You think it’s never too early to start wrinkle treatment (you can prevent fine lines, right?), but just like Botox for teens, some anti-aging treatments are a waste of time if you’re not ready for them yet. So Beautylish chatted with an expert in the field, Jim Wilmott, chief scientific offer of Leading Innovations, and former Executive Director of Global Skin Care for Chanel about how stem cells work­—and who should try the treatments.

WHAT ARE STEM CELLS?

Just what are stem cells? Molecular building blocks that renew bones, organs, and blood vessels. In humans these important cells also exist in the lowest level of skin, working to repair damaged or diseased tissue. “Stem cells are critical to the quality of tissue in the outer layer of skin,” says Jim. “When you’re younger, your stem cells reproduce rapidly, causing skin to turn over naturally about every 26 days. However, as you get older Read More…

Next time you have a client sit down for a manicure, if you notice any of these signs you may want to point them out. According to Dr. Ariel Ostad, a Manhattan Board Certified Dermatologist, nails can say a lot about your client’s health. See what he says to watch out for:

Beware of Dangerous UVA Rays at the Nail Salon: Doctors raised the alarm after two women developed tumors on their hands from exposure to ultra-violet lamps used to fix artificial nails. The lamps can also be bought for home use. But experts now fear the high dose of UVA rays—the most dangerous form of ultra-violet light they produce could be damaging skin cells. “Regular users should have their hands and fingers inspected for signs of cancerous growths,” says Dr. Ostad. Because the matrix originates under the cuticle, getting a manicure can harm it if the equipment isn’t sterilized. And when a drill is inserted under the cuticle to smooth it, the matrix cells can be ground up so badly that they cannot regenerate. Nail sculpture chemicals can also drip down into the matrix, causing damage. “When the matrix cells are damaged, they may never grow properly again, and the nail will always be deformed,” says Dr. Ostad.

It’s the Pits. When the normally smooth surface of the fingernail has several small dents or pits in it, that can be a signal that something is going on beneath the nail. Most often, the cause of those dents is psoriasis  Read More…

Check out the photo (here on the left) of the person in an “Age Gain” suit that was developed by researchers at M.I.T.  (It is kind of like a“Fat” suit you might have seen on TV years ago where someone can experience being fat for a day – only this is about experiencing old age for a day.)   The”Age Gain” suit is designed to make the wearer experience life as a person in the mid 70’s.

Here is what the suit includes:

• A helmet that cramps your neck and spine
• Yellow paned goggles that muddy your vision
• Plastic bands that clip your wingspan
• Compression knee bands that make it hard to bend
• Plastic shoes with uneven foam pads for soles that throw off your balance
• Layers of surgical gloves that make you fumble with things in your hands

Welcome to old age.  Ugh – seems to be the reaction from those who have tried on the suit. The experience was designed for companies to better understand their target audience Read More…

Pumpkins

See what these salons/spas are doing for their pumpkin happy clients:

Two Pumpkin Treatments: (The Spa at Desert Springs at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, California) This spa is offering two pumpkin-based treatments now through November 30. Rich in antioxidants and carotenoids, these treatments will neutralize Read more…

Does massage have “real” physical benefits?  While those of us in the spa industry would of course say yes (there have been many studies)…how nice when the New York Times said it for us this time!

The article that was in last Tuesday’s paper titled “Massage Benefits Are More Than Skin Deep” talks about a new study that showed a single session of massage (45 minutes in this case) caused positive biological changes.

Here is the scoop.  Researchers, from a division of the National Institute of Health, conducted a study at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in which one group of adults was given a deep-tissue massage and another group was given a light massage.  Blood samples were taken before and after these 45 minutes massages.

The participants who received Read more…

I was recently inspired by our team’s Fashion Director, Nathan Rosenkranz and his “go for it spirit!”

Matrix had a competition called Mannequin Mania, which ran from April 20th through July 31st. During that time, more than 10,000 mannequin heads were conceptualized and created by students, salon teams, individuals and even friends and family members of Matrix.

It was very cool—come up with an idea, create it on a mannequin, take some pictures and submit the pictures with the entry form as many times and as often as you wished. At the beginning of July, Nate decided to go for it!

Keep Your Goals a Secret
Many people believe telling others their goals will help them achieve them, but in reality, the opposite is scientifically true. It is proven that when you share a goal (i.e. running a marathon, quitting smoking, eating better), just by sharing the goal you reduce almost by half the chance that you will even do it. Why? Because when you tell someone you are going to do __________ (fill in the blank), the person you tell congratulates you on your intent and to your mind it puts you closer to your goal. The more people you tell, the closer you get in your mind to your goal, which ultimately translates into workout equipment that never got used, races that were never run and smoking habits still going strong. Nate went for it before he told everyone. Read more…

Additionally, the likelihood of your target audience using the Internet and responding to your marketing efforts should also be considered into the equation. This article will outline the potential for success in an Internet marketing campaign. Read more ...

Having produced the annual Day Spa Expo in Las Vegas for the past five years, Patrick Witherspoon, President of Bentley International Group explains why the need for regional events. “Request from attendees has prompted us to plan a series of regional events to bring the Day Spa Expo and Business Forum closer to their area. With the financial restraints being what they are, it makes sense for attendees not to incur a lot of travel expenses to see what’s new for the Spa and Salon industry. Atlanta has been slated for the first regional event because of its proximity to major cities that are within a short distance from Atlanta.  A three to four hour (or less) drive includes: Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. A short flight widens the range for many more attendees from the Eastern Seaboard, the Midwest and other USA regions”, stated Witherspoon. Read more …

NEW YORK, July 9/PRNewswire/ — The Spa & Resort/Medical Aesthetics Expo (www.spaandresortexpo.com) has been redesigned this year to give attendees an enhanced experience that focuses on new resources, tools, treatments and professional education that will help their business grow and succeed. This empowering event will be held September 28-29, 2010, in conjunction with the HBA Global Event annual Beauty Week™, at New York Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

New show floor features include the Industry Education Theater, which will platform leading manufacturers demonstrations on new products and advance treatments. During both days of the event, attendees will be able to participate in interactive “how to’s” and learn about the latest skincare or body care products that they can offer their customers and businesses. Read more…

The design of a medical spa should be viewed as an important aspect of the market position and brand message of the business.

The starting point to a great medical spa design is to have a clear understanding of your mission, concept and program. This should then dictate all of the design elements within the spa. Remember that the interior design communicates your brand message on a very personal level, a level where clients are intimately interacting with your brand using their five senses.

In addition, the moment you attach the word spa to medical, as in “medspa” or “medical spa,” you build client expectations that need to be met through many facets of the brand, especially the design. Communicating a brand is about taking the intangible and presenting it in a tangible form that can be perceived easily by your clients. And what better form than the interior design elements of color, texture and shapes? Read more …