KEY POINTS:
You're fast running out of time to hit the beach in top shape by Boxing Day, but with four more weeks to go, our emergency rescue ideas will get you in the best possible state for the big reveal.
1 Get moving
Quite a bit can be achieved in four weeks of watching what you eat - and drink - and exercising at least three times a week. You may even lose a few kilograms and you can certainly tone up. Cardio sessions at the gym are a good place to start, but include some fun outdoor activities. A brisk morning walk or a game of social tennis at the weekend (skip the G&Ts afterwards) will help burn a few calories and lift your metabolism, pepping up your circulation and melatonin levels, brightening your complexion and lifting your mood.
Still lying on the couch and wondering how on earth you're going to get into that bikini? Now's the time to get fit quick with Power Plate vibration training. Based on technology developed for the Soviet aerospace programme back in the Sixties, it is now favoured by Hollywood celebraties such as Madonna and Stevie Nicks and sports people like British golfers Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomery. As you go through your workout, you stand on vibrating pads which stimulate your muscles to contract and relax. This apparently allows you to cut your workout time in half and get faster results. "A 20-30 minute workout, three times a week really gets fast results," explains Power Plates New Zealand master trainer, Jaydn Nixon. (For more info, go to www.powerplate.com)
2 A smooth finish
Everyone wants silky smooth legs and underarms and come summer there's nowhere to hide. The ability to get rid of body hair permanently explains a good part of the soaring popularity of IPL treatments. When beauty editor Janetta Mackay added up decades of waxing appointments, and the prospect of decades more to come of dragging her ageing body up on to a table to have greying hairs removed from thinning skin, the cost of a course of treatments seemed like a good investment.
"With dark hair and fair skin I am the ideal candidate for best results from IPL."
That's because the intense pulsed light emitted from the applicator locks on to melanin (colour) in the hair, and dark hair has more melanin. The light frequency is absorbed and heats up the hair follicle, closing it off to new growth.
At the space-age Skin Institute in Ponsonby, practice manager and trained nurse Sally advises half a dozen treatments are usual, because at any one time usually under 20 per cent of hair is in an active growth phase. Usually it takes 2-3 treatments (spaced a month or more apart) to really notice a difference.
"But my hair is looking well thinned out after only one treatment, especially under the arms. I'm envisaging 3-4 treatments should pretty much nuke the blighters."
A maintenance treatment may be needed down the track, but that still adds up to better than a lifetime of pfaffing about.
"The treatment itself is no more painful than a leg or arm wax, I didn't find it at all disconcerting, there's a vague sense of being pinged as the applicator sweeps across your gelled skin, but nothing more."
Recently, there have been some cautions issued about IPL treatments. Unskilled operators are certainly a worry and so too are cheaper machines which may not be so finely calibrated, so make sure you go to an established, well-set up clinic or salon with well-trained staff. For facial treatments, where there is a risk of enduring visible pigmentation problems, you should proceed with particular care, but hair removal is relatively straightforward.
"I'm not convinced by suggestions that trained beauty therapists should be banned from performing IPL, because by limiting it only to medical staff there's a professional monopoly being created, with cost implications.
Therapists, especially working under medical supervision, seem a better bet than starting a black market in treatments given that inferior machines can be imported relatively cheaply. What is needed is for the industry to sign up to some agreed standards and for customers to question that their providers are up to the job."
Ask for an initial consultation where everything is explained and if you're unhappy go elsewhere.
"I certainly had no qualms with the approach taken by Sally, from the initial thorough questionnaire and throughout the procedure. She was upfront about who would get the best results from IPL and said some customers she'd discourage for fear of poor results.
"I was told to avoid the sun after treatment. That's why a course is best undertaken over winter, though a little sun avoidance is no hardship for hairlessness."
Skin Institute IPL initial hair removal sessions cost for $220 for underarms and $400 for lower leg. Ponsonby clinic, 3 St Mary's Bay Rd, Ph 376-8888 www.skininstitute.co.nz
3 Cellulite challenge
If, like 99 per cent of other women, you have cellulite, start dealing to it now to minimise its effect at the beach. "Stimulation" is the name of the game to enhance blood and lymph and to promote toxin drainage via smooth and abrasive friction.
Every day, stroke your body firmly with a bodybrush in a heartward direction - from feet to thighs and buttocks, and from hands to shoulders. After a shower, massage and knead cream or body oils into your legs to encourage the release of trapped fluids. While this may not banish your cellulite, getting into the habit of regular skin exfoliation, massage and moisturising will improve the surface appearance of your skin.
For extra input, book yourself for a course of deep tissue massage treatments at your favourite beauty clinic. If you want quick results, Fran at the Caci Medispa (53 Davis Crescent, Newmarket. Ph: 524 2784), recommends having their Cellulite and Tone Massage Treatment twice a week for four weeks.
"If you combine this with a good diet, drinking lots of water and body brushing at home, you can definitely get results. The skin looks healthier, firmer and more hydrated."
The treatment relies on Murad products which can be bought and used at home as well.
4 Get that inner glow
It's time to look at your diet. With the warmer weather you naturally find yourself wanting to eat lighter, healthier food. Start each day with a decent breakfast (eggs on toast are great for a protein kick) that will carry you through to a healthy, light lunch and a lean dinner with plenty of vegetables or salad. Don't eschew carbohydrates, they give energy (think salad sandwich or pasta with tuna and chicken) but too much filler food will leave you feeling bloated. Drink in moderation, try to cut back to 2-3 times a week, because aside from being calorie-heavy alcohol goes hand-in-hand with bad, binge eating. From canapes with your cocktails to late night kebab craving, avoid temptation where you can, but be realistic, allow yourself a night or two on the town so you don't abandon your good efforts in frustration. Drink plenty of water (squeeze in some lime for vitamins and flavour) and pack healthy snacks (nuts, dried fruit) to have on your desk so you don't undo the good work.
If you're motivated enough, this might be a good time to take a few days out and try a simple detox. Cut out coffee, carboydrates, meat and alcohol and live on fruit, vegetables, water and herbal teas. The longer you can keep it up the better. And you'll be amazed after a few days, how good you will feel. Ease off on hard workouts at the gym if you go over a couple of days of detoxing. Combine a detox with a course of colonic irrigation (The Colon Care Centre, 639 New North Rd, Morningside. Ph: 815 6499) and you'll be sparkling from the inside out.
5 Nail it
Be sure to book yourself in for a pedicure and foot treatment. At Sarah Priddy Nails & Brow (31-39 Davis St, Newmarket. Ph: 522 2078), owner Sarah Priddy is passionate about the importance of creating sandal-pretty feet. Try the Rejuvenating Foot Treatment which begins with a soothing foot soak, followed by an exfoliating scrub and foot file. Sarah makes her own exfoliator but says you can make your own at home - try mixing grapeseed oil, essential oils, raw sugar and poppy seeds - or just use the sand at the beach! The lower leg and foot receives a stimulating massage, cuticles are tidied, nails buffed and Leighton Denny nailpolish added. A good pedicure should last around four weeks.
A few days out from Christmas, book in for a manicure at one of the nail bars in the malls which all do excellent jobs for around $30, or go for the works at nBar (51C Ranfurly Road, Epsom. Ph (09) 638 5091) with a tropical manicure ($65) and pedicure ($70). Your hands and feet are exfoliated with a Pure Fiji sugar rub, followed by body butter, coconut oil, body lotion, a divine massage, and your choice of nail colour. The relaxing nail bar, owned by Tracey Woolner and Judith Rippon, uses Essie nail lacquer and has more than 250 colour choices. And as well as manicures and pedicures, they do waxing, eyebrow work and parties.
6 Add some colour
If you want that just-been-sun-kissed summery look, put some time aside to focus on a fake tan.
There are hundreds of different options out there to choose from, all using the same chemicals and amino acids to create colour. Some have added shimmer, vitamins, moisturiser or antioxidants. Look for what suits your skin-tone and type best. Before applying anything be sure to exfoliate properly - this will help get rid of dead skin cells and mean the difference between a smooth and blotchy finish. If you're feeling unsure of doing it yourself go to the experts.
