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“Chicken Soup for the Soul”, remember those books?  Soul soothing stories that warmed our hearts and taught us valuable life lessons.  The name came to mind when I stumbled across this recipe.  I did a google search for “Best chicken soup recipe” and it was one of the top links.  With a name like “The best chicken soup you will ever eat”, we had to try it.

Most of us have made many pots of soup in our life, many types of chicken soup.  This one is now, by far, our family favorite.  I thought it would be a perfect day to share it as it is chilly and rainy.  And being in the midst of these extremely challenging and unprecedented times, it seems fitting to write about a food recipe on our Bella Body Medical Spa blog because we all need a healthy dose of soul soothing, immune boosting goodness.

What makes this recipe special are the extra additions of super immune boosting ingredients such as garlic, turmeric, a potent antioxidant which also may help with signs of depression, and ginger which helps fight the common cold, the flu, reduce nausea and inflammation and more.

We tried using what we had on hand to save a trip to the grocery store.  Here are a few substitutions we made in case you need to modify, too:

*We shredded a rotisserie chicken and added this at the end versus cooking chicken at the beginning.

*We did not have fresh rosemary or thyme so we subbed with dried Italian Seasonings which contains both of those ingredients plus a few others.

*We happened to have a piece of ginger root left over from a dish we made a while ago but subbing with dried ginger can work, too.

*We had some fresh kale and baby spinach that were on their way out so we threw them in at the end for extra nutrition, it added pretty color, too.

*We had a box of small pasta, Ditalini, in the pantry so used that versus couscous.  I cooked it separately and put in the bottom of the bowls before ladling in the soup.

*I love spicy foods, my family not so much.  So I added a few dashes of red pepperoncino to my own bowl.

Thank you so much Ambitious Kitchen for this delicious recipe that truly is the best chicken soup we will ever eat!  You can find the recipe here.

We hope your family enjoys it as much as we did!  Sending you lots of soul soothing, heartwarming love from our home to yours.

Xoxoxo, Bonnie, Jeff & Faith

Growth Factors – The Fountain of Youth?

Do you keep hearing the words Growth Factors? Do you wonder what they do? How they work? And why they’re in your skin care? Keep reading to understand how Growth Factors can benefit your skin in a major way.

What are Growth Factors and what do they do?

Growth Factors are natural substances made by skin cells to maintain healthy skin and boost communication between cells. They help to repair damaged skin, while providing components for firmness and elasticity. They also help maintain the skin’s protective functions and when used in topical products they help to facilitate healing and support protein growth to reverse the signs of aging.

Growth factors can more or less pass over the dead skin cells that form the stratum corneum and create a signaling pathway with the living skin cells deeper with the skin. Therefore, despite being rather large, growth factors are still able to meaningfully impact and improve cellular functioning.

As we age, we make less Growth Factors naturally than we did in our youth, so incorporating growth factors into our skin care regiment is crucial to maintain the overall health of our skin.

Where do Growth Factors in our skin care come from?

There are several places that growth factors come from, which can be derived from human cells grown in a laboratory to non-human sources, such as, snails and plants. Examples of human cells are skin cells, bone marrow skin cells, fat stem cells and even from your own Platelets. Each and every one of these cells can help reverse the signs of aging in the skin.

Do Growth Factors really work?

Research has proven that topically applied Growth Factors have shown increased improvements in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, texture and even discoloration. When incorporated with antioxidants results can be achieved even sooner!

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Do you suffer from Underarm sweat?

Have you tried other procedures in the past and had no success? Well look no further for our miraDry Treatment. This non-invasive procedure uses ground breaking, clinically proven technology to significantly reduce underarm sweat. There is no pain and very minimal to no downtime.

How does miraDry work?

The miraDry procedure usually takes between 1-2 hours.  Our nurse will numb the area with a local anesthesia and outline the area that we are targeting.  miraDry uses microwave technology, where electromagnetic energy is delivered to the underarm to destroy the overactive sweat glands.  While the energy is being release, the miraDry   system will also release waves of cooling energy to prevent any discomfort or burning.

How many treatments are needed?

Most patients usually only need one treatment, but with conditions, such as, hyperhidrosis, a patient may need 1-2 treatments, scheduled 3 months apart. In rare cases, a third treatment may be needed.

What is the success rate of miraDry?

Results can vary from individual to individual, however, a reported 75-95% of patients have seen a reduction in sweat and body odor in the underarm area.

What should I expect Post Procedure?

While everyone is different, patients may experience swelling, soreness and/or a tingling sensation underneath the arms. The side effects usually subside within a week following the procedure. Patients should see an immediate reduction in the amount of sweat they produce. Sweat glands cannot regenerate, therefore, results are long-lasting. Majority of patients may return to work and personal schedules immediately following the treatment.

Watch how miradry works and how it can help give you freedom from sweat and odor

Have questions? Why wait? Schedule your private, complimentary consultation today in person or by phone at 215.622.7724
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So, what is it that Lasers do?

Lasers are a device that uses light energy to eradicate the hair follicle. Therefore, hair growth is reduced due to the follicle being destroyed. It can be slightly painful, like a rubber band slapping you on each zap, but nothing that a little numbing cream can’t lessen.

Who is the ideal client for laser hair reduction?

The ideal laser client is someone that has lighter to medium dark complexion or a patient with a higher contrast between hair color and skin color and has darker, coarser hair. Therefore, anyone with lighter or whiter hair would not be an ideal candidate because they lack the targeted pigment the lasers are attracted to.

When is the ideal time to start laser hair treatments?

The fall is a great time to start receiving laser hair treatments because our skin must be free of any UV exposure or sunless tanner. Your skin is comprised after exposure to the sun therefore we would not want to sustain any damage or blistering to the skin. So once our tans have faded and we’re cozy in our sweaters, we should start our laser hair reduction to have reduced hair for the coming summer months!

Did you know…

Your hair grows in 3 stages. Hair growth in the active stage is the ideal time to have a laser treatment.

It takes time to catch every hair in that active stage so treatments are spaced out anywhere from 4-8 weeks.

Most clients will see an 85% reduction in growth on those coarse, dark hairs.

Certain disorders, such as, hirsutism and PCOS, can cause hair to continually grow even during a series of LHR because those with these conditions are more susceptible to have continued hair growth. While, most see a result and use it to help control the hair growth, it may take them longer to see results.

Pre- and Post Laser Hair Treatment…

Before your scheduled laser hair removal you want to be aware of any sun exposure you have had in the two weeks prior to your service or any sunless tanner that may still be on the skin. Most importantly, waxing or tweezing should not be performed 6 weeks prior to the start of your treatment and most importantly during your series. Again, we need the hair in that active growth stage to achieve the most effective result.

It’s time to ditch the razors for good!

Give us a call to set up your private consultation and schedule your first session. Get started now so you can enjoy razor smooth skin without shaving, for years to come! Take advantage of our Fall Special, Buy one area and we will add a second area complimentary. 215.622.7724 or hello@www.bellabodymedicalspa.com

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Now that summer is over and we are approaching fall we all want to know how we can clear up the damage that we have caused to our skin. Enter the IPL Photo Facial.

What happens to your skin in the summer sun?

Hyperpigmentation occurs when melanin is overproduced in certain spots of the skin. Pigment spots, such as age spots, are caused by sun exposure. They appear mainly on the face, chest, and hands. They tend to be small darkened patches of skin. Unfortunately, the UV radiation can sometimes be too much for this melanin to handle, so the skin reacts in a build up of darker cells that act as a protector, or “sunglasses”, for the over-exposed area of the skin.

How can an IPL PhotoFacial help?

IPL treatments are most commonly used for lightening and removing sun spots and age spots along with reducing redness, rosacea, and broken blood vessels on the face, neck, and chest. This treatment also addresses skin tone and texture along with fine lines and wrinkles by stimulating collagen growth and larger pores by reducing the amount of oil the skin produces.

What is IPL doing to your skin?

IPL stands for Intense Pulsed Light and works by stimulating deeper tissues of the skin with a range of concentrated light. The lightwaves are targeted at hemoglobin (red blood cells) or melanin (brown pigment in freckles/age spots). The light beam passes through the skin and is absorbed by either the hemoglobin or melanin resulting in damage to the vessel wall or melanin pigment. These tiny vessels are then absorbed by the body rendering them less visible.

How will you look after a PhotoFacial?

Immediately after the treatment your skin will be slightly red. Any pigmentation will get darker right away and flake off like dry skin over 2-3 days. For veins, the skin will look slightly redder after the treatment for 2-3 days. Make-up can be applied right after the treatment. A healing foundation called Oxygenetics is available at Bella Body Medical Spa which can be applied following your treatment to help conceal any redness. Results are achieved with little to no discomfort or downtime. A minimum of 3 treatments every 4 weeks is recommended for optimal results.

Set up your complimentary consultation with our Skin Care Experts to see how a PhotoFacial can benefit you, 215.622.7724. You can also learn more about our PhotoFacial here.

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