YOU can't pop pimples, but SHE sure CAN!

Despite her mantra of "DO NOT POP PIMPLES!", when it comes to treating acne Naomi is definitely a "do what I say, not what I do" type of individual. 

While she emphatically reminds her patients to not even think about attempting extractions at home (its the number one cause of preventable acne scarring!), what she really means is anyone aside from herself (or Dr. Sobel) should refrain from at-home pimple-poppings.

Naomi's weapons of mass acne destruction consist of a metal extractor and the Isolaz acne laser. Ironically, these two tools are as different from each other as night and day. The Isolaz acne laser is a large, expensive photoneumatic device that can only be operated by a specialist, and the extractor is an inexpensive, simple little tool sold over-the-counter at every drugstore. 

The biggest similarity between the two?  Both should be left to the professionals. 

If an ill-equipped person tried to use the Isolaz, they wouldn't even be able to figure out how to power it on. If an ill-equipped person attempted to use a metal extractor, it is very easy for them to unintentionally worsen their existing acne, while marring and scarring their face for the future.

After personally attempting to use a metal extractor on myself years ago, I can vouch for it's deception... that unforgiving piece of metal does NOT want to do what you want it to! However, my own personal experience makes watching Naomi in action that much more impressive-- because she just makes it look soo easy. 

The 5 factors (YOU CAN CONTROL) that cause unhealthy skin

Genetics aside, there are many aspects that you do have control over when it comes to the appearance of your skin.

The following list details daily changes you can make to your lifestyle to help ensure the clearest, youngest, healthiest looking skin possible, and yes-- you can do them all!

1. Sun Damage

The TOP skin offender, the sun is a major contributor to unhealthy skin. "Repeated sun exposure depletes collagen and elastin from within [the skin], making the skin less elastic, and thinner, which leads to premature wrinkles," says Dr. Callahan, a Florida based dermatologist.
The sun is a known contributor of dark-colored spots and leathery, wrinkled skin-- an obvious sign of unhealthy, aged skin. 

"The effects of the sun begin as soon as we are exposed to it at an early age. Years later, we start to see the brown spots, red spots, and wrinkles, and, if there is extreme damage, precancerous patches and skin cancer can also occur" shares NY dermatologist Dr. Michael Kurzman.

In addition to premature aging, the sun can also worsen acne-prone skin. As the surface of the skin becomes inflamed in response to the sun's rays, your skin is unable to properly shed and exfoliate itself, leading to debris trapped within pores. While a tan might momentarily even out your skin tone to camouflage the presence of acne, in the long run sun exposure makes problematic skin that much worse. 

To prevent against all forms of sun damage, a sunscreen should worn daily. (Solise, a new bodywash with sunscreen built-in, is a great solution, as it covers every body part you would wash in the shower or bath, leaving you protected without the application time.) 

2. Smoking Cigarettes

As you've undoubtedly been told for years, smoking is extremely bad for you in many aspects-- although we are just going to concentrate on the skin related side-effects here. 

Smoking is the antithesis to skin-care, as it depletes the body of Vitamin C and accelerates the break-down of collagen and elastin. In addition to breaking down the skin from the inside out, the chemicals in cigarettes also suck the moisture out of your skin, leaving it feeling and feeling dry. 

The solution sounds easier in theory than it probably is in practice: quit smoking. 

3. Dehydration

When the body is dehydrated, your organs become dehydrated too-- and as your body's largest organ, your skin is no exception. If your body is dehydrated, your skin will feel very dry and inflexible, your overall skin color will be flat, and fine lines and wrinkles may be prevalent than normal. 

Drinking plenty of water is the best way to keep the body hydrated. (If you don't like the taste of plain water, add some lemon or cranberry juice to it-- which will improve the taste, while giving you the extra benefit of some anti-oxidants.)

4. Poor Diet

The skin is essentially a mirror for the overall health of your body, and because your skin is so sensitive to internal functionings-- if you are putting bad stuff into your body, it will show on the outside. Since the skin is a functioning organ, when not enough vitamins and minerals are ingested, the skin suffers.

Try to frequently eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible, or if your lifestyle absolutely cannot support a healthy diet-- at least incorporate some Vitamins into your daily routine.

5. Lack of exercise

Similarly to how smoking negatively affects multiple aspects of your health, exercise has multi-fold benefits. In addition to keeping your heart and lungs healthy, you are also stimulating the lymphatic system which keeps everything moving in your body-- including your blood. Proper blood flow is crucial as it provides a healthy glow to the skin, while also giving your underlying cells the fuel it needs to function properly. 

It goes without saying that you should try to exercise as much as possible, but in regards to your skin-- make sure to wash your face as soon as you can afterward to prevent any sweat-induced break-outs.

Cosmopolitan Skin Care's foolproof recipe for acne treatment

If you "google" the term acne treatment, thousands of different articles will come up.

Those that suffer from acne are so desperate to finally achieve clear skin, that they often fall prey to their own hopefulness... Whether it's the latest acne treatment P. Diddy is hawking, a mixture made in your own kitchen, some medication prescribed by your doctor, or an at-home laser treatment that a reality star swears by, there are a million different options currently being sold to those suffering from acne. We know, because our patients have usually tried all of these. 

As a last ditch effort to get clear skin, our typical acne patient has usually already tried everything on the market, and after a series of dissapointments-- they are somewhat skeptical about the efficacy of our seemingly science-fiction-like acne treatments. 

And then... they see the results.

By altering the way the skin actually functions, we are able to clear up any occurrence of acne, prevent acne break-outs in the future, and erase any sign of there ever having been an acne problem (i.e. acne scars). In short, many people who had all but given up hope on ever having acne-free skin, now bear the clear complexion of someone born with naturally perfect skin.

Is your acne treatment causing premature aging?

Every new acne patient invariably leaves our office with the follow products: a great face wash, a great sunscreen, and... a bottle of Benzoyl Peroxide.

Our acne sufferers adhere to their prescribed skincare regimen so devoutly, that we often find ourselves shipping our products to them across the globe. However, it's easy to understand why-- after trying everything else to fix their acne, they want to stick with what works.

BZP (my Benzoyl Peroxide abbreviation) devotion is not unusual-- in fact it is the single most commonly prescribed ingredient for all acne treatments. However, the reason it is so effective at curtailing acne is because of it's innate drying capabilities. BZP dries acne out by reducing the amount of oxygen in the skin, which thereby reduces the acne causing bacteria and infections. 

It is this amazing drying capability that has earned BZP it's reputation as the ultimate acne fighting cream, however some doctors are starting to wonder about a possible darker side to BZP's magic. With all of this excessive drying taking place, is BZP inadvertently causing pre-mature aging? 

The rule of aging usually goes like something like this; anything that dries the skin out, usually causes the appearance of more fine lines and wrinkles, thereby making the skin look older. Since BZP is by nature drying out the skin, reason lends that it would therefore be prematurely aging the skin. 

However, if BZP is being applied properly*, the uncomfortable, tight, dry, burning feeling shouldn't occur. Even anti-BZP California dermatologist Debra Luftman, MD admits that if the right moisturizer (i.e. a formula appropriate for your skin type) is used regularly, the skin will bounce right back to normal. 

BZP is now available in all sorts of strengths and formulas, so no matter what your skin is like-- there is a formula to help keep your skin pristine and clear. 

The one BZP precaution you do want to take to prevent premature aging is the avoidance of sun exposure. (We recommend all of our patients use their BZP at night so as to bypass this complication all together.) The light and heat of the sun amplify Benzoyl Peroxide's drying effects and can leave you with severely dried out, sun damaged skin. (Some experts even think that BZP cancels out the effect of SPF, which lends more reason to skip BZP application during the day.)

When used correctly, Benzoyl Peroxide is a must have in your anti-acne arsenal (if you look at the ingredients of the products you are currently using, you may be surprised to see you are already employing the benefits of this hard-working pimple buster.) Make sure to moisturize your skin properly, and enjoy your clearer skin-- Benzoyl Peroxide is not causing any premature aging. 

If you have any Benzoyl Peroxide experiences or questions you would like to share, please let me know. I'm always happy to hear skin related thoughts, inquiries, and stories.

* Benzoyl Peroxide should be applied in the thinnest layer possible, evenly covering the entire face, before bed. If you can see it on your skin, you've applied too much. Do not attempt to load-up an area for spot-treating, excessive drying (with peeling and flaking) is likely to occur.

Making people confident in their own skin: Brian

CBS cut out the best part of Brian's post-acne treatment (Isolaz and Fraxel) interview during the editing process.

When "Talk Philly" host Pat Ciarrocchi asked Brian about the best part of having clear skin, Brian paused for a second, then looked at her smiled. As honestly and simply as a 19 year old male could say, he answered "The girls."

Obviously more comfortable and confident in his skin after getting rid of his acne and acne scars, it is a delight to see the new twinkle in Brian's eye, and the extra spring in his step.

Ladies-- watch out.

Don't forget to brush your face?

The Clarisonic is just like an electric tooth-brush... but for your face. (It actually is made by the same company that invented the Sonicare toothbrush.)

Consisting of an electronic spinning brush, the Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System uses revolving brush bristles to uniformly exfoliate your skin. It feels good, massages your skin, and when you are done-- your face feels smoother and because of the massaging nature-- you are left with skin that is slightly glowing. (Depending on the Clarisonic model you have, there are even different brush attachments so that you can exfoliate your various body parts in addition to your face.)

Promising to remove 6x more makeup and dirt than washing your face with just your hands alone, an added benefit to using the Clarisonic face brush is that afterwards, your skincare products will work more efficiently because they can be absorbed into the skin more easily thanks to the removal of the layer of dead-skin cells.

If you have normal skin, this is a perfectly fine product that will not cause any harm, and can be an enjoyable way to exfoliate your skin.

Those that should avoid this product, however: anyone with very dry skin, or acne prone skin.

Even though the Clarisonic works off a timer so that no facial area can be too aggressively scrubbed, the revolving bristles may still rub away too much skin for those suffering from dry, flaky skin. Uncomfortable, raw skin can result, and the Clarisonic is supposed to lessen the amount of skin care products needed-- not cause extra usage to combat the excessive drying that will occur.

You should also definitely avoid using the Clarisonic if you are suffering from any sort of Acne breakout. The revolving bristles will be too abrasive for the delicate, inflamed skin, and will interrupt the healing process--potentially causing scarring. (Can you imagine scouring the skin pictured to the left? A bloody, infected mess would be the end-result!) In addition, by disrupting active Acne with the Clarisonic, you may inadvertently make the situation worse by adding new bacteria (that is on the brush bristles) into the wound.

Another type of person who should avoid the Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System: those who want to avoid the $150-$225+ price-tag. If you have normal, healthy skin and are looking for an easy, inexpensive way to achieve similar results, invest in a $3 baby hair brush instead. The soft bristles, combined with your regular face wash (or body wash), will achieve the same massaging/exfoliating effects as the electronic Clarisonic face brush, for a fraction of the cost.

A couple of good uses for this product that Clarisonic doesn't seem to have tapped into yet, are the other benefits derived from a good exfoliation. Whether on the face or body, a thorough, even exfoliation is a great precursor to a smooth shave. Also-- especially relevant with the warmer weather approaching-- the Clarisonic could be a great tool for evenly exfoliating the body before applying sunless tanner. 

The bottom line is that there are some benefits to using this device, however, those with sensitive skin should keep the Clarisonic use to below the neck, only.

Elle Fowler, a huge supporter of Isolaz acne treatments, had this to say about the Clarisonic face brush:

Jordan's "Before & After" Acne Story

The technological advancements humans are developing, are consistently amazing. In every realm of life, scientific break-throughs are allowing our quality of living to constantly improve. 

 Obviously, considering my line of work, the ingeniousness I am the most frequently in awe of are those pertaining to skin care. The efficiency with which we can treat acne and acne scars, has never been attainable before. Any skin color, any age, any race-- if you're a person suffering from acne, technology now exists so that you can allow your skin to be pristinely clear. 

It's remarkable, and even though we are doing these acne treatments every day, the results from Isolaz and Fraxel  never cease to amaze me. 

Witness Jordan's transformation, courtesy of Cosmopolitan Skin Care, Isolaz, and Fraxel:

$50 or 50% off the hottest skincare treatments in Philadelphia

SpaFinder.com (kind of like what Yelp is for restaurants, but more in-depth) has been growing by leaps and bounds. Clever business maneuvering has found SpaFinder newly in cahoots with powerfully poised companies in the beauty world (for example New Beauty magazine). 

As their presence and influence grow, SpaFinder's initial spa/med-spa umbrella has likewise expanded to include the likes of yoga, pilates, medical treatments, and nutrition consultanting. Due to the variety of services that can now be found on SpaFinder, they have appropriately changed the name of their previous week long "Deal Days" (think Restaurant Week, for spas) to "Wellness Week".

Although the name has been tweaked, the idea is the same: participating locations are offering services for either $50 or 50% off. The premise is very much like Restaurant Week, by making the pricing more accessible, a larger group of people can more easily expose themselves to treatments and services they might not otherwise take advantage of. 

Cosmopolitan Skin Care Solutions is happy to include acne treatments in their upcoming "Wellness Week" offerings, as acne is something that all different ages, genders, ethnicities suffer from, and Cosmo Skin Care has had great success in eradicating. 

"Wellness Week" will be taking place this Spring, from March 21 through March 27th. Those that are currently signed-up with SpaFinder (it's free!) get first dibs on booking the most coveted treatments during the week of discounts.

In order to see Cosmpolitan Skin Care's other "Wellness Week" offers, and to gaurentee a spot with the other hottest deals in Philadelphia, sign-up to become a part of SpaFinders.com now!

Isolaz's last "Stop the Pop" video

Perhaps I judged Isolaz's acne treatment awareness "Stop the Pop" campaign too soon... 

Even though some of the tactics seemed juvenile, Isolaz's selection of a YouTube ambassador was spot-on with Elle Fowler, and overall Isolaz deems the campaign a success in regards to introducing the existence of Isolaz's acne fighting abilities to a much wider audience. 

Host of the popular YouTube channel "allthatglitters21", Elle herself has received almost 63 million views (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and is clearly a trusted source for beauty advice. Her last YouTube installment for Isolaz's "Stop the Pop" campaign features a wrap-up of her Isolaz experiences, in addition to an overview of her own past acne suffering, and her top tips for dealing with acne. 

As the campaign approaches completion, Isolaz reports success with 1.5 million views of their Elle/Isolaz videos, and 1,600 video submissions to the sweepstakes. (This is extra impressive when considering that the video submissions were supposed to consist of individual's stories of acne suffering, which is a sensitive topic that most would not want to willingly share for judgement.) 

Isolaz's campaign accomplished it's goal by exposing lot of new eyes to the acne miracles that Isolaz can perform, and the company promises to unleash new and innovative ways to garner more exposure for the future. With a new focus on acne treatments for 2011, we at Cosmopolitan Skin Care Solutions will anxiously await to see what they come up with... 


In the meantime, enjoy Elle's last video: