Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

For many adults, particularly women, exiting the teen years does not always guarantee peaches and creme skin.

Sometimes, the problems of adolescence persist. Teen acne and adult acne are different; teen skin tends to be very oily while adults with skin issues often suffer with dry skin.

With the teens, typically males suffer acne in greater numbers than females and with adult acne, the problem tends to be more prevalent among women, often accompanying pregnancy, menstruation and menopause.

Unfortunately it’s difficult because, unlike the teens, adults cannot be told they are going to “out grow” the acne. However, there are a lot of treatment options out there, you just need to take the time to discover what’s going to work for you.

It’s not one size fits all, that’s for sure. Different things will work for different people.

Acne occurs when the skin’s oil glands over produce, clogging the skin’s pores. This causes growth of naturally occurring bacteria, which releases enzymes that cause the skin to swell and redden and can lead to whiteheads or blackheads.

Pre-menopausal women, who produce less estrogen, are more prone to acne. No matter what the cause of the acne, it can change a person’s overall appearance and even one’s life.

One acne sufferer who dealt with severe acne until her late 20’s, said she tried a bunch of things to no avail. Then, she found an esthetician who worked with her over a two year period, and helped her clear up the acne. They did several glycolic acid peels and a rigorous skin-care regimen. The former acne sufferer reports that her self-confidence skyrocketed after her acne cleared up. In her opinion, the most awful part of acne is what it does to a person’s self esteem. This particular person became so confident, she left her former career as an interpreter for the deaf and went to school to become an esthetician. Today she is a supervisor at a spa, helping others with skin care issues.

Facials can be a great help for those suffering with adult acne but you won’t be able to turn things around with a single facial. This is where it is helpful to work with an esthetician to establish a treatment plan. Usually Spas offer packages where you can save on the cost of facials by purchasing several at once.

Other treatments proven to be beneficial are BLU-U treatments and PPx Therapy. These are FDA approved devices for the treatment of acne. There are also laser facials where a device heats up the upper dermis layer of the skin, stimulating collagen growth. As with facials, this is not a one time treatment. Typically you would need about 4 treatments to begin noticing a difference.

There are many treatments available today for adult acne but you will have to experiment (and spend some money) to see what is the best treatment option for you. Fortunately, with modern technology, there are ways of beating acne, not only the scourge of adolecsence but some adults as well.

Do you ever leave the house with no makeup. Or, what would be the bare minimum you could do with? For me, its always been eyeliner and lip gloss. While I may still look a little rough, at least with these,  I can go out not feeling completely naked.

Must have makeup varies depending on who you ask but most agree on one thing. It all starts with genuinely cleaned skin, not just splashed with water. A good skin care regimen is essential . And if you are over 30, plan on exfoliating daily to get rid of dead, dry cells and bring back the brightness.

According to one of New York Cities most prominent makeup artist, here are some must haves: bronzing powder, mascara and lipstick. She stresses the importance of not forgetting the eyebrows. Your brows frame your face, if they look polished and defined, you can actually get away with much less makeup.

Here’s another tip our from the same makeup artist. Apply your bronzer from the decolletage on up. At her studio, they use this technique on every celebrity and socialite that walks through the doors. You can contour the face by using a fan brush on the cheekbones, chin and bridge of the nose. Bronzer warms the skin and brightens the eyes. To minimize a larger nose, use a concealer over the bridge and bronze on the side to soften the angles. And, don’t forget the blush- a touch of it adds the right hint of color.

I now have a whole new respect for bronzer. Prior to writing this, I used just a bit on my cheeks. Looks like I have to buy some different brushes and rethink what I’ve been doing.

My new makeup must haves are bronzer, eyeliner and lip gloss.

Okay, I’ll bear my soul on this one. I never used to use toner, actually thought it was a waste, just something extra the company was trying to sell me to make more money off of me. I’m sure you have never had those thoughts. I mean I would buy the cleanser and moisturizer and skip the toner, even though the sales person would do their best to convince me I really should also buy the toner. So why would we want to use toner anyway?

Well, it is important we use a good skin care line including the toner!   And, if you recall from a previous post, we talked about the importance of sticking with one product line as the manufactures formulate the products to work together synergistically.  So, back to the toner, toner can help to balance, refresh and restore the skin’s protective pH mantle while removing residue. And if it’s SkinCeuticals Toner with hydroxy acids, it will help exfoliate dead skin cells while the botanical extracts such as witch hazel, rosemary, aloe and chamomile soften, soothe, and tone the skin.

So, you can see it’s something very necessary in a good skin care regimen. In fact, these days I can’t imagine not using it. I never realized that it takes more than just a good cleanser to really get the skin clean. And, it’s so soothing and refreshing for the skin.

I want to talk more specifically about some of the ingredients SkinCeuticals uses in their Equalizing Toner:

Witch Hazel extract which is credited with anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties as well as anti-itching softening and emollient properties and, it is effective against free radicals.

Aloe barbadensis gel which is an emollient with skin softening, healing and anti-inflammatory properties. Aloe has widely recognized moisturizing abilities and is beneficial for sunburned or sun-exposed skin. And aloe barbadensis is known to have synergistic effects which used in conjunction with other anti-inflammatory substances.

Rosemary Extract is said to have astringent, toning, stimulating, deodorant, antiseptic reactivating, anti-bacterial, softening and invigorating properties.

Thyme is antiseptic, tonic, anti-bacterial, deodorizing, fungicidal, circulation stimulating, soothing and healing. The active ingredient in thyme is thymol acid which has disinfectant properties similar to carbolic acid.

Wow! I get turned on just writing about this stuff much less using it because of the quality ingredients. If you are a baby boomer (or not) like I am and want only the best to put on your skin, because we know what we put on our skin, gets in our body, you will love SkinCeuticals! Perhaps you are beginning to understand why Fantasia is thrilled to carry the SkinCeuticals skin care product line.

If you are a Baby Boomer and are like I am, you are always looking for ways to rejuvenate your skin. Fantasia offers a procedure called Facial Sculpting. It is a non-surgical treatment that revitalizes and tightens the skin, making it softer, smoother and younger looking. It diminishes fine lines and wrinkles. Pore size is improved along with textural irregularities which can be caused by acne, eczema, melasma, rosacea and other skin imperfections. Facial Sculpting increases skin elasticity and firms facial contour.

This is a revolutionary way to safely, effectively and gently tighten and firm the skin. It is performed through exclusively designed conducting wands which emit Micro-currents. The current penetrates the layers of skin through specific acupuncture points thus causing increased production of collagen to smooth and soften lines and wrinkles.

Facial Sculpting is a wonderfully relaxing and euphoric treatment. You may find yourself drifting off to sleep! Specifically formulated skin products are first applied all over the targeted areas of the face. This essential blend is used as a conductor to enhance the effectiveness of the wave form, penetrating deep into the skin as the wands gently glide over the areas being treated. The number of procedures recommended is determined by your age and skin condition. Our service provider will discuss this with you at your first visit or consultation. Most clients are able to see noticeable improvement after their very first visit. Ten treatments will help you achieve optimal results.

With Facial Sculpting, you can expect to turn back the clock on aging. You will achieve overall improved skin quality and a natural youthful appearance to your face. The improvements can be quite dramatic with a series of treatments. Once you have achieved your desired results, there are preventative measures you can take in order to maintain your beautiful, new found skin. Your lifestyle should include drinking plenty of water, proper diet and exercise, avoiding harmful UV rays and include a good skin care regimen. (Fantasia offers wonderful skin care products.) Monthly treatments are then recommended to maintain and enhance your youthful appearance. The Facial Sculpting technology is so effective, that everyone is getting age-defying results.

If you would like to come into Fantasia, we would be happy to show you some before and after photos of those who have had the Facial Sculpting treatments. I think you will be amazed!