Quick Change Artist

May 15, 2013

Transitioning from a work duckling into a social butterfly…fast!

By Ava Shamban, MD

If you’re anything like me, a lot of times you don’t have the luxury of running home to bathe and change clothes for a big night out or social event.  We usually have to make-do in the cramped quarters of bathroom at work to make our magical changeover.

Much too often, we go out directly from work. Two things are important to remember.  First, you always want to be prepared–plan your outfit the night before (don’t forget accessories and heels). Second, you have to think maximum portability and functionality, so anything that is a 2-in-1 is definitely a plus and basic clothing pieces that can be spiced-up. This means leaving your liquids, powders, and brushes at home and really focusing on the necessities. Following the proper steps are key:

Step 1 – Sterilize the field.  Make sure to sanitize your hands and the counter you will be utilizing before spreading out your tools.

Step 2 – Touch-up your canvas. Pat down your face with a rejuvenating towelette. Brush your teeth with a pre-loaded portable toothbrush and then before rinsing, gently brush your lips too to exfoliate them.

Step 3 – Trouble shoot.  If there’s a rogue blemish, whatever you do, DO NOT pick it. Grab an ice cube and hold on the spot for 60 seconds to help take down some of the redness. 

Step 4 – Step up the makeup. Remember, fluorescent bathroom lights are going to make your makeup look more garish than it actually is, so don’t fret!  Darken your eye shadow to a nice pewter color, add your power red lipstick, and dab-on an evening fragrance onto the neck area and wrists.

Step 5 – Slip into sexy. Let your hair down from that usual office ponytail and let it fall naturally.  Un-do the top button of your blouse and slip out of those business loafers into some sassy heels. Then add the final touches- statement jewelry; whether it is a bold necklace, wacky bracelet or fun ring…Wa-la! You are all ready for a night on the town.

You’ll get better and better at this as you go along, practice makes perfect.  Remember, a crowded schedule happens but it doesn’t have to show up on your skin.

Skin-Fabulous Foods

March 22, 2013

Good (and good for you) recipes from ‘Girls’ Night In’

We’ve just completed a fun video for my web series, Ask Ava, called Girls’ Night In (http://youtu.be/fJqOMo8WXrM) where I introduce a subject very dear to my heart: Skin-Fabulous Foods. What’s it take to be Skin-Fabulous?  Quite simply, it must be a food item or a recipe that has significant benefits for the health and beauty of the skin while at the same time being absolutely delicious!

In this and future blogs, I’ll be posting about my favorite Skin-Fabulous foods for your delectation. As the body’s packaging, your skin is the exterior reflection as to what’s going on with your system on the inside.  It follows then that when it comes to your skin, you are indeed very much what you eat.

So let’s start with my favorite new Skin-Fabulous snack food blends.

KALE MIX: SWEET WITH NUTS

In a large mixing bowl, mix together

2 c chocolate kale chips broken into walnut-size chunks (either Just Pure Foods’ Cocoa Kale Chips or Kale Krunch’s Chockalet Chip)

½ c walnuts

½ c almonds

½ c dried cranberries (or raisins, dried blueberries or dried cherries)

1 c dried or dehydrated pears

Save the leftover crumblies to sprinkle over plain Greek yogurt.

KALE MIX:  SAVORY WITH NUTS

2 c kale cheese chips (which do not, in fact, contain any cheese btw) broken into walnut-size chunks (either Kale Krunch’s Quite Cheezy or KK’s Cheezy Chipotle)

1 c walnuts or almonds

½ c dried cranberries or raisins

Save the leftover crumblies to sprinkle over baked yams or sweet potatoes.

For those who are allergic to nuts or suffer from inflammatory conditions such as rosacea, cold sores or herpes that may be exacerbated by nuts’ high arginine content:

KALE MIX:  SWEET WITHOUT NUTS

In a large mixing bowl, mix together

2 c chocolate kale chips broken into walnut-size chunk (either Just Pure Foods’ Cocoa Kale Chips or Kale Krunch’s Chockalet Chip)

½ c walnuts or almonds

½ c dried cranberries (or raisins, dried blueberries or dried cherries)

1 c dried or dehydrated pears or apples

½ c dark chocolate chips

Save the leftover crumblies to sprinkle over plain Greek yogurt.

KALE MIX:  SAVORY WITHOUT NUTS

2 c kale cheese chips (which do not, in fact, contain any cheese btw) broken into walnut-size chunks (either Kale Krunch’s Quite Cheezy or KK’s Cheezy Chipotle)

1 c dried or dehydrated apples

1 c sweet potato or yam fries slowly overcooked until dry and chewy then broken into bite-sized pieces

Save the leftover crumblies to sprinkle over baked yams or sweet potatoes.

Notes:  Dehydrated foods are preferable to dried foods because they usually contain less sugar. Both are high in fiber which is great. Don’t overdue it on the dried cranberries because they do contain added sugar or sweetener (as versus raisins which do not.)

REFRESHER MASK

Here’s a topical treat fresh from the kitchen:

½ c of egg whites

½ c of lemon juice

½ banana

15 grapes

Dr. Shamban on BeautyLish.com

January 3, 2013

Check out my new blog, Skin and Tonic on  BeautyLish.com .  Hear what I have to say about keeping your skin looking great after the holidays. 

Holidays have come and gone. The sequined dress is at the dry cleaners. The poofy slippers are on the feet. And, if you’re not passed out on the sofa clicking through reruns of Madmen, wondering how they party so hard and still look so chic, chances are you’re looking in the mirror thinking, sheesh! What in the heck just happened to my skin?

Fun times, unfortunately, can have their price. But with a little effort, you can look as cute as Megan Draper does after a bender. Or at least, almost. Here’s how to get back your pre-holiday glow.  

Holiday Skin Symptom: Puffy Eyes From Partying

DR. AVA'S PRESCRIPTION:

1. Get back on your sleep schedule. Safeguard your rest, and learn how to say no! 

2. Use an eye cream! Try a formula preferably with caffeine and/or Vitamin K, AHA’s, Vitamin C to reduce dark circles and puffiness. Keep the eye cream in the fridge to further bring down the poof.

3. Sleep on your back. This prevents fluid collection in the face and under your eyes.

4. Try some DIY remedies. There are the tried and true—cucumbers and tea bags—but here’s a few additional eye-savers to try for quick relief: ground ginger and honey, aloe, moist coffee grounds, turmeric and honey, avocado slices, and/or pineapple slices. To read more click here.

Fruitcake on Your Face

December 27, 2012

Fruitcake on Your Face

Take this least-wanted of holiday gifts and turn it into a thing of beauty.

Chances are, this seasonal concoction doesn’t do much for you in its baked and sliced form.  But some of the ingredients you might find in it, in their pre-fruitcake state, can do wonders for your skin.

Grape Cleanser

The Great Grape:  Grapes are chock full of polyphenols, which have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  In addition, research has shown that grape skin and seeds are a great source of OPCs (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins), which promote production of collagen and elastin fibers.

15 dark grapes with seeds

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

1 tablespoon fine cornmeal

Use a blender to mix grapes (with skin and seeds) and olive oil.  Pour into a glass bowl and add cornmeal.  Stir until all ingredients are well combined.  Pour a small amount onto a wet washcloth and gently cleanse your face.  Rinse off with warm water. 

Apple, Oatmeal, and Honey Scrub

The Amazing Apple:  Apples are rich in vitamins A, B, and C and also contain malic acid, which helps the skin absorb these vitamins. Alpha-hydroxy acids found in apples help balance skin tone and exfoliate.

½ medium apple, cored, peeled and finely chopped (Braeburn and Red Delicious varieties have the greatest amount of beneficial ingredients for skin)

1 tablespoon oats (uncooked)

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons yogurt

1 teaspoon honey, warm

In a blender, grind the oats with the sunflower seeds.  Core, peel and finely chop the apple; add this to the blender mixture.  Pour into a glass bowl.  Mix with yogurt and honey.  Gently massage onto your face, neck, and/or chest.  Leave on for three minutes and then rinse off with warm water. 

Blueberry Mask

Incredible Blueberries:  Blueberries contain large amounts of Vitamin A and C, as well as other powerful anti-oxidants like Pycnogenol and  Anthocyanin that not only help repair damaged skin, but help reduce the inflammation reaction in the first place after exposure to UV rays.  Studies have found blueberries help stop collagen breakdown, stabilize the collagen matrix, work against oxidative stress, and improve microcirculation.

1/3 cup blueberries

2 tablespoons yogurt

1 tablespoon rice flour

Place the blueberries in a glass bowl and mash them with a fork.  Add other ingredients and mix well.  Spread on your face, neck, or chest.  Leave on for fifteen to twenty minutes. Rinse off with warm water. 

Follow with your favorite moisturizer and eye treatment and voila—fresh and rejuvenated skin!      

This Holiday Give the Gift of Beautiful Skin

December 24, 2012

GIVE THE GIFT OF FABULOUS SKIN

By Ava Shamban, MD

December is the month of giving.  And now that you’ve gotten through your holiday shopping, you can concentrate on the important stuff—giving to yourself.    

Most of us think of a ‘gift’ as something we give to others. But if you want to be the MVP on any team—whether it’s the family front, the girlfriend  squad, or the best manager brigade —you’ve got to save some TLC for yours truly.  Keep yourself strong, and you can be a strength to others.

Appearance plays a huge role in self-esteem.    When we are excited about the way we look, this feeling supports an overall positive outlook, an outlook that says anything is possible.  So it’s not a matter of vanity to want beautiful skin.  It’s a right.

Stress, hormonal changes, environmental assaults – all of these can take a toll on skin.  But, just like in any relationship, you can take control—and choose to maintain or restore naturally glowing, healthy skin.  You can prevent premature signs of aging.  You can get rid of adult acne.  You can erase the damage that illness may cause.  Follow a nourishing skin care regimen; fight free radicals with fitness and diet; get rid of cigarettes and other destructive habits; take advantage of today’s highly advanced non-invasive procedures; and the sky’s the limit.  Amazing support is available.  All we need to do, is value ourselves enough to seek it.

Taking steps to keep skin looking healthy and naturally youthful isn’t selfish or egotistical –it’s one of the most giving things you can do. 

Six Gifts You Can Give  Your Skin This Holiday Season

• A good daily skin care regimen, appropriate for your skin type, will build a great foundation for a youthful, glowing complexion.  Cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize and protect your skin from the sun.  The younger you start, the better.
• Eat right and exercise.  Choose foods that are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, drink plenty of water and get in your cardio.   These steps will fight free radicals and reduce inflammation, regulate hormone levels, promote skin cell turnover, and stimulate collagen.  Basically, exactly what you need to keep the signs of aging at bay.
• If you want to keep skin healthy, read labels and know your ingredients.  It doesn’t matter how much that fancy cream costs – the potent active have to show up in the first third of the label for it to do any good.  Personally, I’m a big fan of retinoids – they are clinically proven to increase skin cell turnover, stimulate new collagen, increase moisture content, increase blood flow, and decrease wrinkles.  Other anti-aging actives to look out for include:  niacinamide, vitamins E and C, and other anti-oxidants; peptides; growth factors; and potent moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic and acid and ceramides.
• A great way to get potent actives into your skin is to use do-it-yourself recipes, packed with anti-oxidants and beneficial enzymes like those you find in blueberries and pineapple.  And my book, Heal Your Skin, just happens to have a whole recipe list!
• Your friendly neighborhood dermatologist can also give you a helping hand. In terms of prevention, one can start ‘baby botox’ (small amounts of neuromodulator injections) at the first signs of dynamic wrinkles, and hyaluronic acids injections (fillers), at the first sign of lost volume.  Regular facials to stimulate turnover and circulation are also a great idea.  Other than that, consistency and protection are your best bets for keeping those wrinkles at bay!
• And, most importantly, put your best face forward.  Each one of us has unique, individual beauty.  Focus on looking and feeling the best you can in your own skin—don’t measure yourself against someone else.

Signature Feature

November 29, 2012

Signature Feature

Dr. Ava Shamban

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Who do you see? Are you aware of the most significant part of your face or body? Or of your own natural beauty?

Don’t Fix What’s Not Broke

It is a truly awful feeling to not feel comfortable in your own skin. But in my opinion, this ‘fix it’ thought process is all wrong. The way to feel positive about how we look is to focus on what’s great about ourselves, not to concentrate on what isn’t working, or—even worse—to try to look like someone we are not.

That’s why I developed the concept of ‘Signature Feature’—it’s a paradigm shift, a more positive approach to personalized aesthetics.

Because the key to true beauty, is looking like yourself.

Beauty is About You

We all have a Signature Feature. It’s our most beautiful aspect, tied to our personality—and it should always be highlighted in everything we do: from the way we apply our makeup, to how we dress, to the hairstyles we choose.

Signature Feature is the focal point of each individual’s look. Everyone has some part of their face that is striking and original. Whether it’s expressive eyes, or dramatic cheekbones, or a fabulous prima ballerina neck. At my practice, we help you determine what your Signature Feature is, and then highlight it—it’s how we help our patients put their ‘best face forward.’

I have specific tools I turn to that help me determine your Signature Feature. These include the ‘Blink’ factor—sometimes one feature pops out at first glance; universal aesthetics of beauty; and cultural aesthetics, as it’s important to make sure the face is at home in its world.

Tied to Your Persona

Next, we have to consider your character and personality. What’s your style? What’s your individual story?

I can’t stress enough the importance of persona in the Signature Feature equation. ‘Beauty comes from the inside’ is not an empty phrase. Take for example, funny girl Barbara Streisand. Her Signature Feature, without a doubt, is her nose. Her confident personality, stellar talent, celebration of ethnicity and individuality go hand and hand with this unconventional calling card. To ‘fix’ this feature would have violated a huge part of her identity, and who knows? Maybe her success. Did the bold and bigger-than-life feature build one of the world’s most successful actresses and singers? Did her personality develop to grow into her ‘signature?’ Or did she own it after the fact? Because appearance and self-esteem are so closely intertwined, it’s hard to really know.

Turn up the Volume

So once I have a conception of a person’s Signature Feature, I turn up its ‘volume’ and reduce the background noise to give the Signature Feature center stage. This step poses a challenge, since part of beauty lies in slight imperfection. But with experience, a balance can be struck. This is the step where smoothing acne scars, filling in a distracting deep wrinkle, or erasing a brown spot is crucial in order to highlight the essential and outstanding Signature Feature.

I’ve noticed that many times, people can’t see their own assets. Even if it’s as plain as the nose on their face. And it’s so important! Feeling beautiful is directly tied to how we feel about ourselves and about our own value. It makes us stronger and more able to withstand the upsets of everyday life, the turmoil and stress that we all experience. We know from many studies that there is a crystal clear relationship between your appearance and your self-esteem. By helping as many people as possible identify and proudly own their Signature Feature, I hope not only to help them realize their beauty—but enable them go forth into life with new-found self-confidence; I want everyone to be able say to themselves, Hey, good-looking! How was your day?

DIY Pumpkin Facial

November 21, 2012

Give your skin and your senses a break this Thanksgiving with everyone’s favorite seasonal vegetable!  Pumpkin provides a powerhouse of benefits, for all skin types, including:

• Sun damage repair: Vitamin A to soothe and soften, Vitamin C to remedy environmental damage
• Reduction of inflammation: Medley of anti-inflammatory actives soothe and calm
• Exfoliation: Highly effective enzymes slough away dead skin and promote skin cell turnover
• Hydration: Natural emollients such as Vitamin E infuse moisture
• Oil Control and Pore Size Reduction: Torulitine and other actives tone, fight blemishes, reduce pore size and help regulate excess sebum

Here’s what you’ll need for a little pre-holiday TLC:

• Pureed, cooked fresh or canned pumpkin
• Unflavored yogurt
• Honey
• Ground almonds
• Olive oil

1. Start by mixing 2 cups of pureed, cooked fresh or canned pumpkin.
2. Add 4 tablespoons unflavored yogurt, 4 tablespoons honey, 1/3 cup ground almonds, 1/4 teaspoon olive oil.
3. Mix and apply to clean, moist skin.
4. The enzymes are more active when moist, so sit in a warm tub or shower for 5-10 minutes.
5. Remove with a clean washcloth.
6. Apply moisturizer and enjoy soft clean skin!
7. Cover the rest of the mixture and use within a week.

Voila!  You’ll look like you stepped out of the spa, instead of the kitchen.  Enjoy! 

Everyone Loves a Quitter

November 14, 2012

In honor of November 15’s Great American Smokeout, I want to share a bit of news with you:  Smoking kills.

And if that won’t make you quit, how about this?  Smoking attacks your skin. 

Smoking not only accelerates the aging process and shortens the lifespan by more than ten years. And if you smoke a pack a day, it makes you look older by ten years.

Serious clinical studies show smoking significantly compromises the health of your skin.  Here’s how:

• Reduced circulation – Smoking reduces decreases capillary and arteriolar blood flow
• Phototoxic effect – Not only has smoking been linked to greater visible signs of premature aging than sun exposure, smoking increases skin’s vulnerability to effects of the sun; so if you smoke and lie out, your UV damage gets exponential
• Loss of moisture
• Reduced barrier function/compromise of skin’s immune system

And here are the visible signs of premature aging you can expect:

• Sagging – smoking is directly linked to elastosis, a condition in which skin loses elasticity as a result of connective tissue degeneration
• Premature Wrinkling and a Greater Number of Wrinkles – Smoking causes skin fibroblast damage leading to decrease in normal collagen production
• Telangiestacia – a condition characterized by fine red lines in the skin caused by the dilation of small blood vessels
• Changes in skin tone and texture (e.g. sallowness, dullness) caused by reduction of skin cell turnover

Not to mention, smokers suffer:

• Increased risk of developing psoriasis
• 2X increased risk of developing squamous skin cell carcinoma
• Poor wound healing
• Increased risk of developing skin lesions when immune system compromised

By this time, most of us understand intellectually the incredibly negative health effects. But quitting is tough.  Next time you light up, think about not only what you are doing to your lungs and heart—think about how you are ruining your appearance.

In honor of today’s Great American Smokeout, quit smoking for one day. The American Cancer Society and your physician have a wealth of supportive resources to help you quit. Your entire body will thank you and you will see immediate results on your skin!

Sugar and Your Skin

November 13, 2012

It’s true.  You are what you eat.  And sugar and high fructose corn syrup will age you prematurely—inside and out.

But can sugary drinks be good for your health? Especially when they make claims of fruit and vitamin infusions?  Soft drink manufacturers want you to think so.  Most recently, 7-UP prettied up their bottles with ‘antioxidants,’ and promoted their soft-drinks as nutrition-packed sources of refreshment and health. Luckily, a consumer advocacy group is shining the spotlight and suing 7-UP for false marketing. Together with an individual from Sherman Oaks, who feels he was duped by the campaign—and that others were, too. 

Sugar eaten in excess not only causes obesity and heart disease—it wreaks havoc with your skin.  It causes a natural process called glycation to kick into overdrive. Sugar in the bloodstream attaches to protein to form harmful molecules known as advanced glycogen end products, or AGEs, that damage collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are responsible for keeping skin firm. Excess sugar affects collagen in the skin. It can make stable forms of collagen more fragile, leaving the skin less supple. And AGEs neutralize antioxidant enzymes, causing skin to lose its natural protection against the sun.  

If sugar is bad for your skin, High Fructose Corn Syrup is awful! It not only spikes your cortisol and blood sugar, but it is incredibly difficult for your body to process. This puts stress on your digestive system and makes mayhem with your stress hormones – which leads to acne, oxidative stress, dark circles, hyper pigmentation, increased sun sensitivity, and premature wrinkling.

No doubt, by printing ‘antioxidant’ on their soft drink bottles, the makers of 7-Up were hoping all the soda lovers out there would make the hopeful leap into thinking they were drinking a life-extending tonic.  But the added antioxidant is only a negligible amount of vitamin E.  And high levels of sugar neutralize the free-radical fighting power of anti-oxidants—causing any good in this formula to get way beat out by the bad.  So, kudos to the consumer advocates for doing their homework. 

Companies will always want to sell, and consumers will always want to believe.  But in this ‘information age,’ we all have the ability to educate ourselves, to take responsibility for  safeguarding our health. Knowledge is power.  My thought for the day?  Be informed.     

SPOTLIGHT ON: Teri Baron, Patient Consultant (Beverly Hills)

November 1, 2012

Q: How did you end up working in this field?

A: I've always had a fascination with science and medicine, and with improving people's lives. I took a ‘pre–med’ track in college, and worked for a long period in medical ophthalmology. When I adopted my son from Russia, I stepped back and took a bit of a reassessment. Although I knew I had helped a lot of people in their struggles with blindness and other serious issues, I realized I had a real excitement and desire to work in healthy medicine. At the same time, I was noticing changes in my own appearance, and seeing how the signs of aging were starting to affect my friends. I wanted my daily work to make people happy. So I decided to help pretty women (and handsome men!) feel good about their appearance again.

Q: Would you say that you have a specialty?

A: I not only work as a patient consultant; I also serve as a provider for one of my favorite procedures–CoolSculpting® by Zeltiq. But I'd say that my ‘specialty’ is really designing the plan that fits best with each patient. I have a lot I bring to the table: my extensive medical background, a life-long love of fashion and beauty, years of experience, and a deeply sincere desire to make people feel great. I have a knack for really seeing through to the focal point of each person's beauty, and understanding the steps we have to take to enhance that uniqueness.

I also navigate each of my patients through their AVA MD adventure. First, I pair each person with the provider(s) that I think will work best for them both personality–wise and in terms of their goals. I check in constantly with my patients to make sure they are happy with their progress and to keep myself updated on any changes in their priorities or concerns. I make sure we are staying within their budget and that we have a full understanding of their ‘wishlist.’ I let folks know about relevant new technologies as soon as they arrive, and I also keep patients in mind for any demos, specials, studies, or broadcast opportunities that might offer a way to save money and to try something they'd love.

Beauty is for everybody. My job is to help all of our patients realize their potential, whether they work as schoolteachers or work the red carpet.

Q: What do you love most about your job?

A: I love when a patient comes in after his or her treatments just to check in–to give us a story about how those procedures have impacted them in some positive way. Not long ago, I helped a woman who'd been struggling forever with stubborn belly fat get her waistline back again. She came in with her cute tunic all belted, and told us how her husband thinks she looks sexy. Recently we also had a patient who had taken a lot of care with her face, neck and chest–but who had really haggard looking hands. She was hiding her hands, and very embarrassed about their appearance. Her hands actually made her look older than her age. We did a Fraxel/Radiesse treatment that really helped. A few weeks later, she came in wearing bracelets and rings, to show us she wasn't self conscious anymore and to say thank you.

One of my favorite recent stories involves this young woman in her 30's, really beautiful, working as a barista with four kids. She had a dark spot on her face that was driving her crazy–she went way over her budget buying an expensive cream at Neiman Marcus (which did nothing to help) and even had a consultation with a surgeon to see if he could cut the spot off her face. We wiped that sun damage away with just one photofacial–solving the issue, and really getting her the bang she needed for her buck. As icing on the cake, we were even able to include her in a lip study. Now, she's radiant and beautiful. And she's got a plan for staying that way.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you're not in the office?

A: In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a caretaker. I'm very involved in animal rescue. And I've got a few kids to take care of as well–including my 18–year old daughter, 10–year old son, and my husband (who, of course, is the biggest kid of all). Not surprisingly, I love cooking and entertaining and in my spare time I dabble in event planning for my close friends. Sleep is highly overrated!

Call our Beverly Hills office to set up your patient consult with Teri today! (310-843-9915)