December 2023

So what do you think of when you think of Christmas indulgence? Mince pies for breakfast? Enough roast potatoes to feed the street? More than enough bubbly and chocolates to feed the street? Or perhaps you’re more about indulgence in the gift giving department rather than what you’re eating and drinking.

Either way, have you given much thought to your skin? A faithful companion, our skin keeps us protected from the elements all day, every day. It surely deserves a much needed pampering for the holidays.

Some people certainly think so. And they’re taking the indulgence to the extreme! Throughout history to the present day, people have been using wacky, expensive and sometimes downright ridiculous things on their skin.

So just for fun this week, here’s some of our favorites:

Milk bath, anyone?

Made famous by Cleopatra, who was renowned for her beautiful skin, milk baths are still popular. Cleopatra is rumored to have used donkey milk, infused with honey and lavender.

Not just an indulgence, milk is a rich source of lactic acid which is a type of alpha hydroxy acid, or AHA. AHAs encourage skin rejuvenation by gently exfoliating away dirt, grime and dead skin cells from the pores.

So Cleopatra really was onto something!

How about some arsenic? Or lead?

Back in the 18th Century, women wanted to have as pale a complexion as possible (clearly fake tan hadn’t been invented then). In order to do this, they turned to what any self-respecting beauty addict would, erm, lead.

Mixed with vinegar (mmmm), they’d apply it to their faces to look flawless and to cover up their smallpox lesions. But as they slowly developed lead poisoning, they realized that the grey hair, extra dry skin, severe abdominal pain and constipation just wasn’t worth it.

So they turned to arsenic instead. Incredibly, arsenic was deemed much ‘safer’ than lead and had the same skin lightening effects. Unfortunately, arsenic also began slowly poisoning people, leading to the death of red blood cells (which did indeed lead to pale skin), baldness and eventual death.

Unbelievably, arsenic based skin care products hung around until the 1920s.

Vampire Facials

Kim Kardashian made the vampire facial famous a few years ago, and it really is as brutal as it sounds. In a nutshell, a doctor will take a blood sample, spin it in a centrifuge to separate the red blood cells from the platelet rich plasma (PRP). The PRP is then re-injected into your face, leaving your face looking bloody and raw.

The vampire, or PRP facial is said to minimize fine lines and wrinkles, even out skin tone and improve its texture.

An indulgence or not, the choice is yours!

The right skin care – the most indulgent treat for your skin?

Indulging your skin can of course mean doing all you can to look after it and keep it happy. Especially so if you have skin that experiences acne breakouts, sensitivities and general contrariness.

Our range of skin care products has your skin covered from gently cleansing, to day and time hydrating, supporting, nourishing and soothing. Our hero ingredient is our blend of alkalizing silica salts that work deep within the layers of your skin to support all its individual needs.

We have contrary, stressed out, acne prone skin ourselves, and we really struggled to find skin care products that supported our skin as well as feeling as if we weren’t just using medicated skin care designed for acne sufferers.

If you’re looking for the ultimate in skin loving, plant based, cruelty free, harsh ingredient free, indulgent skin care, then you’ve just found it.

So go on, treat yourself! Enjoy your Christmas season on a high, in your best ever skin. Consult our expert dermatologists!

Call our Patient Care Lines: (+632) 7-368 5238 l (+63) 917 862 7454 l (+63) 921 217 0517 for inquiries, questions, and appointments or talk to our consultants via LiveChat at https://shinagawa.ph so we can address and answer them for you.

Ways LASIK Makes the Holidays Easier & More Fun

December 13, 2023/0 Comments/in Eye Care/by Shinagawa Lasik & Aesthetics

The holiday season may be one of the busiest times of the year, but it’s still a great opportunity to get LASIK. One of the benefits of LASIK is its quick recovery time. Most of our patients are back to their normal routines within 24-hours, and often don’t need to take time off from work or school. You won’t need to worry about LASIK interrupting your holiday plans.

The procedure itself is also quick. You can expect to be in the clinic for a few hours on the day of your procedure, but the LASIK surgery only takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete, with the laser used for less than a minute on each eye.

The benefits of clear vision are life-changing, and they can be especially helpful during the holidays by providing you with more flexibility and freedom in your daily life. Here are some of the ways LASIK can make the holidays easier.

Get Dressed With Less Hassle

If you wear glasses, they can be a hassle if you wear makeup, since glasses will hide your eye makeup and can make it difficult to comfortably wear long, false lashes or extensions.

Although contact lenses may not pose the same issues, they add additional steps (and time) to your routine since you must carefully put them in and take them out every day. Moreover, they’re also difficult to put in if you’ve already applied eye makeup.

After LASIK, you won’t have to worry about how glasses and contacts interfere with what you’re wearing and getting ready. You’ll have one less thing on your mind.

No More Foggy Glasses

A more breezy weather is a hassle for people who wear glasses since the lenses can easily fog up due to temperature changes. It’s easy to become annoyed when you constantly need to take your glasses off to rub the fog away to see. But LASIK can offer freedom from glasses, so you won’t have to bother with foggy lenses.

No More Dry Eyes From Contacts

Wearing contacts can also be troublesome in the colder weather for December. Contact lenses are known to cause dry eye, and cold temperatures can exacerbate the symptoms even further. Some people find it impossible to wear contacts in winter as a result.

LASIK can eliminate the need for contact lenses, resolving this issue. While dry eye is a normal symptom after LASIK, it lessens as the eyes heal. Our eye care experts will monitor your symptoms closely after the surgery and provide you with ways to combat dry eye symptoms in the meantime, such as using lubricating eye drops.

LASIK Can Help You Save Money

The holidays can be expensive, but another reason to get LASIK is because it can save you money in the long run. It can reduce or eliminate the cost of glasses, prescription sunglasses, contact lenses, and contact lens solution. Use our savings calculator to see how much you can save across your lifetime with LASIK.

At Shinagawa, we’re committed to affordability. We also offer flexible financing plans to make LASIK more affordable and convenient.

Why wait any longer? Make this holiday season and all others to come easier thanks to the benefits of clear vision. Book a consultation with us to get started today.

For inquiries, questions, and appointments, call our Patient Care Lines:

📱 (+63) 917 862 7454

📱 (+63) 921 217 0517

📞 (+632) 7-368 5238

🖥 Talk to our Consultants via Livechat: https://shinagawa.ph/

📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/shinagawa_ph/

Holiday Skin Stress? Get your Glow Intact

December 7, 2023/0 Comments/in Aesthetics/by Shinagawa Lasik & Aesthetics

Holiday stress, too many goodies, and a whole lot of celebrating can take a toll on your skin.

Shopping. Cooking. Cleaning. Celebrating. It’s the holidays, replete with food and drinks and too much to do on too little sleep, all taking place during a sometimes harsh, wintry weather season. The end result: Just when you want to look sparkly and terrific, your skin gets the holiday blues.

From dark circles under the eyes to a decidedly “green in the gills” complexion to bloated, puffy, swollen eyes and zits when you least expect it, for many women seasonal skin problems can abound.

The good news: Not only are there things you can do right now to ensure your angelic “glow” during this season, but there are also some cosmetic tricks and tips to keep your holiday glow going clear into the New Year.

Take a look at some quick fixes and new ways to glow through the season.

If you think you’re going to be partying a lot, start ahead of time to make your skin look healthier. Laser treatments can help do that, but so can topical creams, particularly serums containing vitamin C or creams containing retinol.

When it comes to puffiness, particularly puffy eyes, cold is the answer to it all, and there is no better treatment than cold packs.

To decrease the look of sleepy, tired eyes during the day, skip liner and mascara on the lower lid, which can make puffy eyes look (and feel) worse.

If you are going to be drinking alcohol, it’s best to stick with skin products that are cream or gel based because they dehydrate your skin less.

The best place to begin is with some preventive care, starting as soon as possible. Let’s get you started at Shinagawa Aesthetics!

Call our Patient Care Lines: (+632) 7-368 5238 l (+63) 917 862 7454 l (+63) 921 217 0517 for inquiries, questions, and appointments or talk to our consultants via LiveChat at https://shinagawa.ph so we can address and answer them for you.

Poked in the Eye? Know what to do!

December 5, 2023/0 Comments/in Eye Care/by Shinagawa Lasik & Aesthetics

Do your eyes hurt long after you accidentally poked your eyes, or something gets trapped in them?

There are good chances that you got a scratch on the cornea of your eyes, the black circle in the middle of your eye. This condition is known as a scratched eye or corneal abrasion.

We elaborate on the symptoms and treatment options of the scratched eye. Know what to do and not to do for a scratched eye.

Causes of Scratched Eye

You might’ve done any of the following actions to cause scratched eye:

Wore contact lenses for excessive time
Poked your eye accidentally with a pen, pencil, makeup brush, or your own fingernail
Proper Contact lenses care is not taken or if they are not well-fitting
Caught an eye infection
Not protected your eyes during a surgery
Poured chemicals in your eye by mistake
Played sports without safe eyewear
Got engaged in high-risk physical activity without eye protection
Rubbed your eyes too hard
Got some foreign material in your eyes like dirt, ash, sand, or something else

What are the Symptoms of Scratched Eye?

You usually know when you’ve scratched your eyes by mistake. But if you can’t remember any such incidents, you can guess if you face the scratched eye symptoms. Do you always feel like you have some dirt in your eyes? And suddenly, your eyes become sensitive to light? If yes, then you might have scratched eyes or corneal abrasion.

Some of the most common scratched eye symptoms are:

Pain in your eyes when you open or close them
Tearing
Redness in the eyes
Blurry vision
Sensitivity to light
Headaches

What to do If you Got Poked In The Eye?

Often, a small poke in the eye caused by a blunt item such as a finger may be treated at home. The following procedure can be used to treat a minor poke in the eye:

Wash your hands and avoid rubbing your eye.
If you have a sterile saline solution on hand, use it to rinse your eye or else use clean water.
Use a cold compress. Keep in mind to occasionally remove the compress.
You can take an over-the-counter pain reliever if you’re feeling uncomfortable.

If you suspect any symptoms of a scratched eye, make sure to follow the below tips and contact a doctor if the situation persists.

Do’s & Dont’s of Scratched Eye!

Some tips can quicken the corneal abrasion healing time for you. At the same time, you can worsen your condition by making some mistakes. Thus you must remember the below-mentioned do’s and don’ts of the scratched eye.

What to Do for a Scratched Eye?

Rinse your eyes with clean water or saline solution. You can take water or the solution in a glass or bowl and rest your eyes against it while blinking.
Put upper eyelids over the lower ones so that the lower eyelids can brush away the foreign substance.
Wear sunglasses when you step out in the sun to ease your pain and discomfort. The scratched eye makes your eyes sensitive to light.
Keep blinking as it helps in pushing dust particles and other small foreign substances out of the eyes.
Call or visit your doctor if the situation persists for too long for scratched eye treatment.

What Not to Do for a Scratched Eye?

Don’t give in to the temptation of touching your eyes often to ease the pain. It will only aggravate it.
Don’t use any over-the-counter eye drops without consulting your doctor. They know how to treat a scratched eye better than a pharmacy guy.
Don’t wear your contact lenses for some time. They can cause infection and slow down the corneal abrasion healing time.
Don’t rub your eyes if they are itching. It can further injure and scratch your eyes.

Scratched Eye Treatment

If your corneal abrasion is not severe, the natural healing process of the eyes can take care of it. You only need to follow the do’s of the scratched eyes, and you will be fine in a few days. Sometimes, your doctor may prescribe some eye lubricants to keep your eyes moist.

In a more severe case of scratched eyes, doctors need to use antibiotic ointments, steroids, or bandage contact lenses. A deep corneal abrasion can cause a permanent scar and affect your vision quality. So if you suspect that the injury is serious, don’t delay in reaching out to your doctor.

Prevention From Scratched Eyes

If you feel like something has got into your eyes, rubbing them to remove it will only scratch your eyes. Instead, blink your eyes several times, pull your upper eyelid over the lower, and rinse with water immediately. If you feel something is stuck on the cornea, leave it to your doctor to remove that. Don’t ever attempt to touch your cornea on your own.

In maximum cases, the scratched eye is not severe, and the symptoms can go away on their own in a few days. And the information on how to heal a scratched eye provided here also helps in quickly getting over it. But if the problem persists or the scar seems to be serious, don’t delay in visiting a good and trusted eye doctor. Our doctors are more than capable!