SLUGGING THIS WINTER.....Is this trend for you? Reviewed by Dr. Sravani Sandhya Aura Skin & Hair Clinic Visakhapatnam.

What is slugging?

As the name suggests the slimy mucus trail the snails and slugs leave behind as they move is what gives this trend it name!! I'm sure you have all heard of this K-Beauty trend over the last couple of years.

It is a trend where you generously apply a petroleum based product as the final step in your skin care routine which in turn helps lock and seal in your skin care products overnight and then wash it off with a cleanser the next day.

Petroleum jelly is a simple and very occlusive ointment which means it forms a protective layer on the surface of your skin in turn helps seal in hydration and keep your skin from drying out.

Benefits of slugging

The protective barrier that petroleum jelly creates on your skin acts as a barrier that keeps water from evaporating from the surface of your face. The potential benefits of this could be:

Moisturizes: The retained hydration can fill the epidermis like a sponge, thickening it and making it more pliable and elastic.

Protects: The barrier keeps water in and keeps unwanted particles out thus preventing them from entering the skin and causing irritation or an immune reaction.

Repairs damage: If your skin is dehydrated, a coating of petroleum jelly at night can help prevent further water loss from the skin and allow it to repair itself.


How often should you do slugging?

Rule number one of skincare is to always be aware of your skin's health and needs. As far as the frequency goes it is best to listen to your skin. If you have skin that tends to be dry, you may benefit from slugging daily. Those that have oily skin or acne prone skin should consider slugging less or not at all. Slugging might make breakouts much worse.

What type of products should you avoid when slugging?

We advice against the use of active ingredients and exfoliants such as alpha hydroxy acids or beta hydroxy acids or retinoids. When trapped the concentration of these chemicals can increase leading to unpredictable results on the skin. Slugging is best paired with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid. Slugging does not hydrate the skin but rather traps the moisturizing products that you have applied prior.

How to do it

Slugging is pretty straightforward. Here are the steps to follow to incorporate it into your night time skin care routine.

1. Prep your skin

Slugging should only be done on clean skin, so start your evening routine with cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing. Avoid AHAs, BHAs and retinoids.

2. Apply only a small amount of petroleum jelly

Petroleum jelly is thick and goopy, so you only need a tiny bit — and you don’t necessarily need to put it on your entire face. You can apply it only to the thinnest and driest parts of the face, like your eyelids and your lips.

3. Wait 30 minutes before bed

Give yourself about half an hour before bedtime as it will give your products enough time to settle down. You might want to cover your pillowcase with a towel inorder to prevent it from getting sticky and you might also want to cover your hair to avoid it from sticking onto your face.

4. Sleep on it

A good night’s sleep is beneficial for overall skin health.

5. In the morning, wash your face

Make sure you cleanse your face once you wake up in order to get rid of any dust and grime stuck as well as anything that has been trapped inside the petroleum jelly barrier. Choose an appropriate cleanser.

Who shouldn’t try slugging

Slugging isn’t right for everyone and should be practiced with alot of care and restraint. People with oily skin, acne prone skin should not do it. If you have any infection or open wound skip slugging as it may make the condition worse and hamper healing.

Aura Skin & Hair Clinic is a top rated cosmetologist and Medi-Skin care clinic in Vizag.

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G1 Jagan Krishna Apts,

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Visakhapatnam 530002

Website

www.auraskinclinic.com

Contact:

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sravani@auraskinclinic.com 

AHA's Vs BHA's! Which one should you choose?? by Dr.Sravani Sandhya, Aura Skin & Hair Clinic, Visakhapatnam

AHA's and BHA's. What they are and how you should choose which one is right for you !

We hear the words AHAs and BHAs commonly these days. These are nothing but types of hydroxy acids. AHA stands for alpha hydroxy acid whereas BHA stands for beta hydroxy acid.

AHAs are water-soluble acids made from sugary fruits, they help peel away the surface of your skin so that new, more evenly pigmented skin cells may generate and take their place. After using them you will likely notice that your skin is smoother to the touch.

On the other hand, BHAs are oil-soluble acids. Unlike AHAs, BHAs can get deeper into the pores to remove dead skin cells and excess sebum and exfoliate the skin from within.Which Acid should you choose?

AHAs are primarily used for:

●     mild hyperpigmentation like age spots, melasma, and scars

●     enlarged pores

●     fine lines and surface wrinkles

●    uneven skin tone

Although AHAs are often marketed as safe for all skin types, you’ll want to take care if you have extremely dry and sensitive skin. You may need to gradually work up to daily use to avoid irritating your skin.

BHAs, on the other hand, are primarily used for acne and sun damage. These products go deep into your hair follicles to dry out excess oils and dead skin cells to unclog your pores. Because of these effects, BHAs are most suitable for combination to oily skin. Lower concentrations may be used to help calm sensitive skin. You may also have more success with BHAs if you want to reduce rosacea-related redness.

The purpose of both AHAs and BHAs is to exfoliate the skin.Still, neither type of hydroxy acid is “better” than the other. Both are highly effective methods of deep exfoliation. The differences lie in their uses. Lets look at some of their uses in detail.

Benefits of AHAs in Skin Care

1.AHAs Treat and Prevent Acne

Dead skin cells play a huge role in the formation of acne. These dead skin cells accumulate and buildup over time, eventually mixing with oil and sebum and causes a breakout. Using a chemical exfoliator busts those dead skin cells and loosens the bond they have with the hardened sebum.

2.AHAs Reduce Hyper pigmentation

Both at-home and salon treatments using AHAs can help reduce the appearance of hyper pigmentation in skin. Hyper pigmentation usually occurs when there is an excess production of melanin (a pigment that causes darkness), inflammation, sun damage or other skin injuries. The excess melanin gives the appearance of discolouration, unevenness, and hyper pigmentation. AHAs can be an effective treatment to reduce hyper pigmentation because they remove the cells in the epidermis that have darkened with melanin.

3.AHAs Improve Damage Caused by Sun

Similar to the benefits of reducing hyper pigmentation, AHAs improve discolouration associated with sun damage. AHAs have long been studied for their positive effects on photo aged skin. 

4.AHAs Prevent Dehydration

Here is the key reason why AHAs are recommended for dehydrated skin. AHAs increase the rate of skin cell renewal, which encourages lipids to move faster as well. This allows the epidermis to hold onto moisture for longer and reduces the risk of Transepidermal Water Loss.

5.AHAs Result in Smoother Skin

The chemical exfoliation process of AHAs improves rough textures and reveals smoother, softer skin. In people with dry, flaky skin, these results can be noticed quickly.

Benefits of BHAs in Skin Care

BHAs travel deeper in the skin and are not as gentle as AHAs. However, oily and acne-prone skin types may need the tough love that BHAs provide.

While AHAs loosen the bonds between dead skin cells and sebum, BHAs penetrate into the pores and extract impurities. BHAs are great exfoliators to remove dead skin cells and the buildup of dirt on skin, but it’s oil soluble properties yield other great benefits.

1.BHAs for Oily Skin

Scientists commonly refer to BHAs as lipophilic, which means oil loving. BHAs love oils, making them incredible agents at balancing the oil levels in your skin. They draw out the excess oils in your skin, so when you wash away the BHAs with water, they take the oils with them.

For oily skin types, BHAs like salicylic acid are a game changer at putting a stop to excessive oil production and regulating the moisture balance in skin. Plus, BHAs actually penetrate pores, unclog them, and make them appear smaller.

2.BHAs Fight Acne

Similar to AHAs, BHAs help treat and prevent acne. However, BHAs may be a more effective treatment because they penetrate deeper. BHAs are also anti-inflammatory and antiseptic, which helps them to relieve acne.

The ability of BHAs to dissolve oil in pores makes them comedolytic, a scientific term that means BHAs can dissolve comedones. BHAs suppress the bacteria that causes acne and travels deep enough to unclog pores, making them an effective treatment to fight breakouts.

3.BHAs Reduce Hyperpigmentation

BHAs encourage basal cell layer stimulation and remove surface cells, which can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and hyper pigmentation. With BHAs, skin cells that are affected by hyper pigmentation or excess melanin are removed and replaced with new skin cells that aren’t discoloured.

4.BHAs Encourage Anti-Aging

Many of the benefits of BHAs are related to anti-aging. Since BHAs improve rough textures, they can also improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. They’re also effective at reducing hyper pigmentation due to photo aging as well as dark sunspots.

The chemical exfoliation properties of BHAs stimulate cell renewal by sloughing away dead skin cells and making room for new ones. 

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Aura Skin & Hair Clinic is top rated cosmetologist and medi-skin care clinic in vizag.

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Aura Skin & Hair Clinic

G1 Jagan Krishna Apts,

Governor Bungalow Road,

Daspalla Hills,

Visakhapatnam 530002

Website

www.auraskinclinic.com

Contact:

+91 9177799077

sravani@auraskinclinic.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

LED Light Therapy, Does It Really Work? - Dr Sravani Sandhya, Aura Skin & Hair Clinic, Vizag

LED LIGHT THERAPY

LED light therapy is something that is synonymous with all the new age dermatological and skincare clinics worldwide. It is a treatment that uses varying wavelengths of light in order to treat different skin conditions, the most popular being red and blue. NASA originally developed it for plant growth experiments on shuttle missions and later found it to have promise for wound treatment. LED light therapy is now used by some aestheticians to help regenerate the skin from aging. It’s also used for acne. Your healthcare provider uses red or blue light frequencies based on the skincare concern. Red is primarily used for anti-aging, while blue is used for acne treatment.

SAFETY OF THIS PROCEDURE

Unlike other types of light therapy, LEDs do not contain ultraviolet rays and are therefore safe for regular use. LED light therapy has no side effects compared to other anti-aging treatments such as chemical peels, dermabrasion, and laser therapy. It is relatively safe for all skin colours and types. Please mention the medicines you take for acne or other skin conditions to your doctor before you start the therapy. You should avoid LED therapy if you have skin rashes. Side effects are extremely rare but may include increased inflammation, redness and rashes.

AFTERCARE

Stay away from the sun for about 48 hours and use sunscreen. In case of any redness or swelling please apply cold packs.

CONVENIENCE OF THIS PROCEDURE

This is a convenient procedure and takes about 20 minutes at the most. It is the perfect treatment to do in the office lunch break. It is most effective when performed every week and later every couple of months.

Red light

Red, or infrared, light is used for treating the epidermis, which is the outer layer of skin. When the light is applied to your skin, the epidermis absorbs it and then stimulates collagen proteins.

In theory, more collagen means that your skin will look smoother and fuller, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Red LED light is also thought to reduce inflammation while improving circulation, which can give you a healthier glow.

Blue light

Blue LED light therapy, on the other hand, targets the sebaceous glands, which are also called oil glands. They’re located beneath your hair follicles.

Sebaceous glands are necessary for lubricating your skin and hair so that it doesn’t dry out. However, these glands can become overactive, leading to oily skin and acne.

The theory is that blue LED light therapy can target these oil glands and make them less active. In turn, you may see fewer acne breakouts. Blue light can also kill acne-causing bacteria beneath the skin, which can help treat severe acne pimples, including cysts and nodules.

Some other wavelengths and their benefits:

AFTERCARE

Stay away from the sun for about 48 hours and use a sunscreen. In case of any redness or swelling please apply cold packs.

How long does it take for light therapy to work?

You can see results from the first treatment, however we would recommend a minimum course of six. For more dramatic results and if you'd like to supercharge your skin we would advise you to take a course of 12 treatments.

For the Best LED Light Therapy treatments in Vizag, all us now or book appointment online.

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Click the link to book appointment right away --> Book Appointment

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Aura Skin & Hair Clinic

G1 Jagan Krishna Apts,

Governor Bungalow Road,

Daspalla Hills,

Visakhapatnam 530002

Aura Skin & Hair Clinic

50-49-43/4 TPT Colony, 

Near SFS School Play Ground

Opp Hindu Press,

Seethammadhara 

Visakhapatnam

Website

www.auraskinclinic.com

Contact:

+91 9177799077

sravani@auraskinandhair.com

 

Toners! Do you really need them? - Dr.Sravani Sandhya, Chief Dermatologist, Aura Skin & Hair Clinic, Visakhapatnam

What is a toner?

A face toner is a quick, absorbing liquid that helps to remove excess dirt, traces of oil and makeup. It corrects and balances the pH of your skin. It is the step followed before moisturising and follows the cleansing routine.In other words, a facial toner thoroughly cleans the skin and helps remove built up surface dead skin cells. Toners help to clean and close pores.

Choosing a toner for your skin type:

First of all, it's important to always use an alcohol-free face toner. The other ingredients should be picked based on your skin type.

For acne-prone skin, choose an alcohol free toner with alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). This will leave your skin clean and glowing without flaking. A gentle tingle for a few seconds will let you know it has just the right pH level that is slightly acidic. This form of acid is gentle even for sensitive skin, unlike irritating ingredients like retinoids.Salicylic acid is often recommended in a facial toner for acne prone skin. However, this ingredient can be harsh and irritating, especially for sensitive skin.

For dry skin skin and for those who are in 30's and 40's ingredients may like coenzyme Q10, hyaluronic acid, glycerin and vitamin C are helpful.

Witch hazel, aloe vera, grapefruit seed extract, cucumber and vitamin E are some of the soothing ingredients if you have combination skin

If you have oily skin, sandalwood, willow bark, lavender, clary sage and tea tree are your best bet.

For sensitive skin, look for soothing ingredients like aloe vera and cucumbers.

Although essential oils and plant extracts are marketed to help give them a 'natural' and 'good for you' feel, these ingredients may result in skin irritations so it's best to avoid these.

How to use a face toner?

• Start by cleaning your face with a gentle cleanser for sensitive skin or one that is suited for your skin type. 
• Dampen a cotton ball with the alcohol-free toner, and apply it on your face.
• Allow it to dry.
• If you have combination or oily skin, you can use an alcohol-free toner at day and night. For dry skin, it's best to only use it once a day at night time.
• Always follow with moisturiser for your skin type.

Side effects of using a toner

Toners do not have any adverse side effects, as long as you avoid alcohol-based ones which may irritate your skin. Overusing a toner (more than twice a day) can cause skin irritation. 

Can I Skip Toner?

You can skip using a toner in case your cleanser is already pH balanced and gives you a squeaky clean look. 

Now Book your appointments at Aura Skin & Hair Clinic online, Its quick and Easy. You can book appointments right from your phone on Facebook, Instagram or Google Maps.

Click the link to book appointment right away --> Book Appointment

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Call Us Now +91 91777 99077

Aura Skin & Hair Clinic

G1 Jagan Krishna Apts,

Governor Bungalow Road,

Daspalla Hills,

Visakhapatnam 530002

Aura Skin & Hair Clinic

50-49-43/4 TPT Colony, 

Near SFS School Play Ground

Opp Hindu Press,

Seethammadhara 

Visakhapatnam

Website

www.auraskinclinic.com

Contact:

+91 9177799077

sravani@auraskinandhair.com

A Cosmetic Procedure that is praised by women and men alike - By Aura Skin & Hair Clinic, Daspalla Hills

DIAMOND MICRODERMABRASION

One of the most popular cosmetic skin care treatments available is diamond microdermabrasion, a procedure that is praised by women and men alike. No chemicals or anesthesia are used in the procedure, which is known for being simple and pain-free. It is appropriate for most skin types because it is non-invasive and can effectively reduce or eliminate wrinkles, acne, age spots, stretch marks, and more.

Microdermabrasion treatments are done in medical offices and spas by dermatologists or people who specialize in skin care. You will see immediate results after the procedure, but to get the best effect, you will need as many as six to nine treatments.

Microdermabrasion works by removing a few of the top layers of the skin called the stratum corneum. Much like brushing your teeth, microdermabrasion helps to gently remove "plaque" and skin debris. Since human skin typically regenerates at approximately 30-day intervals, skin improvement with microdermabrasion is temporary and needs to be repeated at average intervals of two to four weeks for continued improvement. Multiple treatments in combination with sunscreen, sun avoidance, and other skin-care creams yield best results.

• Microdermabrasion is safe for almost everyone, doesn't require anesthesia, and has shown promising results in clinical studies.
• It reduces lines, wrinkles, and dull-looking skin.
• It helps to treat age spots and uneven pigmentation.
• Enlarged pores and blackheads are visibly diminished.
• Helps treat acne and acne scars.
• Fades stretch marks.

What ages are appropriate for microdermabrasion?

While there are no specific age or sex restrictions, typically children over age 15 up to adults age 65 can get microdermabrasion. While there is no age limit, mature skin over age 70 may have slightly higher risks of bruising and skin abrasions. Individuals younger than age 12 may sometimes also receive treatment under the care of a dermatologist.

Side effects of microdermabrasion

Common side effects of microdermabrasion include mild tenderness, swelling, and redness. These generally go away within a few hours after treatment.

You might be advised to use a moisturizer to minimize dry and flaky skin. Minor bruising may also occur. This is mostly caused by the suction process during the treatment.

What to expect after microdermabrasion?

There is little to no downtime after microdermabrasion. You should be able to resume your daily activities immediately.

Keep your skin hydrated and use gentle skin care products. Avoid using topical acne medications for at least one day after treatment. It’s extremely important to protect your skin with sunscreen. Your skin can be more sensitive to the sun in the few weeks after the treatment.

You can expect to see noticeable results immediately after the procedure. The number of microdermabrasion sessions needed will depend on the severity of your skin concerns as well as your expectations.

Your provider will likely design a plan for the initial number of sessions, as well as periodic maintenance treatments.

Now Book your appointments at Aura Skin & Hair Clinic online, Its quick and Easy. You can book appointments right from your phone on Facebook, Instagram or Google Maps.

Click the link to book appointment right away --> Book Appointment

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Call Us Now +91 91777 99077

Aura Skin & Hair Clinic

G1 Jagan Krishna Apts,

Governor Bungalow Road,

Daspalla Hills,

Visakhapatnam 530002

Aura Skin & Hair Clinic

50-49-43/4 TPT Colony, 

Near SFS School Play Ground

Opp Hindu Press,

Seethammadhara 

Visakhapatnam

Website

www.auraskinclinic.com

Contact:

+91 9177799077

sravani@auraskinandhair.com