by Brittany Gordon
Bikini ready, ladies? No?
So, bros…you a Speedo pro? No?
There’s lots of ways to get healthy and hot for spring. Just for you guys, we went and found 6 Springy Health & Beauty Preps.
1. Body Treatments
One of the most popular body treatments at Galleria Day Spa is their exfoliating sugar scrub called Sea Salt Glow. Jayden Quenstedt, day spa manager, says this treatment exfoliates the skin followed with an aroma steam shower. Through the process, skin pores are opened and skin is hydrated along with the exfoliation. Quenstedt says the steam shower can help you lose water weight and after the treatment your skin is left glowing. Sea Salt Glow is $75 and some people like to follow with a soothing massage.Another popular service Galleria Day Spa provides for $75 dollars is facials. Fortunate writer that I am, I enjoyed their most popular European Facial first hand. It was extraordinary creating a huge difference after the facial: the skin on my face felt lighter, healthier, glowing, and as if my skin could really breathe. Salon aesthetician Lucia Adams performs the facials. She starts by making you so comfortable and relaxed you could just fall into a deep, peaceful sleep. First she does a skin analysis and applies a cleanser based on your individual skin type. After the skin is clean, she exfoliates, puts vitamins back into the skin and then closes the pores to enhance beauty. Adams has custom-made treatments and masks she uses according to your skin type with the most common being dry, oily, acne, sensitive, aging, and normal to combination. Adams has ready anything and everything your skin may need and provides very helpful feedback on what you can do to improve your skin and keep it beautiful. She advises that it is best to get a facial every four weeks due to the cycle of skin growing new cells and getting clogged. The primary purpose of the European facial is to provide deep cleansing for your skin and make sure it is healthy and hydrated so it can absorb nutrients, enzymes and vitamins. Ancient secrets for facial rejuvenation are what give European facials their effectiveness, says Adams, adding that it is a holistic, non-surgical approach to youth and radiant beauty. Adams has been performing facials for 40 years and says it is truly her love. Adams’ mother opened the first ever spa in Nicaragua, she shares, and the following year, Adams moved to Bryan where she has lived and been performing facials ever since. The spa provides other facials as well as microdermabrasion and dermasound. Adams counsel is that in order for those treatments to be effective, the skin must first be clean and unclogged. “In order to have healthy skin, we must have clean skin,” Adams says. “Facials are something we cannot live without.” That means both men and women.
2. Laser Hair Removal
Body-ready for spring means unwanted hair has to go away. Throw away the razors and go to Brazos Valley Med Spa for laser hair removal and never shave, tweeze or wax again. Vicki Childs, a nurse practitioner at Brazos Valley Med Spa, is a Certified Laser Hair Removal Professional, Certified Aesthetic Consultant, and a Certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. This means Childs has gone to school and passed an exam in order to legitimately perform laser hair removal and she has been doing it for many years. She believes it is crucial to know what you are doing, how the machine works, and ensure every client gets the service they pay for. First step: schedule a consultation where you will fill out a medical form and Childs will test a strand of your hair to make sure the procedure will work. The ideal patient is white-with-dark skin, but laser hair removal can work on anyone except individuals with white, gray, or red hair. The laser is attracted to the melanin in the hair follicle, burning the follicle without burning the skin, penetrating beneath the skin to remove the follicle. The process will only work during the growth cycle so you cannot wax, tweeze, or use any kind of product that removes the root of the hair for at least three weeks prior treatment. Plan ahead. Depending on the area of the skin, the process usually requires two to 10 treatments that range from $100 for underarms to about $600 for legs. Childs uses Variable Pulsed Light Technology, the Energist UltraPlus® VPL machine to perform the laser hair removal procedure. This amazing machine is not only tailored to hair removal, but also rejuvenates skin and treats acne, sun spots, and cherry hemangiomas, also known as strawberry spots. Childs says she absolutely loves this machine because it is so versatile and, unlike other machines that are painful and uncomfortable, this machine provides mild discomfort and is very tolerable. She describes the process of hair removal as a rubberband pop or catching a speck of bacon grease. People of all ages purchase these treatments – both men and women. The price does vary depending on individual factors, but if you purchase five treatments, you receive a 20 percent discount. Taking advantage of this wonderful technology gets that unwanted hair gone for good!
3. Waxing
If laser hair removal isn’t your thing, but you don’t want to spend your time constantly shaving, you can remove unwanted hair by waxing. MediSpa and Salon offers waxing services for any area of the body. Neal Maracchini, co-owner of MediSpa and Salon with his wife, Kim, says the most common service people come in for is Brazilian and Hollywood waxing. Brazilian waxing is the front of the bikini area and Hollywood waxing includes both front and back. This service is usually done using soft wax, which includes applying the wax and removing it with a piece of fabric. For people with sensitive skin, there is also hard wax, which is applying wax, waiting for it to dry, then peeling the wax away. Clients usually prefer the soft wax because it only takes about 15 minutes; hard wax takes approximately 40 minutes. The pain level is minimal with both methods and chamomile and tea tree oil are applied to sooth the skin and reduce irritation. With most waxing, the hair is removed for three to four weeks, but the time varies depending on the area of the skin you choose to wax. Prices vary from $8 for forehead to $80 for chest and stomach. The Brazilian and Hollywood waxing are just for women, but other areas such as chest, back and sideburns are available for men, as well. No matter your age or gender, you can swap razor burn and constant shaving for smooth, beautiful skin just in time for spring.
4. Spider and Varicose Veins
Did you know approximately 80 million people in the United States suffer from a vein disorder of some kind? Rebecca Price, a registered vascular technologist and a coordinator at Brazos Vein Institute, says these unwanted veins can be embarrassing, painful and can lead to worse symptoms such as leg swelling, damage to the skin and venous ulcers. Spider veins are usually small, purple veins that appear on the surface and are more of a cosmetic issue. Varicose veins are larger, bulging, more prominent underlying veins that can cause aching, swelling and pulling of the blood. Brazos Vein Institute offers free vein screenings on Saturdays, typically on the first Saturday of the month. A specialist will consult with you and provide an ultrasound to determine which method of treatment is best for you. Price says the screenings are great because many people don’t know what is wrong or come in for cosmetic reasons only to find out they also have underlying medical issues that need to be taken care of first. With the ultrasound, clients can see exactly what is wrong and what needs to be taken care of. Treatments to remove the veins include sclerotherapy, microphlebectomy and radiofrequency ablation. Typically, sclerotherapy takes care of the very small veins. Microphlebectomy and radiofrequency ablation are for the larger veins that need to be removed or shut down. This varies depending on your individual condition, and sometimes one or all three of the treatments may be necessary. Price says the pain level is, on scale of one to 10, generally a two. These treatments were made available to take the place of vein stripping, which required hospitalization and included much more pain, recovery time and a dramatically higher cost. These newer treatments are done at the Brazos Vein Institute, which is part of Central Texas Heart Center. The goal, says Price, is to help patients get back on their feet as soon as possible using preventative methods such as walking and wearing a compression garment. Each case is unique to the patient, but Price says some patients can already see results after 48 to 72 hours. The cost also varies with each case and will be discussed at the first screening. Most health insurance policies cover treatments that are medically necessary. Price also says patients come in all the time who are so happy with their results they cannot believe they waited so long. Don’t continue hiding your legs or dealing with unnecessary aches and pain. Arrange for a free vein screening and kiss those unwanted veins goodbye!
5. Airbrush Tanning
You want a nice tan for that day at the beach, but you don’t want to harm your skin with UV rays lying in the sun. French Door Salon’s airbrush tanning is a perfect solution. JoAnna Trejo-Salazar, an operator at the salon, says to start by coming in with your skin exfoliated, your unwanted hair gone, and no moisturizer, make up, lotion, or anything on your body. Wear loose fitting clothing, such as a sundress. You will be sprayed with a handheld airbrush gun in order to get every inch evenly, as opposed to going into a booth. French Door uses bronze body formula offering three levels: light, medium, and dark, but the levels can be combined to fit your skin’s needs. The airbrush gun provides a natural-looking tan, while keeping your skin moisturized and hydrated. Tans typically last up to a week, and the salon has a lotion to help the tan last an additional week. Another way to ensure your tan lasts is to wait 24 hours before showering, advises Trejo-Salazar, and use mild soap and no sponge when showering. Pat, don’t rub, yourself dry. Many clients come in for spray tans every three weeks around summer and some come all year round to keep that summer glow, she says, adding that spray tan is great for big events – pageants, weddings, portraits. Price for full body is $35; half body, $20. Buy up to 4 tans and you get the 5th tan free. On having a tan, “It just makes clients feel better about themselves,” says Trejo-Salazar.
6. Treating Overexertion
While working on getting that perfect spring body, make sure not to overexert yourself, or as Dr. Karen Campion advisers her patients, don’t let those New Year’s resolutions you made end up hurting your back. In addition to being a doctor of chiropractic medicine, Campion is certified in a variety of techniques including active release, acupuncture, chiropractic sports practitioner, and fellow international academy of medical acupuncture. Her practice is Campion Chiropractic in College Station. To properly take care of your body, Campion offers the following pointers: avoid overuse, listen to your body, lift with your knees, be patient and modify, work shorter times and longer rest periods, stay hydrated, do daily stretching, maintain a nutritious diet, and most importantly, if you think something is wrong, find out. The best time to come in is when you first start feeling pain, not after you have dealt with it for weeks, months or years, she advises. However, Campion says she takes people as they are when they come to see her, with no problem is too big or too small. Treatment methods include spinal decompression; massage therapy, cold laser therapy, sports rehabilitation and acupuncture. On-site x-rays and access to other radiology facilities allow evaluation for the best treatment based on the severity of the issue. Patients will be given recommend therapy homework and advice with the goal to get clients back on their feet, recovered, as quickly as possible. Because Campion Chiropractic offers free consultations at no obligation and accepts most health insurance policies, there really is no excuse: if you overdid it springing into spring, don’t let aches and pain grow and ruin this beautiful season!
