyperpigmentation and alter the texture of the skin. Book in for a Hydrabright treatment to refine, hydrate and resurface the skin in a totally pain free and very relaxing treatment. Celebrities go crazy for this treatment and it’s no wonder – the instant results make you feel a million dollars. Try the Clear Lift laser to remove pigmentation and even out the skin tone – the laser is also ideal for lifting and tightening the skin and to help remove lines and wrinkles – the perfect treatment for the new season to come!

If you are after something even more powerful, we highly recommend the Harmony IPL Skin rejuvenation – this packs an impressive punch to blast away pigmentation, sun spots and redness and improves the quality and texture of the skin. Our ZO Skin Health Stimulator Peel is also ideal for helping to lift away pigmentation and to give skin a whole new lease of life!

We love the Elizabeth Arden PRO Skin Brightening serum and Triple Action protection to help manage pigmentation and to refresh and rejuvenate the skin. You can also use their specially formulated Brightening pads at home to keep your skin’s luminosity. Calm any redness or sun damage with Vitage Skin Calming Aloe Gel and rehydrate with Vitage Age Defence Hydration mask to quench a dry skin’s thirst!

Prepare

Eating healthily is one of the most important ways to support our systems as we move into the new season. Why not check in with May, our Nutritional Consultant, to find out the best foods and food combinations to help you restore balance and maintain a healthy weight. She can also advise on nutritional support to ensure that you are getting all your vitamins and minerals to help your skin glow and you to look and feel your very best.

Don’t forget to start your laser hair removal course now – make use of the cooler months to remove hair permanently so that you are free from waxing, shaving and plucking when the new year comes! The Soprano ICE hair removal system is pain free and very quick with no downtime. Great for all skin types and most hair colours, this system means you can say goodbye to your razor and hello to permanently smooth skin!

…most importantly remember to enjoy this beautiful month!

Summer time and the living is easy!

The perfect time of year to rest and recharge ready for the coming months … and if you’re off to sunnier climes with just sun, sand and sea on your mind, we have the perfect combination of treatments and products to ensure that your skin is prepped, protected and perfected so you can keep your holiday glow long after your return.

Good preparation is key

Exfoliate and hydrate skin from the outside in with the much loved celebrity favourite, Hydrafacial, and from the inside out by eating skin hydrating foods such as leafy greens and watermelon. Tighten and lift the skin on the face and around the delicate eye area with the award winning EndyMed Pro FSR which also helps tackle pigmentation thanks to its collagen stimulating and rejuvenating effects. You might also want to try our Endybleph treatment, combining our Stay Young non surgical eye lift with the EndyMed PRO 3 Deep iFine , a potent mix of treatments which reduces puffiness, increases circulation, strengthens the muscles around the eyes and reduces the visible appearance of fine lines and wrinkles…. Now that’s got to be a winner!

If you fancy adding some volume to your lips or cheekbones with Dermal Fillers or feel that you would like to tighten and lift the skin on your face and neck with a Thread Lift, then Dr Meriem Martins can work her face sculpting magic.

To deeply hydrate the skin, we recommend the Image Ormedic mask or Vital C hydrating serum.

Prevent and protect

We are firm believers in prevention is better than cure, so upping the sun protection during the summer months ( and keeping your face out of the sun as much as possible) is super important to avoid the damaging effects of UV light. We love Elizabeth Arden PRO Triple Action Protection SPF.

Don’t forget that UV light triggers a cascade reaction that leads to the formation of free radicals. These pesky molecules are responsible for damaging cells and DNA which leads to many problems in the skin, both visible and non visible as well as accelerating ageing. To help fight free radicals, antioxidants are vital. You can eat your antioxidants with a diet rich in vegetables and fruit such as berries, and we also highly recommend a topical antioxidant which can be used in combination with an SPF or after sun exposure, such as ZO Daily Power Defence.

Replenishing lost moisture is essential for the skin after time spent in the sunshine. Be sure to keep your intake of water high and apply Elizabeth Arden Pro Cellulaire Recovery serum (repairs DNA Damage) or a hydrating mask such as the Vitage hydrating mask or the SCBI Nano masks or Elizabeth Arden Pro Replenishing mask. . You could try the Radara patches to add an extra hydrating dose of Hyaluronic Acid to the eye area to keep the delicate skin in perfect condition.

… And there you have it … Your fail safe guide to glowing summer skin!

A world of opportunities awaits …

One of the most exciting opportunities that has arisen from our merge with Courthouse Clinics is that we are now able to offer our clients the chance to explore more minimally invasive treatments which can help them to achieve their body goals. Whether it’s blasting away the last few annoying stubborn pounds to perfect your shape, or helping to reshape your nose after years of it bothering you, the clinics are able to offer a range of treatments and specialists who are experts in their fields.

Vaser Lipo is one of the most exciting developments in recent years within aesthetic medicine. As an alternative to traditional Liposuction, Vaser Lipo is a quicker procedure that has a lot less downtime and can be used to sculpt the body, removing stubborn pockets of fat from areas such as love handles, saddlebags and rolls. It is much less invasive than traditional liposuction, with just one small incision, and you can see results very quickly after treatment. Vaser Lipo is a safe procedure and is carried out by a highly skilled doctor in a clinical setting to ensure your comfort and safety.

Nose reshaping is an extremely common treatment – some people are bothered for years by the shape of their nose and seek to reduce the size, correct the shape or reduce lumps and bumps in order to give a more balanced appearance. Courthouse Clinics are able to offer different alternatives for nose reshaping – traditional rhinoplasty or non-surgical nose reshaping. Non-surgical nose reshaping involves the use of fillers which are carefully positioned in order to sculpt the nose. This means that there is virtually no downtime or discomfort post treatment.

For those looking for a little lift, a reduction in the sagging of cheeks and jawline, a more youthful face shape and rejuvenation, our Thread Lift may be the perfect solution. Carried out by our very own Dr Meriem Martins, Thread lifts involve the insertion of very fine non absorbable surgical threads into the face which are then very gently tightened. The effect is subtle with a visible lifted and fresher face instantly. The treatment is quick and has even been dubbed the ‘lunch time facial’ as it takes so little time to give very quick results.

For more information about any of the minimally invasive and surgical treatments available, please call us or visit www.courthouseclinics.com

Hydrate hydrate hydrate!

As the temperature rises, and especially if you are planning a trip abroad to bask in the sun, it’s super important to keep your body and skin hydrated to avoid scaly, flaky skin and to decrease the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

Drink water and eat hydrating foods

Increasing your intake of hydrating foods during the summer months can work wonders for the skin and some foods are even better at hydrating the body than water alone – the combination of rehydration salts potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium in watermelon, combined with the high water content, means that it packs a powerful hydrating punch. Cucumber, leafy green vegetables and all those juicy tropical fruits like pineapple, mango and berries all help to raise our hydration levels whilst delivering essential vitamins and minerals in one go.

Be prepared

Get skin super plumped before you travel to boost hydration levels. Try our ever popular Hydrafacial which delivers skin hydrating products directly into the skin, including hyaluronic acid, the fundamental skin hydrating and plumping ingredient to soften lines and wrinkles and give you that youthful glow.

The Retinol Wow Peel is the ideal way to sweep away clogging, drying old skin to reveal fresher, healthier skin, whilst delivering skin plumping ingredients such as retinol and peptides to help soften lines and wrinkles. It’s also packed with Vitamin C, the perfect antioxidant to improve skin texture, help hydration and to boost natural collagen and elastin.

Try the Eliance Mesotherapy, an extremely well respected technique of delivering ingredients directly into the skin where they are needed most. Using multiple micro-injections, Eliance Mesotherapy can deliver a bespoke combination of products into the skin to help deep hydration.

Try the relaxing Environ Hydraboost, a treatment that uses innovative sound and current technology to push ingredients into the skin in a totally pain free and relaxing treatment. Using Hyaluronic Acid, vitamins and antioxidants, the Environ Hydraboost helps decrease the visible signs of ageing and increases the hydration levels of the skin.

Topical Hyaluronic Acids

Thanks to ever-improving technology and skin care science, we are now able to offer effective topical creams and serums that are able to deliver Hyaluronic Acid into the skin without going near a needle. Ideal for long term use, these Hyaluronic Acid super chargers help maintain the right amount of water and plumpness in the skin and help to boost a skin that is dehydrated. We love the Vitage Age Defense Hydrating Mask which contains high levels of Hyaluronic Acid as well as skin conditioning ingredients to repair the epidermal barrier, resulting in less moisture loss. Ask our team today for more information.

Goodbye orange peel!

Cellulite – the very word has us cringing, and yet it is such a common occurrence, affecting over 85% of the female population. So, what is it and how can we blast away that orange peel effect?

Cellulite appears when normal fat is pushed up against connective tissue, causing the skin above to pucker or bunch up, giving that annoying orange peel look. Women’s connective tissue is aligned in a different way to men’s, so it is women that get affected most. The appearance of cellulite can be affected by a number of factors : diet, slow metabolism, hormone changes, genetics,  dehydration, total body fat, thickness and colour of your skin.

So what’s the best way to minimise the look of cellulite?

First up is the award winning Velashape III, a cellulite and fat busting body contouring technology which combines Infrared, Bipolar and vacuum to deeply heat the fat and stimulate the local metabolism to reduce fatty deposits and increase the drainage of fluid. It also trengthens the connective tissue so that the cellulite appears less and the legs or treatment area are smoother and more toned. Kim Kardashian loves the treatment and we have to say her legs look pretty fantastic!

Mesotherapy has long been used in the battle against cellulite, and our Eliance Mesotherapy is a very safe and effective treatment that uses multiple micro injections of products that specifically target fatty deposits and cellulite.   It’s virtually pain free and highly effective – a course is normally needed and you will see results about a week after treatment. The French swear by Mesotherapy, so if you are looking to be a bit more Brigitte Bardot this summer, this might be the perfect way.

Here at Jill Zander, we love the Body Ballancer Lymph Drainage , a fabulous way of eliminating pesky water retention, boosting the local circulation, increasing lymphatic drainage and decreasing weight. By stimulating and helping the lymphatic system, accumulated fluid which adds to the appearance of cellulite is eliminated along with toxins which could cause inflammation and fluid retention. It’s also a really relaxing treatment : relax and walk away slimmer – we couldn’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon!

If laser is more your thing, why not try our SmoothShapes Laser Cellulite Reduction which targets the fatty deposits using laser and light therapy combined with vacuum suction. This potent combination heats up the fat cells, liquefies their contents, makes their cells permeable and eliminates the fat from the area to be excreted from the body. Not only does it help smooth the skin and reduce the cellulite, but it also strengthens the collagen fibres so the skin is firmer and less likely to show cellulite. An all-round winner!

Of course it is not just treatments that are going to help remove cellulite and keep it away, but also a diet rich in natural and healthy ingredients (junk food = cellulite ), a reduction in sugar intake (sugar reduces circulation, increases fatty deposits and weakens the elastin fibres of the skin) and a good intake of water to flush toxins through the body and keep the lymphatic drainage system at it’s peak performance. May, our resident nutritionist, can guide you as to what you should be eating and which supplements are going to help manage cellulite. Find out more here

Look forward to a cellulite free Summer!