FAQ
Micro-Needling (Using INNOPen)
What is Micro-Needling?
Micro-needling (aka collagen induction therapy) is a concept using fine needles to create hundreds of tiny, invisible puncture wounds in the top layer of the skin based on the skin’s natural ability to repair itself when it suffers physical damage such as cuts, burns or other injuries resulting in cell turnover and increased collagen and elastin production reversing the signs of aging.
Using ONLY Health Canada Licensed INNOPen, procedure is recommended for the following and should ONLY be performed by a certified and trained health care provider such as a registered nurse or a physician:
- Diminish fine lines and wrinkles
- Restore youth by effectively tightening, lifting and thickening the skin
- Sun damaged skin
- Hyper/hypo pigmentation
- Improve the appearance of scars caused by surgeries, acne, burns etc)
- Alopecia (hairloss)
- Reduce pore size
- Minimize stretch marks
- Skin rejuvenation such as cellulite
- Rejuvenate skin with improvement in skin tone and texture
Vogue is calling micro-needling the next big thing in anti-aging!
How Does the Procedure Work?
Micro-Needling is done using the INNOPen. The procedure is performed by a trained medical professional under the supervision of a health care provider who is licensed to practice medicine in the Province of Ontario.
The treatment usually takes between 30-60 minutes, depending on the area of concern. After the procedure, the skin will be red with mild swelling. These symptoms usually resolve completely within a few hours after treatment.
What Can I Expect from Treatment for Cosmetic Purposes?
You can expect a more youthful look in terms of skin tightening effect and glow on your skin while wrinkles and under-eye circles will be taken care of to a great extent.
What Medical Conditions Are Treated with the INNOPen?
INNOPen micro-needling can treat a number of conditions for the hip, knee, arm, shoulder, lower leg, and feet. It is best to consult with your physician for a complete listing.
Is Micro-Needling Using the INNOPen Painful?
Clients usually tolerate the procedure well – the client is given a numbing cream approx. 20 minutes before treatment to make the procedure relatively painless. However, there can be soreness and redness after the procedure due to the induced inflammatory response. You can expect swelling and soreness during the first 48 hours post-procedure and can take pain medication to help alleviate the discomfort.
How Many Treatments Do I Need?
Micro-Needling using the INNOPen can be repeated every 2-4 weeks and usually 3 – 6 sessions are sufficient, though some clients may require maintenance therapy once a year or more frequently depending upon the care and condition of their skin. After approximately 2 weeks, you will start noticing the improvement in texture and complexion of your skin; wrinkles start disappearing, scars and pores are tightened and dark under-eye circles are brightened.
How Quickly Does Micro-Needling Work using the INNOPen?
Most clients see some improvement within 2 weeks.
Botox
What is Botox Cosmetic?
Botox is the only approved treatment to temporarily improve the appearance of both moderate to severe frown lines between the brows and crow’s feet lines in adults. Botox contains tiny amounts of a highly purified botulinum toxin protein refined from the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum.
How Does Botox Work?
Botox targets one of the underlying causes of frown lines and crow’s feet—the repeated muscle contractions from frowning and squinting over the years. Botox is injected into these muscles to temporarily reduce muscle activity. You will begin to notice a visible smoothing of your crow’s feet lines and frown lines between your brows.
Will Botox Make Me Look Like I Have Had Work Done?
Botox is a technique-sensitive treatment and you should not lose the ability to show expression when you are treated by someone who is licensed, trained and a medical expert in facial anatomy. It is important to talk to your specialist about the results you want from treatment.
Does Botox Treatment Hurt?
Some clients have reported that it feels like a pinch. If you are worried, your specialist can use ice to numb the treatment area or may apply a topical numbing cream before administering your treatment.
When Will I See Results?
You may begin to notice results within 24 to 48 hours for moderate to severe frown lines, with results lasting up to 4 months.
Dermal Fillers
What Is The Difference Between Botox and Dermal Fillers?
Dermal Fillers and Botox Cosmetics are both injectable treatments that are used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles but they are used in very different ways. Injectable fillers fill in wrinkles from below the skin’s surface reducing their appearance. Botox Cosmetic uses a purified form of the botulinum toxin to temporarily relax the muscles that cause “dynamic” wrinkles (facial expression). When used together, both can create beautiful outcomes.
Who Is A Good Candidate for Fillers?
These products work well and are safe for nearly anyone who is interested in erasing wrinkles around the face or adding volume to the lips, cheeks, or under-eye hollows. Most of the fillers we use are made from ingredients that are found naturally in the body.
Are All Fillers The Same?
No. Although dermal fillers are all gels that are injected under the surface of the skin to add volume, many of them use different active ingredients and come in different formulations that make them more appropriate for different areas of the face. Speak to your specialist about what option is right for you.
Facials
Dermaplaning
Dermaplaning is a skin treatment that uses an exfoliating blade to skim dead skin cells and hair from your face. It’s also called microplaning or blading.
Dermaplaning aims to make your skin’s surface smooth, youthful, and radiant. This treatment claims to remove deep scarring from acne and uneven pockmarks on your skin. It’s also used to remove “peach fuzz,” the short, soft hairs on your face.
Dermaplaning can be used for any skin type and anyone with:
- Acne scars
- Dull skin
- Dry skin
- Sun-damaged skin
- Fine wrinkles
How it Works
If you look at the tool used for dermaplaning treatments, you may notice it looks like a razor you would use on your body hair.
The basic concept of dermaplaning is the same as shaving. By aiming a sterile blade at a 45-degree angle and dragging it slowly across your skin, you remove dead cells, scar tissue, and other debris that may be making your skin’s surface look uneven.
Your skin is exposed daily to harsh environmental toxins, irritants, and sun damage. This can cause the top layer of your skin to appear dull, and it can make you look aged. Dermaplaning clears away those damaged skin cells so newer skin cells are what you see when you look in the mirror.
Reports on how effective dermaplaning is are mostly anecdotal. Everyone has different results, and it’s hard to objectively quantify whether the treatment is a success or not.
The Procedure
During a dermaplaning procedure, you shouldn’t feel any pain. You may feel a tingling sensation during the treatment.
First, you’ll lie down on your provider’s chair in a clean, comfortable room. Sedation options may be available, and these often include a numbing spray or local anesthesia combined with an oral sedative or rarely general anesthesia.
After you’re relaxed, your provider will use an electronic or manual dermaplaning tool to scrape over your skin at a 45-degree angle. This will continue for 20 to 30 minutes, on average, as your provider gently works to exfoliate the skin.
After the treatment is finished, your provider will soothe your skin with a substance like aloe. They will also apply sunscreen to protect your face.
What to Expect
You don’t need to plan any downtime to recover from a dermaplaning treatment. You may experience redness or feel like your skin is scraped in the two or three days right after the procedure.
You may notice that your skin looks brighter immediately after you’re finished with a dermaplaning treatment, but it often takes a few days to appreciate the full results. As any redness subsides, you’ll be able to see the results more clearly in the days afterward.
Results of dermaplaning aren’t permanent. The procedure claims to clear away up to three weeks’ worth of dead skin cells. After three weeks to a month, your results will have faded.
After a dermaplaning treatment, you’ll need to be extra careful about sun exposure. Sun damage could reverse the effects of dermaplaning, or create pigment blotches on your freshly uncovered skin cells. In the weeks after a dermaplaning treatment, don’t leave the house without wearing sunscreen on your face.
The Hollywood Golden Facial
What is a Gold Facial?
Gold facials can differ from spa to spa, but generally they follow a traditional facial format—cleansing, exfoliation, extractions, etc.—but include one of the most decadent add-ons ever invented: a gold face mask. Depending on the technique used, this might involve the aesthetician massaging sheets of 24-karat gold leaf onto your skin. Or, they might coat your face with colloidal gold, a liquid solution with gold nanoparticles suspended in it.
If this whole idea seems to have trended rather suddenly, there’s good reason for that. The gold facial has grown in popularity since 2006, when a Japanese company pioneered a method for helping the metal penetrate surface layers of skin.
What are the Benefits of Gold Facial Treatments?
Other than giving you a great excuse to take a selfie, what is all that gold doing on your face?
Gold has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine and ancient skincare—Cleopatra may have been a fan—and modern aestheticians stand by its firming and anti-aging benefits. Gold’s antioxidant properties are said to fight off environmental toxins and sun damage. Clients may find their skin feeling softer and more supple thanks to accelerated cell regeneration and elastin production.
Other Facial Mask Add Ons
Casmara Sensitive Mask
Soothing mask with moisturizing properties from marine algae that contains vegetable active principles derived from violets and oats. Unisex formula for all ages, at any time of year.
- Violet essential oil are recognized for its soothing and cosmetic properties.
- Oats provides additional vitmains and improve the skin’s quality and firmness.
Skin Boosters
Coming Soon
Arbonne Skin Care Line
You can do ALL the amazing things to your skin, every procedure, every treatment BUT if you don’t complement that with an amazing, organic, botanically based and safely scientific skin care line, then you are literally pushing all that filler that is part of your skin care back into your face. Why would you do that?
Arbonne Product Range
Arbonne offers six different skincare collections, designed to target everything from acne prone skin to the signs of aging as well as sensitive skin.
The collections include: Genius Ultra, to tackle the signs of aging; Re9, a premium anti-aging line; RE9 Advanced Prepwork with superfood cocktails; RE9 Advanced Lifting and Contouring which is designed to lift and firm the face; Re9 Advanced for Men; Arbonne Intelligence which is formulated to outsmart the skin; Clear Future to fight acne; and Calm to hydrate and soothe.
The Bath & Body Line is also comprehensive. The ABC Baby Line is simple and streamlined, with just a hair and body wash, lotion and sunscreen. The haircare collection, Arbonne Pure Vibrance, is designed to prevent color from fading. It includes a shampoo, serum and hairspray. A line of essential oils is meant to help promote a healthy lifestyle. A few drops of a cold-pressed oil can be added to a diffuser or to a body lotion. The Rescue and Renew product line fits in with the company’s holistic approach to skincare. The scrubs, masks, lotions and oils are designed to help detox the body while protecting the skin’s moisture barrier.
The makeup collection ranges from eyes to lips and cheeks. The products, such as foundations and lip liners, contain botanicals such as watermelon and apple extract. It’s A Long Story Mascara is packed with pea and bamboo extract to help condition lashes, while moisturizing Jambu Bud Flower Extract is one of the secret weapons in The Real Conceal Liquid Concealer. The concept is that the makeup helps to heal skin will adding a boost of color and evening out the complexion.
A key part of Arbonne’s skincare and makeup routine is its Genius Ultra, a device that emits gentle, low-level ultrasound waves to help push the product onto the various layers of the skin by getting into the ridges. The concept is that if you use the Genius Ultra for a few minutes a day, it helps to maximize the effects of Arbonne products. It can be used on cheeks, eyes, lips, forehead and the neck.
Nutritional supplements are also a cornerstone of Arbonne’s emphasis on wellness through botanicals, as well as its “healthy living, inside and out” philosophy. The company taps into plant-powered nutrition to deliver vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, prebiotics and probiotics. The formulas are vegan and gluten-free. The supplements are available as shakes, pills, teas, snack bars and fizz sticks, which are meant to be added to water.
What Ingredients Are in Arbonne’s Products?
Botanicals are the core of Arbonne’s products and philosophy. The star ingredient in the RE9 Advanced Line, which is designed to rejuvenate skin, is vitamin C. This antioxidant is known to brighten skin, even out skin tone and help diminish the appearance of fine lines. The line also contains alpha hydroxy acids, which gently but effectively dissolve dead skin cells to reveal fresher, smoother looking skin. Rounding out the list is sea buckthorn ceramide, which is blended with olive fruit oil which is rich in omega fatty acids, peptides and hydrating brown algae extract.
Arbonne’s cheek highlighters, bronzer and blush are also packed with botanicals including hydrating sunflower seed oil and soothing ingredients such as cucumber, lavender and mallow. The foundation range contains bamboo, which gives the skin a blurring effect, as well as Irish moss to smooth out skin texture.
The key ingredients in the nutritional range are also plant based, including all-stars such as ginger, a known digestion aid; the antioxidant green tea and pea protein.
For more information on products and pricing and whether Arbonne will work for you, contact Rebecca Kwiatkowski at 289-259-8961
Sclerotherapy (Spider Vein Removal)
What Is Sclerotherapy?
Sclerotherapy is a medical procedure performed to eliminate spider veins. During the sclerotherapy procedure, a sclerosing solution called Sclerodex is injected into the problem veins. This solution causes an irritation to the inner lining of the vein, ultimately causing it to collapse. Over time, the treated vein is absorbed and fades away enough to not be seen.
Who Is A Good Candidate For A Sclerotherapy Procedure?
In general, the sclerotherapy procedure is an excellent choice as long as you aren’t pregnant or have a history of blood clots in the treatment area.
Who Shouldn’t Get Sclerotherapy?
A sclerotherapy procedure isn’t recommended if you have certain health conditions that may affect how the vein will respond to the sclerosing agent. If you have cardiovascular disease or had a heart bypass surgery, you aren’t a good candidate for treatment. This is especially true if you’re seeking treatment for spider veins, which is mostly a cosmetic concern. If you are pregnant or have a history of blood clots in the area, you also aren’t a good candidate for a sclerotherapy procedure.
How Is A Sclerotherapy Procedure Administered?
After cleansing the area, your provider will use a very fine needle to inject the solution into the affected vein(s). After treatment, you only need a small bandage applied, much like after receiving a vaccine.
Is There Any Pain With Sclerotherapy? Will Anesthesia Be Used?
A topical numbing agent may be used in patients but is not necessary. If you are allergic to topical anesthesia, you can still receive sclerotherapy without numbing.
What Areas On The Body Can Be Treated With Sclerotherapy Injections?
Sclerotherapy can be administered almost anywhere on the body as long as the veins aren’t very large, such as with advanced varicose veins.
What Results Should I Expect From A Sclerotherapy Treatment?
If you’ve ever seen a video of spider vein removal circulating social media, you’re likely excited at the prospect of spider veins vanishing right before your eyes. However, these videos are very misleading. We tell our patients to expect full results within three to six weeks. Slightly larger veins can take several months, and many patients require more than one treatment.
After your sclerotherapy procedure, the treated veins do not return. However, we will also discuss with you lifestyle changes to help you prevent new spider veins and varicose veins from forming.
Is Sclerotherapy Safe?
Sclerotherapy is considered safe for most patients. During your initial consultation, we will go over your medical history and examine your veins to determine if you’re a good candidate for treatment. This will include going over your medications, health conditions you’re currently being treated for, and any allergies you have. For most healthy patients, sclerotherapy is safe with only mild, short-term side-effects.
Who Will Perform My Sclerotherapy Procedure?
A highly trained Sclerotherapist Registered Nurse will perform a sclerotherapy procedure.
What Are The Possible Side Effects Of A Sclerotherapy Treatment?
All medical treatments carry a certain degree of risks. However, side effects following a sclerotherapy procedure are generally very mild and well tolerated.
What Is the Recovery Time Following Sclerotherapy Injections?
One of the great things about a sclerotherapy procedure is that it carries no downtime. You will be able to immediately return to your regular routine. We even encourage you to continue your normal fitness routine, as it will help speed along recovery.
How Much Does Treatment Cost?
Sclerotherapy cost varies from patient to patient. The cost to you will depend upon how much of the sclerosing solution is required to treat your visible veins. You may also require repeated treatments, which can also affect the cost. Also, as sclerotherapy for spider veins is considered a cosmetic procedure, insurance will not cover it.
What Kind of Aftercare Is Required Following Sclerotherapy Injections?
We will advise you to wear compression garments following your sclerotherapy procedure. This is to help speed up the healing process and improve your results. It’s recommended that you purchase several items, as you will be wearing them for several weeks following your treatment.
A couple of weeks following your sclerotherapy treatment, you will return to our office for a follow-up to allow us to examine your results. This will also allow us to ensure you aren’t experiencing any rare, but more serious, complications.
How Does the Sclerotherapy Solution Work?
After the provider administers the sclerosing agent, it will damage and scar the inside lining of the vein. This process is painless, so you won’t feel any of it as the vein ultimately collapses. The vein will close and fade over a period of a few weeks to months.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels work by exfoliating the skin’s surface to reduce the appearance of blemishes, smooth skin texture, improve radiance and restore skin health. They are most effective in enhancing cell turnover and improving the appearance on the surface of the skin.
Who Are Chemical Peels For?
The depth and type of chemical peel is determined with a one on one consultation with a health care professional. The condition of the skin, the likelihood of burn, skin care habit and color of the skin are all taken into consideration before a chemical peel is recommended.
What Will I Experience During a Chemical Peel?
Even a superficial chemical peel will produce a tingling sensation to the skin. It can also produce redness of the skin, similar to a mild sunburn and last a few days. The more intense the chemical peel, the more noticeable the redness. Some individuals also experience sloughing or peeling of the skin 7 days following the treatment. This is normal AND an ideal effect!
After a chemical peel, your skin will become more photosensitive so it is absolutely imperative that you use a broad spectrum sunscreen daily.
When Should I Get a Chemical Peel?
Chemical peels should be avoided during seasons of High UV (Summer) as skin may be more susceptible to damage from environmental aggressors immediately post treatment. The most popular time to get a chemical peel are between September and May.
Superficial peels can be done monthly. The deeper the chemical peel, the more time required in between. A deep chemical peel can be done twice a year, Chemical peels are normally done in series of 3 to 6.
