I’ll never forget the day I discovered eye shadow. I was 13 years old attending 7^th grade at my Jr. High school. Yes!!  I had graduated from the Little Leagues to, what I considered at the time, “The BIG leagues!”

Just a few weeks before I started 7^th grade, I went to a garage sale in one of my friends’ neighborhoods. The lady holding the sale was a cosmetologist. She had “used” make-up for sale and I found a brown eye shadow that I thought was so crazy dark that I decided to buy it for 5 cents!

It really wasn’t until about the 2^nd week of school that I got brave and decided to wear it. I would always show up for school early so I could sit on the steps leading to the front door of the school and chat “with the people”. That day, I had so many compliments about my make-up that it just lit me on fire! I had other girls asking me what I used and how I did it. From then on I fell in love with change.

I have the most awesome job around. I get to help others with a “positive” change to themselves. But sometimes when I suggest to clients that we could do a certain treatment to promote a change in their appearance, they react with a bit of apprehension. Once I describe the benefits and the positives of what the treatment will do, they get on board.

Sometimes “change” takes more than a few days, or even weeks before you see a difference. But typically with what we can do at Kimberly Spa through treatments and/or make-up… you will see a change the minute you look in the mirror! It can be as little as adding a brow pencil to define the brows… or it can be a series of Facials!

I love my job, I love positive change and I love helping others discover their “fire”!

How interesting that all of the women that have crossed over “the change” tell you all the wonders of menopause – no cramps, no bloating, no monthly visit from Aunt Flow…sounds great, right?  But what about the ACNE???  No one mentioned this to me!  Will my little pink estrogen pill help with that too?  Sadly …no.

At least 10% of women suffer from menopausal acne.  Hormonal changes during menopause, are a lot like the ones we experience during puberty.  And I don’t know about you, but please put that at the top of my list of times I do not want to revisit.  Our skin has glands that produce oil, known as Sebum.  Although our skin cells die and regenerate, during hormone changes this becomes exasperated.  Therefore, we end up with more oil and dead skin cells than we want or need.  Hair follicles will be more likely to become clogged with dead skin cells and Sebum during our hormone rages, thus causing pimples.   So what do we do to end these frustrating little bumps?

   1. Washing your face twice a day is a great start.  Use an exfoliating  scrub regularly to rid skin of excess oil and dead skin cells. 

   2.  Speak with an esthetician regarding a facial experience that will work for your skin condition.  

   3.  Don’t forget to eat a healthy diet full of calcium and fiber and drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily – remember the freshman 15 – no one wants to re-live that! 

   4.  Most importantly during this time be kind and pamper yourself! 

And then remember, sometimes a change of life can be a beautiful thing…even with a few bumps in the road.

Have you experienced any bumps in the road?  Please share!

-Christy

Hyperpigmentation-  Darkening of the skin in areas due to sun exposure, a wound, inflammation, acne or injury.  Hyperpigmentation can be temporary or permanent. Also known as sun spots, age spots, liver spots, or  larger areas of hyperpigmentation can occur during pregnancy, known as melasma.  Common Treatments: Skin lightening serum or cream like Visual Changes Lightening Serum daily and facial treatments like chemical peels, microdermabrasion and Photo Rejuvenation based on your esthetician’s advice.

Broken Capillaries-  Small red or pink threads under the skin’s surface commonly found on the cheeks or nose area.   These occur when capillary walls narrow and widen too quickly causing the muscles in the walls to tear allowing blood to seep within the skin. Common Treatments:  Daily use of a redness reducing products like Visual Changes Lactic Nutrient Cream and Advanced Calming Serum, as well as Photo Rejuvenation spa facial treatments based on your esthetician’s advice.

Rosacea-  A chronic skin condition that causes inflammation, redness, red lines, swelling or pimples across the forehead, chin, cheeks and nose. Rosacea most often affects adults between the ages of 30 and 50 and individuals with fair skin.  Common Treatments: Specially designed home regimen like Pevonia RS2, and Pevonia RS2 spa facial treatments based on your esthetician’s advice.

Congestion- A skin care term used to describe dull skin, uneven skin, skin with blocked pores, blackheads and whiteheads.  Congestion can be a result of a pore buildup of oil, sebum, dead skin cells, toxins, pollution, make up and dirt. Common Treatments: Weekly exfoliating home treatments like Visual Changes Double Enzyme Mask and monthly spa facial treatments based on your esthetician’s advice.

Acne-  A skin condition that can occur in people of all ages — teens, adults and women going through menopause and is identified by pimples, cysts, blackheads or whiteheads.  Common Treatments: Specially designed home regimen like the Agera Acne Relief Kit and Acne Relief spa facial treatments based on your esthetician’s advice.

Milia-  A tiny cyst on the surface of the skin caused by a buildup of dead skin cells that have not sloughed off normally.  Common Treatments: Weekly home exfoliation with Agera Microderma Crystal C System and spa facial treatments like the Ultrasonic Express.

Most of us don’t have a handy assistant ready to give us our daily intake of vitamins, and prepare our well-balanced meals for the day.  It’s easy to forget about putting proper nutrition and vitamins in our bodies to fuel us for our busy lives, and treat our bodies well.

Good nutrition is key in having healthy and glowing skin.  If you want a beautiful garden, you fertilize the soil to make it rich and ready to grow big beautiful plants.  Well, your skin is the plant and vitamins are the fertilizer!  We are all really good at applying our anti-aging creams and getting our facials every month, but we forget about what goes in must come out. 

Pevonia Botanica has really addressed this with their Pevo-Vital drink mixes that are full of complexion boosting anti-oxidants.  They remind us of taking the fruity vitamins as a kid, only they are perfect for on the go moms, dads, professionals, and hectic men and women.  You simply add the powder pouch to your water bottle, shake and enjoy!  Yum!

Some vitamins are effective for skin both internally and externally.  Vitamin A can help fight wrinkles and even acne when it is applied externally to skin.  Vitamin C is fantastic for skin when consumed, and the benefits are best when it is in it’s purest form in skin care products.  This will help with cell regeneration and evening out skin tone.  Vitamin E has been known for years and years to benefit the skin.  Eat foods rich in Vitamin E like nuts and salt-water fish, as well as try it topically with your skin cream.  Kimberly Spa sells Jason Vitamin E Oil in the highest I.U. (Individual Unit) we can find.

For more information on healthy skin from the inside, ask your Kimberly Spa Esthetician for more tips and insight.  We love to help our clients look and feel their best!

Q:  Do you feed your skin the nutrients it needs?

I had noticed a small brown spot on my right shin that through up a red flag.  Just to get it checked out, I scheduled an appointment with a plastic surgeon that did a scar revision on my arm a few years ago, and I thought he did a great job.  The doctor was flanked by a pretty young lady standing beside him taking notes.  He sat down in front of me and took a brief look at my suspicious spot and said, “This is nothing, is there anything else I can do for you?”  Immediately my over-active imagination kicked in!  Uh yeah, tummy tuck, liposuction, a million dollars, world peace! Come on Kimberly, you have this guy’s attention, now use it!  

Next thing you know, I’m asking him about the hollows under my eyes.  He lightly pulls and stretches out the skin around my eyes and proceeded to say, “We rate the severity of needing surgical procedures on a scale of one to four, four being the worst.”  And without even taking a breath the words came flowing out of his mouth, “and you are a four.”  Aaaaggghhh!  What?!  My heart rate jumped 10 levels, my emotions took over, my thoughts went from, “Would a daytime soap-slap be appropriate right about now?” to “Tell me how to fix this!  I can’t possibly be seen with these four-rated eyes!” 

I was escorted by his pretty young assistant to an equipment filled room to deliver me the dirty ugly truth.  I stood against a wall posing for pictures that I felt would surely be sent to the Guinness Book of World Records for the world’s worst eyes.  Next thing I knew, bing, bang, boom, there I was on Miss Perfect’s computer screen, ready to be Photoshopped from my four-rating to a zero!  

This is where my brain finally overcame my 50 year old, four-rated eye emotions.  My rational conclusion… anyone can look good on a computer after the pictures are photo shopped!  Not only did she photo shop my eyes, but she continued to “improve” my whole face!  I kept having her switch back and forth from the original pictures to her revised pictures.  I finally gave a huge sigh of relief.  The revised photos did look “younger,”  but only slightly.  As it turns out, I’ll live to see another day with my four-rated eyes!  I’ve decided to rate myself a one. 

I read this quote and realized how appropriate it is …”Plastic surgeons are always making mountains out of molehills.”  — Dolly Parton

Some spas have crafty schemes to book ‘em, buff ‘em and boot ‘em.  Who wants to be herded in, hardly get a moment to relax and rushed out the door while the next person practically bowls you over on their way in?  We know we don’t like to be treated this way, and we NEVER want to see our clients treated this way!

A great example of our “quality vs. quantity” mission starts with a little history about our now famous Stress Relief Facial.  Kimberly set her wheels in motion trying to find the perfect way to help her client understand that serious skin care starts with a complete skin consultation.  A skin consultation is not like meeting with your interior designer for the first time!  Estheticians need to handle the skin, see the skin through a magnifying lamp, and test different treatment options on the skin.  Not to mention the most important part, ASKING the client about her skin goals and concerns!  With so many treatment options available to help us all get the skin results we are looking for, Kimberly just couldn’t fit all this into a nice and neat 45 minute generic “European Facial” time slot.  Since we believe in first impressions being important ones, Kim decided to stretch the time out, give the client some relaxation, and take her time building a professional/client relationship.

The name “Stress Relief Facial” came from Kimberly’s experience seeing and meeting new clients.  She saw new clients coming in wired and having trouble relaxing and enjoying the time to themselves.  She thought telling the client what to expect before ever getting to the appointment was the best solution!  The first time Kimberly or any of our Estheticians sees a new client, her goal is to relax the client, learn the client’s skin care needs and goals, and treat the client’s skin according to those needs and goals.  She found the perfect way to relieve the stress of the mind, body and SKIN!

Q:  “What should I do to prepare for my first facial?”
A:  “If you are coming in the morning, avoid putting any makeup on.  Cleanse and moisturize your skin before leaving home, wear comfortable clothing.  If you are concerned about your hair style, bring a hat or hair band to pull it back after.  We offer a ladies lounge to prepare yourself for the rest of your day, including an available shower, blow dryers, lighted makeup mirrors in a comfortable powder room setting.”

Q:  “What if I don’t know what kind of facial to get?”
A:  “That is where your consultation over the phone should take place.  We do recommend starting out with a Stress Relief Facial, particularly if you’ve never had a facial, or if it’s been longer than 3 months since your last facial.  Within the Stress Relief Facial, it lets us see how your skin reacts, and it gives you an opportunity to get to know the spa and your esthetician.  Usually when you’re coming into a spa for the first time, you are a little nervous.  This facial will relieve the stress of your skin, your body and your mind.”

Q:  “Do you offer Massage?”
A:  “Yes!  We have a beautiful private massage room designed for comfort and relaxation.  We also offer treatments such as the Stress Relief Facial, the Parafango Body Wrap, and Men’s Back Wax Back Facial that incorporate massage techniques.”

Q:  “What should I do to prepare for my first Brazilian Wax?”
A:  “Up to a couple hours before coming in, shower and gently exfoliate the area to be waxed and apply a body moisturizer.  You must make sure that the hair growth is at least ¼ inch long, the wax needs to have something to adhere to, to have an effective waxing.  Everybody has a different rate of hair growth, but the average length of time between shaving is about two weeks.   If your hair is very long, do not trim it.  Your service provider can take care of that for you.”

Q:  “Do men come to the spa often?”
A:  “We actually have a large male clientele!  Men like the privacy of Kimberly Spa, and they appreciate feeling confident with the knowledge our service providers display.  Most males have had a history experienced breakouts not treated with proper treatments the right products, and maybe picking.  Our services cross both genders, and our products are scientifically formulated to help reduce past abuse to facial skin.  Kimberly Spa treats the problems with results oriented services and men should understand and feel comforted in knowing they need hair removal from their nose, ears, and eyebrows to give them a groomed appearance.”

Q:  “Why are there sealed doors to the spa?”
A:  “The doors are sealed to create total privacy for our guests at the time of their treatments.  We have found it to be more convenient for the guests that come in after your first initial visit you know exactly what to do.  This also gives you a sense of privacy when you’re waiting in our comfy lobby.  When you check in to the computer kiosk, this pages your personal service provider that you have arrived for your appointment.  You will be greeted by your own personal service provider, and you end your time at the spa with your service provider.  You are never handed off to a receptionist that can keep you waiting on the phone with other guests, or talking with other guests.  My experience working in spas with receptionists has given me insight to how important it is for our guests deserve to have their service provider’s complete and total attention.  This helps to build a personal relationship with your service provider.   If you need to use the restroom facilities after you have checked in for your appointment check in again that you are “here for other reasons” and a spa coordinator will escort you to the restroom or help with whatever you need.”

Q:  “What makes Kimberly Spa different from getting my pedicure or manicure at a cheaper salon?”
A:  “We use odorless nail enhancement products, sanitation levels are at their highest.  We will never hide sub-standard products in deceiving containers, such as using Windex as a sanitation spray.  Our pedicure chair is completely sanitizable and pipe less.  We take time to thoroughly clean and sanitize our tools and pedicure chair in between clients.  We provide a private tranquil that both men and women will be able to relax with full privacy.”

Q:  “Why are your skin care products better than the products at my local drug store?”
A:  “Through my years of experience with many different skin care products both over the counter and professional cosmesuedical grade I have seen the results that the products we carry produce.  I will only offer the best!  There are literally thousands of different skin care names and I have taken my experience to do the research for you.”

Q:  What if I can’t make it to my scheduled appointment?”
A:  “We do ask for a 24 hour courtesy call to reschedule.  Our service providers get paid only if our guests come in for their appointments.  Just how the guests would feel disappointed in having their appointment canceled, our service providers deserve to have the right to make an income.  Many of our service providers have treatment regimens personally designed for your skincare needs if you don’t follow what is recommended, your service provider cannot guarantee the results you are looking for.  We take your skincare needs very seriously.”

There are several different types of acne. 95% of all acneis called Acne Vulgaris. This occurs when a channel from which a hair follicle has emerged, or is about to emerge, becomes blocked. The sebaceous gland attached to the lower part of that follicle continues to produce its oily sebum. But since the clog stops the sebum from emerging, it stays inside the channel and expands into a balloon full of the stuff! Before long, the sebum (warm, oily and nutritious) attracts bacteria and starts to putrefy. The result is a nasty pimple!

Eventually, the pressure builds up so much that the pimple will burst and the mess erupts onto the skin… Or worse, the clog may stay in place and the “balloon” may rupture inward!

This is usually what happens when you try to “pop a pimple”. By doing so, you are actually spreading the bacteria (Propionibacterium Acnes) to other areas of the skin that are already clogged, full of sebum and just waiting for some bacteria to infiltrate it.

So instead of popping that pimple, get some professional help.

In order to clear acne you must…

Avoid the clogging
Remove both the clogs AND the excess collected sebum from already clogged pores.
Kill the bacteria inside and outside those pores.
Stop the inflammation so as to avoid spreading the condition.
We can do all of this with Acne Relief Facials, along with a series of mild Salicylic and Glycolic Acid Peels that are included in my Acne Relief Series of Treatments.

Additionally, here are some cosmeceutical grade skin care products available that you can use on acne at home…

Agera Salicylic Acne Wash

Visual Changes Gly-Sal Pads

Visual Changes Skin Clearing Gel 10%

Agera Acne Shield Treatment

Do you have impossible deep wrinkles?  Does your skin have extensive damage from worshiping the sun?  Do you have a long history of excessive acne that has left your skin scared?
You may have heard about peels but not known the real facts about a Jessner Peel. Here at Kimberly spa we offer several different types of peels specialized for each person’s unique skin conditions.  The Jessner Peel is a deep exfoliating peel to dramatically smooth out the texture and appearance of skin that has been used and abused.

Unlike some spas or doctor’s offices we take the time to prep your skin with professional products that will prepare your skin for the peel.  After the peel is performed your skin will experience peeling.  This peel is not painful but you want to make sure you have plenty of time to recover due to the fact that your skin will be flaking.  This is a peel that you will experience shedding for a couple of weeks so make sure to plan accordingly for special occasions. After the peeling is complete you will be sent home with several products to care for your skin.  This is not just a peel but a complete package to prep and keep up on the maintenance of your skin.

Other serious treatments that we offer at the spa include photo-rejuvenation which helps with acne, redness, hyperpigmentation (sun damage), the stimulation of collagen production, and lymphatic drainage.  Kimberly spa also offers a Lumi-lift procedure which utilizes microcurrents to help muscles “re-educate” themselves resulting in tighter more lifted appearance.  This is great for anyone with concerns of sagging neck and face muscles and also a great preventative treatment.  We also have a smoothing procedure that sends product deep into the skin while also smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles.  With all of this technology there is no need for medical procedures!

Ask your esthetician today about the Jessner Peel or our non-invasive face-lift and be prepared for some serious results with educated professionals.