Skin Care   

1. Why should I have a facial?

Most people have facials as a form of relaxation, or as a reward. Professional facial treatments should really be seen as much more than an occasional treat. Professional facials incorporate using products with much stronger active ingredients, which promote a visible benefit immediately. These treatments boost the efficacy of home care products, as well as decongest areas impossible for individuals to do themselves. An Esthetician may use magnification and ultra violet lights to determine skin type and condition, and recommend a course of action to correct any skin complaints. Professional treatments offer clients education they need and deserve about skin problems. There are hundreds of skin care products available, and individuals wishing to improve the quality of their skin must see an Esthetician for analysis and recommendations for a proper home care system.

2. What type of treatment should I have?

This question is best answered after a thorough analysis of the skin. Once the skin type has been determined, and the clients expectation have been expressed, a treatment plan can be designed. As individuals vary, so do the treatments. We customize our facials based on the needs and problem areas the patient is experiencing. The two treatments we recommend are The Allure Classic Derma Facial, which focuses on each individuals problem areas, and is followed by a customized mask. The second treatment we recommend is a Chemical Peel. For maximum benefit we suggest alternating between a Chemical Peel and the Allure facials.

3. How often should I have an appointment?

The average client will have a facial every 4-6 weeks, but you can have a facial with a glycolic acid peel as frequently as once a week. To maintain results from the Chemical Peel sessions, you should repeat the treatment every 6 weeks once the initial 6 sessions are completed. You should not allow more than 12 weeks between Peel appointments. Extraction appointments can be done weekly provided the skin heals before the next session.

4. What can I expect from my facial treatment or peel?

Your skin should begin to feel smoother and silkier. Dark spots should begin to fade, and fine lines and wrinkles should diminish over time. Blackheads will be extracted ( not in a peel ), and with proper home care do not reappear as quickly. Acne breakouts typically subside, and may disappear altogether. Home care products will become more effective. The skin will take on a more even tone. Immediately after a treatment, the skin may look red or irritated. This usually lasts only a short period of time, and then the skin tone and texture improve.

5. Will a facial treatment make me break out?

Most of our clients experience little to no break outs after having a facial treatment. Our facility identifies and eliminates those products and procedures which lead to break outs after treatments. We understand people come in with skin problems, and we dont want them to leave with new or more problems. Any treatment can stimulate the skin to break out, so it is possible, but very rare that it happens in our facility. We strongly encourage the use of quality home care products, which decrease the likelihood that a client will have an acne episode after a treatment.

6. Is there anything I can do to get rid of my wrinkles without a facelift, collagen or other injections?

To a certain extent, yes. Chemical Peel is a wonderful treatment which helps stimulate your bodys own natural collagen production, as well as smoothes out lines and rough edges on the skin. Peels will also help stimulate the production of collagen in the epidermis.These options do have their limits, and with extremely aged and damaged skin, sometimes the only option to attain the desired results is to have cosmetic surgery. All of the above options should still be utilized even if surgery is an option, as surgery will only tighten the skin. The quality of the skin still needs to be addressed through professional treatments, and consistent use of home care products.

7. What about acne on my chest and back?

These areas can be treated the same way you would treat the face. The back it is a little more challenging because it is difficult to reach. Typically the chest and back can tolerate stronger products, and a more aggressive protocol is typically recommended. For those experiencing problems with break outs on the chest and back, we recommend for you to come in for a complementary skin analysis and the Esthetician can further discuss the best treatment options.

8. How can I tell what type of skin I have?

There are certain characteristics of the skin which define the type of skin you have. It is important to remember you are not locked into a particular skin type. Many factors can change what you perceive your skin type to be, like aging, smoking or the weather. Estheticians differ in the number of skin types they define. Some will place their patients in one of three categories, while others will have ten or more categories. irculation, healthy color, may tend toward dryness on the cheeks, may be oily in T-Zone. The pores are overly dilated, tend to have blackheads and be shiny in the T-zone. If your skin is oilier on your forehead, nose, and chin than on your cheeks and around your eyes, you have “combination skin.” The skin is either overly dry or excessively oily, with occasional roughness on the cheeks. The oiliness and dryness can change, depending on the time of year (skin is usually drier when the weather is cold). Causes of combination skin are an imbalance in the production and distribution of lipids typically due to hormonal and genetic factors. You can come in and get a complementry skin analysis done to see what skin type you have.

9. Is there anything I can do reduce the dark circles around the eyes?

Several skin care lines carry products which focus on lightening dark circles around the eyes. The process incorporates increasing the micro circulation of the skin under the eye, as well as exfoliating and lightening the skin. Some dark circles are visible due to the shape of the eye socket, which casts a shadow. Other causes can be an accumulation of fat beneath the lower eyelid, which also casts a shadow. In that case, surgery would be an option to decrease the appearance of dark circles. Technology has improved greatly in this area, whereas previously there was nothing that could be done to decrease dark circles. Depending on the cause of the dark circles, the newer products have shown tremendous improvement for clients dealing with that problem.

10. Should I exfoliate?

Exfoliating is an important and necessary part of any skin care regimen. It’s important to use a good quality exfoliating products as recommended by your skin care expert. Use a product that has micro-fine beads or granules that are rounded and do not have jagged edges that can tear at the skin. Exfoliating removes dead skin cells, which helps treatment products and active ingredients to penetrate your skin more readily.

11. What is Glycolic Acid?

Glycolic acid is in the family of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s). Glycolic acid comes from sugar cane and is a natural exfoliator. Glycolic acid is felt to have the best penetration because of its small molecular size and thus is more often used in skin care treatments.