Skin Care

Skin is the largest of all the body organs & the one of which you are most aware. We can help you understand your skin and its management. We can provide you with all the essential information you need to achieve a lifelong nourished skin.

What an Esthetician Can Do For You

A well trained esthetician can offer you a variety of services, but most importantly her major interest is helping you to achieve and maintain beautiful skin over many years. These are the steps which we will follow on your first visit; subsequent visits will depend on your needs and the evaluation of the esthetician.

A client history is taken. This is usually comprehensive and includes a medical

and surgical history, social and family history, as well as a work history. All of these details are needed for competent professional skin care.

Skin cleansing to remove make-up is next. A critical clini­cal evaluation of the skin requires that all make-up be removed.

Examination of the skin is made visually, by touch, and by use of a Wood’s Lamp. The Wood’s Lamp is a special light that is able to detect skin defects such as sun damaged skin and other conditions that are not easily seen by the unaided eye.
Results of the examination are explained to the client and a treatment program outlined.

There are many treatment programs offered by estheticians for specific conditions of the face and body, and while I cannot cover all of them, I shall present those that are most often performed and are useful for both men and women.

Treatments

Exfoliation

Procedures are of two main types (a) enzyme peels and acid peels (b) Mechanical exfoliating devices such as Microdermabration.

Peels

Enzyme peels are based on the use of a natural plant enzyme that will breakdown dead skin proteins which are then easily removed. This leaves the skin looking and feeling soft and smooth. Enzyme peels are used in the treatment of acne and aging skin. Acne without large cysts can be treated quite effectively by estheticians. They are expert at removing black­heads (comedones) and whiteheads (small closed comedones). As a mild anti-aging treatment the enzymes are very effective.

Acid peels have been used for many years by physicians but more recently by estheticians. The first facial peels were developed by European estheticians and later copied by Cosmetic surgeons in the US. The acids used most often for peeling by estheticians are glycolic acid (so-called sugar acid) and a combination of acids known as the Jessner peel. Glycolic acid is used at a 30% concentration and is an effective moderate peel. The Jessner Peel is a combination of lactic acid (14%), salicylic acid (14%) and resorcinol (14%). This is a very effective moderate peel which removes dead outer skin and stimulates the dermis for production of stronger more elastic skin. I like the Jessner Peel as it is both safe and effective in trained hands. After exfoliation the skin is ready for extraction.

Microdermabration (see Microdermabration page)

It is the most natural way to evenly and safely exfoliate your skin. Microdermabrasion utilizes crushed diamonds or salt powder (crystals) to finely resurface superficial layers of skin. When a more aggressive treatment is necessary, vacuum pressure will be increased to evenly penetrate deeper layers of the skin.

Extractions

As mentioned above estheticians are well trained in extracting blackheads and other lesions that affect the sebaceous gland. The area around the nose and forehead, inside the ears, and the outer area of the eyes are often sites for blackheads in older individuals. These are easily removed.

Massage

Facial massage is extremely beneficial to the skin as it increases the amount of a particularly important hormone known as epidermal growth factor (EGF) in your skin. This hormone responds to pressure on the surface of the skin and causes the essential cells of the skin to grow and make more elastin and collagen. At the very same time EGF induces the epidermis to make new, younger cells.

Masks

A final finishing mask of immune stimulants and anti-inflammatory agents is applied to the face. These masks are both refreshing and revitalizing to the skin. here are many types and the one used by a particular esthetician will depend to a large measure on the training and preference of the esthetician.