Well we’ve reached that time in December where many people have lots of events and parties to go to, or at the very least work holiday dinners. In medical spa land, that means people don’t really want injectable procedures that they may bruise or swell from, or laser treatments that can make them red and flaky. But we do have two great no-downtime treatments. Hydra Facial This multi-step treatment does it all, and treats it all: hyperpigmentation, acne, dry skin, redness, fine lines and texture. They can be done every week if you’re working on a particular skin issue, or once a month for skin maintenance. Here’s part of a previous blog about Hydra Facial:
Ever since the decision was made to bring in the Hydra Facial treatment to Body Tonic, everyday you’d hear one of us say, I can’t WAIT to get the Hydra facial!! For me, it was images of pretty much living in Room 1, having Kit or Leslie vacuuming out my blackheads, flushing my skin with hydration, and constantly having gorgeous skin, freshly infused with special antioxidants and customized serums. Honestly, that's pretty much what it was like. We were all squeaky, shiny clean after our treatments. I haven't worn makeup all weekend (not that I usually do), but I'm four days out from my treatment and my skin still has an almost matte finish to it, with improved clarity and even tone. The Hydra Facial may look reminiscent of a microderm, but in function and efficacy, the Hydra Facial is drastically different. Really the only similarity is that they both have a form of vacuum exfoliation. But the Hydra Facial is truly a complete, medical, non-laser skin resurfacing treatment. The treatment has multiple steps. The standard steps for a Hydra Facial treatment are: Step 1 - Cleanse and exfoliate Step 2 - Custom chemical peel Step 3 - Extract and hydrate with the peel still applied Step 4. Fuse and Protect: Skin is infused with antioxidants and hyaluronic acid. You also have the option to add in specialty serums: Britenol for pigment and brightening, DermaBuilder for texture and hydration, or CTGF which is packed with growth factors for intense, total skin repair. I had the DermaBuilder with my treatment. Step 5. Red and/or blue LED light therapy. Red light is for improving fine lines and wrinkles. The blue light is an antibacterial treatment. You can also choose to add in a dermaplane or lymphatic drainage before the HydraFacial. Lymphatic drainage which, if you choose this add-on, will be the very first part of the treatment. It felt very relaxing! This is good for helping with puffiness that may be a result of allergies, and is just beneficial to overall skin detoxification. If you chose to add this in, be sure to drink lots of water after your treatment to help flush the toxins.
SkinCeuticals Micropeel
The Micropeel is a three-step clinical procedure combining dermaplaning (physical exfoliation with a surgical blade), chemical exfoliation with a customized peel, and an anti-bacterial cryogenic therapy. Together, these three steps improve skin texture and radiance, reduce acne blemishes and help prevent future breakouts, firm skin, diminish fine lines and wrinkles, lighten dark spots and even-out skin tone, and revitalize sensitive skin while decongesting pores.
Step 1: Dermaplaning Dermaplaning is a gentle skin resurfacing procedure that uses a special surgical blade to remove the top layer of dead skin cells. This is also a stand-alone service that has no downtime. As an added bonus, it also removes facial hair—a great procedure for people wanting to remove lighter-colored facial hair or “peach fuzz.” You end up with very smooth-looking, glowing skin. When used as the first step of the Micropeel, the removal of the dead skin cells not only allows for cell renewal, but also allows for better penetration of the chemical peel, which is customized for your skin type and skincare needs, as the second step of the Micropeel.
What does dermaplaning feel like? Just feels like a slight scraping sensation that is not uncomfortable at all. My skin felt slightly itchy after we were done. Step 2: Chemical Peel Several options are available for the chemical peel portion of the MicroPeel: sensitive skin solution, pigment balancing peel, lactic acid, glycolic acid, or salicylic acid, or the micropeel plus. Which peel you use will be based on your skin type and needs and your aestheticians recommendations. What does the chemical peel portion feel like? I received a mid-grade strength peel and it felt like stinging and some itching for about 30 seconds and then it calmed down. It is very tolerable! Step 3: Cryogenic Therapy This feels amazing and has great benefits! This is a clinical skin freezing procedure (a small ball of CO2 is drawn rapidly over the face) used to immediately increase the rate of the skin cell turnover. This causes sun-damaged cells to be shed, evens skin tone, and helps reduce the appearance of pore. Due to its low temperature, this anti-bacterial treatment sanitizes skin and has an anti-inflammatory response, calming inflamed skin. What does it feels like: Cool and calming!