In today’s time-crunched world, people are looking to maximize their time with procedures that offer no downtime and little discomfort. Here are the latest get-it-and-go treatments.
They say “It’s a mad, mad world,” but in the techno age of 24-7 emails, tweets and Facebook posts, it would be truer to say “It’s a fast, fast world.” When it comes to beauty anyway, who has time for “downtime”? Not many people, it seems.
“Non-surgical cosmetic treatments have grown by more than 500 per cent since 1997, with more than nine million procedures performed in North America last year alone,” says Dr. Cory Goldberg, a cosmetic plastic surgeon in Toronto.
It makes sense. With long commutes and longer days, not to mention family and extracurricular commitments, women and men are finding it tougher every day to find the elusive “me-time” for beauty maintenance and, let’s admit it, upgrades. Skipping lunch for a much-needed mani, pedi or wrinkle-erasing procedure in preparation for the holiday season is a welcome option when the telltale signs of surgery (bruising, redness) are not in the equation.
So, without further ado, and for your lunchtime break consideration, here are some zero-downtime procedures to keep in mind, along with what you need to know about them.
Fast Facials
What if you could get three facials in one and return to work with glowing skin after a simple, pampering one-hour treatment? OxyGeneo is a “super-facial” that pulls together three different treatments in one to achieve exfoliation, infusion and oxygenation for smoother, brighter, glowing skin. “It is efficient and offers immediate results,” says Dr. Diane Wong, a cosmetic physician and owner of Glow Medi Spa in Toronto. She adds that with repeated treatments, clients can see a reduction in fine lines, pores, acne breakouts and sun spots.
“When your skin is oxygenated, there is increased capillary blood flow and increased cell metabolism, so the skin will more readily accept the nutrients that are being infused, such as hyaluronic acid, peptides and retinol,” she explains.
Although there is no downtime, Dr. Wong says there can be minimal redness after the procedure, so she recommends doing it the day before a special event rather than the same day. Sensitive-skin types may also want to avoid this procedure, as it may aggravate inflammation.
Dr. Wong recommends four to six treatments to start for best results, followed by seasonal visits for maintenance.
Combination Treatments
In fact, combining treatments can be not only time-saving but also more effective.
“One of our most popular treatments is VoluDerm, a new lunchtime treatment with no pain or downtime,” says Dr. Wong. She explains that it involves a combination of treatments, including microneedling, radio-frequency and galvanic energy. “We combine it with Pollogen skin tightening and Selphyl platelet-rich plasma [PRP] to achieve an overall ‘wow’ result by stimulating hyaluronic acid and collagen production, as well as increasing the body’s own natural growth factors,” she says.
“It results in softer, smoother, tighter skin with a volumizing effect overall. It can be used anywhere on the face or body. It can also be used for those harder-to-treat areas, such as under the eyes, and to treat lines and wrinkles, crepey skin, skin irregularities or scars, skin laxity and even stretch marks,” says Dr. Wong.
“Depending on the skin type and the modality used in the treatment, clients will have some mild redness and swelling, usually lasting one to three hours. It is usually easy to cover with makeup. About one to three days later there may be mild crusting in some clients, but it’s barely visible and also easily covered with makeup. It will slough naturally in a few days.”
For best results, she recommends three to five treatments spaced two weeks apart, with maintenance visits once a year.
Discolouration Treatments
When it comes to discolouration of the skin, sun damage and small broken blood vessels, Dr. Goldberg recommends phototherapy (also known as IPL or BBL) to his clients.
He explains that it uses a focused light to burn away the damaged skin and discoloured parts. Dr. Goldberg notes that a treatment takes 15 to 20 minutes, with 15 minutes of redness as the only side-effect. As with VoluDerm, darker skin types should exercise caution. “This works best if you don’t have a tan, and it’s not for people with darker skin,” says Dr. Goldberg. The procedure requires four to six treatments.
Tattoo Removal
Tattoos can make for a night of fun—and a lifetime of regret. Fortunately, thanks to the latest technology, tattoo removal can be as easy as taking a five.
“The PicoSure tattoo removal machine uses a very fast laser,” says Dr. Sean Rice, a Toronto plastic and cosmetic surgeon. “This allows a very powerful pulse wave to penetrate skin quickly and destroy the ink underneath. Because this happens so fast, there is minimal heat generated, which makes the procedure more comfortable than prior tattoo removal machines.”
“The speed of the laser is also significantly faster, so your procedure can be done in a shorter amount of time,” he says. “A tattoo the size of a business card can be done in a matter of minutes.”
Dr. Rice notes that some colours and tattoos are easier to remove than others. While most people can return to work immediately, exercise should be postponed for a few days.
Psst, Have You Heard About…
When you’re styling clients’ hair, we all know the conversation can get pretty personal, so the next time your clients complain about their latest beauty issue (maybe sagging jowls or forehead lines), tell them to pick up Elevate Magazine for cosmetic and anti-aging solutions.
As part of our ongoing Esthetics series, in partnership with Elevate Magazine, each issue we’ll be featuring a story that will give you added information about everything from the latest trends in professional skin care to advances in technology for cosmetic procedures. Read more anti-aging, wellness and cosmetic enhancement content to help educate your clients at elevatemagazine.com.
Comments are closed.