Spring and Summer Update

Hopefully everyone is having a good summer.  PSA Inc. is continuing to make changes to the website.  We have taken a little break for now since we have been able to get the site to a point that can be used by people to find out information on who we are and what we do.  The site isn’t perfect but hopefully one day it will be.  I have taken a small break from the site to focus on helping PSA Inc. in other areas.

The blog post this week is short.  Next week we will write a longer article giving skin care advice on a product that we carry.

Remember to take a look at our other social media pages. You can find these links on our website and the bottom of each page. We hope to spend more time in the future on these platforms to spread the word about skin care products and tips that will help you to achieve your skin care goals.

http://www.psaskincare.com/

Here comes the Sun

This week I have talked with Sandy, the owner of PSA Inc. and she thought that it would be a good idea if she took the time to write a little bit for this post and things that she has done to get PSA Inc. where it is today.

Finally, we have a decent website!!  It only took 10 years, 3 office moves, 2 weddings, 3 college graduations, and lots of stuff with my other kids, and then 3 grand kids.

The spring and summer can be very hot and sunny in Oregon.  During this time, it is important for you to Wear sunscreen and an antioxidant.  If it is cloudy, it doesn’t mean you can lighten up on your sunscreen use, as you can still get sunburned.  There are many products and formulas to try and use.

Most of us are in the age range that the sun’s rays cause lasting damage to our skin.  It is important to use sunscreen and antioxidants.

Efficient antioxidants neutralize free radicals and strengthen the skins internal defense against environmental aggressors such as UVA, UVB, IRA, and pollution.  Antioxidants help the skin to self-repair for visible anti-aging correction.  Our favorite products include CE Ferulic and Phloretin CF by Skin Ceuticals.

Broad Spectrum sunscreens reflect and absorb UVA/UVB rays from the skin’s surface to protect against photo-aging, by Do Not provide complete protection from free radical damage.

Physical fillers protect while on the surface of the skin, blocking and reflecting the sun’s rays. They are ideal for daily use, as well as post-procedure or for sensitive skin.

Chemical filters absorb UV rays and provide continuous UV protection even in extreme conditions.

If you need help finding any skin care products and you live in the Portland area, check out our website (http://www.psaskincare.com) and fill out a request form to leave an inquiry and we can help you find a product that will help you protect your skin thin summer from the sun.

We love PSA Inc and we hope you do too

Over this past week, I have been hard at work on the new website and making sure that it works on mobile devices since that seems to be the current trend for people in finding our business and location. I’m happy to report that… the mobile site works!  It’s great to see these projects come together.  I’m not saying that the site is perfect in any way because there are plenty of things that I hope to change ASAP.  My goal is to make the site easy to navigate, look good, and run smoothly for everyone who uses it.

Since being in the office these last two weeks, a question keeps coming to my mind that professor LaBaugh asked in one of the first classes in our social media marketing class.

He asked us:  What makes your business different than all the other businesses that are out there and competing against each other?

I’ve thought about this since being back and the first thing that comes to my mind  that I have seen first hand about PSA Inc. is the level of service that we provide to our clients and the relationship we develop with these people.  Each person that walks in the doors of our office is greeted with open arms and a smile on our face.  These are traits that you can find anywhere and in any business.  We treat you like family because you are family.

At the end of the day and what it comes down to for us is that you have a good experience when you come to PSA Inc. We treat you and all our clients like family because you are family to us.  We care about what goes on in your life and take the time to listen about the things that you have to share.

This attribute is what makes us different than the other skin care companies in the industry.  We don’t look for the next customer and try to sell them what they don’t need for our own monetary profit.  We give you what you need to help you feel good about your beauty.  Sandy (the owner of PSA) and Teri (one of our estheticians) come to this office everyday because they love what they do and they love the people that walk through our doors.  They put in a lot of time and effort to show that they care and will do whatever it takes to give you the best experience.  They offer their expertise and knowledge to help people achieve their skin care goals.

We hope that you take the time to check out our store and the services we provide and if you have any questions feel free to email or call us at anytime.

http://www.psaskincare.com/

psa@psamedskincare.com

Phone: 503-692-4880

 

Moving forward with PSA Skin Care Spring 2016

It’s been awhile since I last posted on the blog and figured it was time for an update on what PSA Inc. has been doing and our goals in moving forward this spring and summer.

Now that schools is over and I have moved back home, I can dedicate more of my time on helping PSA Inc. as much as I can and while my time allows me to help.  Being a college student, looking for an internship, and working on a social media campaign can be a lot to manage.  Now that I am home from school I can focus more on the social media campaign and a job.  Everything I do for PSA Inc. on WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram is to apply what I have learned in my Web creations and Social media class and because I love doing it.

I have neglected to update http://www.psaskincare.com/ because it’s hard to see things wrong with it from my perspective.  Getting new insight will help to better fix problems that people have encountered.  There is always ways that we can improve the way we do business and one of the ways that we are starting this is by branding ourselves and getting a new business card and info out there.  There will be more details about that to come.

Being able to work directly with PSA Inc. at their store location will be more convenient as we strive on improving the site and the different social media sites that we use.

Be sure to check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Links will be listed below.

Happy Spring and good weather to all!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/psaskincare?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psaskincare/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psaskincare/

How good are your skin care tips?

I read an article this past week about advice that dermatologists have come across that really isn’t advice at all.  One of the things that I learned back in school from one of my teachers is to question everything someone tells you.  Just because you read something on the internet or hear something from a family friend doesn’t make the advice they give you factual and backed by reason and maybe some scientific study.  Take the time to do your research on everything that you read and hear about especially with dieting and skin care and cosmetics.

The article I read listed 11 not entirely true facts about skin care.  I want to talk about a few of them and share my opinion about them.

1. You should blame your behavior for acne breakouts

Acne is caused by genetics and hormones.  Emotional stress and an unhealthy diet can be a factor of acne but only if it’s too much stress and too much unhealthy eating.

2. All natural products are safe for your skin

Just because it says all natural doesn’t make the product or the ingredient capable to use.  Some of these products are safe to use while others are not.  All natural plant products act just like chemical products.

3. Exfoliating daily is important for clear skin

When you exfoliate, you get rid of the dead skin that you don’t need.  Over exfoliating can cause your skin to become irritated and red.  When you exfoliate, make sure you gently clean the skin.

5. You don’t need to wear sunscreen if you have dark skin

No matter what your skin color is, you need to protect it with sunscreen.  Skin cancer is a common problem for everyone in the world.  It is recommended that no matter what your skin type or skin color you should be wearing sun screen, year round.  That means rain, snow, or sunshine, you should be using sunscreen.

6. Greasy foods give you greasy skin

Just because you eat greasy foods, doesn’t mean your skin will produce more oil.  High glycemic foods can cause acne.  These foods may act be the causes for oily skin but more research needs to be done first.

These are just few of the false skin care tips that dermatologists have heard.  There are many more on false skin care tips and advice that people will give.  It’s important to do your research.  Look into the advice.  Check to see if it can be backed up with research and data.  Some of the advice people give might work for them but it won’t give you the same results.  Don’t believe anything that you read and hear.  The best thing that you can do for yourself is to try it out and research it.

 

 

http://greatist.com/live/skin-care-tips-worst-advice

How to treat acne in teens and adults

Acne can be a big problem for many teens.  For the adult readers out there, we might have struggled with acne ourselves when we were younger.  Maybe you are still struggling with it today as a teen or an adult.  Going through puberty is much like a rite of passage for us.  Some of us might have spent our teenage years being socially awkward and part of that might have been because of the acne problems that we had.  Nobody asked us if we wanted to have acne, but we still get the joy of experiencing it as a teen.

I had moderate to severe acne problems as a teenager.  Whiteheads and blackheads were common, but every once in a while I would get those deep ones that would infect the skin, cause it to become inflamed, and red.  There wasn’t much I could do to get rid of these except with the Zeno acne device.

And no matter how hard I tried, I could never get rid of all of my acne problems.  Hopefully you didn’t experience the same acne problems I had.  Hopefully your experience with acne was a lot more loving than mine was.

I struggled with acne because I failed to develop a daily routine of washing and treating my skin.  I always had acne products that I could have used but never did because I failed to understand the importance of taking care of my skin.  You would think I would have taken better care with parents always reminding me to and with my mom working in the skin care industry.

There are a lot of products to try and use to treat acne for teens.  I will talk about a few and the ingredients in them to help treat acne.

My personal advice:  Help teens understand the importance of developing a daily routine (that means morning and night) of taking care of their skin.  You can do this any way think is necessary and will get the point across, however, it’s important that they get in the habit of taking care of their skin and are able to see the results.

Two ingredients to look for in topical treatments salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and sulfur.  These ingredients are in many creams, lotions, and gels.  Webmd says that products with these ingredients in them will take 4-8 weeks for the skin to improve.  So if your teen is getting ready for any big school event next month, they better start right now for their acne to go away.

Proactiv, Murad, Neutrogena, Clean and Clear, and other skin care companies have created acne product lines to help treat acne in both teens and adults.  If you or a teen suffers from severe acne, talk to your doctor and they can possibly prescribe you with medication to help treat acne.  Prescribed medication might be the answer you are looking for if nothing else has worked.  There are a lot of acne products that you can use.  The most expensive might not always be the best product to use.  You might just be buying a name brand.  Acne products are designed to treat acne.  Don’t pick those blackheads that you have.  This can push the bacteria further into the skin causing the skin to become inflamed and picking zits can even cause scarring.

It is important to develop a routine when treating acne. Your skin won’t clear up instantaneously.  It will take some time depending on the product you use.  A simple routine includes cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing.

Cleansing:  Wash your skin twice a day.  You don’t want to wash it too much because it can cause your skin to become dry and irritated.  By washing your skin, you get rid of the excess dirt, oil, sweat, and makeup.  It is recommended to use more than just soap and water.  You can use bar soaps that are made to clean the face or you can use cleansers.

Exfoliate:  Exfoliating helps to clear the pores and gets rid of dead skin.  Products that helps to exfoliate the skin include scrubs, abrasive pads, and cloths, and microdermabrasion.

Moisturize:  Oily skin can be a problem for many people.  Look for products that are oil free.  Moisturizers help your skin by keeping it hydrated.  They help by providing a protective barrier on the skin’s surface and leave the skin feeling soft and smooth.

When acne does appear, apply your acne products to the affected area.  Every product is different and they will instruct you to do different things.  Even if you know how to use acne products, read the labels just to make sure that you are using it properly.

Some acne treatments lists go more in depth about the routine you need to have.  Look at these other lists if you are needing more information about acne treatment routines.  The easiest thing for you to do is create a daily routine of cleaning your skin and face.  Doing so will help prevent acne and fight breakouts.

It’s time to talk about Plastic Surgery

Our society has a stigma towards people who receive some form of cosmetic surgery.  It is a sensitive topic to talk about with friends and family.  Some people might not want to talk about their experience with others because of how much money they have spent to get work done on their body. Some people have the emotional feeling or need to fix a particular feature of their body.

People who are against Plastic Surgery make the argument that you and your body is unique and you should be and feel comfortable with the body that you have and who you are.  Why change who you are because that is who you are meant to be?

People against plastic surgery even say that those who get work done are mentally ill, because they look at themselves and feel ugly on the inside and the outside.  Another argument that people bring up are the horror stories where the procedure goes wrong and it ends up leaving the individual worse than what they were before.  Talking about plastic surgery and going under the knife isn’t as easy as talking about the weather.  People even struggle talking to friends and family about it since they don’t know how they will react or what their stance is.

We live in an age where more things have become acceptable to do and talk about publically.  As someone who pays attention to the media, there used to be certain things that could not be said, shown, or talked about on air 20 years ago that are now on every channel.  Fear does play a role since people can be offended by the ideas and beliefs that one person has and how they are against another.

We are taught and we learn to socially accept others for the lifestyles that they live and the choices they make.

Why does it matter if we think or act differently than someone else?  It is human nature to be accepted by peers and fit in with others.  We look for people who act or think like we do.  We do this because we know that no matter what happens there will be someone who is there to support us.

It’s time that we break out of these social norms that we surround ourselves with.  Find people who think and act differently than you do.  Some of my closest friends are people who see things much differently than I do.  Our lifestyles do cater us to our needs so that we act or think in a certain way.

Iggy Azalea, a rapper who has hit it big in the music industry talks about her experience in an interview with the Elle Canada magazine about her experience with having cosmetic surgery done.  She says it’s time that people are more open about talking about their experience with going under the knife.  Iggy Azalea is 25 years old and has had a nose job and breast augmentation.  Iggy said in her interview that she had a nose job because she was hit in the face with a soccer ball when she was 16.  She says her nose now looks the way it’s supposed to.

She says, “I think, in 2016, people should be more accepting of the fact that both famous and non-famous women are having cosmetic procedures. That’s just the reality. And I think more people need to admit that **** so it doesn’t have to be so taboo—because we’re all doing it anyway.”

In order to talk about cosmetic surgery, we need to have an understanding of what it is and why people do it.

Some people don’t want to get work done and that’s fine.  Others want to get work done to shape their body in a way that is pleasing for them and gives them the confidence they need.  Cosmetic surgeries have been around for a long time.  Technique and procedures will continue to advance and hopefully while these advancements take place, everyone’s perception of what plastic surgery is can change so it can become a topic that is talked about more amongst people.

 

Read Iggy Azalea’s interview here with Elle Canada Magazine.

http://www.ellecanada.com/celebrity/celebrity-spotlight/exclusive-iggy-azalea-as-you-ve-never-heard-her-before/a/109834#.Vtia25wrK00

Statistics in the 2015 Cosmetic Surgery Industry

Statistics play a big role in helping any business, industry, or market to analyze data and key trends, draw conclusions, and answer questions about the market.  This past week, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons published data of the previous year in the cosmetics field.

The cosmetic industry is continuing to grow.  In PSA Inc.’s last blog we discussed how men are now joining the cosmetic industry.  Last year alone, there were more than 15.9 million surgical procedures that took place.  All of these procedures took place in the US.  Some of the more popular procedures over the past 15 years have been breast augmentations and facial procedures.

Some other popular surgeries include the buttocks, lower body, and upper arms.  The more procedures that are available give people more options in what they want to do to change their body.  These procedures and others have become more available as the technology has become more developed and then making it more affordable for people to get these treatments done.

The top 5 cosmetic surgical procedures included breast augmentation, liposuction, nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and tummy tuck.  These 5 surgeries consisted of 1.7 million procedures that were done in 2015

The top 5 non-invasive procedures included Botulinum Toxin type A, soft tissue fillers, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion.  These procedures accounted for 14.2 million procedures done.  The skin care industry continues to grow.  Procedures that were done grew by 2% since 2014.

What does this mean?

Cosmetic surgeries are popular today.  This growth could lead to more procedures being done in the future and maybe at a lower cost.  Looking at these procedures show what people give and pay attention to on their own bodies.  Some women want bigger breasts, others want a slimmer nose, and a flat tummy.  These procedures help to give us the youthful appearance that we once had and the opportunity to feel good or better about ourselves.  We are two months in to 2016 and there is still a lot to be said about what this year will hold for the cosmetic surgery industry.

Men + Botox = “Brotox”

Women have been the primary target for Botox, anti-aging products, and most skin treatments.  There has always been a concern among women to protect their youthful appearance and reduce any lines or wrinkles as they age.  Men are now catching on to the idea of using Botox and other skin care treatments to renew their look and take care of some aging that occurs.

Getting any work done is nothing to be ashamed of.  People do it for a variety of reasons.  These reasons may be because of getting rid of wrinkles, .  I think that women might feel more pressure to get such treatments done because of the influence that media has on people.  I recently learned a new term called metro sexuality.  This means that men take more of an urban look in their appearance by the way the dress and groom themselves.  They are more concerned than other males about beauty treatments and fashionable clothes.

Maybe I’m out of the loop or not paying attention to what men are doing, but I have noticed that they have recently taken a big interest in their overall appearance.  Men use to carry themselves by the way they dressed.  Now men are taking their look to a new level by spending more time with the way their hair is cut and now enhancing certain facial features and eliminating others.

The Botox Cosmetic site has pages of information dedicated to men and Botox procedures, and the results that other men have had.  I think opening up male Botox or “Brotox” is a good idea as it helps to break down boundaries that have been established between male and female procedures.  These stigmas have come about as time has progressed since men and women have been put into certain classes and stereotypes.

If any men are looking to receive some kind of treatment, they should talk to a doctor who has experience working with male patients in the past.  Treatments aren’t always the same between men and women.  The results will vary between the two genders and it’s a good idea to work with a doctor who has done work on men before.

http://www.botoxcosmetic.com/men/

http://www.mensfitness.com/styleandgrooming/grooming/would-you-consider-brotox

How young is too young to start using Botox and fillers?

Wrinkles are always a topic of discussion when talking about beauty products and skin care treatments.  Many women in their 40’s, 50’s, and 60 try to rejuvenate their face by getting rid of the wrinkles.  Some doctors say that by taking care of these wrinkles late in life can fix the problem but not as well if people were to begin getting simple injections earlier.  The idea is to prevent the use of these muscles by using Botox and other injections before these muscles cause permanent wrinkles.

I like the idea of preventing wrinkles before they start.  Many women and some men want to prolong their youthful appearance and by the time they are in their 40’s and 50’s it can be too late.  I don’t think it is a good idea for teens to be getting Botox since they are so young.  It could be a good idea for someone to start getting some small work done if they are in their early 20’s and 30’s.  This is a topic that can be very controversial for many people and doctors.  My advice for anyone who is looking to use Botox or fillers is to consult with an esthetician or a dermatologist.  They can provide you with the information that you need to make a decision about when to start and if you should ever start.