Botox

People have this preconceived notion that if you get Botox, your face is going to be frozen and you’ll have no expression or emotion. This is not the case. You do not need to pump your face full of Botox! When it’s done correctly you shouldn’t be able to tell that you have it, except for the fact that you look refreshed and well rested.

One of the nurses that I work with who administers Botox always says, the good thing about botox is that if you don’t like it…it wears off. The bad thing about botox is that it wears off. Lol.

Who’s an ideal candidate? Well if you’re concerned with dynamic lines that have become more apparent over time, then this treatment is great. But don’t get botox just based on what you read about it, if you’re curious go in for a consultation and discuss your concerns, then decide if it’s right for you. The nurse or doctor doing the consultation will address any questions you may have and determine if your expectations are realistic. Botox and fillers are a great alternative to surgery (face lift, brow lift etc.), non-invasive, quick and effective. Botox reduces the activity of the muscle, which over time will create those unwanted deep lines.

We treat men and women, young and old. Clients in there 20’s to early 30’s come in for prevention, less units are used to prolong the aging process. When you get into your 40’s – 50’s, a lot of damage has already been done; more units are used thus making these visits more expensive then if you were to start earlier as a preventative measure.

Botox has been licensed in Canada since 1990 as a safe and effective treatment for a variety of medical conditions. In 2001, Health Canada approved Botox Cosmetic for wrinkle therapy.

Chemical Peels

            There are many different levels of chemical peels out there. Some can only be administered by your doctor or dermatologist where others you can receive by your skin therapist. We offer two different types of peels at Spruce Body Lab where I work. The first is a glycolic and the other is an Advanced AHA (or Alpha Hydroxy Acid).

            Alpha Hydroxy Acids are naturally occurring carboxylic acids. These acids aim to treat fine lines/wrinkles, dryness, pigmentation and acne/acne scaring. AHA’s can be mixed into facial wash or night creams in lesser concentration to improve skin tone and clear congestion. The AHA umbrella consists of 5 usual fruit acids; citric (citrus derived), glycolic (derived from sugar cane), lactic (derived from milk), malic (derived from apples) and tartaric (derived from grapes).

            The priori Advanced AHA peel we offer at Spruce Body Lab is a unique combination of lactic acid, the cell signal AHA natural to the human body, and multiple essential skin antioxidant vitamins – A, C, E and Pro-A in a self-regenerating complex – all vital to proper skin cell renewal rates. Lactic acid is superior to all other AHAs (70-95% more effective than glycolic acid) at increasing hyaluronic acid disposition in the skin, and therefore is the AHA of choice for increasing the skin’s natural moisture content, critical in the treatment of aging skin. Priori’s theory is that with intense aggressive peels, the inflammation and downtime to ‘heal’ your skin actually speeds up the aging process.  That is what makes this peel so desirable, it’s gentle, yet very effective.

            Glycolic peels tend to be slightly more aggressive as it is the smallest AHA molecule, meaning it can penetrate deeper, faster. We offer either a 40% glycolic peel (pH 1.5) or for those who have really tolerant skin, a 60% glycolic peel (pH 1.5). In addition to concentration, pH plays a large part in determining potency. The lower the pH levels, the more aggressive the peel. We can leave this peel on up to 5 minutes depending on how tolerant your skin is. We also used a method called panelling for application. This means treating one panel of your face at a time (forehead, left cheek, right cheek, nose then chin). This helps us to prevent any injury from occurring. If not done correctly or left on to long, you can experience frosting which can lead to your skin weeping which will turn into scabbing. Not trying to scare you or anything. Just make sure you have someone who is educated and knows what they're doing if you ever receive this treatment. 

            I have seen some amazing results from both peels we offer. As your therapist we would discuss your concerns and expectations, then take a look at your skin to determine which peel would best suit your needs. Just like microdermabrasion, if you are treating a certain concern we could do this peel in a series of 6, two weeks apart, for optimal results. Another way to get some fantastic results is to combine doing mircodermabrasion followed by the Advanced AHA peel. It will leave your skin looking and feeling AMAZING!