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Whether you’re defining “spring” as the season between winter and summer, or as a sudden leap or jump towards something, there’s no denying that these Spring months are the perfect time to revamp your life. Between cleaning out your closet, your living room, your storage unit or even that one bedside drawer you keep throwing everything into, it’s easy to forget about your skincare routine. Here are Tribeca MedSpa’s favorite ways to rejuvenate for Springtime!

Start Your Morning Off Right: One of the simplest things to do in the morning, yet somehow also the hardest, is to drink a full glass of water right when you wake up. Not only does this rehydrate your body after a good night’s sleep, but it also leaves you feeling more refreshed, boosting your body’s natural energy. Many people don’t realize that this also kick-starts your metabolism, preparing it for the rest of the day to come. Try adding some lemon to your water for even more benefits, like boosted immunity and anti-inflammation.

Rose Water: There’s no better time to start using this essential than right now. Spring’s inconsistent weather conditions can often leave skin feeling dry, clogged and dull. Rose water’s hydrating and soothing properties are perfect for this time of year, whether used as a refreshing mid-day pick-me-up or as an antibacterial toner. (Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post all about the wonders of rose water. Warning: it’s addictive!)

Antioxidant: Applying an antioxidant is one of the most commonly overlooked steps in a skin care routine, but easily one of the most important. Using a serum with Vitamin C every morning can lighten, brighten and tighten the skin. And the benefits don’t stop there. One such as SkinCeutical’s Phloretin CF will not only prevent future sun damage, but it will also help combat and correct existing damage, perfect for preparing your skin for the upcoming summer months. SkinCeutical’s CE Ferulic helps promote collagen production revealing a youthful complexion, while protecting skin from environmental aging.

Dermaplane: Dermaplane, dermaplane, dermaplane! One of our top treatments, dermaplaning, is excellent on its own or combined with other services (like a hydrating facial, laser treatment, or even a chemical peel). Dermaplaning manually exfoliates any dead skin cells and ‘peach fuzz’ on the surface of the skin, revealing a glowing, smooth complexion. Dermaplaning not only allows products to penetrate deeper, but it also aids in a more flawless application of makeup− perfect for a fresh, new you!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It can also be the most stressful. Holiday parties, sugary goodies, end of the year deadlines and all that running around wreaks havoc on our psyches and our skin. So, while you’re making those lists and checking them twice be sure to add a good home skincare regiment to keep your skin fresh and bright all through the season. Here’s the TriBeCa MedSpa “Nice” list for your skin:

• Cleanse. It’s basic and you’ve heard it before, but it’s extremely important to remove your makeup and wash off the day’s grime before you go to sleep. We love the Créme of Nectar Soothing Wash (DNA), which is very hydrating and perfect for this time of the year.
• Tone and Hydrate. Take a good look at your at home regiment and which products you are putting on your face. Dry skin is a particular concern this time of the year so it’s important that you are using products that seal in moisture. Rose Water is the perfect year-round toner. It’s super hydrating and you can’t go wrong with its anti-bacterial and anti-aging properties. Our Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum and Squalane Moisture Seal are great hydrators. Obaji’s Hydrate Facial Moisturizer is another great option for all skin types.
• Protect. Protecting your skin from the sun is particularly important in the wintertime. Just because it’s cold, don’t forget to apply sunscreen daily! The Oil Free Sun Block SPF 30 is our pick.
• Limit sugar. This is a tough one for those of us with a sweet tooth, but nutritional studies have linked sugar with aging. A process known as glycation, where sugar binds to the protein in our cells, occurs in our bodies every time we consume sugar. As this binding happens, our resilient collagen becomes brittle – which means wrinkles.
• Rest. You know you’re exhausted this time of year, but that means your skin is too! You have to let your skin rest for it to look its best. Bottom line: make sure you actually settle in for those long winter naps.

We’re less than two weeks away from Christmas, but don’t panic! We’ve rounded up Camille’s top picks for gift giving that are sure to impress and spread the wellness well into the New Year. Don’t wait until Christmas Eve to pick up a box of chocolates and some drug store lotion for the people in your life that really matter. We’re fairly certain that a gift from TriBeCa MedSpa won’t end up as next year’s re-gift.

Rose Water: The biggest bang for your buck when it comes to organic skincare. It works as an excellent toner after cleansing or a mist over make-up as a mid day pick me up. Its anti-bacterial properties also make it wonderful for throwing in your gym bag and using post workout. Made with organic roses found in Egypt, Camille’s Rose Water works for all skin types and does wonders in terms of hydrating and soothing dry skin. We offer three different sizes for your budget/need ($24-$129).

Oil Free Sun Block: Sunscreen is a necessity for everyone on your list, whether they realize it or not. Our oil free, non-clogging formula makes the perfect stocking stuffer this winter. It’s also available in a travel size (for your friends jetting off on a winter vacation).

Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum: It may not be the most glamorous gift, but it will certainly help make someone glamorous. Did you know? Our skin’s hyaluronic acid production declines as we age. Hyaluronic acid serum applied topically plays an important role in tissue hydration and cellular function while enabling the skin to retain more water than any other natural substance. Properly hydrated skin glows!

Squalane Moisture Seal: Pair this product with the Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum and you are giving the perfect present. Squalane, the remarkable extract found in olive oil, is the key to locking in hydrating. Give the gift of youth!

Skincare To Go: All our picks in one! For $95, you get the travel size versions of our Rose Water, Oil Free Sun Block, Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum and Squalane Moisture Seal.

Hydrate Facial Moisture: Another pick for all-day moisture comes from one of our favorite skincare lines:Obagi. Made with shea butter, mango butter, avocado, and glycerin to help combat skin dryness, Obagi’s Hydrate Facial Moisture is non-irritating, non-sensitizing, allergy tested, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.

Last but not least, a gift card to TriBeCa MedSpa will not disappoint. All this month, for every $100 you purchase, we will add an additional $50. We offer a complimentary complete skin analysis for all our new clients. You can start your loved ones off on the right foot in 2014 and help them rediscover themselves at TriBeCa MedSpa.

You’ve finished dusting away the spider webs and packing the Halloween costumes away for another year, but you may have discovered that looking in the mirror still gives you a fright. The culprit? Unsightly veins. The solution? It’s simple with Laser Vein Removal.

The first question you might have is, “Why do I have them in the first place?” The truth is that there are a variety of causes. For some, it’s hereditary (not much you can do about that). Heat and pressure are other sources (as always we recommend protecting yourself in the sun). Lack of movement, whether it’s sitting or standing, for prolonged periods is another culprit (moving more should be a goal for everyone).  Veins around your ankles can be the result of wearing high heels. Some women see them pop up during and after pregnancy. This time of year, you can’t escape the sight of them on your cheeks and on and around the bridge of your nose from blowing your nose throughout cold and flu season. And, finally, age is an inevitable factor.

Laser Vein Removal is an effective and efficient solution for removing tiny broken capillaries and spider veins from the face and the body. From deep blue reticular veins on the backs of knees, to small facial veins around the nose and cheeks, these unsightly marks always seem to pop up over night! Just because they are there doesn’t mean you have to live with them forever. The advanced laser technology at TriBeCa MedSpa can remove them safely with minimal discomfort. The laser works by targeting a specific vessel and heating the blood, which causes the vessel to constrict and eventually fade from view.

Spider veins, aptly named for the web-like design they spread around the ankles, back of the knees and front of the thighs, plague nearly half of adult women according to polls. As it gets colder, it’s important to remember that covering up your legs is only a temporary solution.  While some veins will disappear immediately with Laser Vein Removal, others will darken before fading completely after a couple of weeks. Some veins might only shrink with the first treatment and a follow-up session will be necessary. Book a complimentary consultation today and be sundress and bikini ready in time for your winter vacations.

We’ve talked about the mind-beauty connection before, and there are many studies about attractiveness and self-esteem.  When TriBeCa MedSpa opened our doors in 2006, we announced our mission statement: Our MedSpa is committed to making you look and feel beautiful, because we uniquely understand that while looking beautiful and feeling beautiful are linked, they are not always the same thing.  While some scholars suggest that beauty ideals are set by society, there are more positive media influences sending messages of going for our individual beauty best.

At TriBeCa MedSpa, we always offer complimentary consultations because we firmly believe that you should not be charged for taking the first step toward feeling beautiful and caring for your skin.  In your consultation one of our expertly trained Medical Aestheticians will listen to what your skin concerns are and educate you about the best treatment and product options for you.  Contact us to schedule your consultation; all you have to lose is time.

To quote the great beauty icon, Audrey Hepburn: “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

It’s now a topic of conversation… what’s your style?

Bikini style is clearly on the minds of women today.  Clever ads, like the one below, for Schick Quattro Razors run during primetime television.  There was recently scandalous backlash to a British Vogue article written by the sister of the Mayor of London about her underage niece using her credit card for a Brazilian wax.  Even feminist heroines like Naomi Wolf are taking aim at bikini style.  It is discussed in her new book Vagina: a New Biography.  So, what is all the fuss about?

The Brazilian Wax arrived in NYC in the 1980s, was discussed on a national scale on the hit TV showSex and the City in 2000 in an episode where Carrie visited Los Angeles, and is undeniably on view by customers of pornographic websites to the tune of $2.84 billion a year.  Of course, a Brazilian isn’t a lady’s only option, as Marie-Claire is quick to point out in this handy slide show, but it is immensely popular.

The question is: would you make your style permanent?  An overwhelming number of women say yes.

There are many benefits of Laser Hair Removal, but the largest is the permanent reduction of hair which saves you time and money in the long run.  Laser Hair Removal also eliminates the biggest negatives of waxing: monthly upkeep and required ‘stubble’ for each treatment.  Would you be willing to commit to a bikini style forever?  As Roger Friedland points out in a brilliant article titled ‘Looking through the bushes; the disappearance of pubic hair’ for the Huffington Post, “If you look back in our history you can see that it was not long after women showed their legs and their arm pits — with shorter skirts, nylons and the sleeveless dress — that these hair-coverings were shorn away. The same is now happening with the vagina.”

It seems unlikely that the trend will reverse.

For most of us, cost is a factor in our skin-care routines.  Even for those of us lucky enough to be ‘cost ambivalent’, everyone wants a good return on investment whether it’s in skin-care, the NASDAQ or in Masters Degrees.  A good return on investment is not always the same thing as a bargain, however.  To quote my favorite venture capitalist (who also taught me the term ‘cost-ambivalent’) “what looks like a good deal now, may not be in the long run: it’s all in the timing.”

A bargain is defined as: an advantageous purchase, especially one acquired at less than the usual cost.

The allure of a bargain has made sites like Groupon and Living Social hugely popular.  Though a yoga class or new restaurant coupon seems like a steal, a Laser Hair Removal package at 90% off may not be a good long term investment.  Often when redeeming these discounts, one’s choices are limited.  If your choices are limited on who provides the procedure or the time of day that it can be redeemed, are you getting the service you deserve?  These restrictions become even more limiting when considering a Medical Service.

Golden Rule #1: Know what you need.

If you have never used a Dermal Filler, buying a coupon for 2ccs of Radiesse might not be the best choice for you.  It could be like buying a discounted root canal when you have a mild tooth ache.  It may be a deal, and it may not.  Only time will tell.

Golden Rule #2: Know what you are getting.

If you purchase a ‘bikini’ series of Laser Hair Removal does the coupon expire before you are due to complete your series?  Will your scheduling be set up to give you great results, or will some other restriction take priority?

An informed consumer is an empowered consumer, which is why at TriBeCa MedSpa all ourconsultations are complimentary.  We are committed to educating our clients to make the kind of beauty decisions that are also healthy decisions.  Not everyone is a candidate for all the services that we provide, and some treatments do have downtime.  We will work with you to schedule treatments appropriately for your lifestyle and expectations to provide you with the best results long term—which is a real return on investment.

Contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation.

Vibradermabrasion is the newest technology of microdermabrasion.  This intense exfoliation treatment gives you safer, more effective results than microdermabrasion.  Many of us are already familiar with the older microdermabrasion machines which use micro-crystals to “sandblast” the skin. These machines have several drawbacks, the most dramatic being the suction component of microderm (which sucks the crystals off your skin and back into the machine) has been found to cause telangiectasia (tiny broken capillaries or spider-veins).  The microdermabrasion handpiece (a pressurized closed loop vacuum where the micro-crystals are dispersed from on one side and suctioned back on the other) is relatively small which also means treating a larger area such as the chest or even the forehead can be time-consuming.  Lastly, the crystals often leave the skin irritated and in some cases have been found to leave residues in the skin causing inflammatory reactions.  Vibradermabrasion has none of these negative side effects.

Vibradermabrasion manually exfoliates the skin using stainless steel textured paddles that vibrate against the skin’s surface giving you a glowing, smooth complexion without the danger of broken capillaries, and noticeably less post-treatment redness than microdermabrasion.  By evenly removing the rough outer most layer of the dermis without leaving any residue (due to the abrasives being fixed onto the paddles), fresh healthy skin is revealed and over time this exfoliation leads to increased cell-turnover and collagen growth.

We think of Vibradermabrasion as the “going organic” exfoliation technique.

Vibradermabrasion can be done as one treatment or combined with other treatments such as a TriBeCa Classic Facial, Laser Genesis, or Chemical Peels. Vibradermabrasion is safe for all skin types and often recommended for pregnant women.  At TriBeCa MedSpa we always suggest you begin with acomplimentary consultation to find out what treatment is best for your unique skin concerns.  If you have concerns about broken capillaries, there are treatment options available.

Tretinoin is a topical skincare product derived from Vitamin A that has been on the market for over 20 years.  While tretinoin was first prescribed as an acne solution, the anti-aging effects on the skin were undeniable.  A double-blind study (done in 1988) of tretinoin’s effect on photodamaged skin found that all 30 patients who completed the 16-week study showed a significant improvement including diminished wrinkles and brown spots.

Tretinoin, also known by the brand name Retin-A, has years of scientific backing on its ability to boost cell-turnover, normalize melanocyte cells (which produce pigment) and even stimulate collagen production.  With proven results in all three of these key factors of anti-aging, the question is: Why isn’t everyone using tretinoin?

Lack of user education has affected tretinoin’s popularity.  Even when used correctly (slowly, often beginning with just a pea-sized application for the entire face once or twice a week) the product can be irritating, causing some users to give up before seeing the positive effects.  Redness, irritation, flaking and in some cases breakouts can happen for the first 8 weeks of use.  When properly educated about how the product works and following careful dosage, your skin will build a tolerance to the product and you can minimize the negative side effects.  Quality formulations such as Obagi’s tretinoin also minimize this initial irritation.  Even so, in today’s ‘instant’ age some users find that toughing it out now for guaranteed results later is an exercise in patience.  Even in the 21^st century, the truth is that good things come to those that wait.

Are you ready to find out if the product also known as ‘the anti-aging magic bullet’ is right for you? Contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation.

Believe it or not, Fall is upon us!  As children start their new school year, balmy beach vacations move off onto the 2013 calendar and tans fade, it is the perfect time for Laser Hair Removal.  Laser Hair Removal is a process that takes multiple treatments for best results, so beginning this Fall will allow you to have a hair-free, razor-free, hassle-free summer from 2013 on.

There is a famous quote: “It pays to plan ahead.  It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.”

It is unarguable that planning ahead is one of the most important steps anyone can take to feeling empowered in their home life, their career and their future.  Even if you don’t enjoy planning, every word ever written about self improvement will tell you: like it or not, planning works.

Laser Hair Removal at TriBeCa MedSpa begins with our knowledgeable staff who will work with you to create and support a plan for you to follow that will have your unwanted body hair disappear forever.  At TriBeCa MedSpa we have several different types of hair removal lasers, ensuring you will get the safest and most effective treatment possible.  Our laser experts will chart your individual hair growth cycle and monitor the laser settings for each of your treatments.

Laser Hair Removal usually takes between 6-10 sessions spaced 6-8 weeks apart while waxing can take 12-14 sessions a year and shaving can be 52-180 ‘sessions’ a year.  Only laser hair removal offers permanent results and decreases ingrown hair issues with every treatment.  Another reason to plan ahead: Laser Hair Removal won’t work on grey hairs so give yourself this gift sooner rather than later.  With just 6-10 sessions starting now, if someone offers a last minute beach trip come Spring Break, you can say yes without a thought about body hair.  After all, isn’t the best part of planning knowing that you still have time to be spontaneous?