The weather has officially changed, and it’s becoming colder each day. Here are some cold & flu myths to keep in mind, as well as treatments that could warm you up on the coldest of days 🙂
“Feed a cold, starve a fever”
According to pharmacists, you won’t benefit from eating more OR less! It is however important to drink a lot to replace fluids lost through sweating and runny noses. Other than that – eat what you can, when you can!
“If you get cold, you’ll catch a cold”
The only thing than can cause a cold or flu is a cold or flu virus! So skipping drying your hair in the morning or forgetting the puffy winter coat won’t make you sick. If you already have the virus however, getting cold or wet can aggravate symptoms into developing.
“You can catch a cold by kissing”
It’s SAFER to KISS someone with a cold than to SHAKE THEIR HAND!! We mainly sneeze into our hands after all… Lovely thought.
“You’ve had the bug, you’re immune for a bit”
There are around 200 types of cold virus, so just because you can combat one type doesn’t mean you can another.
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Don’t you hate those days that you can feel the cold right down into your bones? Here at Beauty Haven we’re always warm and inviting, but there’s a few treatments that boost that heat up!
Hot Stone Back (£35) OR Full Body Massage (£60)
Involves the application of water-heated basalt stones of varying sizes to key points on the body, giving a deep massage and creating sensations of comfort and warmth. The direct heat relaxes muscles and reduces tension and pain.
Perscriptive Facial (£45)
Customised at every step by the skin therapist. Essential oils and steam are used which can clear the senses and the room is heated to perfection. There is also the Exclusive Facial (£60)which involves the same techniques used in the Perscriptive, however there is a 30min back massage to begin – how could you resist?!
Reflexology (£40)
This ancient foot therapy will ease stress and tension, and help bring a state of emotional wellbeing to body, mind and spirit. You are comfortably wrapped in blankets with an electric blanket underneath ensuring you float into heated bliss.
So if you feel like warming up a bit…pop on into Beauty Haven 🙂
Comments Off on Hair removal techniques – which method is best for you?
Excess hair growth is an age-old problem for both men and woman. We are living in an era where having smooth, hairless bodies is almost expected of us. We shave, pluck, wax. use depilatory creams only to have to do it all again in a few days/weeks. Hormonal fluctuations amongst other things can of course be a huge factor in hair growth and can cause self esteem problems for many of us.
Did you know …..
Hair grows about a half an inch per month and would you believe grows faster in the summer. The cycle of growth is split into three different stages; growing (Anagen), resting (Telogen) and shedding (Catagen). Due to hair not being on the same stage at any given time, can affect the outcome of any hair removal treatments you may be having. So for example you may get your legs waxed every 6 weeks and on some occasions the hair is at Anagen stage and you may therefore need to book in at 5 weeks.
When it comes to hair removal everyone is unique and what method may suit someone will not necessarily suit another.
Waxing is a quick and relatively cheap form of hair removal and probably the most popular, giving 4/6 weeks before regrowth.
Laser hair removal has become increasingly popular over the last decade. The idea of permanent hair reduction is very appealing and if you are the right hair and skin colour for the treatment then this method of hair removal could be for you. We use the Ellipse sirius which is clinically proven, safe and effective. The Ellipse is the only system with the longest clinical studies, the company is also responsible for the manufacture and development of the Gamma camera used for cancer diagnostic treatment. After a treatment, hair remains in the skin, but will fall out between 1 to 3 weeks. A course of 6 sessions is recommended.
Electrolysis is a permanent hair removal system that passes an electric current down an individual sealed and sterilised sterex disposable needle into the hair follicle to destroy the hair root. This treatment is very popular but its important to have the correct expectations as this method of permanent hair removal can be slow and time consuming. The end result though is worth it.
Threading has become a popular treatment and originates from Asia. Kinder to skin and is organic due to not using any creams or wax on the skin, especially if you are sensitive to products or you are on certain medications. The best treatment areas are on the face and threading will remove short rows of hairs to define and reshape eyebrows. It can be slightly painful, but if done properly this will be minimal. The absolute plus side to threading is you can apply make-up after treatment, unlike many other forms of hair removal were you have to wait at least 24 hours before application.
Vaniqua is the only cream that slows hair growth. In clinical trials, Vaniqa, an FDA-approved prescription cream, slowed the growth of facial hair in 60 percent of women when applied twice every day. The downside is that it can cause irritation and only works whilst you are using it so the hair will regrow in most cases when you stop using it.
Whichever form of hair removal technique you prefer or wish to try a new treatment, the therapists at Beauty Haven would be delighted to chat with you and go through the options with you and answer any questions or concerns you may have.
If we wind the clock back by just a few decades a suntan was very common, almost trendy. Let’s face it, almost everything we put on looks better with a tan. We couldn’t get enough of it, in fact years ago a tan signified someone fairly well off who could afford to travel, returning from their holidays looking bronzed and relaxed. Those poor fair skinned individuals we thought, who had to hide from the sun and returned from their holidays positively whiter than white – actually it would seem they were the lucky ones!!!!
We didn’t have the knowledge then about the effects of sun damage and the dangers that go along with it. Now with the power of the media, and the world wide web, we should know better…..
*An extract from ‘Vitamin A Skin Science by Dr Des Fernandes & Dr Ernest Eistein
I believe that photo ageing should be classified as a chronic skin-disease caused by light. My reason is that if people see it as a disease then we will realise that we need a ‘scientific medicine’ to treat the disease that affects virtually the whole world. Most outward signs of skin ageing result from cumulative everyday sun exposure. It begins in infancy and continues throughout life. It can take from ten to forty years for the damage to manifest itself.
UVA rays (A for ageing) predominately causes photo ageing because the UVB rays (B for burn) cannot penetrate the epidermis (the surface layer of the skin) however the UVA rays can.
Vitamin A depletion is central in the development of photo damage. Vitamin A is essential to a healthy skin however we lose 95% of this Vitamin everyday, by topically applying Vitamin A this helps the skin to withstand environmental damage; by keeping the skin rich in Vitamin A we prevent the signs of photo ageing even when we are out in the sun.
Environ skincare uses a unique step up programme, helping the skin become gradually more comfortable with increasing doses of Vitamin A and other ingredients minimising the chance of a reaction, the company ethos is ’Beautiful skin for a lifetime’. Having recently completed my training course and introducing the range to the salon I am very excited about the brand and am already seeing fantastic results on clients. We have introduced eleven different facials each packed with nourishing, anti-ageing ingredients, the freshest, most active forms of Vitamin A, C and Anti-Oxidants are driven deep into the lower layers of the skin using sound waves and small electrical pulses. This scientific approach stimulates Collagen to soften lines and improve elasticity, increase hydration and boost radiance. particularly effective at addressing sun-damage, pigmentation, premature ageing, dryness, uneven skin tone and scarring with measurable differences after just one session.
The Environ skincare range cannot be purchased without first having a consultation to ensure that you purchase the correct product and you are not contraindicated in any way to the use of Vitamin A products. We understand everyone is busy so if you prefer we can arrange a 30- minute skin consultation via Skype or whatsapp and have products posted to you.
(a £25 consultation fee is applied which is redeemable off a product purchase).
Use the New Year as a starting point to up your skincare game, the Beauty Haven skin specialists are on hand to offer you guidance and help you achieve optimum skin health.
Hello December, guess what? its that time of the year again, here at Beauty Haven its official, Christmas is here. In fact we have been getting ready for Christmas since the end of October.
We all love Christmas especially Deirdre, I am writing this on the 2nd and have already received a mountain of parcel deliveries, the latest being a Christmas dress covered in ginger bread men, Christmas puddings and candy canes. So you see, Christmas is not just for the children, we are all kids at heart. So what presents have we in store for all the ladies out there?
Our official shopping day starts on Thursday 7th December. There will be special offers on the day and if you spend £100 on Gift Vouchers you will receive a £10 Gift Voucher Free, We have great stocking fillers this year, from as little as £2.99 to £15.00. Our ever popular Keltic candle range made in Northern Ireland are the best candles ever. Keltic melts in 4 pk box at £4.25 The 200ml Soy Wax Candle in glass with gift box at £8.99 a luxury home fragrancing range including frosted cranberry – we are all fighting for this one, the smell is so delicious you could eat it, patchouli & cedar, lemongrass & bergamot, and many more. Essential oil massage candle which after lighting for 30 minutes the oil forms a pool and can be used as a massage oil, priced at £14.99
Some of our fab Dermalogica gift sets include …..
Dermalogica Phyto Replenish Oil is a feather light treatment oil that reinforces the skins protective barrier and comes in gorgeous packaging priced at £17.50
Dermalogica Double cleanse duo set at £17.50
Dermalogica Age Smart Anti Aging Power Trio at £55.00
Dermalogica Age Smart Daily Defenders at £66.50
Another great seller at this time of year is Dermalogica’s skin care travel kit, one months supply for £30 available for all skin types, I bought the normal/dry skin kit for my holidays at the beginning of September, containing special cleansing gel, mult-active toner, skin smoothing cream, gentle cream exfoliate and intensive eye repair and it actually lasted me two months.
If you are still unsure what to buy why not opt for a gift voucher, you can never go wrong, to be used against all treatments and products. Treat your Mother, sister or friend to a wonderful Environ facial. The treatments from Environ are amazing – Active vitamin Treatment – this is my favourite facial. I had the luxury of receiving this beautiful treatment from Hilary. This facial is packed with vitamin A, C and antioxidants that are driven deep into the dermis by using soundwaves and small electrical pulses. This stimulates the collagen to soften fine lines and improve elasticity. Afterwards my skin felt hydrated and glowing. Prices for Environ facials start at £45
Perhaps a voucher from our list of Body Therapies – Body scrubs, massage, Hot stone or Lava shell massage, Indian Head, Reflexology or Balinese massage.
If you don’t want go opt for the beauty gifts, try choosing a theme that can make life so much simpler, buying Stylish, soft and cosy pj’s, matching dressing gown and comfy slippers to cuddle up on the sofa with candles burning, a nice sparkling champagne and some luxury chocolates or biscuits – Marks and Spencers are offering half price on selected products at the minute.
Jewellery and perfume is always a good choice. What lady doesn’t want to receive these gifts. Whichever gifts you decide to buy for your loved ones it’s the act of giving to someone that means the most, the pleasure is in the giving.
Please pop into the salon and have a browse at our gift selection anytime you like.
Where do I begin writing about “Good Acid”. There are so many acids to explore. The acid inside our bodies, and the acid we put onto our bodies. Acids used within the beauty industry are often misunderstood and can sound a bit scary for some people. We use professional grade acids to preform facial peels and there are various acids to choose from.
Peel solutions may contain alpha hydroxy acids, tricholoracetic acid (TCA) or phenol, the peel “depth” or the number of skin layers removed, is determined by both solution ingredients and concentration.
Generally, the most superficial peels are those using alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic acid. Often just a single treatment with an AHA peel will give your skin a fresher, healthier appearance and a radiant glow. Repeated treatments can help to further improve the texture of your skin. AHA peels can reduce the effects of aging and sun damage including fine wrinkling and brown spots.
A chemical peel treatment carried out in salon s a skin resurfacing technique in which a chemical solution is applied to the face to remove the outer surface layers of skin, allowing new, healthier skin to emerge. Chemical peels come in a range of strengths, from a deeper Phenol Peel to more superficial peels, such as a Glycolic Acid peel. At Beauty Haven we use mesoestetic peels, the range includes glycolic,lactic, salicylic and mandelic acids to the use of premixed combined peels.
The peel involves the application of a solution to the entire face or to specific areas to peel away the skin’s top layers. Several light to medium-depth peels can often achieve similar results to one deeper peel treatment, with less risk and shorter recovery time.
In most cases we use the following acids for specific skin conditions:
Best for Hydration
Lactic Acid is particularly suited to flaky skins and/or those displaying early signs of wrinkles and skin raging. This acid will brighten and add luminosity to the skin.
Best for problematic skin
Salicylic acid Available in concentrations of 10%, 20% and 30% it is particularly recommended in the care of skins with impurities or acne problems as salicylic acid is a sebo-regulator, containing antiseptic, bacteriostatic and fungicidal properties.
Best for anti-aging
Glycolic Acid -Intensive care for skin, anti-aging treatment to reduce wrinkles or expression lines as well as nourish and hydrate.
The results of this treatment can include:
Rejuvenated and brighter skin
Revival of dull skin
Removal of dead skin cells
Even skin texture and tone
Reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Smoother, softer skin
Eliminated pigmentation and reduced effects of sun damage
Reduction of inflammation and breakouts caused by acne
Hydrated and nourished skin
A Little info about the importance of Lactic acid within the body…….
Lactic Acid forms naturally in the body during exercise, and is produced by our skeletal muscles. It is present in some foods like yogurt, sourdough and even in beer and wine which forms during fermentation.
During exercise lactic acid builds up and can cause the burning sensation in the muscles. That’s your muscles screaming at you to stop and prevent severe muscle damage, forcing you to slow down as you are running low on oxygen. Don’t you love it when your body talks to you.?
A paper from a university in New Zealand showed that lactic acid is “Good” for you, it is the most efficient fuel that your muscles need especially for exercise. Before commencing an exercise programme with my gym buddy Gillian we looked into Interval training, just in case you aren;t sure what interval training is , this means to exercise so fast that you get out of breath, then slow down to recover your breath and commence exercise quickly again to get out of breath again. After a warm up on the thread mill for 10 minutes, slow walking to start and then walking at a quick pace, followed by a short burst for one minute at heavy duty running and then slow back down to walking. We repeated this every two minutes until timer stopped. We also do this at the end of our workout to cool down. This form of exercise training spikes the heart rate and burns calories quicker.
Research states that any form of exercise helps to prevent cancers, and heart attacks. Interval training may be even more effective in preventing these two conditions because it helps to lower high blood sugar levels more effectively than continuous training. This is because our cells are more sensitive to insulin. Vigorous exercise increases the number, size and efficiency of mitochondria in your muscle cells. Mitochondria turn the food that you eat into energy. Muscle cells need a lot of energy so they have lots of mitochondria. During intense exercise we don’t get enough oxygen into our bodies hence we get out of breath, this then increases the number, size and efficiency of mitochondria in cells everywhere in your body preventing weight gain, diabetes, heart attacks and certain cancers.
Always consult a General Practitioner before commencing any form of fitness training.
If you are interested in discussing a facial peel please give us a call and we’d be happy to discuss this with you.
The first time I went into a beauty salon was in my early 20’s for a leg wax, I was going on holiday and thought I would try waxing my legs instead of shaving. I had been putting this off for a number of years as the whole concept of going into a beauty salon filled me with embarrassment and dread. I don’t know why I had this misconception and felt the experience would be daunting. I quickly learned its not a scary place to be and all the therapists I have visited around the world have all been very professional. What started with a leg wax progressed to bikini and underarm, all giving me smooth silky skin. Then there was the treat months when I booked in for manicure, pedicure and my favourite treatment full body massage . As time progressed I started to notice facial hair seemingly appearing overnight. I was distraught, I couldn’t believe how much hair appeared and how dark it was, I was totally embarrassed and felt everyone was looking at me. I tried the waxing at first on my neck and chin but suffered with ingrown hairs and became sensitive to the wax. A beauty therapist recommended Electrolysis as the way forward and I booked a course.
The first appointment was a bit nerve wrecking as I didn’t know what to expect. I had done no research on the subject but I knew my therapist well and trusted her to guide me through the treatment. She was a true professional, we had a consultation, asking if any medical conditions had changed from the last time I had visited the salon. She then advised me step by step how the treatment would proceed. By the time I lay down on the couch I was pretty relaxed and eager for the treatment to commence, sounds crazy as she was about to stick a needle in me. I must admit at first when the needle was inserted into my skin I thought I was not going to be able to suffer this well, but within a few minutes I got used to the sensation. I continued electrolysis for a year and I was hair free. Electrolysis does require multiple sessions to achieve results and the amount of sessions does differ from person to person and which particular area being worked on. Treatment times vary from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. An electric current is passed down a very fine needle into the hair follicle to destroy the hair’s root. Electrolysis has the best overall results compared to most other forms of getting rid of hair permanently. It can treat many different types of hair, unlike laser which works best on dark hair only.
Lots of people are concerned about the pain factor and everyone has their own pain threshold. I would compare it to a slight pricking sensation. If you find it too uncomfortable, your doctor may be able to give you a topical anesthetic or you can buy over the counter at the pharmacist.
Costs for electrolysis at Beauty Haven start at £12 for 10 minutes or less, progressing to £15 for 15 minutes, £20 for 20 minutes and £25 for 30 minutes.
There may be some hair growth between treatments, but if the appointments are booked in correct time frame this should minimise the show of hairs. If you cannot make your next appointment it is best to trim the hair, do not tweeze, thread or wax hair during a course of electrolysis.
Aftercare is very important, immediately after each treatment the skin will be sensitive and the pores are open to bacteria. The salon will apply a soothing cream to calm the skin and protect.
The top ten do’s and don’t after electrolysis are:
Do not Sunbathe.
Do not use Sunbeds.
Do not get a Spray tan.
Do not apply Make-up.
Do not go Swimming
Do not Exercise
Do not touch or pick at the area
Do ensure hands are washed before applying aftercare product.
Do not use any other methods of hair removal except trimming.
Do keep up with appointments to obtain desired results.
If you are still unsure as to electrolysis, call Beauty Haven or pop in and speak to our electrolysist consultant Hilary to answer any further questions or concerns you may have.
