Acne is the most common skin disease. It is only controllable not curable. It is, in short, no simple matter. Teen acne, as opposed to adult acne, is characterized by:
    

• peak oil production
• can tolerate stronger oil solvents
• lots of blackheads
• cell proliferation rate 28-30 days
• damaged cells replaced quickly
• easy to re-hydrate skin
• breakouts are constant
• main cause is hormonal
• high oil production

Adult acne is characterized by:

• oil production tapering off
• can NOT tolerate strong oil solvents
  fewer and fewer blackheads
• cell proliferation rate 35-45 days
  takes longer to replace damaged cells
• cellular buildup makes skin harder to re-hydrate
  breakouts can be cyclic, constant or sporadic
• main cause is hormonalAcne Aggravators

  Acne is a chronic skin disorder. Even when the skin looks clear, it will still have acne impactions and constant tension in the follicles. If you could see inside these weakened follicles, you would see constant breaking, leaking and healing activity. When the acne skin is clear, a delicate balance has been struck with the disorder. Some known acne aggravators are as follows:

• Stress: Stress effects us physically at our weakest point and in acne prone individuals that can mean the follicle.
• Humidity / Climate: The swelling or hyper hydration of the skin due to hot & humid climates breaks down the fragile follicle due to the pressure.
• Pressure / Friction: The constant rubbing and touching of the skin is an acne aggravator. Once again, the increased pressure on the follicle sets off the inflammation.
• Picking:If the skin is not properly prepared when pressure is applied to expel the follicular debris, there is not an adequate opening for the debris to move to the surface. This forces the follicle to break down & imbeds the matter deeper into the skin tissue.
• Industrial Chemicals: Various chemicals are potent, & when they come into contact with the skin, aggravate acne. Coal tars used by roofers, grease from auto mechanics or frying foods from a chef are examples of acne aggravators.
• Iodide:Once iodide (iodine) enters the body and mixes into the bloodstream, the excess is excreted through the oil glands. As it is excreted, it irritates the follicle causing acne flare ups. Large amounts can induce acne in anyone. Seafood is a common carrier of iodide.
• Cosmetics: Comedones (blackheads) caused by cosmetics will protrude instead of being imbedded in the skin, and the skin around these comedones will be free of redness. Cosmetic acne is localized and based on the tendency of the skin’s follicles to clog when exposed to a certain cosmetic ingredient.
• Menstrual Cycle: The outbreak occurs in most women 10-14 days before they begin to menstruate. This is due to the hormone activity which triggers the increase in sebum production.
• Drugs: Certain drugs go beyond aggravating acne, but actually cause acne in skins which otherwise would not be vulnerable. Examples: Birth Control, Lithium, Dilantin, Steroids, or High doses of B12
• Pregnancy: During the first 3 months, acne prone women usually have an outbreak due to hormonal changes, but in the last six months the body is flooded with extra estrogen which reduces sebum (oil) flow.
  Treating acne requires a program tailored to your needs. A combination of different products and treatments will provide faster improvement. For example, Alpha Hydroxy Acid (Exfogel) speeds up the removal of cellular debris and waste. The anti-bacterial drug (Benzoyl Peroxide) can penetrate into the follicles to kill bacteria and interrupt the impaction forming process.  There are many treatments available and sometimes it is a matter of testing to see which products work for your acne.

Recent studies published in the PCI Journal discussed what baby boomers think about old age, wrinkles, brown spots and the general signs of aging. While most of our parents thought old age would start at 50, most baby boomers think old age will start at 79.

Almost 70% of baby boomers think that they look younger than their actual age – and they are mostly correct. With far more attention being paid to our skin, exercise, nutrition and overall attitudes toward life, boomers are showing the signs of age far less than their parents. And, as far as they are concerned, facial wrinkles and brown spots far outweigh gray hair and/or hair loss as an indication of age. Compared to beliefs held just three years ago, boomers now believe that you should do whatever you want to slow down the signs of aging.

Women, aged 30 to 50 spend an average of 19 minutes a day on their face while surprisingly men, spend about 11 minutes a day on their facial appearance. Close to half of the women age 30 to 50 say that they have devoted more time to their facial appearance as they have grown older. Tops on the list of wrinkle treatments include alpha hydroxy acids (22%), chemical peels (12%), laser surgery (6%), collagen injections (3%), plastic surgery (3%) and Botox injections (2%).

The bottom line for this survey -
- we don’t think we look as old as we are;
- we don’t think we look as old as our parents;
- and, we will take steps (even if they are a little conservative) to help us look younger than our actual age.

So . . . are you ready for aging 2000 advanced skin care? Aging 2000 . . . it means going the extra mile to make sure your skin looks radiant and healthy. Making sure you look your very best and at least 15 years younger than you really are. What are you looking for? Well, you want to minimize the aging process by fighting increasing dryness, loss of elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles, rough texture and dehydration just to name a few of the aging signals. As you age, your skin creates less oil and the outer layer becomes rough and dry. Two proteins - collagen and elastin - gradually diminish and the result is a gradual drying, wrinkling and sagging of the skin. And if that wasn’t enough, the skin pigment becomes irregular, resulting in blotchy skin.

So how do you do minimize the aging process? Well, it does take a little extra time, but it is worth the effort. From exfoliation to skin lighteners and sun protection, aging 2000 advanced skin care is for those who want to go the extra mile. Your daily home care regimen and how you take care of your skin at home is the key to great skin. The products you use, the quality of the products and how you actually use the products can make a difference in your home care.

Some conservative at-home and clinical treatments to think about for aging 2000 advanced skin care include:

1. Great home care products - including an alpha hydroxy acid, a skin lightener, a great moisturizer, a great eye cream and - a must – sunscreen – and skin wellness or preventative skin care techniques, which include proper nutrition, vitamin therapy, proper sun protection, exfoliation and skin lightening products.

Proper nutrition is best left to the experts, my only advice on eating, concerns breakouts. If you are over 20 years of age and continue to have breakouts that are not hormonal, they could be food related. Take note of your diet and when your breakouts occur. And, drink more water. Your lips are the first telltale sign of dehydration. They will be cracked and dry if you aren’t drinking enough water. The skin is a self-cleansing organ, so water helps keep the skin healthy.

Next consider vitamin therapy (internal and external). Vitamins are essential to the normal functions of the body. The key vitamins for the skin are Vitamin A (beta carotene), Vitamin E (tocopeherol), Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and Panthenol (Vitamin B), plus minerals of zinc for healing and calcium. Anti-oxidants (Vitamins C, A and E) do important jobs for the skin. Medical research has established that topical Vitamin C plays an essential role in every aspect of the skin’s functioning, including protection from ultraviolet damage and repair of cumulative sun damage. Vitamin C comes in two forms: water soluble (Ascorbic Acid) and fat soluble (Ascorbyl Palmitate). Studies show that Ascorbyl Palmitate is 80% more effective than Ascorbic Acid. The combination of anti-oxidants jump-starts your cells into producing more collagen. They constantly need to be nourished and supported. Within a short period of time, the skin’s appearance (texture) will be firmer, smoother and more resilient. Skin tone evens out thus appearing noticeably healthier.

Always use proper sun protection. No kidding, the sun will damage the skin. Yes, we know you look and feel better with a tan, but . . . try a sunless tanner and don’t forget the sunscreen. We prefer SPF 30 or higher. Sun blocks not only help prevent sunburn, windburn, dry skin and peeling, but regular use may also prevent such harmful effects of the sun as skin cancer and premature aging. Sun block should be applied evenly to all exposed skin areas. Don’t forget your ears and the backs of your hands!

Another important factor to aging is exfoliation - more rapidly removing dead cells from the skin’s surface. Exfoliation evens out the skin tone, alleviates sallowness in the complexion and helps the skin to radiate! As we age, the skin exfoliation process slows down. Speed it back up with glycolic, lactic, citric or salicylic acid. They all help to exfoliate the skin - keeping it smoother, cleaner, brighter and ageless. At N. Reagan & Company, we prefer glycolic acid as it is the queen of the alpha hydroxy acids.

Skin lightening products - for age, sunspots and dark circles - usually contain hydroquinone or kojic acid to help lighten irregular pigmentation. Perhaps the most difficult skin condition to improve, pigmentation problems vary with each person. While the pigmentation on some can go deep, on others it is contained in the surface layers. Pigmentation takes time to improve, no matter how great the product. But with time and daily application, many pigmentation problems will improve.

2. Microdermabrasion for treating age spots, fine lines, acne scars, sun damage, and hyperpigmentation. Microdermabrasion is a relatively new procedure in skin care. It has been used in Europe extensively for the last 7 years. The microdermabrasion procedure uses highly controlled vacuum and pressure to move microscopically abrasive aluminum oxide crystals over the surface of the skin. Microdermabrasion strips the dead cell layer of the skin using a machine that circulates air through a hand piece with variable levels of vacuum (for the stripping) and varying amounts of “crystal” (for the abrasion). The ability to vary the amount of air and crystal allows each client to receive a custom treatment that can be deeper in areas of more severe damage. This action causes little or no discomfort, while it gently removes the outer layer of the skin. By repeating this process over the course of several weeks or months, the newer, softer skin moves to the surface, revealing significant textural and color changes. Microdermabrasion revives and refreshes the skin. A series of treatments can produce younger, smoother looking skin and with anti-aging results. Skin problems proven to benefit from dermabrasion include rough skin texture, uneven pigmentation, acne, sun damage, fine wrinkles and acne scars. Improvement in these conditions is due to the removal of some of the damaged skin, as well as the stimulation of new cell growth. Research has shown that repetitive abrasion can create significant new cell growth. Microdermabrasion takes advantage of the skin’s response and allows clients to gradually resurface their skin without the “downtime” and risk of more aggressive procedures. The results are amazing, especially for pigmentation, fine lines and scarring. Check with your skin care professional about the availability of microdermabrasion.

3. Another clinical treatment to consider is the once-a-month mild (no down time) skin peel treatments, like an oxygen peel, pumpkin peel, PCA peel or Ultra Peel - where you see and feel the difference immediately.

Aging 200 advanced skin care - prevent and reduce the aging process. Remove the dead cells and allow healthier skin to give you a smoother texture and a glowing appearance . . . or help reduce the surface lines . . . or help fade brown spots . . . or smooth out rough skin texture. Your choice - choose any or all treatments. But this is the best news of all, we have many more choices than previous generations to help reduce the signs of aging and allow us all to look younger than our years. Aging 2000 advanced skin care. A must for the year 2000 - to help you look healthier, younger and more beautiful.

Part of owning a spa does not make you a designer, engineer, architect or spa consultant  unless you were one in a past-spa lifetime.  Okay, sorry to bust your bubble, and you may be a spa visionary, but your expertise is in either business, or spa, but not design.  So, how in the hay, hay, are you suppose to know if your floor plans are bad?  Gut?  No. 

A.S.B., yes “A Spa Brain”.    What is a spa brain?  Someone who has already made all of the mistakes you are getting ready to make, but they learned from the mistakes, so they can help you not make the same mistakes.

Take your ideas: 1. hire an architect that knows spas or 2. take your plans to a spa consultant that has built many spas.  Just because you think you can build a hotel, a restaurant, or any other fabulous structure because you’ve done them so many times before…doesn’t mean you can build a functional, perfectly operational spa. 

Don’t worry, A.S.B. will know if you have bad floor plans.  They know how much space it takes for a hair stylist to move around  the chair.  They know the pedicure thrones with the smallest footprints.  They know the size of the pipes to plumb the rain showers.  So when you are building your spa of your dreams, it’s okay to hire your local architect, but you need “a spa brain” (A.S.B) to review the plans. 

You see with without A.S.B., your clients could be bathing like this!

Excuse me, but the first draft actual drawings had bedrooms for treatment rooms (8 x 10), no prep rooms, plus if we had built the locker room—hmmm….disaster.  The initial plans were just that-inital drawings, but I learned some really key elements in spa design. 

You start off with what is called conceptual drawings (you never go to cad drawings).  The conceptual drawings are to scale, but give a rough, but visual design.  The key is that the concept designs are to scale measurements.  When it is in this concept phase, you can make many changes without it becoming a major cost.

When working with an spa architect, they have a proposal that is similar to the following:

·        Drawings coordination* with client, architect, interior design and other project team consultants (i.e. MEP, lighting, etc) to ensure spa facility is functional for operator and delivers distinctive design elements

·        Full facility detail planning, coordination, recommendations and review*:

• interior elevations – layout, features, elements review
• materials & finishes (coordination with owner and interior designer)
• mechanical / electrical / plumbing (CCS will provide a red-lined mark-up plan for operational spa and salon requirements)
• lighting plan review
• loose items or built-ins (concept sketches / specifications) i.e. millwork;
• millwork package review & comments
• spa operating software system  OS/POS  (part of FF&E)
• back-of-house areas

*  (Coordination defined - briefs, sketches, images, sources, samples)

This examples details some of the work of a spa consulting and architectural firm.  Please check out Collier & Collier or Blu Spas.  The details of their work continue throughout the proposal, but the key is finding a newbie architect that is willing to work with an experienced spa architect– or spa consultant that will work with your newbie architect–or you can always hire the best.  The success  of the spa is critical to the design—or rather the design is critical to the success of the spa.

Everyone faces the reality of unwanted hair. Both men and women shave almost every day. There is an entire industry built around razors, not to mention wonderful ad campaigns. And sometimes, hair is so unwanted and such a pain, that the idea of permanent hair removal is most welcome to many people.

There are numerous hair removal methods – both permanent and temporary. Each method focuses on the hair growth cycle, follicles and hair shafts and the factors that affect growth – heredity, medications, hormones and stress. This is a personal decision, so while the skin care professional can learn the techniques and promote their methods, the bottom line, the last word, the final decision on hair removal belongs to the client. Therefore, we advocate educating yourself on the various methods and then researching which one is right for you. Below we outline three methods for hair removal – laser, electrolysis and galvanic tweezer.

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

The experience of having laser hair removal is a unique one. Two years ago, I tried the old laser and it didn’t work. Today, with the new lasers, the hair removal process is fabulous!!! And, after four times, it really works!!!

Until recently, laser hair removal was an experimental technology used only by physicians. Now, nurses, medical assistants and skin care professionals working with physicians are being trained in this method of hair removal. This technology has gone from the lab to the marketplace, with hundreds of systems worldwide.

While this method of hair removal is considered safe, a physician before treatment should examine clients to be sure that no medical condition exists - such as skin melanoma, which is a contraindication to the treatment. Laser hair removal can be used anywhere on the body except the lip membrane, inside the ear and nose and on the eyebrow (because of their proximity to the eyes). It’s best use however, is for the larger, more densely haired parts of the body – the legs, arms, back and bikini line.

Laser hair removal works with the laser, which produces a beam of highly, concentrated light. Different types of lasers produce different colors of light. The color of the light produced by a particular laser is the key to its effect on hair follicles.

Currently, there are two laser hair removal systems on the market that are the most successful. One uses a low power Nd:YAG laser in combination with a carbon-based lotion applied to waxed areas of the body. The hair preferentially absorbs the lotion and thus disables the hair follicle. Another system, the LightSheer Diode Laser, consists of a normal mode ruby laser and a special hand piece delivery wand that is touched to the shaved skin surface where hair is to be removed. The light and energy emitted by the LightSheer Diode Laser is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) surrounding the hair follicles raising its temperature to approximately 60 degrees Celsius. The laser pulses for a fraction of a second, just long enough to vaporize the pigment, disabling several follicles at a time to eliminate or significantly impede the hair’s regrowth. The LightShere laser has a special contact cooling hand piece that cools and protects the skin surrounding the hair follicle while bringing the laser energy as close as possible to the hair root.

What can you expect from a laser treatment? The length of a laser session may be a few minutes or an hour or more, depending on the size of the area being treated. Because the laser tends to treat hair follicles that are in an active growth phase, more than one treatment may be required to disable hair follicles that subsequently enter this growth phase. However, one treatment may result in a significant enough improvement that it may be all you desire or require.

The laser treatment itself can cause a slight tingling sensation. Most patients tolerate the procedure well. But because some areas of the body are more sensitive than others, topical anesthesia is available.

Results vary by client. The appearance of the treated area immediately after a laser session will vary from patient to patient depending on the extent of treatment. Immediate after-effects, if any, are minor and may include redness and swelling, which disappears in a short time, and most people return to normal activity right away. There is a high satisfaction rate with laser treatments, with some patients experiencing only minimal re-growth over several months. Factors that can affect the re-growth rate include hormone levels, age, medical conditions, hair-growth stimulating medications and previous hair removal methods.

ELECTROLYSIS

The electrology profession is well established as an allied health profession within the medical community as well as the public, and is still the only permanent method of hair removal recognized by the International Guild of Professional Electrologists, Inc. (IGPE). Formed in 1979 to educate and assist consumers wanting permanent hair removal, the guild issued the first health guidelines recommending sterilization of instruments. Now manufacturers offer sterilized disposable probes including gold and insulated probes to ensure public safety in the growing use of electrolysis,

Charles E. Michel, MD, a St. Louis ophthalmologist started electrolysis in 1875. Dr. Michel used a fine wire attached to a dry cell battery to permanently remove ingrown eyelashes. Since that day, millions of people plagued by unwanted hair have benefited from “probe electrolysis.”

The modern electrolysis procedure consists of a fine sterile probe being inserted alongside the hair into the follicle. A slight electrical current is applied through this probe, which destroys the dermal papilla and the surrounding germinative cells in the lower portion of the hair follicle. This ends future hair growth. The skin is not punctured or harmed, and most people experience little discomfort.

Electrology has evolved with new state-of-the-art electrolysis epilators that include highly sophisticated programming and digital electronic components. Newly developed air desensitizers attached to the probe cords offer continuous cool airflow on the skin during treatment, assuring a more comfortable treatment. And, there are a variety of modalities, which can be used such as thermolysis, galvanic, or blended currents- that uses both radio frequency and galvanic currents combined.

Currently, 31 states regulate and license the electrology profession. National board certification, first offered by the Society of Clinical and Medical Electrologists Association and the American Electrology Association is also offered.

TWEEZER

There are several variations of the galvanic tweezer method of hair removal, a non-invasive, no-needle form of permanent hair removal. In the first variation, the hair is first treated to be less resistant to the galvanic current, then gripped with the galvanic tweezer while the epilator’s current is activated with a foot pedal. When the current reaches the hair bulb, it triggers a chemical reaction, killing the root. The treated hair is then removed with the tweezer device.

Another variation that developed from the tweezer technology is the transdermal method. It uses galvanic current and a moistened cotton swab inserted into a metal probe to kill hair roots. The thermolysis epilator uses radio frequency energy to create heat instead of galvanic current. The hair absorbs the short waves and kills the root.

These procedures can be used on all parts of the body except eyelashes, nose and ear hairs. Training is usually provided when the equipment is purchased from the manufacturers.

The tweezer method is non-invasive and is as permanent as laser and electrolysis although it can’t be advertised as such because it is a noninvasive and no-needled system.

If you are considering permanent hair removal, do your research. Speak with your doctor and your esthetician. Speak with others who have had permanent hair removal. This is a highly personal decision and one that you will hopefully be very pleased with.

What’s in a location?  It can be everything or it can be nothing.  Sometimes a really great restaurant will overcome the location factor by having either really great food or a really great atmosphere.  You have to balance the spa location factor with costs, traffic, and marketing expenses.

Each location must be examined by financial analysis.  You must weigh location by walk by traffic, by marketing and advertising expenses to bring traffic to your location.  In the spa silly growth world of the last few years, we have seen mammoth spas built in off the beaten paths.  This is fine if you spend the money to bring the clients to your door and keep them there–think Osmosis Spa in California, or the now in the re-make Coolfont in West Virginia.  Both were spas that were off the beaten path, but had these gorgeous locations that kept clients talking about the beauty of the location or the incredible treatments.

If you are looking for a day spa location, I would have you think about a couple of things:

1. When you are not busy, how will your parking lot look?
2. Do you have enough parking?
3. Who are your neighbors?  (we have a gorgeous spa in town next to halfway house)
4. Are you close to major retailers that are similar in nature and target markets to your business?
5. When clients walk out with disheveled hair, will it be into a busy mall environment filled with shoppers coiffed to the nines?

Just a couple of thoughts about locations.  Cost per square foot.  Please do the math.