Skin Care

Posted on July 16, 2009 by brett — No Comments ↓

What are Skin Care Treatments?

Skin care treatments are specific to the face and neck and aim to clean, balance and refresh the skin to help it look its best. Treatments can target aging, dryness, dullness and acne, and combat the effects of the environment that can be damaging to your skin.

Benefits of Skin Care Treatments

Refines and cleans out pores
Rejuvenates collagen fibers and helps slow aging process
Regulates immune system
Detoxifies, reduces fluid build-up and puffiness
Relieves stress and tension

Type of Skin Care Treatment	Description / Process
Facials	What are Facials? The second most popular treatment after massage. They clean, exfoliate and nourish your skin.Types: Mini-facial: Cleansing without extractions Age-Defense: Uses vitamin C Collagen Facial: Collagen sheets are used on the skin Acne-Facial: Special emphasis on extractions Oxygen-Facial: Incorporates a mist of pure oxygen Duration and Recommended Frequency: Usually lasts 50 or 90 minutes. You should have one every 4 – 6 weeks (this is how long it takes your skin to regenerate). At very least, have one 4x a year as the seasons change. Process: Consultation: Aesthetician discusses your health, nutrition, skin and expectations of the facial Cleansing: Skin is cleansed to remove any surface dirt and oil Skin analysis: With pads placed on your eyes, the aesthetician looks at your skin through a lit magnifying lamp Steam: Skin is steamed to open up pores Exfoliation: Aesthetician exfoliates skin to remove debris and dead skin cells Extractions: If suitable for your skin, blackheads are removed Facial massage: Therapist massages your face to relax and stimulate facial muscles Mask: Mask targeted to your skin type (dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature) is applied and removed Moisturize and Protect: Toners and protective creams are applied Recommendations: The aesthetician provides advice on a home skin care regimen
Facial Enhancements	What are Facial Enhancements? Targeting eyes, lips and neck, these are “Add-ons” to a facial. Each type provides specific benefits to the targeted area:Eye: Reduces puffiness and redness Firms eye area Helps diminish dark circles Lips: Improves elasticity and smoothes skin Hydrates dry rough skin Neck and Chest: Firms and hydrates May help repair or minimize the appearance of sun-damage Duration and Recommended Frequency: As frequently as facials. Process: As part of a facial, this treatment is often applied during the Mask and Moisturize and Protect stages of the Facial.
Microdermabrasion	What is Microdermabrasion? Also known as particle resurfacing, power peel, derma peel and parisian peel, it is mechanical exfoliation that removes the uppermost layer of dead skin cells from the face, chest and hands by using a powerful device to spray microcrystals of aluminum dioxide – a very fine, very hard, sand-like material (corundum powder) – across the skin’s surface. Microdermabrasion does not require medical oversight and is commonly used in conjunction with facial spa treatments. Specific Benefits: Evens skin tone and smoothes rough skin Minimizes appearance of sun damage and fine lines Encourages healthy production of collagen and elastin building blocks No down-time for recovery Good alternative for skin sensitive to anti-acne drugs Helps high-tech skin care products penetrate deeper layers of skin Duration and Recommended Frequency: Session usually consists of 1 – 3 passes with the tool and lasts about 20 – 30 minutes total. Most practitioners recommend 5 – 7 treatments over the course of 2 months for optimum effect. Process: Consultation: During the first treatment, the aesthetician discusses your skin, what you would like to change and what results you would like from microdermabrasion. In following treatments, she might ask how your skin has been between sessions and if you have had any problems Treatment: Aesthetician moves the wandlike tool over the face, applying even and steady pressure, to blast a fine stream of microcrystals onto the face, while simultaneously sloughing off dead skin cells and vacuuming them away. It feels similar to a cat licking your face Vacuum: If the wand doesn’t have a vacuum or if particles are still on the skin after exfoliation, the aesthetician may vacuum away traces of the powder that are left Moisturize: Moisturizing cream is applied to hydrate the skin Post-Treatment: At home you will apply specialized lotions and creams to the affected area between sessions. This hydrates the area and assists in promoting healthier new skin
Superficial Peels*	What is a Superficial Peel? A safe and effective treatment that uses alphahydroxy acids (naturally occurring acids like glycolic acid, lactic acid, and fruit acids) and betahydroxy acids (salicylic acid) to systematically destroy parts of the skin to allow new skin to grow. Glycolic and salicylic acids can be found in daily facial care products. Superficial peels can be done to the face and body and are sometimes used to prepare the skin for a deeper peel. Additional Benefits:* Decreases appearance of acne scars, mild sun damage, or fine wrinkles. Duration and Frequency: As often as you would have a facial. Process: Spas often include a superficial peel as part of a facial treatment. If so, it is done during the Steam and Exfoliation step of the facial. If it is done alone, the process is as follows: Cleansing: Skin is cleansed to remove surface dirt and oil Application: The chemical (usually a liquid or paste) is applied to the skin with a small brush, gauze, or cotton-tipped applicators. The chemical is left on the skin for 2 to 7 minutes, depending on the type of chemical used Neutralizer: Water is often used to neutralize the acid and end the chemical reaction, and then is wiped off. You may feel a little burning while the chemical is on your skin. A handheld fan can help cool the skin and relieve any discomfort

Type of Skin Care Treatment

Description / Process

Facials

Facials

What are Facials? The second most popular treatment after massage. They clean, exfoliate and nourish your skin.Types:

Mini-facial: Cleansing without extractions
Age-Defense: Uses vitamin C
Collagen Facial: Collagen sheets are used on the skin
Acne-Facial: Special emphasis on extractions
Oxygen-Facial: Incorporates a mist of pure oxygen

Duration and Recommended Frequency: Usually lasts 50 or 90 minutes. You should have one every 4 – 6 weeks (this is how long it takes your skin to regenerate). At very least, have one 4x a year as the seasons change.

Process:

Consultation: Aesthetician discusses your health, nutrition, skin and expectations of the facial
Cleansing: Skin is cleansed to remove any surface dirt and oil
Skin analysis: With pads placed on your eyes, the aesthetician looks at your skin through a lit magnifying lamp
Steam: Skin is steamed to open up pores
Exfoliation: Aesthetician exfoliates skin to remove debris and dead skin cells
Extractions: If suitable for your skin, blackheads are removed
Facial massage: Therapist massages your face to relax and stimulate facial muscles
Mask: Mask targeted to your skin type (dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature) is applied and removed
Moisturize and Protect: Toners and protective creams are applied
Recommendations: The aesthetician provides advice on a home skin care regimen

Facial Enhancements

What are Facial Enhancements? Targeting eyes, lips and neck, these are “Add-ons” to a facial. Each type provides specific benefits to the targeted area:Eye:

Reduces puffiness and redness
Firms eye area
Helps diminish dark circles

Lips:

Improves elasticity and smoothes skin
Hydrates dry rough skin

Neck and Chest:

Firms and hydrates
May help repair or minimize the appearance of sun-damage

Duration and Recommended Frequency: As frequently as facials.

Process: As part of a facial, this treatment is often applied during the Mask and Moisturize and Protect stages of the Facial.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion

What is Microdermabrasion? Also known as particle resurfacing, power peel, derma peel and parisian peel, it is mechanical exfoliation that removes the uppermost layer of dead skin cells from the face, chest and hands by using a powerful device to spray microcrystals of aluminum dioxide – a very fine, very hard, sand-like material (corundum powder) – across the skin’s surface. Microdermabrasion does not require medical oversight and is commonly used in conjunction with facial spa treatments.
Specific Benefits:

Evens skin tone and smoothes rough skin
Minimizes appearance of sun damage and fine lines
Encourages healthy production of collagen and elastin building blocks
No down-time for recovery
Good alternative for skin sensitive to anti-acne drugs
Helps high-tech skin care products penetrate deeper layers of skin

Duration and Recommended Frequency: Session usually consists of 1 – 3 passes with the tool and lasts about 20 – 30 minutes total. Most practitioners recommend 5 – 7 treatments over the course of 2 months for optimum effect.

Process:

Consultation: During the first treatment, the aesthetician discusses your skin, what you would like to change and what results you would like from microdermabrasion. In following treatments, she might ask how your skin has been between sessions and if you have had any problems
Treatment: Aesthetician moves the wandlike tool over the face, applying even and steady pressure, to blast a fine stream of microcrystals onto the face, while simultaneously sloughing off dead skin cells and vacuuming them away. It feels similar to a cat licking your face
Vacuum: If the wand doesn’t have a vacuum or if particles are still on the skin after exfoliation, the aesthetician may vacuum away traces of the powder that are left
Moisturize: Moisturizing cream is applied to hydrate the skin
Post-Treatment: At home you will apply specialized lotions and creams to the affected area between sessions. This hydrates the area and assists in promoting healthier new skin

Superficial Peels*

Superficial Peels

What is a Superficial Peel? A safe and effective treatment that uses alphahydroxy acids (naturally occurring acids like glycolic acid, lactic acid, and fruit acids) and betahydroxy acids (salicylic acid) to systematically destroy parts of the skin to allow new skin to grow. Glycolic and salicylic acids can be found in daily facial care products. Superficial peels can be done to the face and body and are sometimes used to prepare the skin for a deeper peel*.
Additional Benefits: Decreases appearance of acne scars, mild sun damage, or fine wrinkles.

Duration and Frequency: As often as you would have a facial.

Process: Spas often include a superficial peel as part of a facial treatment. If so, it is done during the Steam and Exfoliation step of the facial. If it is done alone, the process is as follows:

Cleansing: Skin is cleansed to remove surface dirt and oil
Application: The chemical (usually a liquid or paste) is applied to the skin with a small brush, gauze, or cotton-tipped applicators. The chemical is left on the skin for 2 to 7 minutes, depending on the type of chemical used
Neutralizer: Water is often used to neutralize the acid and end the chemical reaction, and then is wiped off. You may feel a little burning while the chemical is on your skin. A handheld fan can help cool the skin and relieve any discomfort

*This section only pertains to superficial peels. There are three levels of peels:

Superficial peels: The mildest type and can be used on all skin types
Medium peels: Penetrate skin more deeply and cause a second-degree burn. Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is main peeling agent, though it may be done in several steps using a different chemical solution followed by TCA
Deep peels: Penetrates several layers of skin, causing a second-degree burn. Deep peels may bleach the skin. It is the most invasive and can be done only once in most cases.

For information on Medium to Deep peels, please consult your doctor.

Share this!