Tis the season for chocolate and more chocolate!

Valentines Day is just the around the corner, which means, time to give, receive and EAT chocolate! Most of us are already aware of the many health benefits that dark chocolate (minimum of 70% cocoa content) offers, such as lowering cholesterol (HDL), stabilizing blood pressure, improving cognitive function as well as enhancing one’s mood.

Cocoa also has anti-oxidant properties due to the Flavanols it contains. Flavanols (type of Flavonoid) will help combat free radical damage caused by harmful UV light and other environmental factors to protect it from collagen breakdown. By preventing collagen and other elastic fibers in the skin from deteriorating, it will therefore help slow down the aging process.

Other research has also found that cocoa can help improve the skin’s overall hydration, complexion and thickness!

With summer almost over, I am sure that some of you have noticed a few more spots and moles on your body.

It is important to remember to check them on a regular basis to see if they are changing. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer involving a malignant tumor of the melanocytes (cells that produce melanin). It is less common then other types of skin cancer such as basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. Here are the 4 important characteristics of melanoma:

A- Asymmetry — If you draw a line down the middle of the mole, each side should look the same on each side. Moles or lesions that are symmetrical are less suspicious than ones that are asymmetrical.
B- Border — irregular or jagged edges
C- Colour — different shades and colour variances
D- Diameter– larger than 6 millimeters (size of a pencil eraser)
E- Evolving over time

If there is a hair growing out of a mole, that is usually a good sign. Constant bleeding, tingling, itchiness or flakiness of the lesion/mole is an indication you should see a dermatologist to have it checked out.

At Toronto Cosmetic Clinic we have an excellent surgeon, Dr. Mansour Bendago who can remove moles and other types of lesions.

We’ve long known that breast augmentation surgery can enhance a woman’s appearance and self-esteem. But, can it actually improve someone’s quality of life.

A new study reported in the July issue of the American Society of Plastic Surgery found that the overall impact breast augmentation has on a women’s life is very positive, in more than one aspect. The researchers developed a questionnaire that evaluated six key areas of quality of life. The researchers followed 41 women, 6 months before, and 6 months after their breast augmentation.

More than 80% of women reported significant improvement in 3 areas: satisfaction with breasts, psychosocial well-being and sexual well-being. “The gains in quality of life were considered very large-similar in magnitude to the improvement in symptoms after hip replacement surgery”.

A reported 30,000 breast augmentations are performed each year in Canada. Breast augmentation at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic is our most popular procedure..and now we have more proof as to why.

On a hot, humid day like today, there is nothing more refreshing and satisfying then an ice cold glass of H2O.

I am sure we all know to drink a minimum 8 glasses of water of day…but do you know as to why we should? and do you actually do it?

The human body is made up of an average of 60-80% water by weight. With that being said it makes sense that we should take care of our body and hydrate it accordingly.

SKIN:
For cosmetic reasons, our skin will actually look dry and tired if your body is dehydrated (the skin itself is composed of 80% water). Over time if you drink enough, you can restore the buoyancy as water is stored between the muscle and upper layers of the skin.

DETOXIFY & CLEANSE:
Water is what our body uses to flush out toxins and waste from our body. It will also help prevent you from getting bloated by flushing out excess water weight.

WEIGHT LOSS:
Water will act as a “filler”- it will make your stomach feel full thereby reducing the amount of space left for other foods. If you are sipping on water all day long it will also help you to avoid from sipping on high caloric drinks such as soda and juice. Water acts as an appetite suppressant– A lot of the time when our stomach is rumbling, it is because we are thirsty not hungry.

Water will also aid is stabilizing your metabolism: In fact, ice water has negative calories– you will burn calories rather then store them when you intake cold water. When you drink ice cold water, your body burns calories by warming it up to body temperature. Drinking 6 cups of cold water each day, can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily.

Because water will make you feel fresh and hydrated, this can give you some extra energy to go to the gym and even burn more calories

HEADACHE RELIEF:
If you suffer from headaches, perhaps the cause may be from not drinking enough water. When the tissue surrounding the brain become dehydrated, there is a pressure difference -which could be the reason for a headache.

So why not come in and grab a bottle of TCC Water and Drink Up!

The blow diagram indicates, how spots (acne and other associated skin conditions) can be reflected by your internal health. By “mapping” the areas on your face where you are prone to your skin conditions, you can determine where the underlying cause of the skin condition originates from. Each area of the face reflects and organ/regions of the body. If a particular area of the face, constantly gives you breakouts, or other skin irregularities, you can use the map to see which corresponding organ is in need of attention.

Face mapping originates from Chinese medicine and is something that has been used for years and years. Some examples of internal problems that are reflected on the skin of the face can include, food intolerances (wheat, dairy), stress, hormonal imbalances & poor diet.

Basically, the state of your skin reflects your whole being – the thoughts you think, your emotions, your stress levels, the food you eat, toxins in your environment, how you treat your body, and even the people around you, as well as the skin care products and regimen that you use. Face mapping can be a great way to improve your overall health (internally and externally).

I’m sure we can all appreciate a good night’s rest! However, certain sleeping positions cause facial wrinkles and saggy breasts more than others. Sleep alone is one of the best and natural ways to help keep you feeling and looking young…..that is if you lay in the correct position!

After a long hard day, most of us just want to plop into bed and plant our face into the pillow. Studies have shown that sleeping on your side or on your stomach can create “sleeping position-induced wrinkles” or “sleep lines”, as the experts call them. By squishing your face against the pillow, wrinkles form that become etched into the surface of the skin and don’t disappear once you’re up. Sleeping on the side of your face increases wrinkles on cheeks and chin while sleeping face down creates a deep furrow brow. Therefore the best position to sleep is on your back. By sleeping your back you are also saving your breasts from sagging from gravity. When you lay on your side your breasts will naturally dangle downwards…eventually leading to flopping and stretching of the skin…yikes!

It’s hard to train yourself to change the way you sleep, as it is a formation of habit, you tend to fall into the most comfortable position. To help you can try purchasing silk pillow cases. The silk allows your face to glide against the pillow, unlike cotton which will “crunch” your skin and allow for line formation. Beauty pillows are a good investment as well, as they help to keep your head situation in the optimal position for your spine and it can alleviate the pressure on your face.

So if you want smoother skin and perkier breasts….try sleeping on your back tonight !