It turns out the old wives tale is true: get lots of sleep and you’ll look better. Yes, beauty sleep is real, according to a new study by Swedish researchers.

If you’re wondering how they studied this, no, they did not look at sleep-deprived people riding the 1 train downtown at 8am (although that would probably prove the theory right away- those tired people lookfunky.) The scientists took a more, well, scientific approach: they snapped two sets of photos of 23 men and women: Once after they had 8 hours of sleep, and once after they’d spent 31 continuous hours awake.

A group of observers rated each photo based on health, attractiveness and skin tone. And Surprise! The well-rested people were rated more attractive then the sleep-deprived people.

So, yes, the fact that you stay up till 2 a.m. wondering if your doorman misinterpreted your comment last week, that is the reason you are not prettier. lol.

So get lots of sleep, cleanse and moisturize your skin add a little microdermabrasion and a laser facial and you’ll be glowing in no time.

xxx

Laser Gal

In my last post, I told you about a fun website to learn about facial symmetry, and to let you know how you look based on objective beauty factors. The site (http://anaface.com) uses your uploaded headshot and facial symmetry cues to indicate how attractive you are. I rated a respectable 7.11 on 10. Within minutes my editor replied with his facial symmetry grade: a 7.76 on 10. My boyfriend also rated higher than me, a 7.84 on 10.

Just as I was starting to think I should get a complex about my looks, I read this study and… Sigh… I feel better. Let me share the good news, for all of us who aren’t perfectly symmetrical, it turns out that good skin care could be more important than facial symmetry in determining how good looking you are.

New research found that facial radiance (not symmetry) determines beauty.

The study had 430 people look at photos of women with and without digitally altered skin tone. The highest scores went to the pictures with the most smooth and radiant skin tone.

Good skin is seriously significant: women’s skin tone says a great deal about reproductive potential and how attractive you are to the opposite sex.

Great skin is possible at any age, but sometimes I used to feel like I was fighting a losing battle. In my teens, my skin was youthful and glowing but raging hormones made smooth skin almost impossible. In my 20s, burning the candle at both ends and tanning didn’t help either. Then there is the parade of beauty products and skin solutions I used to buy and try. But now I have a permanent simple solution.

Four words: LASER FACIAL and MICRODERMABRASION. Using the latest technology to get healthy, glowing skin is where it’s at. With a laser facial you’re stimulating your skin to revitalize its natural collagen (the cells that keep your skin plump) and stimulating its elastin cells (the cells that give your skin its stretchiness). The laser facial also eliminates age spots (also commonly referred to as sun spots and liver spots) and sun damage.

Also, for those who miss the warm relaxation of suntanning, this is actually similar… Without the harmful UVA or UVB rays of course!

With microderm you’re deep cleaning your pores and sanding away the crusty dry top layer of your skin like no at-home exfoliation can.

Graduate to the next generation of skin care. Try just 2 laser facials combined with microderm. I promise, you’ll see fantastic results.

After all, your skin isn’t getting any younger… or symmetrical!

xxx Laser Gal

If you’re like me, you look at celebrity pictures and wonder about their beauty habits. What creams and lotions do they use? What procedures do they really sneak off to have done . . . ?

Obviously, the massive amounts of prep time for photo shoots and subsequent airbrushing makes them look better than reality. But then you see them on TMZ or Perezhilton caught by paparazzi and guess what, some of them look just as good… Their skin is smooth; blemish free and not a dark spot or enlarged pore in sight…

So, here is my top 5 list of celebrities with positively radiant skin! And a little info on their beauty secrets…

1. Liv Tyler

When we saw Liv Tyler on the Rachel Zoe Project, she had clear, porcelain-textured skin. Her rock star father might be into sex, drugs and rock & roll, but Liv is clean living; she’s vegan, and stays away from smoking, which prematurely ages your skin. Rumor has it that she’s dabbled in Botox.

2. Ashton Kutcher

You’d never know it by watching him act a fool on Punked, but Ashton Kutcher is over thirty. His skin texture likely comes from a good cleansing and moisturizing regimen and regular microdermabrasion and laser facials. His better half, Demi Moore, incorporated cosmetic enhancements into her beauty regime, so it stands to reason that Ashton might too.

3. Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett is all about flawless porcelain skin. Blanchett doesn’t fight her fair complexion, she works with it. That means she takes care not to be out in the sun without protection, ever. A high-SPF sunscreen is uber-important for everybody, but this is particularly true if your skin is quite fair.

4. Anna Kournikova

Six-foot-tall Anna Kournikova has beautiful skin. Wearing tiny tennis outfits’ means she always has to be smooth and hairless.  It seems, however, that Anna prefers to keep her beauty treatments au naturale. In the July 2008 issue of Cosmopolitan, Anna shared a tip on how Russian women keep their skin beautiful and glowing: “Russian women take a sauna to soften their pores and then mush up some strawberries and put them on as an exfoliating mask.”   Angela, one of Assara’s Laser Specialists, also agrees with the power of berries to keep your skin young, soft and supple.

5. Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams makes this list because she has the most improved celebrity complexion. Expert plastic surgeons speculate that  laser facials and microdermabrasion have restored her complexion to its 1984 status, when she was crowned Miss America. Williams has suffered from acne and had with scarred, lumpy reddened skin. Since she re-launched her career on Ugly Betty, her skin is looking beautiful.

Williams takes every chance to speak about laser cosmetics and Botox. She recently did a segment on the Rachael Ray show where she held an audience member’s hand while she got injected with Botox. The experiment was done to demystify the procedure. Next time she should have a laser facial with Rachael!

xx Laser Gal

No matter what life stage or age you’re in, it’s possible to show off your best skin! It’s true that each day, your skin’s youthful appearance is challenged. Like everyone, you’ve aged, you’ve noticed small “crow’s feet” around your eyes, winter dryness that requires special attention, and after a long day, maybe a slight sagging under your eyes.

Finding good professional services or at-home solutions can be confusing… But don’t give up.  Check out these quick tips that will help revitalize your skin, and keep it smooth, young and healthy.

At-Home Tips and Tricks

Minimize Facial Cleansing.  Even creamy cleansers can irritate very dry skin, so use a milky makeup remover that tissues off without rinsing. By minimizing your skin’s exposure to abrasive or irritating elements, you’ll see immediate improvements.

Integrate Intense Moisturizers to your Routine.  After a shower or a facial cleanse, you must protect your skin from outside elements and seal in natural moisture. Try formulas with a high concentration of oils, such as petrolatum.  Some beauty specialists recommend applying a light sheen of Vaseline in the evening because it contains no irritating additives and it seals in moisture.

Sunscreen is the Ultimate Skin-Saver.  There is no question that sun exposure adds years to your skin’s appearance.  Some doctors speculate that sun exposure can be responsible for as much as 75% of premature skin aging.  The good news is that it’s never too late to start protecting your skin.  For the best protection, look for a daily facial moisturizer with at least SPF 15 (SPF 30 is even better).

Turning to the Professionals

Laser Facials.  The at-home solutions we’ve given you will show good results on the surface of your skin, but paying attention to the lower levels of your skin will make all the difference in maintaining youthful, smooth, elastic skin.  Here, we’ve provided a newsletter on the benefits of the Laser Facial.  Laser facials stimulate collagen growth on the face and neck giving you a natural, refreshed vibrant appearance.  Laser facial sessions help to tighten fine lines and crow’s feet and build natural collagen. Best of all, there is no downtime or recovery period and results are noticeable minutes after the very first treatment.

Microdermabrasion. The primary benefit of microdermabrasion is that your fresher younger skin becomes the outer layer, which minimizes the appearance offine lines and wrinkles and unearths a fresh face.

Microdermabrasion is effective on diminishing and even getting rid of acne,fine lines, enlarged pores, blackheads, age spots, hyperpigmentation (uneven skin tone), scars, stretch marks, wrinkles and dull skin.

Laser Facials and Microdermabrasion.  Microdermabrasion makes it easy for high-tech skin care products and laser facials to actually penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and help build collagen, which gives skin its youthful appearance.

Our clients have seen the best results in a combination skin rejuvenation protocol. Together, the laser facial and microdermabrasion sessions will rejuvenate your skin from within, and polish your skin to show off your newly fresh face.

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Selected Resources:

Your Guide to Hair Grooming, Lasers and Beautiful Skin: See Chapter 7 (Skin Damage), Chapter 8 (Basic Skin Care Routine), Chapter 9 (Common Skin Problems), Chapter 10 (Microdermabrasion) and Chapter 11 (Laser Facials).

Assara Wiki Articles: See Aging, Laser skin rejuvenation, Microdermabrasion, Sun spots, and Wrinkles.