Skin Peel Suggestions: Getting Ready and Recovering

 

If your anti-ageing wellness isn’t as good as it could be, you might be considering a skin peel. However, before you put your wellbeing on the line, you need to know everything you can about getting ready for – and recovering from – a skin peel.

 

According to R. Merrel Olesen, MD, and Marie B.V. Olesen, authors of Cosmetic Surgery For Dummies, ‘Preparation for a skin peel depends mainly on the type of skin you have and will ultimately be decided by your doctor. Fair-skinned people may not need to be treated before peeling. If you have skin of colour, however, then you’re at increased risk of developing dark spots following your peel. In this case, a pre-treatment regimen including glycolic acid, hydroquinone, and Retin-A (retinoic acid) is frequently suggested to help minimize the possibility of postoperative hyperpigmentation, make your peel more uniform, and decrease your downtime. As a general rule, you should follow the pre-treatment regimen for three to four weeks.’

 

So that’s preparation, but what about recovery? Olesen and Olesen have five tips you should absolutely follow:

 

1. Getting through the Pain: Olesen and Olesen soothe, ‘In general, anyone who undergoes a trichloracetic acid (TCA) peel will have a relatively painless post-treatment course. The injured skin stays on the wound and acts as a dressing. This skin doesn’t peel off until the underlying skin is healed. Your skin will feel tight and you will feel like you can’t apply enough moisturiser. Pain, however, isn’t the major symptom. Laser peels and croton oil peels are deeper than most other peels, and for a few days, you’ll experience discomfort from the open wound created by the peel. You’ll receive pain medication and detailed dressing instructions to follow until you’re healed. You’ll also start taking an anti-inflammatory medication before the peel and continue it until you’ve healed. If pain becomes intolerable, call your doctor’s office.’

 

2. Taking it Easy: ‘After a skin peel, you need to stop all vigorous physical activity,’ Olesen and Olesen assert. ‘If you’re taking any pain medication, you won’t be able to drive because the medication may slow your reaction time or make you drowsy. You’ll be swollen as well, so if you have trouble opening your eyes, you shouldn’t drive. In addition, you should avoid any activity or environment that causes you to sweat because sweating will make your ointment or cream runny and more likely to get into your eyes, causing irritation and blurriness.’

 

3. Laying Low: Olesen and Olesen point out, ‘Moderate and deep skin peels do have associated downtimes. You’ll want to hide out for seven to ten days, depending on the depth of the peel, because you’ll have excessive peeling during this time or the need to apply heavy coats of petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist. After your wound has completely epithelialized (grown new skin), you can apply cover up makeup and resume normal life activities.’

 

4. Knowing What’s Normal: ‘Deep skin peels, either with the laser or chemicals, require more labour-intensive care than other peels in the first few days,’ Olesen and Olesen explain. ‘You’ll experience irregular healing based upon skin thickness, and the wound won’t look good to you. You’ll need reassurance from your surgeon that your appearance is normal. Somewhere between two and seven days, you’ll probably wonder if it was all worth it. Be reassured, however, that you’re experiencing normal healing.’

 

5. Judging the Result: Olesen and Olesen detail, ‘Deep skin peels, either laser or chemical, take several months to heal. Redness means that your skin is still inflamed and still generating collagen. The final result won’t be evident until the redness is gone. The timing of a second peel, if you need one, is up to your doctor. At a minimum, you have to wait until you’re completely healed from the previous procedure, which in most cases takes several months. Many doctors wouldn’t even consider doing a second peel for six to nine months.’

Categories: preparation, recovery, skin peel

How to Maintain a Healthy Diet Even in the Busy Season

With September comes a new time of busyness. The kids are starting school, the shops are gearing up for Christmas and you’re just trying to keep things together on a day-to-day basis. With all that going on, diet and nutrition wellness goes out the window, but just because bikini bodies and summer salads seem like a distant memory now, it doesn’t mean your wellbeing has to go along with it. Here are five ways for you to maintain a healthy diet even in this hectic new season.

 

1. Make time for a breakfast quickie: There’s no way you’re going to have the energy you need to keep up with your crazy schedule unless you have a decent breakfast, so skipping out on the most important meal of the day and heading straight to work is a big no-no. Instead of starting your day on an empty stomach, do a little prep work the night before and store your healthy brekkie in the fridge. To get the most bang for your breakfast buck, choose simple foods from two, three or more food groups. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches on whole grain bread are great, or fill a container with low-fat cottage cheese and seasonal fruit.

 

2. Pack a nutritious and satisfying lunch: Just because it’s all go-go-go, you don’t have to forgo your food. Mary Hartley, registered dietician and nutritionist for CalorieCount.com, urges, ‘Don’t starve yourself at lunch – it will only lead to overeating later.’ Again, this is where prepping the night before comes in handy, as stepping out for lunch limits your healthy eating options. Try whole wheat pasta mixed with your favourite raw veggies, olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs. This also works well if you take out the pasta and lemon juice and add in brown rice and white beans.

 

3. Dine out the clever way: There’s no way to avoid eating out, especially if you have a business meeting or you just run out of time to prepare food in advance. However, the key to eating out in a healthy way is portion size, so don’t be afraid to ask the waiter exactly how big the dish will be before you pick it, as well as how it’s cooked. There are also apps out there that can help you determine how many calories are in your meals. If the dish is too much for one sitting, Hartley advises, ‘As soon as your order arrives, split your dish into two servings to share or eat for a later meal.’

 

4. Plan ahead: We’ve already touched on this but planning ahead is essential to staying healthy in the midst of a jam-packed schedule. Weekends are a nightmare for getting in the way of this, as your schedule is more up-in-the-air. However, you can still get the best out of a busy weekend by stocking up on nutritious, on-the-go snacks like apples and oranges, snack-size low-fat yogurt, raw nuts, raisins and other dried fruit. Hartley explains, ‘Most people will eat junk food because it is convenient, but they’ll often choose healthier options if it’s made available.’

 

5. Keep tabs on your calorie count: If you’re trying to eat healthily to lose a few pounds – and, let’s face it, most of us are – it’s a good idea to be mindful of the calories you’re consuming, compared to the ones you’re burning off. Luckily, if you’re running around after your kids and getting jobs done around the house, you’re probably getting a lot done in the way of calorie-burning anyway! For the ones you’re consuming, get on your smartphone and track your calorie count.

Categories: Apps, calorie count, Calorie Counting, Healthy, healthy diet, lemon juice, nbsp, preparation

Want to Be a Fitness Instructor? How To Nail That Interview

These days, great jobs are becoming few and far between and so nailing the interview is more important than ever. However, even though job market wellness has taken a huge hit in the recession, the fitness and wellbeing industry is still going strong. While this means that becoming a fitness instructor may be a wise move, the competition is going to be fierce and so you need to get your interview skills in tip-top shape.

Firstly, make sure you’re completely prepared. This means researching the company or organisation to which you have applied, and finding out every detail about the position for which you are being interviewed. This means that you can talk about the organisation and explain why you would like to work for this company in particular – which interviewers love – and you can tailor your answers to fit the job description, so they know you’re the perfect candidate.

An important thing is to look and feel the part. You need to ensure you’re well-dressed and smart for your interview – that goes without saying – but you also have to understand your own skills and abilities. In your interview, you will need to talk clearly about yourself, and be confident and unafraid to speak up about what you can do best. Think of yourself as a product, and the interviewer as a potential customer. You need to sell yourself and your unbeatable skills!

However, it’s not all about the questions you answer, but the questions you ask that will get you the job. The interview is an opportunity for you to find out anything else you may need to know about the position and make sure it is definitely for you. There’s no point getting the job if you end up wanting to quit by the end of your first day. Plus, your potential employer will be impressed if you ask questions, as it will show that you are interested in and engaged with their company.

When you go to your interview, make sure you bring exactly what they ask you to, and always take an extra copy of your CV. Even if they don’t ask for one, you can revise right up until the moment you get called in. However, these days your potential employer won’t only look at the information you hand them; they’ll also check you out on social media sites. Your Facebook is the window to your soul, so be careful with what you post, or remove your last name from your page so you’re not so easy to find. Alternately, you can use social media to your advantage by posting or tweeting about things related to fitness, as this will show your interest and expertise.

Categories: fitness instructor, Interview, preparation

How to Have a Stress-Free End of Financial Year

The end of the financial year is emotional wellness-damaging time for managers, and their loved ones, but does it always have to be that way? Day-to-day operations are already demanding enough for business owners, so it’s tempting to leave the dull stuff until crunch time, but MYOB CEO Tim Reed argues that this is why the end of the financial year takes its toll on your wellbeing – as well as your family’s.

According to Reed, ‘It’s never too early to get organised so you spend less time on paperwork mid-year. It means less stress for you, your employees and your loved ones, and more time to focus on what matters most. If you spent the final weeks last year tackling shoe-boxes of receipts and buried in paperwork, here’s a must-have guide.’ Reed has outlined ten steps that can help planning firms avoid the last-minute dash.

Firstly, record your transactions regularly, instead of waiting until June. That means logging every sale, purchase, payment and receipt, which can be very time-consuming if you leave it until the end of the financial year. Set a weekly or fortnightly chunk in your diary aside for maintaining and updating records. Preparation should also apply to the new financial year, as this is an excellent time to reassess and tweak your business plan and ensure you’re on the right path. Investigate changes in regulations and laws that need to be implemented, and review and update your accounting software if need be.

Also, if you have inventory, you need to complete a stock-take on or just prior to 30 June, as this will allow you to write-off any obsolete stock and investigate any theft or shrinkage. Remember, the small business instant asset write-off has increased to $6,500 to help you equip yourself with what you need, and you should review your asset register, as this keeps track of your company equipment including items purchased, sold or disposed of. Contact your accountant to discuss the deductions, write-offs and rebates available to your business.

Finally, you need to reconcile your bank accounts, your accounts receivable and accounts payable. If you’re not using an online accounting solution, you should reconcile your bank accounts after receiving the final bank statement of the financial year to ensure your records match the record of your bank(s). Also, the value of open invoices must always match the balance of your receivables and you should clear all bad debts and credit notes and double-check all outstanding arrears. If your debts have been outstanding for more than 12 months and/or are considered non-recoverable, you may be able to claim a GST credit and write them off as an expense. Last of all, you need to finalise outstanding payments, debit notes and the recording of all cash payments.

How to Have a Stress-Free End of Financial Year

Categories: Accounts, EOFY, preparation

Going into Battle: How to Get What You Want in the Workplace

We all want a working environment of corporate wellness, but sometimes the name of the game is conflict, tension, tactical moves, power plays, ammunition and bluffing. Whether you’re fighting for a salary boost, a decision, additional resources or even your job, you need level-headed precision-planning when going into battle at work.

Firstly, remember that soldiers – not politicians – win wars. The receptionists and the administrators are the ones who keep a company ticking, so ensure they know your name and you know theirs. A smile and a “good morning” may be all it takes to keep the road as smooth as possible. You will be surprised how difficult your days can become if you are bogged down in transactional headaches and administrative roadblocks. Your other soldiers are your team, so be good to them and do not allow grudges to fester. Give your team the tools for success, as well as a lot of respect and courtesy, and they’ll have your back on the battlefield.

Once you have your troops’ loyalty, you have to rally them in preparation, getting them “psyched up” for battle. This means showing your team what they’re fighting for: ‘For the number of billable hours we are charging, we should be getting a higher package.’ ‘If they expect us to deliver this project in this time-frame then we need at least two more support staff.’ Battles are more easily won when other people are shooting ammunition by your side.

A sneaky, but effective, tactic is to drown the enemy in paperwork. Make sure that nothing gets sorted within the week so that you can work on your preparations. File forms, lodge requests, make casual errors that require weeks of back and forth, email administrative queries regarding policy interpretation. In short, begin something small and make it excruciatingly complicated, so you can be as prepared for battle as can be.

Finally, make sure you have plenty of ammunition which, in this case, is bullets of knowledge. Spend your preparation time learning everything there is to know about the company, from the software systems that the technicians use to the preferred methodology of the Project Managers. Not only will knowing the company like the back of your hand allow you to find the right point to target, but you can pull out this knowledge and start firing bullets of information if everything is going against you.

Going into Battle: How to Get What You Want in the Workplace

Categories: administration, battles, preparation

Log it, Plan it, Do it: How to Have the Habits of Success

Success is often built on certain corporate wellness habits. This is according to Laura Vanderkam, author of a new mini e-book, What the Most Successful People Do at Work, who outlines the ways in which successful people approach their work.

Firstly, before you can get the most out of your hours without overdoing it, you need to discern how long your activities actually take. Keep a time log for a full week so you also capture the weekend, as this is when people tend to be less conscious of what they’re doing. Vanderkam explains, ‘The goal is to be helpful, not to make you hate your life.’ The author updates her time log twice a day, but you might have another way of doing it – just make sure you keep up to date.

Once you have an idea of the things you dedicate your time to, you’ll be more able to plan out your hours, and trim down unnecessary stressors. Vanderkam writes, ‘People lament that they’d love to have strategic-thinking time, but they’re just too busy!’ Have a planning session at least once a week, or start with a big one and then move down to smaller ones as projects get finished. Vanderkam advises planning for long periods of time, with goals you want to achieve over the year, and then you can make sure you are steadily working toward those goals in your weekly planning sessions.

However, when setting your goals for the year, don’t become to over-excited and plan for the impossible. You’re much more likely to be successful if you set discrete, doable tasks for yourself, for which you are held accountable. Break down big projects into small steps and tackle three to six of them a day. Then, make sure someone knows this is the plan, so that you’ll actually stick to it. This may be an accountability partner, or on Stickk, a web site in which people can set goals and then promise to do a forfeit, such as donate to an organisation they loathe, if they fail.

Finally, distinguish what is work, and what isn’t. Vanderkam notes, ‘According to a 2012 McKinsey Global Institute report on the social economy, knowledge workers spend 28% of their time wading through their inboxes.’ She explains, ‘Email expands to fill in the available time. Give email less time, and it will take less time.’ The same goes for meetings: ‘The reason you have a meeting is that you want something to change in the world by the end of it. The problem is that people have meetings to check that everyone is still doing their jobs — but hopefully you hired people good enough where you don’t have to check.’

Log it, Plan it, Do it: How to Have the Habits of Success

Categories: accountability, preparation, record

Log it, Plan it, Do it: How to Have the Habits of Success

Success is often built on certain corporate wellness habits. This is according to Laura Vanderkam, author of a new mini e-book, What the Most Successful People Do at Work, who outlines the ways in which successful people approach their work.

Firstly, before you can get the most out of your hours without overdoing it, you need to discern how long your activities actually take. Keep a time log for a full week so you also capture the weekend, as this is when people tend to be less conscious of what they’re doing. Vanderkam explains, ‘The goal is to be helpful, not to make you hate your life.’ The author updates her time log twice a day, but you might have another way of doing it – just make sure you keep up to date.

Once you have an idea of the things you dedicate your time to, you’ll be more able to plan out your hours, and trim down unnecessary stressors. Vanderkam writes, ‘People lament that they’d love to have strategic-thinking time, but they’re just too busy!’ Have a planning session at least once a week, or start with a big one and then move down to smaller ones as projects get finished. Vanderkam advises planning for long periods of time, with goals you want to achieve over the year, and then you can make sure you are steadily working toward those goals in your weekly planning sessions.

However, when setting your goals for the year, don’t become to over-excited and plan for the impossible. You’re much more likely to be successful if you set discrete, doable tasks for yourself, for which you are held accountable. Break down big projects into small steps and tackle three to six of them a day. Then, make sure someone knows this is the plan, so that you’ll actually stick to it. This may be an accountability partner, or on Stickk, a web site in which people can set goals and then promise to do a forfeit, such as donate to an organisation they loathe, if they fail.

Finally, distinguish what is work, and what isn’t. Vanderkam notes, ‘According to a 2012 McKinsey Global Institute report on the social economy, knowledge workers spend 28% of their time wading through their inboxes.’ She explains, ‘Email expands to fill in the available time. Give email less time, and it will take less time.’ The same goes for meetings: ‘The reason you have a meeting is that you want something to change in the world by the end of it. The problem is that people have meetings to check that everyone is still doing their jobs — but hopefully you hired people good enough where you don’t have to check.’

Log it, Plan it, Do it: How to Have the Habits of Success

Categories: accountability, preparation, record