Holistic Anti-Aging with Microcurrent

Besides giving my clients the tools to elevate their confidence to the next level, one of my favorite aspects of the skincare industry is how technology is continuously being applied in new ways and used successfully.  In the recent years, we are seeing more and more technology discovered by scientists in other industries being successfully developed toward skincare, such as LED (developed by NASA), radio frequency, ultrasonic sound waves, and ultrasound.

The treatment is non-invasive and there is absolutely no down time.

Being in Illinois, the board of professional regulations is strict on Estheticians so there are many technologies and techniques are simply not available to me and other skincare therapists.  I get many inquiries related to dermaplaning, botox, and laser/IPL… my answer is always that I do not work with an MD so I am not allowed to perform those services.  Could that potentially change in the future? I can only hope! In the meantime, there are many newer techniques and technologies that an esthetician can safely (and legally) use in the treatment room to help our clients with their skin needs and concerns!

That being said, there is one safe, legal, and very effective technology that I am so thrilled to have recently brought into my practice…. microcurrent!! You can see it in action here! Microcurrent is not, per se, new technology but it is more newly being widely used in the skincare industry for its anti-aging benefits.

 

If you have not heard about it, read on because I’m about to preach!  Microcurrent uses low-level electrical current which mimic our bodies own natural currents to safely stimulate your facial muscles.  There are many great effects of using the technology, the main one being exercising and re-training your facial muscles to tighten and lift your muscles and skin.  Some beautiful side effects that my clients have noticed during the treatment process is reduced inflammation of the skin, refining pores, and softening fine lines and wrinkles. The treatment is non-invasive and there is absolutely no down time.

Results after just one treatment! Notice the immediate lifting and plumpness in the cheeks.

Every person’s results will, of course, be different but one can potentially see results in as little as one to two treatments (you will find a few illustrations of this in the photos on this page!).  However, a series of treatments is generally required to see more dramatic changes.  Combined with professional products and other holistic anti-aging treatments, such as LED for boosting collagen, a client can see amazing results.

After only two treatments (this series is still in progress at the time this was written), you can notice definition in the jawline area as well as a reduction in inflammation.

For all of these reasons, I opted to bring microcurrent to Harmony Aesthetics in a variety of treatment options. Before I outline those, I want to pause for a moment and highlight that all the client photos you see in this post are my own clients, treatments performed by myself, and photos taken with my iPhone.  I realize there are lighting differences within the photos but I guarantee that those are in no way intended to deceive; I do not have a professional camera or lighting and I truly did my best to minimize any differences. I am, afterall, an Esthetician not a photographer. The protocol my lovely clients received is as follows: All of these clients have received what I call the Microcurrent Mini Facial which simply consists of one cleanse, 20-25 minutes of microcurrent using either probes or metallic gloves, a serum, and a moisturizer with SPF. The choice of products used in each session were determined the day of the treatment, depending on what I was seeing with their skin and what I was looking to achieve.  During the course of each client’s series, they visited me two times per week; ten treatments took five weeks.

There are many great effects of using the technology, the main one being exercising and re-training your facial muscles to tighten and lift your muscles and skin.

After only two treatments you can see a reduction in inflammation and lifting along the jaw line. This client has a scar along her left jaw that almost immediately lifted and over the course of her series, dramatically diminished (see below for more on this).

I decided to bring microcurrent to the Harmony Aesthetics service menu with three main options:

• Microcurrent Mini Facial – 30-40 minute treatment which includes a cleanse, 20-25 minutes of microcurrent, serum, and moisturizer/SPF.
• Microcurrent Add-on – 20 minutes of microcurrent added on to any skincare service.
• Red Carpet Facial – No downtime skincare service meant to brighten and lift for a special event.  This service includes a double cleanse, Dermafile diamond tip exfoliation, red LED light therapy, 20 minutes of microcurrent, serum, and moisturizer/SPF.

Since microcurrent is most effective offered in a series, as seen by the photos I am sharing with you, I also offer a package of six microcurrent mini facials at a discount to make the financial commitment of microcurrent more palatable.

Microcurrent is not recommended for people with certain health conditions, so please consult with your skincare technician to make sure it is recommended for you before proceeding.

Observe the scar on the clients jawline on day one. You can see after two treatments the scare has lifted to a higher position and by the tenth treatment it has diminished and is barely visible. The fine lines next to her eye also lift and slightly diminish.

Microcurrent is a safe, effective way to holistically work with the body’s own electrical current to exercise the facial muscles, lifting and aiding in wrinkle relaxation.  While everyone’s results will vary, a series of treatments can quickly bring anti-aging effects.

Do you have questions? Comment below and I will do my best to respond quickly!

Basic Skin Routine – 3 Easy Steps

Here is the truth, not everyone knows how to take care of their skin.  People young and old, from all walks of life, never learned a proper skincare routine.  Unfortunately, if your parents or caregivers did not know or never taught you, you probably did not receive the proper skin education. 

Here is the good news!… you are reading this so you are going to receive any easy starting point.  These are three simple steps to get you started!

1. Do not jump into a 10 step regimen on your first attempt. If you are currently not using anything or using only one product, purchasing an entire regimen to get started may not be the best move for you. There are a few reasons for that: A) It can be very overwhelming to use five different products every day and night if you have never done that before. Start with one or two of the most important products (more on that later), get acquainted to those, and then slowly incorporate more condition-focused serums and creams month by month. B) Skincare products are not cheap. Buying a ten step regimine can cost several hundred dollars. If you become overloaded and don’t end up using any of them, you may as well have flushed the money down the toilet. C) Skin care is customizable. While it may seem easiest to buy every acne or aging product in a line, that can be irritating to the skin and will not address all of your needs.  Starting with one or two great products to build upon will be your best bet.
2. Starting a new skincare routine does not need to be complicated. When clients come to see me about their concerns, we go through what products they are currently using and fill in what is missing. The three essentials for everyone are a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. If you can find a sunscreen with SPF, all the better! If you are moisturizing, but not cleansing, it’s time to pick up a cleanser that is appropriate for your skin type. Serums, exfoliation products, and masks are important but can take a back seat to the essentials.
3. Talk to a professional. If you’ve never taken care of your skin on a daily basis, it is hard to know where to start. You may hit the store and pick out products that just are not right for you…. in my opinion, that’s more of a waste of money then spending a little extra to talk to a professional or invest in professional products. A Licensed Esthetician will talk with you about your current products, if there are any, and advise you on where to begin. For example, there are many different type of cleansers available and they are not all appropriate for all skin types. An Esthetician will most likely recommend a professional product to you, for many reasons.  However, even if you don’t want to buy what they have to offer, they can stear you in the right direction for products at the beauty counter. 

We only have one face. That face has to represent you for the rest of your life. If you haven’t started a skin routine yet, late is better than never. 

Skin Cancer and Hispanics

Sometimes I feel like a broken record. That is why I love to be able to direct my clients, friends, and family toward research as often as I can.

Wear sunscreen!

I can’t even tell you how many times people have told me they don’t wear sunscreen because they don’t burn. Or they want a base tan so they won’t burn. 

My husband is Mexican and he is one person I am still trying to get to wear sunscreen regularly. He never understood the need because he doesn’t burn and he doesn’t like how it feels {insert my tiny violin}.

So when I came across this research from 2013, I knew it was something I needed to share. Skin cancer in Hispanic people is on the rise. This study points to misinformation and lack of education regarding skin health as the reason for this increase.

It is true that people with fair skin, like myself, are more at risk for developing skin cancer. It is also true that burning more easily is a skin cancer risk factor. However, that does not exempt people with darker skin or skin that doesn’t burn easily from the dangers of skin cancer. 

Please be informed. Wear a broad spectrum sun screen every day. That means YOU too! And if you are going to be in the sun, reapply every two hours.

We will, of course, talk more about sunscreen in time but get started now.