Win Bio-Oil skincare for scars, stretch marks, ageing and dehyrated skin – comp now closed!

Bio Oil is a specialist skincare product that helps improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tone.

Its advanced formulation, which contains the breakthrough ingredient PurCellin Oil, also makes it highly effective for numerous other skin concerns, including aging skin and dehydrated skin.

Bio Oil is formualted with the following all-natural ingredients: Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Calendula Oil, Lavender Oil, Rosemary Oil and Chamomile Oil.

Elixir has one 60ml worth £8.99 to give away. Just answer the simple question below. If you can’t wait you can buy at Boots.com

Bio-Oil

Costs £8.99 at Boots

Bio Oil is a non-comedogenic (acnegenic), hypo-allergenic product that is suitable for use by individuals with sensitive skin.

Improving the Appearance of Scars

Bio-Oil helps improve the appearance of all scar types. It is also highly effective in helping to maintain the elasticity of scar tissue on joints and other high-mobility areas.

Bio-Oil should be massaged in a circular motion into the scar and surrounding skin, twice daily, for a minimum of 3 months. Younger scars have a greater chance of improvement within a shorter time period, however, older scars will also benefit from the regular use of Bio-Oil. On new scars, Bio-Oil should be applied only once the wound has healed, and should never be used on broken skin.

What is a scar and how is it formed?

Scars are an integral part of the healing process and result from an imbalance in the production of collagen at the wound site. Scars go through numerous changes as they mature, but they are permanent in nature. Bio-Oil is specifically formulated to help improve the appearance of scars, but will never remove them entirely.

Improving the Appearance of Uneven Skin Tone

Bio-Oil helps to improve the appearance of uneven skin tone caused by hormonal fluctuations, skin-lighteners or excessive sun exposure. Visible as dark patches on the face or body, uneven skin tone often becomes most apparent during pregnancy, menopause or after exposure to high volumes of UV light.

Improving the Appearance of Stretch Marks

Bio-Oil is highly effective in helping to improve the appearance of existing stretch marks. Bio-Oil helps to increase the elasticity of the skin, thereby the possibility of new stretch marks forming is reduced.

Ageing Skin

Sagging and wrinkled skin commonly associated with aging is largely caused by the weakening of the collagen and elastin support system in the dermis. Bio-Oil contains numerous ingredients that help to plasticize the skin, making it softer, smoother and more supple, thereby reducing the appearance of wrinkled and sagging skin. Bio-Oil also moisturizes, which improves the texture, tone and appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Dehydrated skin

Bio Oil helps replenish the skin’s natural oils that have been stripped away by factors such as:

  • Frequent bathing/cleansing with harsh soaps
  • Excessive perspiration
  • Atmospheric conditions including exposure to the sun and wind
  • Central heating and air conditioning
  • Poor diet and/or insufficient water intake

To win our full size 60ml sample worth £8.99 please answer the simple question below and if you can’t wait buy at Boots.com

OUR WINNER WAS JULIE CLARK


Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com – See more at: http://www.theprizefinder.com/content/bio-oil-specialist-skincare-60ml-bottle-worth-%C2%A3899#sthash.mMGTB46R.dpuf

Win Remescar silicone scar treatment – reduces scars by up to 50% – worth £24.95 – now closed!

It’s estimated that 80% of the population suffers from different types of scarring – from acne to stretch marks. And its often thought that there is not a lot you can do about certain types of scars without surgery. Now doctors in Belgium have come up with a new treatment that bridges the gap between an invasive medical and home creams.

Remescar is an affordable, non-invasive and clinically proven treatment that uniquely bridges the gap between expensive professional silicone therapy, widely regarded by doctors as the first-line and most effective treatment for scars including stretch marks, and the majority of cosmetic brands that sell cheaper products but whose effectiveness is substantially lower.

There are two easy-to-use products – one for general scar repair and one specifically for stretch marks. The technology in Remescar utilises five active properties that are clinically proven to have a beneficial and noticeable effect on scar reduction, most notably a 50% reduction in stretch marks by the women who used it in clinical trials.
RemescarHOW REMESCAR WORKS
 A thin, transparent silicone film is released to hydrate, protect and restore the upper layer of the skin and stimulate collagen production, creating a protective barrier for scars to help heal. Overall, natural moisture balance is kept under control to soften and flatten scar tissue, reduce a scar’s length and height and restore the skin to a more normal colour and texture tissue so that even old scars fade and diminish. It also relieves burning, tingling and itching sensations.
 A powerful SPF15 UVA and UVB screenprotects scars from UV rays (it is a well-known fact that scars need to be protected from UV radiation for least six months)
 Beta glucan delivers a calming, protective and hydrating effect on the skin. Renowned as a wound healer, it is also an excellent film former. In many studies, Beta glucans are also renowned for their ability to kill skin cancer cells.
 PVP (polyvinyl pyrrolidone) also a film forming agent and frequently used in the treatment of wounds, allows a longer contact time between the active ingredients and the damaged skin tissue so that the skin can repair itself faster
 PVA (beta glucan) a well-known wound healer, calms, protects and hydrates the skin

The two treatments already have a massive following in Belgium where they were created by skincare experts and scientists three years ago and each is clinically proven to support the healing process of both old and new scars.

REMESCAR SILICONE SCAR STICK (£19.95, 5.4g)–an easy to apply stick similar in size to a sun care or deodorant stick that helps to heal old and new scars resulting from burns, insect bites, acne and stretch marks.The stick can be carried anywhere, will last up to three months when applied twice a day and is invisible upon application so can be worn under make up.

REMESCAR SILICONE SCAR CREAM (£24.95, 100ml)– an easily absorbed, hypoallergenic, odourless and paraben-free cream that uses the same technology as the treatment stick but is specifically formulated to prevent and treat stretch marks. In clinical trials, users experienced a 50% decrease in stretch marks in just 28 days1, said their skin felt softer and smoother than before and that the pulling sensation in skin had completely gone. The addition of Phospholipids which mimic the structure of skin tissue means skin won’t dehydrate, unlike most cosmetic products using classical hydrating ingredients. Keeping skin sufficiently hydrated is the key weapon in stretch mark reduction, so that connective and scar tissues have chance to repair themselves.
The stretch mark cream is one of the first medically recognised and clinically proven treatments to tackle the problem of stretch marks.Leaving skin smooth and not sticky, it can also be safely used by breastfeeding women, even for stretch marks on the breasts.

Remescar can be purchased at   Boots stores nationwide and www.boots.com. More info at www.remescar.com
www.remescar.com

THIS COMPETITION WAS WON BY MRS D CUCKSON, LINCOLN, LINCOLSHIRE.


Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

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New scar treatment launches at London clinic

London: A new treatment for unwanted scars and surface pigmentations of the skin has been launched by Dermink, a London clinic.
The treatment at the new north London clinic is provided by DermInk’s Medical Director and leading micropigmentation specialist, Dr. Theresa Ward Bush.
 “Despite advances in treating pigmented nevi, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, vitligo and striae, such abnormalities can resist treatment. Micropigmentation can be the solution–not curing the condition but providing a good cosmetic result that helps rebuild patients’ confidence.” 
The specialist treatment is a sub-division of dermatological and plastic surgery, and is routinely used to conceal a wide spectrum of pigmentation conditions and diseases of cosmetic importance. Scars, burns, and other skin colour imperfections can be minimised or completely hidden by blending custom mixed hypoallergenic flesh coloured medical pigments into the skin, rendering surface imperfections inconspicuous even on close inspection, permanently. 
stretchmark_before_MT.JPG
The procedure
Medical micropigmentation involves the use of hypoallergenic dermatological medical grade pigments blended to match the skin tone required, and then applied to the skin using specifically-designed instruments. The medical pigments used are metabolically inert and therefore different to tattooing ink. The pigments are immune to the biological changes in the skin or changes induced by external factors, ensuring that the original shades of the pigment are retained.
Practitioners carefully ‘colour in’ or ‘colour out’ unsightly or unwanted marks, be they lighter or darker than the surrounding skin tone.  The procedure is virtually pain-free, with a local aesthetic (topical gel) and healing or down time is minimal with only four to six weeks required between treatments.  (The number of treatments required varies according to condition being treated and the individual’s skin type).
stretchmark_after_MT.JPG
Who is the treatment for?
DermInk treats patients with both major and minor issues. Minor issues can be small scars from accidents, stretch marks and cosmetic surgery operations i.e. tummy tuck or face lift scars.  Major issues can include post-operative scars caused by the removal of facial skin cancers where patients are seeking a solution which can be considered as biopsychosocial – a combination of physical, psychological and social factors.
All types of skin tone can be treated, and the treatment does not cause skin lightening, unlike laser treatment which can cause unwanted hyper or hypopigmentation in some cases.
The following can be treated using medical micropigmentation: 
Hyperpigmented surface 
Hypopigmented surface
Areola pigmentation
Birthmarks
Vitiligo
Scars including surgery scars
Sun spots
Age Spots
Burns
Cleft lip
Collagen induction
Corrective procedures
Necklace lines
Medical micropigmentation vs. laser therapy  
Medical micropigmentation is a highly specialised field dedicated to ‘normalising’ irregular skin colour that has proven otherwise impervious to lasers and ultraviolet treatments.  For some patients, laser or ultraviolet therapies may help with the appearance of scars or skin defects by breaking down the scar tissue. However patients suffering from atopic dermatitis, eczema or keloid scaring are not suitable candidates.  
Referrals 
Individuals can seek referral for medical micropigmentation via their GP, dermatologist or surgeon, or go to DermInk directly where they will be screened for their appropriateness for treatment.  NB A referral from a dermatologist or GP may be required before treatment with DermInk can commence.
Biography Theresa Ward Bush
Theresa Ward Bush qualified with a Bachelor of Medicine in Sydney, Australia and at first followed the traditional route of residency with a view to becoming a general physician. After several rotations, she realised that her passion was aesthetic medicine and particularly the treatment of pigmentation disorders. Theresa holds numerous advanced certifications in medical micropigmentation, and works exclusively with pigment restoration and skin abnormality i
ssues alongside leading teaching hospitals, universities, surgeons and dermatologists both within the UK and internationally.  She is a member of the European Society for Cosmetic and Aesthetic Dermatology – ESCAD, as well as the American Academy of micropigmentation, amongst other relevant organisations.
Theresa Ward divides her time between London and the USA where she set up her clinic in San Francisco in 2005. In the USA patients are routinely referred through prominent Plastic/Cosmetic Surgeons and Dermatologists nationwide, including the Stanford Derm Surgery Department at Stanford University, PAMF, Sutter and El Camino Hospitals. 
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Magic away your annoying scars…

Lily C boxMost of us have a couple of annoying scars. Mostly they bring back memories of when you used to climb trees or skateboard. For others, they are a reminder of a surgery or accident you’d rather not remember.

Lily-C™ Silicone Scar Therapy wrap could change all that.

Simplylily (the makers of LilyPadz for breastfeeding mums) have launched this new product, initially meant to help reduce C-Section scars, but can also be used to reduce redness and discomfort as a result of operative, accidental and sports injuries.

Silicone scar therapy is clinically proven in the prevention, improvement and reduction of scarring. The silicone provides a protective barrier which occludes and hydrates skin helping to encourage its natural healing properties.

Lily-C™ is a skin like layer of silicone measuring 5cms x 22cms and has an adhesive free lining allowing it to gently stick to the skin without the use of irritating adhesives or additional taping. Lily-C ™ comes with LilyWash™ designed to gently cleanse Lily-C™ and renew the tacky lining allowing it to be used over and over again.

Proper use of the Lily-C™ will soften, flatten and dramatically improve the appearance of your scar.

This amazing new product can be found in Boots or online, RRP £34.99.

http://www.simplylily.co.uk/index.html

 

 


 

New surgical techniques minimise trauma scarring, explains Beverly Hills surgeon Raj Chopra

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BEVERLY HILLS COSMETIC SURGEON Raj Chopra (pictured right) explains how the latest stitching technique can literally save your face following injury….

Cosmetic surgery is not just for the vain. Many of the techniques learned by surgeons are also used to repair serious injuries caused by car crashes and other accidents that would otherwise leave victims horribly disfigured. In Hollywood Raj Chopra is renowned for his expertise in facial surgery techniques and since stars earn their living from their looks he is the man they call to the Accident & Emergency.

Scars are generally considered unattractive and whilst it is possible to camouflage them with makeup plastic surgeons have become adept at hiding them following cosmetic surgery.

The scalp, for example, is used to hide brow lift incisions and intranasal incisions are used for rhinoplasty. To hide facelift incisions, most incisions are in or around the ear and hairline. For eyelid lifts (blepharoplasty), incisions are hidden in natural creases on the lid or near the eyelashes, or even inside the eyelids. If none of these options are available, the scar or incision should be aligned parallel with relaxed skin tension lines, which for example, run horizontally on the forehead.

So what can be done with a scar that has resulted from an injury? Not all scars need scar revision, especially those hidden in areas not easily visible (scalp, natural creases, etc.) However, for unpleasant scars including there are several surgical remedies.

The technique that might be used is individually based on the size, orientation, and body site involved. However, all techniques have certain fundamental principles in common to ensure a good result. These include meticulous handling of soft tissue, creating a tension free closure, placement of deep sutures to ensure a tension free epidermal closure, and symmetric closure of the skin edges after surgery. In many cosmetic cases, sutures placed under the skin edges are used to avoid the possibility of seeing stitching marks on the skin.

Finally, laser resurfacing can be used to blend the revised scar in with surrounding soft tissues to create not only a more even color match, but also create a smoother surface.

Contact information:
Raj Chopra, M.D.
Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
9400 Brighton Way, Suite # 410
Beverly Hills, CA 90210. USA.
Tel :(310) 858-1787. FAX: (310) 858-3787
E-mail: md@rajchopramd.com
Website: www.rajchopramd.com

Insulin improves scar trauma

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London: The unsightly effects of scarring following surgery, trauma and burns could be reduced significantly by a new technique involving a single, precisely-timed insulin injection.

In a research breakthrough which potentially could benefit millions of people1 annually, the use of insulin2 to reduce levels of scar tissue is being developed by Dr Claire Linge, Group Leader in Cell Biology at the RAFT3 Research Institute, Northwood, Middlesex.

Preliminary clinical trials have produced very promising results and the technique, for which a patent is pending, will be progressing into full scale clinical trials during the coming year.

Dr Linge is taking forward her pioneering research in partnership with NHS Innovations East 4, the regional hub of the NHS National Innovation Centre. Currently, the hub is assisting Dr Linge with the patent application and negotiating with pharmaceutical companies to progress the research into large-scale trials. The patent process is being funded by RAFT.

Inspiration for this pioneering technique came from previous research conducted by Dr Linge into the effects of insulin on different cell types.

Dr Linge says: “In the past, I researched insulin’s ability to change the way certain types of cell behave. Following my move to RAFT, I developed an interest in the scarring process and recognised similarities between the cells of scar tissue and others that I had researched.

“I was struck by the possibility that insulin may possess properties which beneficially affect the development of scar tissue.”

Detailed investigation of this theory was successful and, with the support of RAFT, Dr Linge developed a treatment technique that was taken into preliminary clinical trials5 at Mount Vernon Hospital, Middlesex.

Dr Linge explains: “For an open wound to heal, the skin cells (fibroblasts) that are normally responsible for day-to-day maintenance become activated, producing proteins that fill in the tissue deficit. The function of these activated fibroblasts is absolutely essential for successful healing.

“Wounds, such as those caused by surgery or trauma, can often lead to unnecessarily severe scars, with a raised and red appearance. This excess scar tissue is formed by the prolonged presence (for more than a few days) of activated fibroblasts at the wound site.

“I have found that a single subcutaneous injection of a low dose of insulin along the margin of a wound restricts the presence of activated fibroblasts to the first few days. This prevents the build up of scar tissue in the first place and thereby results in paler, flatter scars.”

At present, there is no acknowledged treatment for scars. Techniques such as pressure bandages are used but their efficacy is not clinically proven.

The pioneering work of Dr Linge was recognised in December 2006 by a panel of eminent biotechnology experts and investment industrialists which awarded her the London Biotechnology Network 2006 BIO-Innovation Award6.

Dr Paul Seabright, Head of Business Development, NHS Innovations East, says: “We are delighted to support the work of Dr Linge, which potentially could benefit millions of people and make a major contribution to global healthcare.

“Dr Linge’s work is an inspirational example of the many hundreds of ideas that NHS staff come up with each year to further benefit patient care. As an NHS innovation hub, our role is to help staff develop and implement their innovative technologies and practices in order to improve the quality of service to NHS patients.”

Background
1 In the UK alone, during 2004/05, the number of patients who underwent surgical procedures was over six million; 10,000 patients were treated for burns and 56,000 for open wounds caused by trauma.

2 Insulin has been used since the mid-20th century to treat diabetes. More recently, its other properties, including promoting the kind of cell growth that could increase the speed of wound healing, have become more apparent. Dr Linge has shown that a naturally occurring protein will inhibit the development of skin cells responsible for producing scar tissue. Following laboratory and clinical trials, insulin (and its pharmacological mimics) promises to provide a cost-effective, easy-to-use treatment that will reduce the severity of skin trauma, whether caused by accident or surgery, for millions of patients each year.

3 RAFT, The Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust. Registered Research Charity No. 299811. www.raft.ac.uk

4 NHS Innovations East is run by Health Enterprise East Ltd. and is the innovation hub for healthcare in the East of England, part of a national network of NHS innovation hubs and a regional network of innovations hubs, supporting public and private sector healthcare providers. It provides a broad range of professional intellectual property management services to the 40 NHS Trusts across the East of England (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk) to enable their employees from all disciplines to identify, evaluate and take forward innovations that can benefit their patients. Health Enterprise East Ltd. is funded by the Department of Health, Department of Trade and Industry and East of England Development Agency.

5 Preliminary clinical trials involved women attending Mount Vernon Hospital’s plastic surgery service (at the time run by West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, but now managed by the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust), for bilateral breast reductions. The operation requires two incisions below each breast. The women who volunteered to participate in the trials were given injections of insulin around the site of one incision while the other incision was not treated, thereby acting as a control. Researchers were able to measure and compare the development of scar tissue on both incisions.

6 Dr Linge received the prestigious London Biotechnology Network’s 2006 BIO-Innovation Award for her pioneering work in using insulin to reduce skin scarring after surgery, trauma or burns. The award was presented by Malcolm Wicks, Minister for Science and Innovation, at the Genesis VI Biotechnology Conference in London. The judges, a panel of eminent biotech and investment industrialists, chose Dr Linge’s entry for its clarity and the progress made by an academic group in getting the technology into a phase 2 clinical trial.

Botox used to ease scars

New York: Botox has been found to be helpful in lessening the scar tissue of facial wounds.

Treating a wound prevents facial movements making the scar worse and reducing the need for cosmetic surgery later, according to research carried out by the Mayo Clinic.

The researchers found that an injection with botulinum toxin at the site of a wound early on following an accident paralyses the area, creating a smooth surface in which the wound can heal.

This prevents muscle movement from wrinkling the wound site, allowing for a flat surface for healing and leaving a smoother final scar. The same process also could work if an unsightly older scar is surgically removed, and then botulinum toxin is injected into the wound at the time of the scar revision surgery.

Repeated muscle movements can distort wounds and healing, resulting in inflammation which means a patient ends up with a thicker or wider scar. Scar reduction techniques designed to reduce the effects of muscle tension on a wound and to improve the final appearance of the scar include special stitches that pull the wound together and local flaps that bring additional skin into the wound bed.

The researchers undertook this trial after seeing significant results in wound healing with botulinum toxin in a basic research study. In the human trial, the researchers recruited patients with forehead wounds from trauma such as auto accidents, or from surgery, such as skin cancer excision. Forehead wounds were selected for study as they are a frequent site of facial scarring. Patients were randomly selected to receive injections with botulinum toxin or with saline, a benign substance used for comparison. All 31 patients’ wounds were photographed at the time of the initial treatment and injection and again six months after initial treatment. Two experienced facial plastic surgeons rated the wounds’ appearance on a scale in which 0 was the worst appearance and 10 was the best. These assessors were not informed about which patients received which treatment. The researchers averaged the ratings of the two surgeons for a final scar appearance score for each patient’s wound. They found that the facial plastic surgeons rated the cosmetic results of the wounds injected with botulinum toxin more favorably than the wounds injected with saline. Median scores for wounds injected with botulinum toxin were 8.9, versus a median score of 7.1 for those injected with saline, a significant difference in appearance, according to the researchers.

Although injections with botulinum toxin would be available at local physicians’ offices throughout the country, the injections are not yet approved for this use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The next step in this research would be to conduct a Phase III, multicenter trial with hundreds of patients to determine the appropriate dosage of the botulinum toxin; discover whether the injections are useful for better healing of scars elsewhere on the body, such as heart surgery wounds; and to provide more findings to present to the FDA to seek approval for this treatment.

UK government cracks down on cowboy cosmetic clinics

London: The UK government’s watchdog, The Health Commission is to target unregulated cosmetic surgery clinics.

Unregistered clinics may face prosecution or closure because of the danger they pose to the public. The commission receives around 50 complaints each year from patients whose treatments have gone wrong. These include bothed treatments using lasers to remove hair, blemishes and tatooes.

The clinics are to be targeted by undercover inspectors, posing as clients. All clinics and operators offering aesthetics must be registered by the Health Commission and patients are advised to ask to see their registration certificate before embarking or paying for treatment.