Skin During  Pregnancy

During pregnancy, some women experience changes in their skin.  On one hand, you may find that acne develops or worsens with pregnancy, and on the other, you may find that your acne improves during your pregnancy.

If you are experiencing acne breakouts during your pregnancy, rest assured that this is completely normal.  Now, although it may be normal, it doesn’t make it any easier to confront your acne.

Acne develops as a result of changing hormones, similar to when you were younger in your teen years.  Rises in hormones can give way to increased oil production, which causes bacteria to linger within the pores, thus producing acne.

Many prescription acne medications are no longer available to you now that you are pregnant, but many doctors agree that a small amount of over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide is ok to use.  You should speak to your doctor first before beginning any treatment.

There are a few tricks you can try to improving your acne without the use of topical medication:

1) Cleanse your skin morning and night with a gentle anti-bacterial soap.  I happen to really like Cetaphyl’s anti-bacterial cleansing bar. It is extremely gentle and won’t dry out your skin, yet it will help eliminate lingering bacteria that can infect your pores.

2)  Eliminate or greatly reduce foods or beverages categorized as inflammatory.  These would include coffee, tea, juices, tomatoes, citrus fruits, marinara sauce, alcohol.

3) Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet which should incorporate salmon (be sure to speak to your doctor about the amount of fish you can eat each week), dark leafy veggies, olives, berries, cantaloupe, olive oil, etc.  You can also supplement the fatty-acid found in salmon with ground flax seed.  This can be purchased at most vitamin stores and super markets and can easily be added to oatmeal, cereal, salads, etc.  You and your doctor should discuss the right approach for your body and health.

Also drink plenty of water and be sure that you are going to the bathroom daily to eliminate waste. That is very important to help keep your skin clear.  If you would like to email me with your specific problems we can get into more detail and talk about your current skin care routine, diet and more.

Your skin will improve, so don’t worry too much. I know it’s hard to look in the mirror and see acne, but there are ways to help improve acne during pregnancy.  It’s just a matter of figuring out which methods will work best with your skin.

Keep the great questions coming!  Email me at info@dayspaexpert.com or join me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/valentina.chistova

Follow more of my blog at http://valentinachistova.com

About Valentina Chistova

Valentina Chistova is a world-renowned aesthetician and beauty expert whose experience encompasses all facets of skin care and body treatments. Internationally trained, educated and certified, Valentina has devoted more than twenty years to her profession.

Valentina is a member of the National Cosmetology Association and a CIDESCO candidate (Comite International Desthetique et de Cosmetologie Desthetique), which is the highest degree of beauty therapy certification available in the United States and worldwide. Most recently, Valentina completed a rigorous training program with the Spanish organization Wontersaf, one of the world’s leading centers for trichology, capillary diagnostics and scalp and hair treatment to combat hair loss and other hair dysfunctions. Valentina also holds a Registered Nursing Degree from Kharkov State University and Cosmetology degrees from the Kharkov Medical Institute in the Ukraine and the Capri Institute of Cosmetology in New Jersey.

Valentina is the owner and director of skin care for ABC DAY SPA

Question: Hi Valentina - why does my teenage son only get bad acne around his chin and lower cheeks?  The rest of his face seems fine. 

Valentina: This is very common for teens. Acne around the chin is usually from overactive hormones, something all teens most likely will experience.  The overactive hormones produce extra sebum (oil) around the chin and lower jaw line which tends to cause higher levels of acne there.

Your teen should be on a good skin care regimen.  He should wash his face twice a day and follow that up with a toner and acne treatment for affected areas.  If areas of his face are dry he should use a gentle moisturizer for those areas.  Use an acne fighting exfoliator at least once a week as well.

It is a good idea to begin him on a monthly teen facial routine.  The facial will help extract any impurities that are trapped beneath the skin’s surface.  Removing them during a facial will often prevent them from forming whiteheads later on.  Our Valentina's teen facial is formulated specifically for the problems of teen skin, we use all natural, anti-oxidant products.

It is important to regularly clean cell phones as well.  Cell phones are notoriously dirty and full of bacteria.  We often press them up against our cheeks when we talk which can cause breakouts.  Also try to keep his hands away from his face.  When oils from our fingers are transposed onto our skin, breakouts are likely.  

If his skin does not respond to over the counter medicine, a dermatologist can recommend a prescription to treat his acne. 

To see our full list of teen spa services, visit http://aquamedicaspa.com/teen_spa.shtml

If you have a question that you would like Valentina to answer, send an email to info@dayspaexpert.com

Follow more of Valentina’s advice at www.dayspaexpert.com

About Valentina Chistova

Valentina Chistova is a world-renowned aesthetician and beauty expert whose experience encompasses all facets of skin care and body treatments. Internationally trained, educated and certified, Valentina has devoted more than twenty years to her profession. Throughout her successful career she has provided services to many celebrities, including Mrs. Globe 2001, famous socialite and entrepreneur Ivana Trump, well-known KTU radio personality Michelle Vassage and Olympic figure skating champion Galit Chait Prior to opening AQUAMEDICA in Long Branch NJ, Valentina also consulted with leading dermatologists, providing skin care regimes for their patients. Valentina is a member of the National Cosmetology Association and a CIDESCO candidate (Comite International Desthetique et de Cosmetologie Desthetique), which is the highest degree of beauty therapy certification available in the United States and worldwide. Most recently, Valentina completed a rigorous training program with the Spanish organization Wontersaf, one of the world's leading centers for trichology, capillary diagnostics and scalp and hair treatment to combat hair loss and other hair dysfunctions. Valentina also holds a Registered Nursing Degree from Kharkov State University and Cosmetology degrees from the Kharkov Medical Institute in the Ukraine and the Capri Institute of Cosmetology in New Jersey.

Follow Valentina’s BLOG and TWITER 

See for Yourself: Don’t take our word for it, take a virtual tour of Aquamedica online and see why we are the #1 spa destination in NJ.

Sign up for our email alerts and be the first to know about huge savings on your favorite spa services!

Our Spa covers the following New Jersey Counties and Cities: Central and South NJ Monmouth County Middlesex County Ocean Shrewsbury Asbury Park Deal Fair Haven Freehold Little Silver Brielle Colts Neck Elberon Fair Haven Highlands Holmdel Keyport Lincroft Long Branch Locust Manalapan Marlboro Manasquan Matawan Middletown Monmouth Beach Red Bank Rumson Sea Bright Belmar Sea Girt Spring Lake Tinton Falls Union Beach Tinton Falls Wall Old Bridge Eatontown

Valentina:

I receive so many emails from parents worrying about their teen’s acne.  Many of the questions center around eating junk food, pizza and chocolate.  Since so many parents have written in with similar questions, I decided to address them all in this blog.

Does eating junk food really cause teen acne?  The answer is NO.  While there are many other good reasons to cross junk food off your teen’s menu, it is not scientifically proven to cause acne.  However, if you notice that your teen tends to break out after a particularly greasy meal, or after a large dose of chocolate, perhaps its best to avoid those foods. 

While there is no hard evidence that links junk food with teen acne, we do know for a fact that there are many foods that can help us maintain a beautiful complexion.  Foods rich in antioxidants like strawberries, blueberries and red peppers as well as foods that contain high amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids like Salmon have been known to be very beneficial for our complexion.   Vitamin E, B complex  and Vitamin D are also excellent for our skin.  Drinking lots of water also helps flush toxins from our body.

So, if your teen is being troubled by acne, the best thing to do is consult a professional who can diagnose and treat your teen’s particular skin type.  Talk to your family doctor about adopting a balanced diet of protein, vegetables and complex carbohydrates (brown rice, whole wheat bread, etc).  Bring your child to experienced aesthetician for a consultation and deep cleansing facial .

If you have a question you would like to ask Valentina, send an email to info@dayspaexpert.com

Follow more of Valentina’s advice at www.dayspaexpert.com

She deserves to be nominated as an Aesthetician of the Year...by B.S.

Valentina is extremely professional and gracious. Facial with Valentina is a pleasant experience. My face never looked so good. I am having treatments every month and plan to continue to do so. Valentina was able to improve my very dry skin. I feel very confident that she deserves to be nominated as an Aesthetician of the Year. I used to go to NYC for my skin needs all the time, but now I found professional in my area that I am happy with. Thank you

About Valentina Chistova

Valentina Chistova is a world-renowned aesthetician and beauty expert whose experience encompasses all facets of skin care and body treatments. Internationally trained, educated and certified, Valentina has devoted more than twenty years to her profession. Throughout her successful career she has provided services to many celebrities, including Mrs. Globe 2001, famous socialite and entrepreneur Ivana Trump, well-known KTU radio personality Michelle Vassage and Olympic figure skating champion Galit Chait Prior to opening AQUAMEDICA in Long Branch NJ, Valentina also consulted with leading dermatologists, providing skin care regimes for their patients. Valentina is a member of the National Cosmetology Association and a CIDESCO candidate (Comite International Desthetique et de Cosmetologie Desthetique), which is the highest degree of beauty therapy certification available in the United States and worldwide. Most recently, Valentina completed a rigorous training program with the Spanish organization Wontersaf, one of the world's leading centers for trichology, capillary diagnostics and scalp and hair treatment to combat hair loss and other hair dysfunctions. Valentina also holds a Registered Nursing Degree from Kharkov State University and Cosmetology degrees from the Kharkov Medical Institute in the Ukraine and the Capri Institute of Cosmetology in New Jersey.

Follow Valentina’s BLOG and TWITER 

See for Yourself: Don’t take our word for it, take a virtual tour of Aquamedica online and see why we are the #1 spa destination in NJ.

Sign up for our email alerts and be the first to know about huge savings on your favorite spa services!

Our Spa covers the following New Jersey Counties and Cities: Central and South NJ Monmouth County Middlesex County Ocean Shrewsbury Asbury Park Deal Fair Haven Freehold Little Silver Brielle Colts Neck Elberon Fair Haven Highlands Holmdel Keyport Lincroft Long Branch Locust Manalapan Marlboro Manasquan Matawan Middletown Monmouth Beach Red Bank Rumson Sea Bright Sea Girt Belmar Sea Girt Spring Lake Tinton Falls Union Beach Tinton Falls Wall Old Bridge Eatontown

Question:  Hi Valentina, what can I do to treat and prevent back acne?  Seems like no matter how many times I shower, I still get breakouts on my back.

Valentina:  Back acne needs to be treated like regular acne.  Washing too many times can actually be making your acne worse.   By washing too many times, you could actually be stripping your skin of its natural oils.  When that happens, your skin begins to produce excess oil to replace what has been stripped.  The excess oil may be a factor which leads to back acne.

To treat the back acne you currently have, use a gentle acne treatment that contains benzoyl peroxide.  Most over the counter products contain 5% benzoyl peroxide, which is adequate to treat your acne.

To prevent future outbreaks, wash daily with a gentle acne cleanser that contains 2% salicylic acid, any over the counter acne cleanser will do.   You only need to wash 1-2 times a day.  Remember, over-washing may encourage additional breakouts.  Also, use a gentle exfoliator 2-3 times a week to help shed dead skin cells that may trap dirt and bacteria under the skin.  Don’t scrub too hard, you can worsen your condition by doing so.  Less is more.  Since it’s a hard to reach area, I always recommend a loofah sponge on a stick.

It’s also a good idea to begin a regular regimen of back facials at a Spa near by.  If you live in the Monmouth County NJ area, Aquamedica Spa offers a wonderful back facial that includes a deep cleansing, extractions, a relaxing massage and a purifying mask. 

About Valentina Chistova

Valentina Chistova is a world-renowned aesthetician and beauty expert whose experience encompasses all facets of skin care and body treatments. Internationally trained, educated and certified, Valentina has devoted more than twenty years to her profession. Throughout her successful career she has provided services to many celebrities, including Mrs. Globe 2001, famous socialite and entrepreneur Ivana Trump, well-known KTU radio personality Michelle Vassage and Olympic figure skating champion Galit Chait Prior to opening AQUAMEDICA in Long Branch NJ, Valentina also consulted with leading dermatologists, providing skin care regimes for their patients.

Valentina is a member of the National Cosmetology Association and a CIDESCO candidate (Comite International Desthetique et de Cosmetologie Desthetique), which is the highest degree of beauty therapy certification available in the United States and worldwide. Most recently, Valentina completed a rigorous training program with the Spanish organization Wontersaf, one of the world's leading centers for trichology, capillary diagnostics and scalp and hair treatment to combat hair loss and other hair dysfunctions. Valentina also holds a Registered Nursing Degree from Kharkov State University and Cosmetology degrees from the Kharkov Medical Institute in the Ukraine and the Capri Institute of Cosmetology in New Jersey.

Follow Valentina’s blog at www.dayspaexpert.com

 See for Yourself: Don’t take our word for it, take a virtual tour of Aquamedica online and see why we are the #1 spa destination in NJ.

Sign up for our email alerts and be the first to know about huge savings on your favorite spa services!

Our Spa covers the following New Jersey Counties and Cities:

Central and South NJ Monmouth County Middlesex County Ocean Shrewsbury Asbury Park Deal Fair Haven Freehold Little Silver Brielle Colts Neck Elberon Fair Haven Highlands Holmdel Keyport Lincroft Long Branch Locust Manalapan Marlboro Manasquan Matawan Middletown Monmouth Beach Red Bank Rumson Sea Bright Sea Girt Belmar Sea Girt Spring Lake Tinton Falls Union Beach Tinton Falls Wall Old Bridge Eatontown

Diet and Acne have long been seen as bitter enemies.  We’ve all heard the rumors about how greasy foods and candy can cause breakouts.  Well, the topic is debatable, but most experts agree that diet does not affect teen acne.  However, there are several important facts to remember about diet, food and acne.

Acne is most often caused by hormonal balances within the body, and dirt and bacteria outside of the body that get trapped within our pores.  While there is no scientific evidence to specifically link a poor diet to acne ridden skin, what we do know is that eating healthier and developing proper hygiene habits like washing ones face daily, leads to better overall health.

Another important consideration to keep in mind is that there are foods that are specifically known to be beneficial for the skin.  So why we can’t necessarily say that chocolate is bad for our skin, we can positively say that foods high in omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E are proven to be good for our skin.  If your body lacks EFA’s, one of the symptoms is acne.

What type of foods contains omega 3 fatty acids?

Oily Fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel)

Seeds (sunflower)

Nuts (almonds and walnuts)

Whole Grain Cereal

Green leafy Vegetables

Foods that Contain Vitamin E

Wheat germ (buy in the cereal section of most supermarkets, it’s great to sprinkle on cereal in the morning!)

Sunflower seeds

Hazelnuts

Spinach

Broccoli

These are just a few examples.  The main point here is that healthy nutrition and hygiene are important factors in our overall health, including the health of our skin.  The best thing to do would be to consult a nutritionist to create a diet that has plenty of vitamins and nutrients in it.  Also, begin a proper skin care regimen to help reduce the oil, dirt and bacteria that can accumulate on the skin.  Monthly facials can also help extract impurities before they become problems on the skin’s surface.

Valentina Chistova is a world-renowned aesthetician and beauty expert whose experience encompasses all facets of skin care and body treatments. Internationally trained, educated and certified, Valentina has devoted more than twenty years to her profession. Throughout her successful career she has provided services to many celebrities, including Mrs. Globe 2001, famous socialite and entrepreneur Ivana Trump, well-known KTU radio personality Michelle Vassage and Olympic figure skating champion Galit Chait Prior to opening AQUAMEDICA in Long Branch NJ, Valentina also consulted with leading dermatologists, providing skin care regimes for their patients.

Valentina is a member of the National Cosmetology Association and a CIDESCO candidate (Comite International Desthetique et de Cosmetologie Desthetique), which is the highest degree of beauty therapy certification available in the United States and worldwide. Most recently, Valentina completed a rigorous training program with the Spanish organization Wontersaf, one of the world's leading centers for trichology, capillary diagnostics and scalp and hair treatment to combat hair loss and other hair dysfunctions. Valentina also holds a Registered Nursing Degree from Kharkov State University and Cosmetology degrees from the Kharkov Medical Institute in the Ukraine and the Capri Institute of Cosmetology in New Jersey.

Read more about Valentina at http://www.aquamedicaspa.com/who_we_are.shtml