“A Woman’s Skin is like her Business Card. It shows up in the world first.” ~ Dr Terry 
I believe good photography is capturing the beauty of moments. Capturing the beauty of emotions in a blink of an eye, extended into the space of time. To create beautiful pictures, it is important to feel beautiful in the first place which will easily be expressed through your eyes, smile and even your skin. In my clinic, I work with professional people who want to express their best self, putting their best foot and face forward.
I know with modern technology, we can photoshop any “flaw” or “mistake” that we see but I believe if we can start with the best canvas we have i.e. our skin, any extra makeup, accessory or colour will only enhance the picture even further.
The most common skin frustrations I hear online and offline are acne, scars, pigmentation, dry and rough skin, sensitive skin, dull and grey skin and looking tired. Almost everyone I speak to desire glowing, clear, hydrated, smooth and youthful skin. The best is when minimal or no foundation needed.
At the end of the day, whether we agree with it or not “Good Skin Sells”. Good skin boost confidence for yourself and to the people you’re engaging with. Each will have it’s own specific treatment plan but here I share with you my Top 5 Skincare Basics to Look Great for Your Headshot.
Tip #1 – Exfoliate to Perfection
Did you know that we shed more than 3.6kg of dead skin each year! Our skin makes up about 16% of our body weight. Over a 24-hour period, we would have lost almost a million skin cells! In young skin, this occurs like clockwork – skin shedding and renewing every 6 weeks. This maintains the skin’s natural glow, avoids breakouts and youthful with minimal lines and wrinkles. With age, the skin cycle slows down anything up to 18 weeks to renew. The build up of “old” skin cells on the top layers of our skin will leave us looking grey, dull, tired looking, spotty and wrinkly.
Hence it’s important to exfoliate – everyday if you can (less if your skin is sensitive, weak or dry) to encourage the natural cycle of shedding and renewing.
Action Plan: You can exfoliate mechanically using polish and scrubs. If you like gadgets, I would recommend the Clarisonic Face Brush but a muslin cloth will do just fine and cheaper too. My favourite type of exfoliation is a skin peel which you can do at home, beauty salon or doctor’s clinic depending on the strength of the peel and level of skin renewal you desire. If you’re doing this at home, try a fruit enzyme mask with mash papayas, oats, milk and honey together – the combination of enzymes make a natural light peel (make sure you’re not allergic to any of these food items!)
Tip #2 – Go for a Massage
Stress easily show on our faces. This is caused by the stress hormone, Cortisol which affects sugar regulation, affects our hormonal balance, our sleep, lowers immunity and slows down tissue repair. Stress also causes us more worry lines. 
Action Plan: Melt away your worries and boost your circulation with a body massage. If your therapist is experience in massaging your face, this will also help reduce puffiness, soften lines and plump up the skin.
Tip #3 – Detox Boost
Our skin reflects our inner health e.g. how new mothers glow when a new life is growing inside of them. Our
intestinal tracts contribute to 70% of our body’s immune system. If it is functioning healthily – absorbing the right nutrients, dispelling waste, and preventing absorption of harmful toxins, our skin will reflect that. If it is sick, our skin will suffer from breakouts, eczema, psoriasis, wrinkles and loss of glow.
Action Plan: Remove all refined sugars, gluten, carbohydrates, dairy, soda water, caffeine and grains in your diet for at least 3 weeks. Go on a green juice diet for at least 5 days. Book a colonic irrigation to clear excessive waste.
Tip #4 – Get an Oil Change
Omega 3 is one of the BIG secret to glowing skin. Omega 3‘s are essential fatty acids – the good type. It helps to keep our skin moist and prevents sagging. It also fights against nasty free radicals that are flying around which damages our skin and increasing the breakdown of collagen. If you had to choose just ONE supplement to take – I would recommend Omega 3’s. It also helps prevent premature wrinkles, dry skin, dandruff, cracked skin and very dry skin conditions e.g. eczema and psoriasis. 
Action Plan: Increase your Omega 3 intake by adding cold water fish like salmon, herring, sardines and fresh tuna twice a week. You can also take a supplement of at least 1000mg of Omega 3 each day. Flaxseed, walnut oil or walnuts are great sources which you can sprinkle in salads or added into a smoothie. Other foods containing Omega 3s are kiwi, black raspberry, butternuts, pecan nuts, egg yolks (from pasturised hen’s) and grass fed beef.
Tip #5 – Have a Medical Facial
A medical facial is different from an ordinary facial because it’s effective in causing change to your skin together with the TLC. A medical facial will involve careful assessment of your skin, thorough extractions to clean, carefully selected skin peels to resurface and renew, with the possibility of adding light, heat or micro-current therapy to lift, tighten and plump your skin. A must for any serious maintenance program.
Action Plan: To learn more, please click http://drterry.com/skin/advanced-signature-facial-therapy/ 
Any of these basic tips will boost your complexion and skin, ready for a perfect shot.
I hope you found this blog useful. If you would like more help in improving your complexion and skin, putting your best face forward in your business and life, please email us on info@DrTerry.com or visit www.DrTerry.com
Written by Dr Terry Loong
