Snuggling up in bed during the cosy nights – one of the best winter memories!
But winter does not provide many reasons to create warm memories for your skin. On the contrary, it happens to be quite unforgiving towards it.
The dry and cold air robs the skin off the moisture and can leave the skin reddened, irritated, and itchy. It can even lead to eczema, dry skin, and psoriasis.
This season zaps the moisture out of the skin as well as air. Therefore, winter can truly wreak havoc on your skin, and you need to follow an effective winter skin care regime to combat this.
Now choosing from a variety of skincare products for winter can be a tormenting and confusing process. It is daunting to decide the right cleanser, moisturizer, toner, scrub for you.
But it all boils down to the quintessential double factors – the skin type and the season of the year.

The skin type can range from being dry, oily, sensitive to acne-prone and combination. Once you detect your skin type, all you have to do are a few adjustments and you are sorted!
Here are some of winter skincare essentials that people irrespective of their skin type should follow.

• Cleansing – The first step of your skincare is cleansing. It removes dirt, makeup, excess oils, and other skin build-ups. Double cleansing where an oil-based cleanser breaks down the dirt or makeup on the skin followed by gel or foam cleanser that removes everything else, has become quite popular in recent years. However, you should not go overboard as it can rip the skin off the natural oils especially if you have a dry skin. Opting for professional cleansing at least once or twice every moth is also recommended during the cold dreary months.
• Toning – The toner assists in achieving the pH balance of the skin. You can take a small amount of toner on cotton and wipe it all over your face or you can sprinkle a mild toner all over the face. By using the right toner you do not just tighten the pores but also give your skin an awesome glow.
• Exfoliation – Once or twice a week you can also use an exfoliator that can remove the dead skin cells and keep the skin looking glowing and beautiful. For sensitive skin a mild exfoliator with a reduced glycolic acid percentage is most suitable. However, don’t go for scrubbing too often as this can damage the skin.
• Moisturization – The moisturizer’s job is to assist in hydration and softening of the skin. Searching for the right formula is critical here. It should be able to nourish and restore the skin suppleness in an efficient way without making it look heavy and greasy.
• Sun Protection – This is one of the most crucial aspects about your winter skin care. It is not only the summer months, but sun protection is essential during the winter months, too. The UVA and UVB rays give rise to aging, wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots and more. That is why professional tan removal is also essential from time to time during the winter months.

Now that you know the routine, let us understand what precautions you should take to keep the winter skin blues at bay.

• Drink Lots of Water – We often forget to drink sufficient amount of water when it is cold outside. But the dry weather is likely to strip the skin off the moisture. You should therefore try to sip all through the day instead of gulping down water or fluids all at once. Trying out the warm winter tea like lemon and ginger tea is a wonderful way to keep yourself hydrated and cozy in the winter times. One the most effective way to deal with this is Hydration IV Therapy that injects the fluid directly into the bloodstream so that those parts of the body that need the most get the fluid. It is a more effective and faster way to hydrate the body.
• Use Water That is Not Too Hot – It is quite tempting to go for hot and comfy showers especially when the temperature is dipping. But avoid this practice if you love your skin. The hot showers dry up your skin and if you fail to moisturise immediately, it can cause winter eczema and cracks. Once you take a lukewarm shower go for a moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acids. This will prevent the dryness and keep the moisture barrier intact.
• Stay Protected – As winter is a very harsh season it is essential that you be prepared for it. The combo of strong winds and low humidity can lead to cracked and dry skin. It is essential for you to wrap up with gloves and scarf. These will protect the sensitive region around the neck and hands. You should go for thin and breathable base layers to avoid skin irritations arising from wearing heavy clothing constantly.
• Take Care of Your Diet- You should opt for a lot of seasonal fruits and veggies. Berries are great sources of antioxidants and vitamins that the skin requires for staying healthy during the cold and harsh winters. Grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or just cherries – go with anything that you love. Again, if you think that you are not having enough water, then you can get hydrated by having lots of veggies and fruits and items like salads, soups, milk, and juices. That way your body can get the nutrients that it wants.
• Work Out – It is quite right that leaving the cosiness of the quilt during the winter months is quite challenging. But if you love your skin it is vital to exercise. This pumps up the blood to the skin and organs. During the dreary months, the body’s sweat and oil glands and the blood vessels get constricted a bit. Working out helps your body to break free of these restrictions and thus restore its natural glow.

The tips mentioned here are not so difficult to follow. But adhering to them can take you a long way and help you to take care of your skin. If you follow these you can rest assured that your skin will remain supple, youthful, and glowing all through the dry and cold months.

Are the fine lines and wrinkles around lips and on your face getting you all worked up?
Then the thought of anti-wrinkle injection and dermal fillers must have crossed your mind!
But there are quite a few stereotypes that come along with the word “anti-wrinkle injection” or “dermal filler” and what each one entails.
The first thoughts that can come to your mind whenever you hear about these cosmetic treatments can be of a swelled up face or super-wealthy celebrities trying hard to cling to their youth or relentless hospital visits.
You can also get overwhelmed by picturing someone with a frozen face (anti-wrinkle injection gone horribly wrong!) who fails to drink liquids normally and struggles to even smile.
While your bestie swears by anti-wrinkle injection, you may have heard hundreds of words of caution from your neighbour who is weary about it!
Thankfully, these are nothing but myths that cropped out of nowhere and started being associated with anti-wrinkle injection and dermal fillers.
Prior to venturing into or trying out any kind of treatment, it is always advisable that you learn about it.
Hence let’s try to understand what exactly anti-wrinkle injection and dermal filler are!
Well, anti-wrinkle injection and dermal fillers are one of the most popular non-surgical cosmetic treatments and they have been used in cosmetic medicine for about 20 years or more.

What is Anti-wrinkle Injection?

Anti-wrinkle Injection is a Clostridium Botulinum derivative and it was originally created to treat patients with muscle spasms, especially eye twitching and eye spasms. Soon doctors realised how the injections reduced the fine lines surrounding the eyes.
Ever since, it is used for treating the wrinkles and fine lines and it helps to rejuvenate and retrieve the youthful skin.

What is Dermal Filler?

Now while anti-wrinkle injection is an injection that affects the underlying muscles, dermal fillers add volume to different flat or hollow facial regions.
There are 3 primary groups of fillers like – thick, medium and thinner. These are used for addressing fine lines including under-eye circles, temples, cheekbones, ear lobes, lip and lip lines, smile lines and corners of mouth.
Now that you know about anti-wrinkle injection and dermal fillers and how they differ, let us try to debunk the most common myths that we hear about both anti-wrinkle injection and dermal fillers.

Myth 1 – Anti-wrinkle Injection is Toxic & Dermal Fillers are Made from Toxins

Fact – The anti-wrinkle injection is a mix of neurotoxin and protein. The negative outcome can result only if an exorbitantly high amount is administered. Botulism can be caused by large amount of Clostridium Botulinum. When a miniscule amount is injected for cosmetic reasons, then it is incapable of getting into the central nervous system or causing damage. Anti-wrinkle Injection is FDA approved and only a huge amount can prove dangerous.
Dermal fillers are often said to be made of plastics or toxins or silicone. But on the contrary, hyaluronic acid is used for making derma fillers and that is present in the skin naturally. It is a powerful moisturizer and is found in a plethora of beauty products as well. Dermal fillers can make the skin look hydrated and plump naturally. They also boost the collagen production that slows down with age.

Myth 2 – Once You Opt for Anti-wrinkle Injection or Fillers You Have to Keep on Taking Them

Fact – Some believe that if you start taking dermal fillers or anti-wrinkle injection injections once, then your skin is going to wrinkle or sag more if you stop the treatments. But nothing can be further from truth. Your skin starts looking exactly how it looked prior to the beginning of the treatment once the anti-wrinkle injection or dermal fillers treatment wears away. Most people don’t want the effect to wear off. So they continue with them for years together.

Myth 3 – Anyone Can Do Them

Fact – Every spa and salon now offers cosmetic fillers and anti-wrinkle injection. But experts opine that such treatments need an expert like a doctor or surgeon to be executed. Getting those injections happens to be a medical procedure which implies that it must be performed in the office of the medical professionals. You should also ensure that you choose an aesthetic centre or hospital that is properly licensed and has gained a name for authentic and safe treatments.

Myth 4 – Fillers and Anti-wrinkle Injection Are Extremely Painful

Fact – There is always some amount of discomfort at the time of having cosmetic injections but they are not unbearable. In fact many compare the filler or anti-wrinkle injection sensation to that of a mosquito bite. So it is far from being excruciating.
Fillers can be a little more painful. But they come with a numbing agent for minimizing the discomfort which makes the procedure smooth. The experts at renowned hospitals also use other agents or massage therapies to nullify any kind of discomfort or pain ensuring a comfortable procedure.

Myth 5 – Fillers and Anti-wrinkle Injection Cannot Be Used Together

Fact – Fillers and anti-wrinkle injection when used together can provide incredible results. Dermal fillers are usually disintegrated as they are temporary and they are often absorbed by the tissues surrounding the target area.
On the other hand, anti-wrinkle injection is used often to inhibit the movement of muscles. So when anti-wrinkle injection in injected in the area similar to the filler, it can assist the filler to last long. You can have filler and anti-wrinkle injection injected in one session.

Myth 6 – Anti-wrinkle Injection and Fillers Can Cause Swelling, Redness and Other Side-effects

Fact – The reactions of individual patient can vary from one person to the other but the side-effects are temporary and mild. The site of every injection can look a little swollen and pink for about 20 minutes prior to subsiding. At times patients may get bruised which is a possibility for any needle treatment and so it is advisable that you should not take any kind of blood thinners or aspirin before the treatment. But in most cases, patients can get back to normalcy immediately after the treatment.
Side-effects from cosmetic fillers are not at all frequent if they are given to someone by a medical expert. You may notice a little bruising, tenderness and swelling post the injection but all that gets cleared within a week if not sooner.
Now that you know these, you should steer clear of the myths and opt for anti-wrinkle injection and dermal fillers for a revived, glowing and youthful skin without any worry.