Accutane – This drug opens pores, dries out the skin by shrinking the sebaceous glands, and has some anti-inflammatory benefits. Because it comes with potential side effects, ranging from dry skin and chapped lips to depression—and can cause birth defects if you take it while pregnant—the vitamin A derivative is reserved for only the most stubborn, unrelenting cases of acne, including the type of cystic acne that leaves permanent scars.

Acne - This is a catchall term for the blackheads, whiteheads, papules (red pimples), pustules (pus-filled pimples), and cysts that result when excess sebum and debris clog the pores, attracting bacteria and causing inflammation. Although most people associate the disorder with teenagers, pimples can emerge at any age until menopause, especially during times of hormonal flux.

Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) - This term includes glycolic, lactic, and fruit acids. Blended into topical (surface) lotions and chemical peel solutions, these ingredients break down the uppermost layer of skin cells, increasing cell turnover and revealing brighter, younger-looking skin underneath.

Alpha lipoic acid - This is an antioxidant that can help to prevent premature aging of the skin, including the development of fine lines and wrinkles, when it is taken orally or used topically.

Antioxidant - By preventing free radicals from damaging and aging healthy skin cells, this ingredient can stave off some aspects of sun- induced skin aging, such as wrinkles and brown spots. It can also potentially reduce the risk of skin cancer. Some of the most promising antioxidants include idebenone, coenzyme QlO, vitamins C and E, and botanicals like soy, green tea, malic acid, and pomegranate. Studies show that consuming these ingredients orally might help skin even more than applying them topically.

Arginine - Amino Acid (protein) that works as a water-binding agent.

Benzoyl peroxide - This popular topical acne fighter works by opening blackheads and whiteheads and killing the bacteria that cause pimples.  However, it can be harsh and drying in some skin types. 

Beta-Carotene (Vitamin A) - An antioxidant that controls the formation of free radicals that damage skin cells.

Botox - Approved treatment of frown lines, Botox is a neuromodulator produced by a type of bacteria that is found virtually everywhere. Suitably qualified practitioners inject a purified version of this agent in very small, diluted doses to weaken the tiny facial muscles that are responsible for creases and wrinkles caused by repeated negative facial expressions. Botox is also very effective in the treatment of excess sweating (hyperhidrosis).

Breast reduction- Also known as reduction mammoplasty, this procedure firms, lightens, and reduces the size of very large breasts by removing or shifting fat and tightening the skin and breast tissue.  Advances in technology has provided effective alternative to cosmetic surgery.  Beautytek uses artificial intelligence to apply micro current to excess fatty deposits around the body. It encourages the transfer of fat out of the fat cells so that it can be burned as energy.

Breast lift – The skin around the breasts sag due to age, sun damage or stretching.  Traditionally, only cosmetic surgery was available to remove some of the skin and reshape the breasts.  Advances in technology has provided effective alternative to cosmetic surgery.  Beautytek is an exceptional treatment when applied to loose skin around the body. It uses the body’s natural regeneration properties to firm the skin and underlying tissues, improving the shape of breast - naturally.

Brow lift - This procedure helps to rejuvenate the upper face by elevating drooping eyebrows while smoothing the deep lines and furrows in the forehead. (It’s also called a forehead lift.) Some people opt to have a brow lift with a face-lift and/or blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery).

Bunny lines - These are tiny creases that form along the sides of the nose. They are especially obvious when you crinkle your nose and tend to worsen with age.

Calciferol (Vitamin D) - An antioxidant that protects and repairs skin from the harm of free radicals.

Cellulite - Affecting the majority women over the age of eighteen, cellulite appears when the fat just below the skin begins to pucker between the vertical bands of fibrous tissue that contain it. When toxins and free radicals build up in the system the body produces hard collagen around the damaged cells. As a result, fat cannot be released into the blood stream and sits stubbornly in those familiar areas; love handles, lower abdomen, upper arms and inner thighs.

Cellulite is usually resistant to exercise and is found even in physically fit women who are at their ideal body weight.  Using gentle micro-currents that are regulated by your own body energy, Beautytek can encourage the breakdown of these collagen fibres and free the fat out of the cells. The skin and underlying tissue is also firmed, improving the shape of the client.

Centrimonium Chloride - Conditioning agent and antiseptic that is rarely used in cosmetics due to it high cost. It adds shine.

Cetyl Alcohol - A fatty alcohol used as an emollient, emulsifier, thickener, and carrying agent for other ingredients. Can be derived naturally, as in coconut fatty alcohol. Though it has the word "alcohol" its name, cetyl alcohol is not an irritant and is completely unrelated to SD alcohol or ethyl alcohol, the "alcohols" that commonly dry out the skin and cause irritation.

Chemical peel - Acidic peel solutions are designed to remove the upper layers of the skin’s surface and enhance the deeper skin layers. Just how deeply a peel penetrates, and thus how long you need to recover, varies tremendously, from quite superficial to deep, depending on the type of chemical and treatment that you and your skin care specialist choose.

CI 19140* (FD&C Yellow#5), CI 16035* (FD&C Red#40), CI 42090* (FD&C Blue#1) - These food-grade colorants are mixed in a proprietary ratio to develop the bronzer (color guide) used to help the salon technician to track where it has been applied and gives the customer that "instant gratification tan". They are widely used in the foods and drugs that we consume.

Citric Acid - Citric acid is inherently natural as it occurs in citric fruits, produced by fermentation of carbohydrates.

Cleanser - Available in sensitive, foamy, granular, creamy, anti-aging, and oil-zapping varieties, these formulas remove excess dirt, debris, and product residue from the skin. This not only makes the complexion look more radiant but also helps any subsequent products you apply to absorb more effectively.  The ideal cleanser is pH balanced, mild and will not block pores.  It is certainly not soap.

Collagen - This protein is a major structural component of the skin, the ligaments, the tendons, and the bones. In the skin, it is the protein responsible for plump, healthy appearance and it degrades from years of sun damage and age, resulting in yellowing, wrinkling, and sagging. Since the 1970s, suitably qualified practitioners have been injecting lips, fine lines, and wrinkles with synthetic collagen derived from cattle, sold under the names Zyderm and Zyplast, a thicker version. There are now fillers made of human tissue that do not cause allergic reactions. 

Advances in skin research have found less intrusive, more natural way to induce collagen production.   Dermaroller Collagen Induction Therapy procedure works by stimulating your own body’s collagen. Your body will start to naturally regenerate the skin, working below the surface in the dermis. New skin cells are generated & blood supply is enhanced. It will only take up to 6 weeks before visible signs of regeneration are seen & the process will continue over the following months, providing you with a gradual & long lasting enhancement.

Comedo - A comedo (pl., comedones) is a plug that consists of dead skin cells, oil, and other debris. It forms inside a hair follicle, causing a blackhead (an open comedo) or a whitehead (a closed comedo).

Cosmeceutical - This is a hybrid product that straddles the line between a cosmetic and a pharmaceutical prescription such as Cosmedix and Danne.  These cosmeceuticals are more concentrated and purer that delivers better results.  Proper skin analysis and consultation is essential before using these products.

Decyl Polyglucose - Exceptionally mild surfactant composed of sugar (glucose) derived from cornstarch and fatty alcohols (decanol) derived from coconuts.

Dermis - Sitting just below the epidermis, this layer of skin is made up of collagen, elastin fibers, hyaluronic acid, hair follicles, sweat glands, and blood vessels.

Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) - A self-tanning agent obtained by bacterial degradation of natural phosphate sugar. This is the ONLY FDA-approved ingredient for sunless tanning (skin coloration). (Erythrulose is not FDA-approved.)

Dimethicone (Silicone) - The unique fluid properties of silicone give it a great deal of slip and in its various forms it can feel like silk on the skin, impart emolliency, and be a water-binding agent that holds up well, even when skin becomes wet.

DMAE - This stands for dimethylaminoethanol, a substance found naturally in fish. Some people believe that it boosts brain power when it is taken orally. Rubbed on topically, it can tighten the skin, at least temporarily.

Elastin - This protein gives elasticity to human organs, including the skin. Elastin begins to degrade with age, but other factors, like cigarette smoke, stress, and ultraviolet light, can injure it, leading to premature skin aging.

Epidermis - This is the tough, protective outer layer of skin. Its uppermost cells are constantly shedding, bringing new cells to the surface. Its main purpose is to protect the body from external toxins, poisons, germs, and injury.

Exfoliant - This is the name for any cleanser or treatment that physically or chemically removes the uppermost layer of skin cells to reveal younger, healthier, and more radiant skin underneath. Scrubs, Microdermabrasion and chemical peels all fall into this category.

Face-lift - This surgical procedure redrapes the skin to cover the lower part of the face and neck by cutting out excess skin and sometimes fat as well. Less common is the mid-face-lift, which tightens sagging skin in the central portion of the face. Both procedures leave scars and require a healing phase that can range from a few weeks for a minimally invasive face-lift to several weeks for a full face-lift.  Advances in skin research and technology have produced less invasive, non-surgical procedures such as Danne A Lift and Dermaroller Collagen Induction that avoids down-time and scaring.

Fractional lasers - This class of lasers, which includes the Fraxel, Fractional C02, Active FX, and Profractional, rejuvenates the skin by resurfacing only a fraction of the skin with each treatment, leaving the surrounding areas intact for faster healing and fewer side effects.

GABA - This stands for gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter in the body that makes muscles relax. Used topically, the ingredient can help to soften the facial muscles, thus temporarily smoothing the skin.

Glycation aging - This is a natural internal aging process by which weakened collagen molecules become crosslinked to each other and to other proteins, forming a hardened “plaque.”

Glycerin - Viscous fluid acts as an emollient, a slip agent, and a humectant and can keep water in skin. Can be derived from plants.

Growth factor - This natural compound is found in young skin cells and in healing wounds. It can be derived from human cells grown in a culture and used as an anti-aging ingredient.  Epidermal growth factors are naturally occurring peptides (small proteins) recognized by the skin to stimulate cell growth and proliferation.

Hyaluronic acid - This spongy material is present in the skin’s dermis (or second layer). It helps to hold collagen and elastin together, giving the skin support and body. Since it attracts water, hyaluronic acid functions as an excellent moisturizer and temporary skin plumper when it is added to topical lotions and creams. Injected into the skin in the form of highly versatile hyaluronic fillers, like Restylane, Perlane, and Juvederm, it smoothes lines, wrinkles, and creases.

Hydroquinone - This drug is used to bleach away freckles, sun- induced brown spots (lentigines), and melasma. It is available in over- the-counter cosmeceuticals as a 2 percent formulation, but it’s even more effective in the prescription cream Tri-Luma, which combines a 4 percent hydroquinone solution with Retin-A and a topical steroid. There are circumstantial evidence that hydroquinone might be carcinogenic. It has been unavailable in Europe for years.

Isopropyl Myristate- One of the important additives for high-grade cosmetics. It can be used as emulsifier and moistening agent for cosmetics. Derived from mostly vegetables, especially from nutmeg and palm seed fats.

Intense pulsed light (IPL) - This light based technology is not a laser but rather a device that flashes powerful pulses of broad-spectrum light onto the skin to treat a variety of issues. Intense pulsed light can stimulate collagen production, resulting in smoother, less-wrinkled, younger-looking skin. It can also remove unwanted hair, cause sun-induced brown spots to fade, and reduce redness and facial red blood vessels.

Not all IPL machines are alike.  Machines available for purchase over the counter are not powerful enough to be effective as they are set to be safe for a wide range of skin types.   

Kinetin - A plant-derived hormone found in quite a few cosmeceutical creams, kinetin has long been billed as a nonirritating alternative to retinoids that can help to repair damaged skin cells and protect them from further injury.

Laser - An acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation,” this class of devices uses a powerful beam of light to selectively alter the skin. Depending on the technique and the wavelength of the light, a laser device can remove hair, decrease the visibility of red vessels, even out pigmentation, smooth wrinkles, or tighten skin. Ablative lasers, which are used to smooth wrinkles and acne scarring, wound the skin to some degree, causing a variable amount of crusting, scabbing, and redness. Nonablative lasers, which are used to decrease skin redness, brown discoloration, and sagging and to remove hair, do not wound the surface of the skin and therefore require little or no healing time.

Lentigo - This is the medical term for a sun-induced brown spot on the skin. Lentigines accumulate primarily on the face, the hands, the arms, and the legs with age, especially in those who chronically expose themselves to sunlight and tanning beds.

Melolabial folds - These creases run from the outer corners of the lips to the chin. They are also known as marionette lines.

Microdermabrasion - This method uses a fine spray of aluminum oxide or salt crystals to gently sandblast the skin, revealing a, brighter, rosier, younger-looking complexion. Microdermabrasion that is administered or supervised by a doctor is not always more aggressive than the procedures performed by aestheticians.

Nasolabial folds - These creases run from the sides of the nose to the mouth and tend to deepen with age.

Paraffinum Liquidum - Clear, odorless oil widely used in cosmetics because it rarely causes allergic reactions and can't become a solid and clog pores.

Peptide - Popular in cosmeceuticals, this tiny chain of amino acids can prompt the skin cells to make more collagen, the epidermis to normalize, and the blood vessels to become plumper and healthier—all of which should, in theory, reduce the signs of aging over time. Another emerging class of peptides temporarily relaxes the facial muscles that are responsible for crinkling, so the skin looks smoother and fine lines are less obvious. Copper peptides can cause brown spots to fade and smooth wrinkles very slightly.

Photoaging - This is the name for premature aging of the skin caused by exposure to the sun. The symptoms of photoaging include uneven pigmentation, fine lines, and wrinkles.

Photorejuvenation - This term refers to the use of light and energy sources, like intense pulsed light, and radio-frequency devices, to reduce or eliminate unwanted pigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging areas of the skin.

Propylene Glycol, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea, DMDM hydantoin - Mild preservatives commonly used in cosmetics and baby skincare products, they are effective against bacteria, yeast and mold.

Red facial blood vessels - These painless veins that become visible along the sides of the nose and cheeks will worsen with age, especially in fair-skinned individuals, but also in those who smoke, consume alcohol regularly, and expose their skin to excessive sun and heat. These vessels are easily treated with a series of intense pulsed light.

Retinoid - This remarkably effective prescription vitamin A derivative helps to shed the cells that make up the outer skin layer, and it replaces them with plumper, healthier ones. Beneath the skin’s surface, a retinoid acts to normalize blood vessels and stimulate the production of new collagen fibers and hyaluronic acid. The result is better skin texture, more even color, and increased radiance in as little as two weeks.

Retinol - A weaker cousin to the retinoid, this nonprescription, over- the-counter ingredient helps to speed cell turnover and possibly generate collagen, making the skin look smoother and more even in color over time.

Rosacea - Often mistaken for acne, this disorder is characterized by flushing, broken blood vessels, and later, papules and pustules. The pimples of rosacea respond to topical creams and gels. However, the redness and the vessels will not get better without intense pulsed light treatments.

Skin type - This describes the qualities of a person's skin, including such individual traits as light vs. dark, dry vs. oily, and other factors.

Skin’s virtual age (SVA) - Unlike your chronological age, your skin’s virtual age refers to the way your complexion looks and feels. Depending on how well you care for your skin, your SVA might be years younger than your actual age, years older, or just about the same.

SPF - This stands for “sun protection factor” and is followed by a number. The higher the number, the more the sunscreen will shield you from UVB rays, which penetrate the skin and cause tanning, burning, and, in some cases, skin cancer. The SPF does not reflect how well your sunscreen blocks UVA rays, which penetrate more deeply—even through window glass—and cause more of the signs we associate with aging skin, like shallowness and wrinkling, as well as some forms of skin cancer.

Stearyl Alcohol - Used as an emollient and to help keep other ingredients intact in a formulation. Though it has the word "alcohol" its name, stearyl alcohol is not an irritant and is completely unrelated to SD alcohol or ethyl alcohol, the "alcohols" that commonly dry out the skin and cause irritation.

Sunscreen - This lotion, cream, or spray is the single most important anti-aging weapon you can buy. Sunscreen uses chemicals or physical blockers to prevent a certain percentage of ultraviolet light from getting to the skin and attacking and damaging the skin cells. In order to guard against both UVA and UVB, you must wear a sunscreen labeled broad spectrum. Most broad-spectrum sunscreens contain the powerful UVA blocker avobenzone. However, since this ingredient breaks down after exposure to sunlight, some companies are stabilizing it with additives like Helioplex, which dramatically prolong the life span of the sunscreen.

Surfactant - Used to some degree in nearly all soaps and cleansers, surfactants (or detergents) break down and whisk away your skin’s natural oils—and with them, dirt and debris. The more surfactants a cleanser has, the better it works. Thus, depending on how sensitive you are to these cleaning ingredients, a high-surfactant formula could irritate your skin and make it blotchy and flaky. In this case, you should look for a lower-surfactant cleanser.  Ideally, face cleansers should contain minimal surfactant.

Tear trough - The sunken area just beneath the inner corners of the eyes. The skin in this region sags as fat redistributes with age, accentuating shadows and the appearance of dark circles and making the face look tired. Eyelid lifting tightens the skin and removes unwanted fat, but only fillers can soften and smooth out the tear trough.

Threonine - A skin-revitalizing complex comprised of amino acids.

Tocopherol (Vitamin E) - An antioxidant that nurtures and nourishes skin. Protecting skin from the harm of free radicals.

Trichioracetic (TCA) peel - This medium-depth peel treats lines and pigmentation. After the treatment, your skin will peel off for about seven days, leaving you raw for a week or two longer. TCA peels are still fairly popular; my practice performs quite a few of them. Generally, they require about a week of downtime. On the upside, a single peel makes a huge difference in the quality of the skin, which is a huge plus for those who don’t want to return—or spend the money for—a series of laser or light treatments.

Ultraviolet light (UV) - These are invisible rays of light that come from the sun (and tanning beds), resulting in worrisome changes in skin cells. The two types that dermatologists are most concerned with are UVB, which penetrates the skin, causing tanning, burning, and possibly skin cancer, and UVA, which penetrates more deeply—even through window glass—causing the signs we associate with aging skin (shallowness and wrinkling) as well as some forms of skin cancer. Only a broad-spectrum sunscreen shields you from both UVA and UVB.

Waxing - A method of semi-permanent hair removal which removes the hair from the root. New hairs will not grow back in the previously waxed area for two to eight weeks. Almost any area of the body can be waxed, including eyebrows, face, bikini area, legs, arms, back, abdomen and feet. There are many types of waxing suitable for removing unwanted hair. If waxing is done regularly for several years, permanent hair reduction may be achieved.

Waxing is accomplished by spreading a wax combination thinly over the skin. A cloth or paper strip is then pressed on the top and ripped off with a quick movement against the direction of hair growth. This removes the wax along with the hair. Another method utilizes hard wax (as opposed to strip wax). In this case, the wax is applied somewhat thickly and with no cloth or paper strips. The wax then hardens when it cools, thus allowing the easy removal by a therapist without the aid of cloths. This waxing method is very beneficial to people who have sensitive skin.

Xanthan Gum (Corn sugar gum) - Composed of pure natural polysaccharide (sugar) constituted of glucose, mannose & glucuronic acid.