The Mind-Beauty Connection

I am a habitual crammer. I was as a student and I am as a Book Group member...I work best under pressure. When I heard from my fellow associate, Judy Brooks, that Dr. Amy Wechsler, was going to be doing a book signing at Richards, (Saturday, November 22 at 11:00 a.m.). I knew I wanted to read her book, The Mind-Beauty Connection beforehand. My Beauty expertise is self taught, trial and error, dabbling. Dr. Wechsler, is Board Certified, not just in Dermatology, but Psychiatry, as well. Now those are some impressive credentials! In person, she is known to be warm and nurturing, with a devoted patient following. It will be fun for our clients to have a chance to meet her in person and share a few moments together.

Dr. Wechsler's frame of reference with her patients and readers, is to, "treat the body, as intrinsically connected to the mind". She believes that stress, creates a chain of chemical reactions in our bloodstream, causing negative effects on the skin, that is as damaging as too much sun exposure. Though there are medical explanations included through out it was explained simply and succinctly.

Refreshingly, she is not a huge fan of expensive creams and cosmeceuticals, preferring products like Cetaphil, Eucerin and Neutrogena, for cleansing, moisturizing and sun protection. She is a fan however, of better quality foundations and concealers, like Laura Mercier and MAC. For proven results, increased collagen and fine line and age spot reduction, she prefers, proven prescription medications like Renova, Retin-A and 4% Hydroquinone. For those who are looking for more dramatic results, she is not opposed to Botox, fillers, like Restylane and Sculptra, lasers, and moderate to mild chemical peels.

Her starting point for healthier skin, is not topical but internal. Lifestyle, stress, sleep deprivation and diet are areas that she recommends taking a good hard look at. She then suggests a 9 day plan to help balance these areas and believes rewards can be reaped quickly and more permanently, if long term changes are made. I think 9 days, for most people, is a doable number. As well, none of Dr. Wechsler's suggestions are so drastic, that one would be led to standing in the kitchen at 4 a.m., inhaling Almond Joys.

I am looking forward to meeting Dr. Wechsler and having her sign my copy. It is the type of book that you would reference back to. As a trained Psychiatrist, she is adept at picking up on non verbal cues based on appearance...I will let you know if she suggests, that I lie down on a nearby chaise, so she can take a stab at breaking my Sephora addiction.

Put it in your Blackberry right now!!! I promise to save you place on line!

xox,
Dd