Would You Fill Your Wrinkles With Blood?

Looking for a smooth complexion without any artificial injectables? Good news! The secret to youthful skin is already coursing through your veins. Nicknamed the “Vampire” face lift, Selphyl is a new procedure that harvests platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from your own blood to inject in your face and fill out wrinkles and lines. While this beauty treatment has nothing to do with actual blood-sucking vampire bites, it may give your skin eternal youth. We spoke with Lauren Zeifman, RPA-C and founder of Manhattan-based aesthetic center Park Avenue Solutions, on why her patients love the treatment so much.

HOW DOES SELPHYL WORK?

First, blood is drawn from any part of your body and placed in a centrifuge for six minutes to separate the nutrient-rich platelets, which are then injected in your skin the same day. "We physically inject the platelets into your skin because they are responsible for cell regeneration," says Lauren. These platelets contain an array of proteins, enzymes, and hormones that stimulate tissue growth. The procedure takes less than 30 minutes total, and patients begin to see results within a few days. Side effects include a couple of hours of mild swelling and bruising at the injection site, and patients can expect results to last approximately three months. But the worst side effect is the dent on your wallet. Prices can range from $1500 to $2000 per treatment.

WHERE DOES SELPHYL WORK BEST?

The treatment is most widely used around the periocular region (the area around the eyes) to fill in hollow under-eyes or to plump crow’s feet. "It's more about the area of concern than the age of a patient. I've treated women of all ages from their twenties on," reveals Lauren.

HOW LONG DO RESULTS LAST?

Initially, patients get two or three treatments in the first year to test the treatment’s compatibility on their skin, then come in for treatments every three months to perpetuate cell regeneration. "Additional treatments can vary depending on your personal results," explains Lauren. "The blood and viability of the platelets affect how dramatic your results will be." Regardless of blood type, results are subtle and natural-looking with PRP—you’ll notice fewer fine lines, and wrinkles will look softer and skin plumper.

IS SELPHYL AN ALTERNATIVE TO BOTOX OR FILLERS?

Selphyl and Botox are not the same. To smooth out fine lines, Botox stops muscle function when injected, while Selphyl acts more like a filler. Selphyl’s PRP fills up wrinkles like fellow plumpers collagen and hyaluronic acid (the main ingredient in Restalyne and Juvaderm), but they work in opposite ways. The older injectable fillers temporarily plump the skin, while PRP encourages long-term plasma growth on a cellular level, and gives a more natural effect on the surface of the skin. "With PRP, your body absorbs the fluid and keeps regenerating cells," explains Lauren. "That's why patients see better results with each treatment." And since Selphyl also has no allergy risk (which can be a problem with hyaluronic acid and collagen), this "organic" option might be your best bet. If you're curious about the treatment, Lauren suggests visiting Selphyl online to locate a licensed practitioner near you.

Beauty Detox: Man Magnet Almond Milk

Beauties, are you looking to snag a man this Valentine's Day? A healthy diet won't just improve your skin and slim your figure, some foods can actually make you smell more attractive to the opposite sex!  "Almonds are an ancient symbol of fertility and have a sweet fragrance that may act as an aphrodisiac to the opposite sex," explains Kim. And if that isn't enough to get you reaching for a handful, almonds are also one of the most nutritious nuts for you. They are rich in fiber and contain a ton of good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids to reduce wrinkles and plump up your skin (and who doesn’t want to impress a guy with a beautiful, glowing complexion?). They're also high in magnesium, which is essential for healthy bones, blood flow, and getting a better snooze! "Making your own, fresh almond milk at home is much better for you," says Kim. "Unlike the store-brought variety, fresh almond milk doesn't contain any preservatives. Use it in place of regular milk in smoothies, cereal, or granola." And if almonds aren’t your thing, try using hazelnuts instead.

Homemade Almond Milk

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups raw almonds (soaked overnight)
2. 2 ½ cups filtered water
3. Stevia or dates, to sweeten to your taste (be sure to buy whole dates and remove the pits yourself. Pitted dates are more processed and may even contain added sugar and preservatives)

Directions:
Rinse the soaked nuts well with a strainer. Place the soaked nuts and the water in a blender and mix on high until smooth. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth into a separate container. Squeeze all the liquid out of the cloth with your hands (so you get all the milk out), and discard all the nut pulp and nut fiber. If you are in a rush, pour the liquid through a fine strainer.
Do a quick rinse of the blender, and put the strained milk back in. Add the stevia or dates to sweeten to your taste, or leave it out altogether if you like your milk plain. This almond milk will last for up to two days in the refrigerator.

Diet Foods That Don't Work

Nonfat, sugar-free, zero calories. You may think that diet foods with these labels are shortcuts to slimming down, but this isn’t always the case. Just like diet drinks, diet foods often do you more harm than good. We spoke with Washington, D.C.-based nutritionist JJ Smith, author of Lose Weight Without Dieting or Working Out, to find out why we should stay away from these weight loss traps.
When you're perusing the supermarket aisle, foods with nonfat and calorie-free labels can be extremely tempting. The promise of being able to eat what you want without putting on weight is a dieter’s dream. However, these weight loss products aren’t as healthy as they sound. "The main problem with diet foods is that they still contain ingredients that are bad for you, even if the label says there’s no fat. Manufactures don't want to make food that doesn't taste good, so they add sugar to give it flavor," warns JJ. Conversely, if a product claims to be calorie or sugar-free, it will probably contain more fat, salt, or artificial ingredients. According to JJ, companies make one claim and then use other ingredients to add flavor and ensure that people will continue to buy the product. It's a tricky cycle that traps people into purchasing the same product over and over again, especially because they’re not losing any weight and still need to diet.
"Sugar-free cookies, fat-free dressings, and nonfat yogurt are some of the worst offenders," warns JJ. Sugar-free cookies became popular through brands like Weight Watchers. If you check the label, these “guiltless” treats contain ingredients such as fructose, glucose, and corn syrup (all of which are sugar and turn into fat if they’re not burned off). "Because of the sugar-free label, people assume that they can eat as many as they want. Then after finishing a whole box, they wonder why their pants are too snug," says JJ. Nonfat dressings and yogurt are also diet sabotagers in disguise because they typically contain an extremely high amount of preservatives. "While the yogurt may not contain any fat, there are so many artificial flavors added to make it taste good that the probiotics—which is the good part of yogurt—are basically useless.”
Many diet foods also claim to be low calorie, which JJ describes as a label trap. "Calorie tables are extremely misleading," cautions JJ. "The important thing to look for is the type of calorie, not the amount. While the table says there are only two grams of sugar, there may be six grams of bad fat." A healthy diet depends on a variety of foods that help your body to function. By replacing whole, raw foods (such as fruit and vegetables) with diet foods, you are cheating your body of essential vitamins and minerals, and filling it with artificial flavoring that will clog up your body and turn into fat.
JJ's advice? Swap all of your diet foods for fresh fruit and vegetables. Eat Greek yogurt with no extra flavoring and fresh berries, and make your own dressing from lemon and balsamic vinegar. By cutting out the diet foods and eating whole-fat foods moderately, you'll not only improve your chances of living longer and looking better, you'll find that you lose weight without having to work out! "Be mindful of what you're putting in your body, and always read the ingredient list!" she adds.

Beauty Tips for the Perfectionist

Do you consider yourself a little obsessive when it comes to your beauty collection? With spring cleaning in full swing, it's time to put a little order and structure into your regimen. From color-coded brushes to quirky organizing habits, we’ve got the perfectionist's checklist to make sure your routine gets an A+ in management.

SHELF LIFE

Most skin care aficionados have their regimen down pat, but they still have to rifle through boxes of bottles and elixirs. Take the sorting out of your routine and line up your seasonal skin care on your counter chronologically. Once you’ve physically set the products in order, you can go through them factory-line style. It will help cut down the morning rush!

PILLS, PILLS, PILLS

You're advised by experts and editors to take every beauty supplement in the book, but how can you remember to take your omega/flax/olive/fish oil/rosehip/vitamins without feeling overloaded? A little forethought and a plastic bag can help. Take 15 minutes every Sunday to prepackage all of your vitamins and supplements for the week into purse-sized Ziploc bags. In one swish and swallow, you get your daily dose of inner beauty.

FAIR WARNING

Perfect beauty upkeep requires time management. Schedule bi-monthly manicures and pedicures with consistent monthly dates, and keep track of any facial or massage appointments by requesting quarterly calls from your spa. For your day-to-day routine, perform your bi-weekly mask treatments three days apart from one another. If it's on the calendar, do it!

IMAGINATION ARCHIVES

Bombarded with inspiration but not sure how to organize it all? Create a blank checklist document in your word processor for any online links, images, and tutorial ideas that intrigue you. When you've tried the look, check off the item and move the content to bottom of the page. Set a goal of two new looks per week.

BRANDED BRUSHES

In a perfect world, all of our makeup brush handles would look perfectly alike. Realistically, that’s not that case—most gather their applicators from various sources over time. But if you’re a stickler for uniformity, unite your diverse brush kit with color! Use acrylic paint or nail lacquer to mark the ends of all your brush handles using whichever hue you prefer. The colored tips automatically unify your collection, and you’ll always know which brushes are yours.

SYSTEMIC SETUP

How many times have you organized and reorganized your makeup drawer(s)? Don’t lie—it’s probably more than you can count on your fingers. That’s the fun of amassing a curated cosmetic collection! For the most functional setup, organize your stash by products (eyeliners vs. lipsticks). For a more visual statement, group your pots, pans, sticks, and wands by color or brand. Whichever method you choose, remember that consistency is key.