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Retin-A Micro(R) PUMP and ELLEgirl.com Send Four Girls to My Beauty Camp this Summer

Retin-A Micro(R) PUMP has teamed up with the popular teenage Web site ELLEgirl.com to send four contest winners later this summer to a weeklong My Beauty Camp in Santa Monica, California. With the new school year approaching, the goal of the camp is to empower girls to become successful women by helping them build confidence and boost self-esteem through all aspects of their academic and personal lives.

One critical aspect of a teenager’s self-confidence is skin health, including proper management of acne.(1) According to results of the Skin Matters survey, conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by Retin-A Micro(R) PUMP, the impact of acne extends beyond physical appearance and can have psychological and emotional effects on teenagers.(1) The survey found that 70% of teenagers feel pressure about having clear skin; and acne tends to impact teenage girls more negatively than teenage boys, with greater effects on their self-confidence, mood, physical health and relationships with family.(2)

In light of the survey results, Retin-A Micro(R) PUMP recognized My Beauty Camp as a valuable opportunity to address the physical and psychological impact of acne and to provide girls with educational tips on skin health.

“Acne is a vicious cycle — it can be a huge stressor for teenagers which can often lead to more acne breakouts,” says Richard Fried, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Director, Yardley Dermatology and Yardley Skin Enhancement and Wellness Center and an investigator of the Skin Matters survey. “Emotional stress has been linked to severe acne episodes, and certain factors in a teen’s life — such as getting ready to go back to school, trying out for a sports team or fitting into a social niche — can cause anxiety and distress. I recommend that my younger patients schedule a ‘back-to-school’ visit to gain control of their skin before these emotional factors affect them.”

My Beauty Camp offers a variety of useful workshops for girls ages 11 to 18 that address a range of adolescent issues such as fitness, self-esteem, skin care, college preparation, healthy eating, everyday etiquette, shopping sense, goal-setting, money management and more.(3) Gabrielle Thomas, a licensed aesthetician, founded My Beauty Camp in 2004 to provide a fun and rewarding experience that helps girls set and reach their highest goals.(3) The staff is comprised of an aesthetician, fashion stylist, clinical psychologist, hair stylist and peer mentor, all with whom provide hands-on workshops on their specialized subject matter.(3) Over 100 girls have attended the camp this summer.(3)

“Like most teens, I went though a very awkward stage of my life where I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin,” said Thomas. “Our goal at My Beauty Camp is to teach girls about how to take care of themselves from the inside-out, and provide them with the necessary tools to boost their self-esteem. The camp is a great opportunity for girls to attend right before the school year when insecurities can be at their highest.”

To participate in the ELLEgirl.com contest, girls were asked to submit a visual or written representation of what beauty means to them, whether it be a collage, photograph, painting, drawing, poem, or short essay. The winners of the My Beauty Camp contest are Beatrice Ebijimi (age 13) of Chicago; Mercedes Knibbs (age 15) of Bronx, NY; Jennifer Petrucci (age 13) of Cheshire, CT and Tyler Williams (age 14) of Alpharetta, GA.

“Being beautiful is expressing yourself. You have to love yourself and other people, and you have to take care of your body and be healthy. It’s knowing that you have natural beauty,” says Williams. “I’m excited to attend My Beauty Camp. I think it’s going to be a great way to learn about the latest beauty and health tips, discover more about myself and make new friends.”

The Retin-A Micro(R) PUMP and ELLEgirl.com contest winners will attend My Beauty Camp from August 25 through August 29. Since its founding in 2004, more than 1,200 girls throughout the United States have attended the camp and its related workshops.

Source: OrthoNeutrogena

Filed under : Advice, Beauty, Chat

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Bald Girls Do Lunch(R) Brings Cool Advice to Las Vegas

Sweltering under wigs unable to grow hair, women are turning to Bald Girls Do Lunch(R) for cool options and warm hearts. So, Bald Girls Do Lunch(R), a not-for-profit organization, is bringing women with alopecia areata together for the first time in Nevada.

The August 15 Las Vegas event is a 6:30 p.m. dinner at Suede, 160 E. Flamingo Rd. in the Westin Casuarina Hotel. Advance reservations are required by emailing info@baldgirlsdolunch.org or calling 914.584.7662.

At lunches and dinners like these Thea Chassin, founder and president, meets women who are yearning to say, “I have alopecia, so what!” when it comes to alopecia areata, an autoimmune hair-loss condition. “Secrecy severely limits a woman’s lifestyle options,” says Chassin. “The key to living happily is talking openly and feeling in control. Family and friends mean well, but it’s a relief to talk to someone like myself who understands the challenges.”

According to Chassin, when everyone at the table shares the same condition, strong bonds and self-esteem are built. The lively discussions cover situations as wide ranging as dating, business meetings, alternatives to wigs and physical activities. But the overall goal of the organization is promoting individual choice and comfort. Women of all ages adorned with wigs and hats come to the events, and some even debut their bald look.

Given this cool advice, Bald Girl events are gaining momentum nationwide. In 28 cities and 14 states, women have gotten together for support by breaking down the taboos surrounding female baldness. Meeting in public helps counter the belief that every bald woman has cancer, Chassin believes. Unable to grow or sustain hair on their scalps — and sometimes even brows and eyelashes — people with alopecia areata are actually in good health.

Alopecia areata affects men, women and children of all ages — approximately 5 million people in the U.S. Characterized by smooth, round bald patches, it can progress to complete hair loss that includes all body hair. Some treatments work for some people, but there is no cure. Alopecia areata is highly unpredictable, may have a genetic predisposition and can appear at any time of life.

Bald Girls Do Lunch, a 501c3 public charity, was founded by Thea Chassin in New York. Her degree in physical therapy from Columbia University brings both scientific and humanistic skills to her work with women. She saw that women crave fun and stimulating chats over coffee or lunch to share information. She credits the uplifting, women-only format for conquering feelings of aloneness.

For more information about the dinner event, Bald Girls Do Lunch(R) and the autoimmune disease alopecia areata visit www.baldgirlsdolunch.org.

Source: Bald Girls Do Lunch(R) Inc.

Filed under : Advice, Beauty, Chat

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