Microdermabrasion-Your New Best Friend

Your skin’s new best friend may be as close as the touch of your telephone – that is to schedule your appointment for Microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion was first developed and used in Europe over 10 years ago and received FDA approval for use in the United States in 1997. Microdermabrasion is the latest in facial skin peels and has become the darling of estheticians, dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Why? Because it is a safer skin procedure than others and much less extreme. If done properly, there is literally no ‘downtime’ – by which we mean you don’t stay in your house hiding for days! This new peel goes by various trademarks, like the California Peel, the Power Peel and the Diamond Peel, but the procedure is the same and the same techniques are used. Only the brand or kind of machine is different. It is all Microdermabrasion.

Microdermabrasion deeply, yet gently, exfoliates the skin by lightly sanding or abrading the top layer with very fine aluminum oxide particles and then, sucking up the debris - the dead skin and the particles - with a highly controlled vacuum. What makes this procedure so wonderful – and revolutionary - is that each treatment can be customized by varying the pressure of the crystal abrasion and the vacuum. Each client gets only what they require in skin exfoliation.

After the first treatment, your skin will have a fresh pink glow and will feel smoother and fresher - almost as if you have been out in the sun. The results are gradual and only with a series of treatments will you see improvement in your skin. But the improvement is remarkable and comes from removing damaged skin and stimulating new cell growth thereby encouraging the collagen in the skin to rebuild. It is the collagen that is so important to the aging process. Our skin gets thinner with age and produces less collagen. When the skin is sanded or abraded, it grows back thicker and, as the collagen production has been stimulated with the Microdermabrasion, it encourages smoother skin. With one treatment, the skin is re-freshened; with a series you can actually reduce fine lines, because the newer, softer skin moves to the surface, revealing significant textural and color changes.

The reaction to Microdermabrasion has been fantastic. Clients are raving about their glowing skin, improved skin tone and texture! Microdermabrasion benefits a host of skin problems including sun damage, fine lines, acne, acne scars, uneven pigmentation and dull skin. This skin therapy offers significant improvement over other procedures in that Microdermabrasion takes advantage of the skin’s response to the treatment - allowing a gradual resurfacing of the new skin. Additionally, Microdermabrasion can be used on all skin types and colors. Other procedures are often much harsher and more aggressive with significant ‘downtimes’ and risk.

Another plus for Microdermabrasion is that after the procedure the skin’s absorption capabilities are greatly enhanced making topical skin treatments more effective – almost a doubled effect. Therefore, after each treatment, we apply a blend of serums, which include vitamin E, vitamin A, panthenol and a moisture builder, to the skin. These ingredients re-hydrate the new skin and enhance the Microdermabrasion procedure allowing for more dramatic results.

Physicians, too, are raving about Microdermabrasion. As part of a long-term skin care routine, it is considered a great anti-aging procedure. Microdermabrasion is being used prior to plastic surgery and laser surgery to stimulate collagen production in the skin. The increased collagen gives a better outcome for the surgical procedure.

What should you look for when researching this new procedure? Make sure that the esthetician has been properly trained in operating the equipment and that he or she has a thorough knowledge of the anatomy of the skin and its various conditions. The equipment used should provide anti-bacterial filters and waste disposal, preventing the passage of bacteria through the system to you, like the Excelladerm microdermabrasion machine. Anything that comes in contact with your skin should be either disposable or able to be sterilized. The esthetician should prep your skin properly with a good cleanser and toner and, in some cases, a mild acid peel can be added as a booster to the Microdermabrasion procedure for really sun-damaged skin. Following the procedure, your skin should be re-hydrated with anti-oxidants, aloe and vitamin therapy, allowing the new skin to be healed and nourished.

Microdermabrasion may sound painful when you say it . . . but it isn’t. It’s much like having your face licked by a cat – you know that sandpaper feel that a cat’s tongue has? The most major side effect is redness, which disappears after several hours. Perhaps the best way to think of this procedure is to liken it to skin polishing, using a fine mist of crystals. Each session lasts from 20 to 45 minutes and costs range from $100 to $200, depending on the skin area covered. An average client may need 4 to 8 treatments for the best results and treatments are spaced 1 to 2 weeks apart. Microdermabrasion - your skin’s new best friend.

mmm…. Is for massage.

As one to always try our spas for new ideas, I decided to try the newest spa in the Bahamas on a recent mini-vacation. The massage sounded nice and they had seven different kinds….ranging from Swedish, to Shiatsu, to Sports to Aromatherapy. In addition they had all kinds of body wraps from a mud wrap to seaweed to salt glows. I was really looking forward to the experience not only to relax, but the holiday was crazy and I really needed a massage. I decided to have a Swedish massage and a seaweed wrap. My friend had never had a massage and opted for the Swedish massage and the mud wrap. I just wanted a nice, relaxing massage, you know the warm, fuzzy kind of massage Little did I know, that we were in for 2 hours of torture.

The massage therapist was a rather large and took me into a very relaxing room, but it was cold. She asked me to get under a skinny towel….it was really cold. She came back in and asked how would I like the pressure….I said deep (before I knew how strong she was). After the first touch, I knew that I was in for a deep massage, but not pain. I told her that the pressure was a little too deep, but I don’t think she understood. The elbow into the shoulder blade should have been my first clue, but I was in total denial.

The agony continued with the slapping of the legs (also know as a percussion stroke in a normal massage and usually reserved for the feet), it felt like she was beating me. The strokes of a massage can include tapotaments, one of which is a tapping stroke, but in this case it felt more like a hammer. The ending was like the grand finale. While lying prone, she asked me to put my arms over my head and clutch my hands around her waist. She said to hold tight while she was going to stretch me. I kindly said, hey I don’t think my arms were meant to stretch this way….she said no problem. Little did I know, she thought otherwise.

Because the massage was so rough, I asked how many years she had trained….the reply was three years. And then I thought maybe it was because she was new….so I asked her how long she had been working….she replied two years at spas throughout the Bahamas. (So as least she spreads her torture around!)

I met my friend in the waiting room and asked her how her massage was….she said, “I feel like someone beat the dickens out of me”. I said, “me too”. They must have both trained in the, “beat the client massage school”. The bruises I had the next day was all the proof I needed to know I had a terrible massage, but what really puzzled me was why I did not stop her from torturing me.

Now for the lesson learned--we are in the spa business and I still did not pipe up and say anything. When you have a massage, yes it can be therapeutic, but it should not be painful. Why is it that when you are on the massage table, you feel powerless to say anything? We feel like the massage therapist is the expert and she should certainly know what she is doing.

If you are having a massage there should be great communication between you and your therapist. They should have communicated clearly the pressure, the touch, and the type of massage you are going to receive. Also, they should clearly know what muscle problems you might have. Massage, if not done correctly, can injure the soft tissue.
Massage is suppose to remove the pain and stiffness from the soft tissue, toning muscles, and relaxing muscle spasms. Skillfully applied, massage directly and indirectly influences the structures and functions of the body. The immediate effects are first noticed on the skin with the secondary results including more active circulation and detoxification. So the next time you have a massage, don’t forget to let them know how you are feeling….if they were fixing your car, wouldn’t you speak up?

From Sassy to Sizzle-Evening Makeup 101

Having the fabulous outfit to wear, plus the right shoes means you must complete the look with a flawless face. The principles for the flawless face (evening makeup) are not to pile on the makeup, but to switch to more dramatic tones to enhance the face. There is nothing worse than a gorgeous dress and really bad makeup or no makeup at all. If this little tutorial becomes too technical for the makeup novice (you can be 16 or 80), please don’t hesitate to come by the spa for your free makeup application and lesson.

Evening makeup allows you to experiment and have fun. Not only are your features more defined, but the color can be more expressive and darker. Remember the following tutorial is not your everyday makeup application, it is evening makeup for special parties, weddings, or that romantic dinner.

No matter what your age (our oldest makeup student is 85), remember to take care of your skin first. Makeup application to clean, exfoliated skin makes a world of difference. If you see a women with makeup that looks clumpy, it’s not her makeup, it it’s her skin care regimen. So start with exfoliated and moisturized skin and your makeup will look fabulous. Let’s begin.

Eye shadow primer is to keep the eye shadow from creasing and to help the eye makeup last longer. Apply over the entire eye area from the base of the lashes up to the brow.
Smooth concealer to mask imperfections: blemishes, dark circles, red capillaries, etc. Dark hides and light draws attention. Opposite colors cover. For example, green covers red.
Apply foundation with a sponge using outward, sweeping strokes, carefully blending along jaw line and hairline. Always match the color by testing on the jaw line.
Powder sets the foundation, absorbs excess oil and gives the skin a flawless finish. Use a loose mineral powder to set makeup by applying over face using light downward strokes with a large brush in the direction of the facial hair.
Apply a medium to dark shade of powder blush under cheek bone. Apply a lighter shade over the darker shade on the ball of the cheek. If you dare gold dust or silver dust creates a playful evening look on the cheeks.
Pencil in brows with 1/2 to 1 shade darker than natural color. Apply with small short strokes to naturally shape and define brows or use a brow powder. Apply brow gel to set the brows in place.
Eyes. Apply light shade of eye color from lash line to brow. Apply a darker shade of eye color in a thin line in the crease of the eye. This will make the eyelid look larger and the brow bone stronger. Apply a medium shade of eye color over the darker shade in the crease. Blend into brow bone. This will make the structure of the eye appear stronger. Apply black eyeliner to upper lashes. Start at the inner corner of the eye with a thin line, creating a thicker line along the iris. Extend line diagonally upward past outer corner of the eye. Line lower lashes with eye liner. Blend. Do not close line at the outer corner since this will make the eye appear smaller. Apply two coats of mascara on upper and lower lashes.
Lips. Use short, feather-like strokes to line toward each corner. Line center of lower lip and then apply from corners of the lip toward the center to connect the lines. Stroke color from center to corners of upper lip and from corner to corner of lower lip. Use a lip brush to blend with lip liner pencil. Apply a very light color to the center of the bottom lip and then apply gloss.

Is Beauty Skin Deep?

The days of using just soap and water on your skin are over for most people, especially if you want to have a great complexion and look younger. Few people realize that the skin is the largest organ of the body and it acts as the first defense against the environment, therefore we need to constantly take care of our skin and make it feel beautiful. But more important, great skin is now like a symbol of youth, no matter how old you are, if you have great skin, you will be very self-confidant and sure of yourself.

So what does it take to have great skin and what is great skin? We like to define great skin, as smooth feeling, glowing, and unblemished. It has nothing to do with wrinkles, age spots, pregnancy mask, skin tags, or any of the other numerous (and quite lovely) skin problems. Great skin is radiant and again, it has nothing to do with age.

Early intervention and taking care of your skin in your 20’s will give you fabulous skin when you are eighty. From lifestyle to technology, skincare is having a revolution in the aging process. We want to minimize the aging process by fighting increasing dryness, loss of elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles, rough texture, dehydration, hyperpigmentation . . . just to name a few of the aging signals. From exfoliation to skin lighteners to sun protection, advanced skin care is for those who want to go the extra mile. Your daily home care regimen and how you take care of your skin at home is the key to great skin.

For lifestyle, you have to evaluate your skin and obvious hereditary factors, exposure to the elements and lifestyle (smoking, alcohol) will contribute to the physical changes in your skin as you age. Nutrition, especially heavy dieting and vitamin defiencies can contribute to skin changes and aging, including hyperpigmentation. It is well known that proper skincare, long-term preventative techniques contribute to a total wellness approach to great skin. The tops in lifestyle for having great skin are to drink more water, decrease sun exposure, exfoliate more rapidly, use more moisturizers, get more sleep, and eat right. Your skin can tell you how well you are taking care of yourself.

As technology and science starts to evaluate the skin, we will continue to have advances in skin care and skin care treatments. For starters, you have to know what kind of skin you have—is it oily, normal or dry, and then there are a myriad of new treatments available from microdermabrasion to oxygen peels to the old standby, glycolic acid. Your skin can look the best ever as technology gives us the ability to exfoliate dead skin cells, increase cellular turnover, encourage collage and elastin to reconnect, or through DNA cell therapy have the new skin cells rebuild. It all sounds a little like a science project, but the technology is available to have smooth, glowing and radiant skin.

Year 2000 is almost over…it seems like there is never enough time in the day to get everything done. Take the time, no matter your age, to get a sense of how your skin is doing. Dedication to good skin care will help you look and feel younger….even radiant.