Hot Cider, Pumpkin Patches, and Peels. My Fall Favorites.

Peel Season is upon us, Friends! Time to wipe away the sins of the Summer… at least off our faces.

You know when you find your favorite new thing? A song, a sweater, a restaurant? You just can’t stop talking about it or leave it alone? That’s how I feel about our new Micropeel from Elaine Brennan.

It’s a mysterious little product... one little jar, a simple treatment to perform. The mystery lies in how it does what it does, and does it so well. Typically we are not “big peel” fans here... and when I say big peel, I mean the kind of peels that give you a lot of downtime... think Samantha on Sex and the City. The only “big” peel we do here is RP from DMK... and a lot of prep goes into that. Why?

I think most big peels miss the mark in being too damaging with too little recovery. If your skin is compromised (barrier impaired, thin, etc) then it will lack resources to recover from such trauma. And that’s what a big peel is... trauma in an effort to force recovery. So, if we push skin that can’t recover, we can actually create other big issues like pigmentation... which are just as bad, if not worse than the original issue we were trying to treat.

Imagine running a marathon on an empty stomach, or with no sleep. This is like what we ask our skin to do when we peel it without preparing it... you will survive, but at what cost? So to do an RP you need a full homecare routine proceeding, and at least 4 professional Enzyme Therapy treatments as well. So when you do have your week of peeling, your skin can recover from it.

I love our new micropeel because it’s a “small” peel (very little downtime, shedding, or pain) that acts like a big one. This means you should get a visible improvement in texture, active acne, pigment scarring, even melasma. Also, little to no homecare prep or aftercare is needed. How does it do it???

It has to do with the base the acids rest in. Most peels are a liquid you brush it on, leave it for a few minutes... feel the burn, remove it, and your face is fried. Micropeel is a balm and sits for thirty to sixty minutes on your skin. It slowly builds some heat... but that’s as bad as it gets. At its worst, most people rate it a 4 on the pain scale (10 being unbearable). This slows absorption and prevents it from flash frying your epidermis.

Its main acids are:

• Resorcinol: works by breaking down rough, scaly, or hardened skin and is used to treat acne, eczema, psoriasis, seborrhea, photoaging, solar keratoses, epidermal atrophy and improves skin tone and unevenness. 

• Kojik Acid: works on melanocytes interfering with the production of melanin. It has excellent skin-lightening abilities and is classified as an antioxidant.

• Salicylic Acid: is used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis, acne, oily skin, blackheads, and whiteheads. It directly dissolves the keratin plugs to regulate the skin cells acting as an exfoliant. Salicylic Acid improves collagen production and the thickness of the skin. It has anti-inflammatory properties.

But the main thing I love about Micropeel is IT IS GOOD FOR ALL FITZPATRICKS! The Fitzpatrick scale is what we use to rate skin’s pigment... with 1 being the fairest and 6 being the darkest. Skins that are higher on the Fitzpatrick scale pigment very easily, because of their high amounts of melanin. Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) occurs in response to trauma or inflammation... think marks after acne. In lighter skins they are typically red or pink... and can turn brown as melanin fires to protect the underlying wound. But in darker skins, that protective melanin fires even more readily... and why many peels are a no-no. The wounding action of a typical peel can set off that melanin reaction and make PIH worse! It’s like quicksand... the more you wound the skin to get the pigment out, the worse it gets.

But not Mighty Micropeel! The results on higher Fitzpatricks are literally incredible. My satisfaction in using this tool for that tricky immense issue is why I’m obsessed with it. The peels are best done in a course... 3 to 6 about a month apart depending on the issue. And unlike a normal peel where your best results are just after you shed, with the Micropeel the best results are a full month after. This is because you will shed slowly, rather than all at once... which cuts the downtime! Your skin will feel rough and flakey, and some people do peel a bit. But nothing near a typical old school, big peel.

And this is why Micropeel is one of my few Fall favorites. To celebrate its introduction, we will be offering a free mini Betagel to support recovery with your Micropeel through October. Book yours today and find out what Peel season is all about!

Updates to Cancellation Policy

One of my least favorite parts of the business to manage… is the dreaded cancellation policy.

I hate enforcing it and am a bit of a pushover. We are all so busy, and I know things come up last minute! It is especially hard in the days of covid when we are all trying our best to be safe.  

That being said, we are just once again having an overwhelming amount of last-minute cancellations, and the only way I can think of to keep this from happening is to strengthen our policy. To this end, please note our new policy effective immediately will be $90 for your first late cancellation… and the full fee of the appointment thereafter.

So, please… if you think you cannot make your appointment, cancel with 48 hours notice. We have a long waitlist and need this time to rebook from it!

And if you are unable to cancel with 48 hours notice and earn the fee, please understand this is not a punishment but a pre-established business agreement regarding your therapist's time. Your therapist works on commission per treatment… so if you do not show, they do not get paid. Our practitioners limit the number of clients they see each day to ensure a high level of quality in their work with you. We prepare for the session before you enter the door. This is why last-minute cancellations significantly impact our practitioners and our ability to provide support to other clients hoping to work with us.

Finally, the update to our policy is pretty much in line with similar businesses and is the industry standard. My hope would be that in increasing the fee, more thought will be given to appointments made. We take our time with you very seriously and hope this will encourage the same sentiment in return.

Thank you as always for your patronage and support… we will look forward to seeing you this Autumn.

Adrienne

In order to reserve a place in our schedule, we require all clients agree to our cancellation policy as follows:

 1. You must provide at least 48 hours notice if you need to cancel or change your appointment. This means if your appointment is for 4pm Friday, you have until 4pm sharp to cancel on Wednesday. We strictly adhere to this boundary.

 2. If notice to change or cancel your session is provided less than 48 hours before your appointment time, you will be charged $90 the first time. The second time and beyond will be the full appointment fee.

 3. Please note our appointment confirmation and reminder emails are a courtesy. Not receiving either of these does not exempt clients from the late cancel/no show fee.

 4. Unexpected events can and do occur in one’s schedule. We understand that things like illness, work, emergencies, and delayed flights are out of your control, but they are also out of our control – so they are not exempt from the last minute cancellation policy.

 5. If you are more than 20 minutes late to your appointment, it will be considered cancelled…which earns the appropriate fee. Or you may arrive and keep the session, but you will be charged the full price for the time and the session will end on time.

 6. In order to schedule, we must have a credit card number kept securely on file. In the event of a last minute cancellation you agree that this card will be charged for the fee. If the card doesn’t work your file is marked with the outstanding balance we will not treat you until this balance is settled.

 7. You may cancel/reschedule your appointment without assistance from us, through the online scheduler linked on adrienneshostak.com. You may also do it from the mind/body app. These methods for rescheduling are preferred, as you may see full availability this way!

 8. If you feel sick, are exhibiting covid symptoms, or have had exposure to a person with covid, we will require negative test results before you are able to schedule to visit us again. We need to keep the office a safe space! So any last minute cancellations due to illness will require a bill of clean health to receive treatment from us. 

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

The Meta-morphosis

The Metamorphosis of Motherhood

I, like most people - was always under the impression that for a caterpillar to transform into a butterfly they simply encase themselves in a cocoon, sprout wings and poof! They are now a butterfly. The reality is much more gruesome…caterpillars completely liquify in that cocoon. Their cells melt, then reassemble…and build a butterfly from scratch. It is a complete physical metamorphosis, though they retain memory of their former caterpillar self.

I can think of no better metaphor for motherhood.

Being pregnant is hard. Physically it feels like carrying a sack of heavy groceries around with you 24/7. Weird things happen to your body…I was vomiting from acid reflux and had extreme carpal tunnel in my hands until the day I delivered. Pregnancy is hard…but in a tangible “I have a big bump bc I am carrying a tiny human who has displaced my organs” kind of way. It’s cute. People smile at you, and you feel special.

And..then baby comes out and you realize the smiles were at the unborn baby, not you. The baby comes out in an explosion…contractions literally are like that. A focusing of pain and energy in the core of your being, that climaxes in your own personal Big Bang. A new world is created, and the pieces of you you have spent your life putting together - your sense of self and identity, your sense of order, how you eat, how you walk, how your day starts and ends - explode. It is both physical and emotional, this explosion. A Mother emerges from the cocoon, alongside the baby.

Your job as a Mother is now to try to pick up the old pieces of yourself and put them back together into your new incarnation…and carry a baby while you do it.

Physically, I thought I knew my body. I delivered Leo at 41. I had never had cellulite. I had awesome abs. I could eat whatever I wanted and not gain weight. But now my body is completely different. And the most confusing and mysterious part of this puzzle is what happens to my pelvic floor.

For two years I have felt “loose’, and confused as to what has happened to my insides. I have a mummy tummy crunches won’t fix. I have had lower back pain, neck pain…full body pain. I pee myself a bit about ten times a day. I visited various doctors in the beginning of this postpartum journey, and was told I have mild prolapse…this means my pelvic floor and transverse abdominus have been so stretched out that now my guts rest in a pile in my pelvis creating downward pressure. “Do Kegels!” I am told…”Youtube it!” And I do. But no progress…I resign myself to this is the way life is now. I will always feel something is off.

I was finally directed by a yoga teacher friend to ourfitfamilylife.com for a postpartum program. Another great program is by mutumamas.com . In 10 to 20 min a day you can fix prolapse over time…but honestly, just the visual explanations provided by these programs were enough for me to get 50% improvement in my back pain in a week. Just having it clearly explained to me what had happened, and given a few exercises has allowed me to make more progress in fixing my issue in 6 weeks than I had in 2 years. 

Why this information is not printed on a page and handed to you when you leave the hospital with your baby literally boggles my mind. The fact that millions - probably billions - of women are out there with their insides sloshing around needlessly is a tragedy, in that it could be easily fixed with just a bit of support.

And yet…even taking 15 minutes a day for myself now seems impossible. The Mom Guilt owns me…somehow now biologically I am programmed to put myself last. And society supports this idea that motherhood = sacrificing yourself constantly…that it “comes with the territory”. The people who decided that are not mothers, and don’t know what it’s like. So do yourself a favor and ignore those constraints.

So, if I have two bits of advice for Moms and aspiring Moms out there it would be:

1. Invest in a good pelvic floor rehab program or therapist pre and post baby. You can not fix what happens to your body without this so don’t waste your time trying.

2. Make time to take care of yourself and guard it with your life…and do NOT feel guilty about it.

Easier said than done I know. I struggle with Mom Guilt every moment of every day. But just taking fifteen minutes a day to fix my prolapse with pelvic floor exercises has made me feel exponentially better. Looking good matters…feeling good matters. Guard that space with your life. It will take a lot of effort to do so. We all know what the pandemic has done to us. How we have held it together…only a mother could understand. You deserve to make a bit of space and time to fix yourself, don’t let anyone make you think otherwise…especially yourself.

Mothers run the world. It is a new dimension to existence…look to other mothers for support and understanding. Wishing all the moms out there an amazing day, a day to celebrate for ourselves that metamorphosis into Mother. 

Going up…

Like many women, I struggle with my self esteem. What does this look like? Chronic people pleasing, feelings of guilt (mom guilt anyone? More on that in my upcoming Mother’s Day blog) are two common symptoms. It may also look like always putting myself and my own wellness last. Ironic isn’t it? As this is precisely what I aim for us to provide for you from Bespoke…a safe place to turn your trust over to another woman who gets it, and who is here to help you feel and look your best.

Regardless, with the recent addition of medical esthetician Erika Davison (who worked with us on a limited basis in the old office, and has joined us again here in the new one about a month ago) this defect I continually struggle with has been gently brought to my attention repeatedly by her…and now I can’t unsee it! Being as that she is such an experienced esthetician she has encouraged me to look at other local businesses…and having finally space and time to pull my head out of the Covid sand its become clear to me that we are noticeably underpriced. And when you factor in that gratuity is included…well, then we are CONSIDERABLY underpriced.

I’ve done that because 1. I am so grateful to have regular business throughout covid I just didn’t have the heart to raise prices as we occasionally must, owing to inflation of materials etc 2. I want so badly to be able to provide affordable services to those who really need them I didn’t want to exclude anyone who couldn’t afford a slight price increase. I realize that taking care of yourself isn’t cheap, and that many of our clients have been through the ringer trying to solve their issues. They are spent, literally. I want everyone to feel safe to come to us and let us help them.

That being said, upon deeper reflection I’ve realized that for me to be continually setting a precedent for my team that we as women must overwork and underprice is not really serving them to the best of my ability…nor is it serving you the client. It might actually undermine what we offer to you and your ability to trust us. To this end, now that we are beginning to see the end of Covid and I have a stable, lovely staff…it’s time to gently bump prices by 10% across the board, which amounts to about $20 per treatment. $180 treatments are now $200, $200 are now $220 etc.

You will see on this updated menu that in addition to a slew of new services, there is a significant amount of new language/naming of our treatments. The greatest of which is that our beloved Osmosis based Bespoke Facial is being renamed as “Facial Infusion”. And our new “Bespoke Facial” will now be exactly that…a flexible session of modalities such as peels, high frequency, massage, microcurrent, gua sha, and botanical and/or alginate masks. More of a typical facial (but with our signature customized, “feel good” twist!) , that leaves you fresh and glowing after treatment. We will offer that in 60 or 90 minute sessions with your choice of cosmetic modalities. Or, better yet let your therapist choose your modalities! And just lie back and enjoy what we cook up for you.

These changes will take place May 1. Please note the changes to the menu noted here: Most important I think is the change in language, in that Osmosis treatments are now “Infusions” and not “Bespoke Facials”. I’m pretty happy about that change in verbiage, as typically our Osmosis facials are viewed as our “basic facial”…when they are anything but basic! Osmosis facials are skin revision from the deepest level, and I think the term “Infusion” better communicates their value.

Anyway, there you have it…new menu, new prices are live on our menu page. If you have questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to let me know! And as always, thank you for visiting us. Your support means the world to me, and we are thrilled to have you by our side for what is sure to be a beautiful spring and summer, and a new phase of growth here at Bespoke. 

In Bloom

I love this time of year…probably it’s because it’s when my son was born. So when I see the cherry blossoms start to bloom I can’t help but remember that time, and feel the anticipation of a new season beginning. And this year it is especially true…the end of Covid in sight and so many new services on our menu.

In this spirit our newness for April are two lovely peels, to help you to swing into the warmer weather fresh faced.

For Face:

Lunchtime Peel: A little “pick me up” peel, to get you glowing in less than an hour! A gentle exfoliation with our most hydrating acid blend and mask, to brighten and tighten by increasing your skin’s water levels. Forty minutes of treatment, $180

Micropeel: A “little” peel with big results! Micropeel is good for active acne, acne scars, pigmentation, textural issues, as well as fine lines and wrinkles. Minimal downtime…dry flakey skin for the next week is possible as your skin gently sheds. Forty minutes of treatment, $210

For Body Treatments, we’ve added a treatment and reworked our existing menu:

New! Wood therapy uses a number of different wooden massage-like tools to help break down fat and cellulite. The wooden instruments are used to apply direct pressure to “problem areas” and essentially naturally eliminate excess body fat. A deep treatment that is deeply relaxing! Fifty five minutes of treatment, $180

Changes to existing menu:

Brazilian Body Sculpt: Upon discussion with Maria, we have decided to include 20 min infrared sauna with every Sculpt treatment. This will increase price to $220 and time on the treatment to 90 minutes…but we think the result will be worth it! She will wrap your areas of concern after the sculpt and before the infrared…this will keep the areas flushing lymph and greatly enhance results. Ninety minutes hands on, $220

Lymphatic Drainage: We have also decided to simplify the various types of lymphatic drainage massage Maria offers into one category. This treatment is a light drainage, perfect for those seeking Prenatal, Post Operative drainage…or just a lighter touch. Fifty Five minutes hands on, $160 

Bloom with us this spring at Bespoke!

Spring Awakening

As we approach the one year anniversary of the s*** officially hitting the Covid fan, I can’t help but reflect on the last year and marvel. I closed the business March 19 2020, unsure of when it would reopen (it ended up being late June). When we had decided to make the move from the old building to the new, many conversations centered on “it’s a risk, but what’s the worst that could happen?” “Pandemic” wasn’t even a possibility mentioned. And yet here we are a year later, steeped in Pandemic Fatigue.

Have you cried this month, inexplicably? Me too. So much was lost last year…and before you can fully recover another loss another occurs. The climax of my Covid story has to be losing my sweet friend and member of staff Rachel Fazio suddenly October 19…not to Covid, but a shock nonetheless. I definitely considered closing the business. It just seemed believable, so insurmountable. We has already been through so much, and now this. Surely it was a sign? Add to all this parenting my baby Leo…there was nothing to do but shut down and soldier on. And now I find myself crying nearly in relief as the vaccines roll out, finally feeling safe enough to let the losses be acknowledged.

I consider myself lucky…the business is still standing. My family is well. Not only that, but somehow we are entering the spring as a business reborn…sparkly new staff, and somehow a slew of new treatments to offer. The initial vision I had moving into this office at 3233 P St is beginning to crystalize, and I find myself (like you) emerging from a pandemic hibernation, ready to shake the dust off and start putting myself back together…physically, emotionally, spiritually.

So! In that vein please join us at Bespoke 2.0:

What’s new for March?

Meet Lexi! Our wonderful new esthetician will be seeing clients starting March 14, and working Wed, Thu, Fri and Sun.

Radio-Frequency Skin Tightening with Maria, for face and body $180 A nonsurgical method which utilizes energy waves to heat the dermis and stimulate collagen production, firming the skin. Painless, no downtime. Great for crepey, sagging skin..and necks!

Bespoke Body “Flex” $180 A flexible session, choose any two body modalities! Or…let Maria choose for you, creating a truly tailored treatment. She also has 30 and 60 minute add ons, for $60 or $90…which means you could potentially book for up to two full hours of treatment and up to four modalities! Choose from radio-frequency, lymph drainage massage, ultrasound, infrared sauna.

Meet Erika and her new services! Erika has a medical esthetician background, currently working for a local surgical center.

She is with us Sundays only currently and offering: Dermaplaning ($300), Microneedling with Enzyme mask ($500), Lash lifting/tinting and Brow shape/tint ($150), with optional mini facial add on for an additional $50. For more info on these please check the website!

Coming soon in April:

“Get Glowing” Micropeel by Elaine Brennan $250, a “little” peel with big results! Very little downtime to this one (a few days of minor shedding) but great for textural issues, active acne, age management. An all around winner! Jessica will be doing IPL on Thursdays! To celebrate we will offer a free gift (DMK Melanotech drops, $55) off your first photofacial with her in April. More on this and the benefits of photofacials soon!

Coming in May and beyond:

Permanent Makeup service with Robin Pomeroy.

Microblading, combo and hybrid brows, ombre brows. Price will be $800 with touch up and gratuity included…get it in May and pay $600.

Facial Cupping and Gua Sha facials.

Plasma Pen skin tightening and more!

Books are filling so please book now, and join us for our Spring Awakening. 

Cheers to newness!

Learning new treatments is the most fun part of the job by a mile!  And the last year being what it was, there wasn’t too much space at Bespoke for this…but I do feel that we are turning a corner, and in this vein I am so excited to introduce Bespoke Microneedling, Bespoke Dermaplaning, and Lash and Brow therapy to the menu!

You may remember Erika from the old office…she is a kindred spirit definitely.  Erika currently is the lead medical esthetician for another office, but has chosen to spend Sundays with us in order to offer other treatments she knows and loves.

Here’s an overview of the new treatments:

Bespoke Microneedling a.k.a. the “Cadillac” of Collagen Induction Therapy! Microneedling utilizes a device with tiny needles passed over numbed skin to create channels into the dermis, which not only create collagen and elastin but increase product penetration. Double cleanse, light enzymatic or manual exfoliation (dermaplaning), followed by depth customized microneedling with epidermal growth factors and/or wound healing beta glucan infusion to treat acne scars, smooth fine lines and even texture. Then healing Enzyme mask for forty five minutes to speed recovery, leaving you with significantly less downtime than traditional microneedling! A big treatment with next level results ($500)

I used to perform microneedling daily.  And though I think generally it is too much damage/stimulation for most clients…we at this point have very conditioned clients, with strong skin who can handle it!  Also, we will be using the Enzyme mask after the needling, which helps to repair the skin and significantly reduces recovery time!  I had one myself yesterday and man, what a difference between microneedling as I used to do it.  It’s a perfect combination.

Dermaplaning designed for you. Cleanse and light chemical or enzymatic exfoliation, followed by a full facial exfoliation with a fine blade to remove dead skin and vellus hair (“peach fuzz”). Treatment ends with a potent vitamin C infusion… skin is left bright, tight and smoother, with no inflammation or irritation. A must for those seeking instant results, or aiming to be event ready. Not suitable for active acne ($300).

Dermaplaning is incredible for the instant gratification of perfectly smooth, glowing skin.  Once again we will be pairing it with DMK products…which after the exfoliation can absorb so much better.  

Bespoke Lash and Brow Therapy is a customized facial focusing on eyes. Cleanse, light chemical or enzymatic exfoliation for the face. Followed by brow shape/tint and lash lift/tint! Light lymphatic drainage massage around eyes and transdermal infusion to finish ($250). Alternatively you can choose only brows or only lashes for ($200).

And Lash and Brow therapy is a passion of Erika’s…what a huge difference it makes to your daily routine to have that done!  And in true Bespoke nature she will be performing a basic facial around the treatment…so you get two (or three!) treatments in one.  You should leave the office feeling fully taken care of.

Erika’s first day with us is Sunday…Valentine’s day.  Her availability is extremely limited, so please book your spots now…we are so happy to have such a versatile professional join the team, and bring the fresh air of new services to the menu.

Introducing Bespoke Contour Facials

We are very excited to introduce a new treatment to the menu this month…Bespoke Facial Contour.  Our version of popular microcurrent facials, with a lot of immediate gratification for tired faces!

Microcurrent therapy is a way to stimulate the facial muscles with a small electrical current. That’s it! It is a simple, pain-free method that works with the body’s natural systems to re-energize the facial skin and muscles from a cellular level. The cumulative effect of this process, on the other hand, now that is where things get interesting! 

1. Diminished appearance of fine lines and wrinkles due to toning of facial muscles. The facial muscles have the distinct responsibility of helping us create facial expressions. Because the muscles connect to both the bone and skin, they work to produce countless facial expressions. When we are consistent with microcurrent sessions, we are lifting or "tightening" the muscle, which in turn helps to tighten our skin…and reduce wrinkles and fine lines.

2. Improved circulation and skin tone. Circulation is generally increased from any stimulation done to the surface of the skin. Blood flowing towards our skin brings oxygen and other nutrients that our skin requires to remain healthy. As it continues to circulate, the blood also removes carbon dioxide and wastes that the skin doesn't need.

3. Increase in Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)…and collagen and elastin production. Microcurrent technology results have shown to increase ATP by up to 500%. ATP is the energy of the cell, and is the cellular energy necessary for the production of collagen and elastin in the face. With ATP increased and your cells re-energized, your body’s natural processes of collagen production can get to work, creating skin strength as well as skin structure. Also with a boost of ATP comes an increase in our body’s ability to generate elastin - a combination of connective and fibrous tissue of protein that provides our skin the flexibility to stretch and bounce-back to its natural shape.

Unlike many microcurrent devices Bespoke Contour is very gentle…there is no jumping or twitching of muscles.  Which isn’t to say you won’t feel it!  But it’s a very gentle and relaxing current…you may taste metal when we work around your mouth, or see a bit of flashing around your eyes.

With this treatment we will include a light peel, extractions, transdermal infusion…and massage or gua sha.  Though the treatment itself is very comfortable the results are tangible!  And will increase over time, as they are cumulative.  To this end we will also sell a home microcurrent device for those who want it (and which is very simple to use) for between treatments, to maintain results.

Regardless, enjoy!  We are so pleased to bring something new to the menu, and look forward to continuing to expand services into the future.

Skin Bootcamp

I had a DMK Muscle Banding treatment the other day, and just wow.  The results were so tangible it got me thinking.  I thought “If these are the results after one session…imagine the result if I did this every two weeks?  Or even every week?” 

Which…is in fact the way you are SUPPOSED to do it lol.  In the office we sometimes say that Osmosis is your skin’s nutritionist…and DMK is it’s personal trainer.  Like exercise, the results are cumulative.  Like exercise, the treatment is sometimes uncomfortable…but the afterglow so worth it.  Like exercise, it leaves you feeling bright, tight, toned.  And like exercise, the more often you do it, and with consistency…the better result you will get.  And the better your chances of the result holding.

If you are no stranger to Bespoke you may remember that pre-pandemic we were fully booked for months out.  Just getting a session was tough…but getting a session weekly just impossible.  So, we made sure everyone had the proper home-care, including the foamy lift kit.  It was enough to keep the ball rolling in between sessions, and we were happy for that.

But now, in the tail end of Covid 19 our books have dwindled…that plus post Christmas means we have time and  space in the books.  And so that being said, I am happy to offer something new, and that I have wanted to offer for a long time…the DMK skin “bootcamp”.  We’ve got nothing but time as we wait for the vaccine to hit the generally public…why not take the opportunity to really make gains with your skin?

The package will look like this:  one consult with me, four DMK Enzyme treatments to be had either every week or every other week.  All home-care is included…that’s EFA’s, Betagel, Direct Delivery C, Seba E, Herb Mist, Creme of choice and SPF.

Then, for those applicable and who want it…we will do an add on of Revitosin and Superbright cremes.  And you will be set up for DMK’s Remodeling Procedure…which is actually four treatments over then days.  It is their deepest peel, which remodels the skin from the bottom of the dermis up!

The value on the bootcamp is $1300…We will be selling it for $975, which is about 25% off.   Then the RP add on is valued at $800…We will add it for $600.  Treatments must be with Nichole or Dominique, consult is by me…booking is first come first serve, and in January and February only.

Once covid is behind us it is unlikely we will have the availability to do something like this again.  So join us as we ride the rest of this storm out and get your best skin in the process!

The No Peel “Peel”

I tried out a new peel the other day, that I might add to our menu. Why not I thought, I need a pick me up. I have strong, conditioned skin from using all the home-care consistently. And I don’t have time for an hour or two long treatment…this will take half an hour.

It is now 4 days later, and I am peeling. Which…is what I wanted. But is the juice worth the squeeze? My skin is dry, flakey, tight, uncomfortable. I can’t wear makeup because it flakes off. But in a few days it should look great right?!

People love to peel. We have this idea that or skin is like a floor…and if we sand down far enough we will land at fresh, clean new skin. Which is true…sort of. Rather than a floor, think of your skin like a tree. The epidermis (outermost layer) is the bark…the dermis is the wood. Though the bark is “dead” it is vital to the health of the tree…stripping it off prematurely endangers it.

When we strip our epidermis however, it feels pretty satisfying. There is a tingle, everything feels tight and bright and clean. The skin gets a bit pink and puffy…look, I am getting younger! But in reality this is inflammation at work…all of the skins resources get pushed to the surface, and stripping the epidermis is technically wounding it. After the “wound” is repaired the skin takes a little nap…the dermis is depleted. It needs to recover. But does it have the resources to recover? If not then we are “robbing Peter to pay Paul”…our dermis will eventually thin (not good) and the skin might take forever to heal. Acne marks and such, that we think we can scrape away last ages…because the wound within the dermis causing them is robbed of vital nutrition. So what do we do in response?

We try harder, again and again…until we damage or skin beyond repair. what went wrong? And when we do a big peel…we get that crazy scaley face, because the dermis is not ready to shed…it can’t! It needs at least some protection. We use two lines in the office currently…Osmosis and DMK. Though they bear significant differences they also have significant similarities. Amongst these similarities I would cite the “No Peel Peel”. Or in a sense…the effects of a peel without the downtime, or the stripping of the epidermis and thinning of the dermis.

First, Osmosis. They offer a retinaldhyde infusion, which speeds cell turnover. So, for unconditioned skin, if I put a full syringe on your face…it would speed turnover so much you would look sunburnt and shed. And yet the infusion has no acid! So how does this work?

When your epidermis is ready to shed it does so naturally…so when the retinal speeds turnover it will do so ahead of schedule. The difference is it’s not inflaming the dermis by ripping the epidermis off…it’s shedding because it WANTS to! So leaving a happy, healthy, humming dermis. And in the process this is healing damage within the dermis (old acne and pigmentation)…rather than robbing those wounds of the opportunity. And best yet? Done properly the shedding is undetectable. No downtime, no burnt scaley face.

DMK does something a bit different. Rather than speed cell turnover with retinal, an enzyme treatment does in fact utilize acids to exfoliate. However the difference is in that magic mask… the enzyme mask stays on for 45 minutes, and creates a back-flush of the capillaries. Fresh oxygen and blood flush the dermis, and cellular debris and toxins are swept out via lymph to the lymph nodes. This flushing is true oxygen therapy, and is so healing that it resolves any damage or stripping done by the prior acids. The difference is the peel is just prerequisite to that recovery phase, not an end in itself. The result is fresh, bright, clean, glowing skin. It is the effect of a peel, without the week of downtime I am experiencing now.

So, though the peel I just did only took 30 min…it’s taking a week to heal. That 45 minutes of mask does the work of a week’s healing!

Am I glad I did this peel? Yes, sure…I am all for shaking things up a bit, and challenging the skin. But next time get that enzyme on my face please…there is nothing quite like it.