Don’t Get Flushed! It’s National Rosacea Awareness Month!

Which would you like first, the good news or the bad news? Let’s get the bad news out of the way. Unfortunately the cause of rosacea is unknown and there is no known cure. But the good news is that you can suppress the symptoms during a flare-up with the right procedures and products.

Depending on your skin and the severity of your rosacea, procedures such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and red light treatments can help to strengthen capillaries. In addition to facial treatments, products such as Obagi Rosaclear and Guinot Red Logic are great for treating the symptoms of rosacea. Some treatments and products that treat rosacea may be acceptable expense items under your Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account.

April has been designated Rosacea Awareness Month by The National Rosacea Society (NRS)  to emphasize the importance of seeking medical help for the skin ailment. Any of the following are a signal to make an appointment for a consultation with a Seasons aesthetician. Our aestheticians can make sure you are taking advantage of all of the procedures and products available to help your skin and insure that you aren’t doing anything to worsen the condition.

• Redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead
• Small visible blood vessels on the face
• Bumps or pimples on the face
• Watery or irritated eyes

• Rosacea by the numbers. It is estimated that rosacea affects more than 14 million Americans.¹ It occurs most commonly in adults age 30 to 60.² And 30% to 40% of patients with rosacea have a close relative with the condition.³ It tends to occur more often in women but more severely in men.²
• Menopause is a red flag. Many menopausal women tend to think they have adult acne when they see red bumps and pimples. However, it is possible that it could be rosacea. In fact, hot flashes might cause the first appearance of rosacea, so visit a dermatologist for an accurate diagnosis.
• The sooner the better. People often delay treatment, thinking they have a temporary condition that will go away quickly, yet rosacea is reported to worsen with time—so the sooner treatment is started the better. If you have facial redness, acne-like pimples, flushing of the cheeks, nose, chin, and/or forehead, meet with your physician for a diagnosis and to discuss the prescription-based Rosaclear^® System.
• Avoid the aggravation. Prevent future flare-ups by avoiding things that can trigger rosacea. It might be helpful to keep a journal because everyone has different triggers. The most common ones include sun exposure, vigorous exercise, caffeine, stress, spicy food, excessive sugar and sweets, and alcohol.
• Keep your chin up. According to a National Rosacea Society survey, nearly 70% of rosacea sufferers reported experiencing embarrassment and anxiety because of their condition. The Obagi Rosaclear System incorporates a therapeutic prescription component, as well as products that help calm your skin and minimize the visible redness and blotchiness associated with rosacea. Even better, it is a skin care regimen that is noncomedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores. This can make it easier for rosacea sufferers to face the world and it helps improve their quality of life.

At Seasons – The Spa, our skin specialists are highly trained in treating the symptoms of Rosacea with advanced skin treatments and professional strength products. Call us today for a complimentary consultation and let us help you achieve a clear, calm, and more balanced-looking skin tone, (318) 255-115.

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¹ American Academy of Dermatology and the National Rosacea Society

² www.medicinenet.com/rosacea/article.htm

³ www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/160281.php

Beginner’s Guide to IPL Hair Reduction: ‘Hair’ Today, Gone Tomorrow

Are you ready to shed your winter coat and put on that teenie weenie bikini? Here’s the buzz on de-fuzzing with intense pulsed light (IPL).

How does IPL hair removal work?

IPL is fast and effective in eliminating unwanted hair. The laser gets to the root of the of the follicle by going into the shaft and heating the hair at its base, destroying the hair, and effectively stopping or reducing re-growth. Lasers are set to target pigmentation, so laser hair removal is usually more effective on darker hair.

What’s the treatment like?

IPL treatment lasts only 15 to 30 minutes (depending on the area). A gel is applied to the skin to act as a conductor for the laser and help keep the skin cool during the procedure. Our aesthetician will use a hand-held laser tool on the desired area. The procedure can cause discomfort in some individuals, but it’s usually slight and fades quickly.

Do I need to have a consultation before treatment?

Yes. It is our policy to meet with you prior to a laser treatment to make sure you are a candidate for this procedure. It is possible to have your treatment the same day as your consultation as long as there is enough time. If you feel like you may want to have a treatment the same day, please tell our spa concierge when booking your appointment.

How often do I have to come back for the treatment?

The recommended course of treatment is six sessions. However, this will vary based on skin tone, hair texture and the rate of hair growth. We recommend that you wait 4-6 weeks between sessions.

When can I see visible results for hair removal?

The hair reduction is gradual and increases with each treatment. The exact amount varies from person to person and by area.

Will my hair be permanently removed?

Though we know you’ll be thrilled with your results, we can only ensure permanent hair reduction, not complete elimination because it is possible that you may need a touch up in the future.

Before your service:

• Please shave the area to be treated before your appointment.
• Do not pluck, wax, use a depilatory, or undergo electrolysis in the areas you wish to treat for 6 weeks prior to your hair removal treatment. Shaving is good. Everything else is a no-no!
• Avoid any UV exposure to the areas to be treated for 4 weeks prior to treatment.
• Avoid self-tanning products for 4 weeks prior to treatment.
• If you have taken any medications such as Accutane in the last 6 months, please let us know. Certain medications can make your skin more susceptible to damage from the laser.

After your service:

• Some redness and swelling in the treated area is normal, it may feel similar to a sunburn.
• Avoid applying irritants (glycolics, retinoids, etc.) to the treated area for 7 days after treatment.
• Apply sunscreen to the treated area for 6 weeks after the procedure.
• Keep the treated area clean. To avoid irritation, do not scrub the area.
• Do not use deodorant or antiperspirant for 24-48 hours after an underarm treatment.

Ready to get smooth? Call Seasons – The Spa at (318) 255-1155 to schedule your  complimentary consultation. Until May 31st, 2012, you can receive a discount on all IPL and waxing services. For more information, click here. 

Don’t Be A Stupid Cupid: 10 Outside The Box (Of Chocolates) Valentine’s Day Gifts

• The Dream Gift: Spa Membership. With the Spa Membership, she can pamper herself all year long with services like monthly massages, unlimited yoga classes, sauna sessions, and more! Starting at only $60 per month, we have 3 three unique membership plans to help her de-stress on a regular basis.
• The Romantic Gift: Couples Massage Class. Throw out the usual plans and join us on Valentine’s Day from 5-6:30 p.m. for a class in massage. Learn how to release tension in your partner’s arm, legs, hands and feet and use compression techniques on the torso. Only $35 per couple [$25 for Spa Members]. Class includes door prizes, hors d’oeuvres and wine from Portico Bar & Grill, and a goodie bag. Reservation required (We had to make your responsible for something).
• The Gift of Relaxation: Hot Stone Massage. Relax and enjoy a complete mind, body, and soul treatment with the benefits of a deep tissue massage without the deep pressure. This massage promotes healing and well-being on all levels by using hot stones. 60 minutes, $80.
• Gift For Him: Man’s Facial. This relaxing facial includes cleansing, exfoliation, aromatherapy, steam and extractions as well as special treatment for the beard area. 60 minutes, $65.
• The Beautiful Gift: Liftosome Facial. This firming, radiance-boosting treatment uses a thermal mask that shapes the facial features and diffuses energizing concentrates of Vitamin C and Ginseng. These active ingredients combine with a warming effect and fill the skin with new energy, restore its elasticity and regenerate new cells. 75 minutes, $95.
• The Perfect Gift: A Gift Card for Spa Services of her choice. She keeps saying she hates those crow’s feet around her eyes, but if you’re afraid a gift certificate for Botox might send you to the doghouse, then a gift card will be perfect! Available in any denomination and as always, wrapping is complimentary.
• The Favorite Gift: Clarisonic Pro, Mia, or Mia 2. Starting at only $119, Clarisonic’s innovative technology vibrates at 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth your skin. In just one minute, the micro-massage action brush head cleans better than traditional manual cleansing. Available in a variety of colors (Oh, No! Choices! Our friendly spa staff will help you pick the perfect Clarisonic!).
• The Gift of Peace and Quiet: Yoga Classes. Flexibility, strength, muscle tone, pain prevention, stress reduction, and improved breathing. Yoga provides all of these benefits and much more! 12 classes are only $100.
• The Hot Couples Gift: Sauna Sessions. Our Sunlighten infrared sauna has completely transformed the meaning of the word “sauna.” The state-of-the-art, no-steam sauna offers 7 times the effectiveness of a traditional sauna with added amenities including a DVD player. At no extra charge, book the sauna for you and your lovely lady. Starting at $15 per session.
• The Waterworks Gift: Prenatal Massage. This gift is guaranteed to make her cry the happy tears. Now, the hormones might have something to do with it, too, but we know she will love that you thought of her during this special time. The soothing essence of massage allows expectant mothers to feel serene, healthy, and comforted while helping to relieve common ailments of pregnancy. Packages start at $45 for 30 minutes.

New Beauty Magazine Names Guinot’s Masque Hydra Sensitive “Top Product”

Guinot’s Masque Hydra Sensitive was recently named one of the “Top 100 Best Products of The Year” by New Beauty Magazine. Masque Hydra Sensitive relieves and calms your skin with an in-depth treatment that works instantly to help your skin boost its own natural defenses.

Guinot’s Masque Hydra Sensitive helps to:

• Soothe irritations.
• Reinforce the protection of the epidermis and the skins natural defenses.
• Visibly calm redness.

The Masque Hydra Sensitive’s formula includes activators that work on the surface to protect and reinforce sensitive skin. “With sensitive skin, you need to be extra gentle. And if you want gorgeous skin, you’ve got to baby it, and this product does both,” said Seasons Aesthetician Lisa Best. The natural ingredients in Masque Hydra Sensitive like Vitamin E restore, reinforce, and protect lipids from damage caused by free radicals. Chamomile extract and oak sooth irritations deep within your skin while Centellas asiatica extract help revitalize it.

Say goodbye to redness! Sensitive skin is vulnerable and needs extra protection from brutal environmental elements such as temperature variations and pollution. This sensitivity can manifest in the appearance of redness, friction or an itching sensation. “After using Masque Hydra Sensitive, the skin’s natural barrier of defense is reinforced and redness is visibly reduced, leaving the skin feeling comfortable, soothed and moisturized,” said Best.

“At Seasons – The Spa, we use Masque Hydra Sensitive in many of our treatments. Our clients love the way their skin looks and feels,” said Best. Want more good news? This product is also available for purchase at Seasons – The Spa so you can enjoy beautiful skin any time. For an at-home treatment once or twice a week, apply a thick layer to clean face and neck. Leave on for 10 minutes. Remove with water and apply toner.

For more information about spa treatments featuring Guinot’s Masque Hydra Sensitive or to purchase Masque Hydra Sensitive, contact our Spa Concierge at (318)255-1155.

 

American Spa Magazine Features the Aromatic Facial

Guinot’s Aromatic Facial is featured in the October 2011 issue of American Spa Magazine. The Aromatic Facial offered at Seasons – The Spa is an all natural facial using essential oils and plant extracts. Great even during pregnancy, this “green facial” provides the “glow” without the chemicals that your body doesn’t need during this important time.

The treatment takes relaxation to a new level with the use of gentle effleurage movements and one of five Aromatic Essential Oils-Balance, Energy, Nourishing, Serenity, and Vitality-that is chosen based on the client’s particular skin type. A pressure-point massage ensures that the skin absorbs the rich plant actives, which help to hydrate, balance, and energize the skin. A custom-blended peel-offmask, also rich with plant concentrates, helps calm the skin and leave it glowing.

For more information about the Aromatic Facial, contact our Spa Concierge at 318.255.1155.

Say Goodbye to Acne with the Acne 12-Week Intensive from Seasons

Want clear skin without harmful medication?

At Seasons, it is our goal to help you look and feel your best – as naturally as possible! The latest in our lineup of services, the Acne 12-Week Intensive, is a highly-specific treatment based on the type of lesions and the severity of the acne.

The Acne 12-Week Intensive includes includes:

• A consultation with our Seasons Skin Care Specialist
• An individualized acne treatment plan Complexion Analysis using VISIA
• A series of 12 LED Light Treatments and/or Skin Rejuvenation Treatments using IPL
• Deep-pore cleansing and exfoliating treatments
• 30 days of skin care products specially formulated for acne-prone skin
• The Acne 12-Week Intensive take-home packet including a specialized morning and evening regimen
• Complimentary maintenance and extractions as needed during treatment
• A 10% discount on acne skin care products during treatment

The Acne 12-Week Intensive Package, an $850 value, is offered at just $650. There’s no better way to stop acne dead in its tracks! Beautiful skin CAN be yours.

The Gift of Beautiful Skin: December Obagi Event

 

Related articles

• Obagi Sun Shield Wins Self Magazine Healthy Beauty Award
• ‘C’ Your Way To Better Skin With Obagi
• Obagi Named Best Twice by New Beauty
• Ask An Aesthetician: Q&A with Lisa Best

Oprah’s “O Magazine” Features Guinot’s Huile Satinée

In the October 2011 issue of Oprah’s O Magazine, Guinot’s Huile Satinée (Satin Body Oil) is named one of their “favorite skin softeners.” This spray body oil improves the texture, strength, and vitality of dull, dry skin.

Haile Satinée “softens and repairs skin with silk extracts, fatty acids, and vitamin E” said O Magazine. The non-greasy, ultra-fine mist is quickly and effortlessly absorbed leaving your skin soft and super moisturized. The writers for O agree and give Guinot extra kudos because not only does the formula absorb quickly but it “doesn’t leave skin looking slick.”

“Huile Satinée is especially great for nourishing the areas of the body that tend to get really dry like the elbows and knees,” said Seasons Aesthetician, Lisa Best. “Regularly using a body oil will make the skin look younger and reinforce its elasticity.”

Key ingredients include silk extracts, grape seed oil, evening primrose oil, apricot kernel oil, grapefruit, lemon, and sweet orange essential oils. Huile Satinée delivers instant comfort while providing the skin with antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Seasons – The Spa is proud to carry the full line of Guinot skin and body products including Huile Satinée. Stop by to shop or sample all of our Guinot products. Consultations with our Skin Care Specialists are always complimentary and available by appointment only. Seasons – The Spa is located in Ruston, LA.  Please contact us at (318)255-1155.

 

‘C’ Your Way To Better Skin With Obagi

Get healthy, revitalized skin from cell to surface with the Obagi-C Rx skin care system. The Obagi-C Rx system offers the benefits of both prescription-strength 4% hydroquinone and Vitamin C along with a cleanser, sunscreen, and moisturizers for a complete skin care regimen. Prescription-strength 4% hydroquinone reduces the appearance of hyper-pigmentation and age spots and Vitamin C is the only topical antioxidant proven to stimulate collagen production and protect against future skin damage.

Obagi-C Rx is ideal if you have:

• Minimal fine lines
• Minimal unevenness of skin tone
• Mild hyperpigmentation and minimal age spots
• Intolerance to, or are not ready for, more aggressive anti-aging regimens
• Dry, normal, oily, or even sensitive skin

“I have been using this for about a month and already my spots have faded and my complexion is clear!” said Carla Mendez of h monthly magazine (see article above). Seasons client and makeover contest winner, Tiffany Spillers used the Obagi-C Rx System in hopes of transforming her skin. “I will never use anything else,” said Tiffany. “My skin is so soft and clear, and I love adding the sunscreen as part of my daily routine.” The before and after photos below show how The Obagi-C Rx System improved the appearance of hyperpigmentation (brown spots) and restored balance and clarity in just 6 weeks. For more testimonials and C Rx success stories, visit Obagi’s website.

Obagi Named Best Twice by New Beauty

In the Winter 2011 issue of New Beauty Magazine, Obagi was acknowledged for their dedication to excellence with two prestigious beauty awards. New Beauty’s First Annual Beauty Choice Awards named Obagi skin-care the ’Best Skin Care System Sold in a Doctor’s Office’ and Obagi’s Clear, ‘Best Over-All Dark Spot Eraser’. New Beauty Magazine is a leading beauty publication that prides themselves on being visually stunning, ethically balanced and scientifically accurate. The Annual Beauty Choice Awards are given by a “panel of  diverse and rich in accomplished talent, ranging from Beverly Hills plastic surgeons to Hollywood specialists” [prlog.com].

‘Best Skin Care System Sold in a Doctor’s Office’

Why it won: “The time tested line melds the most powerful skin-care ingredients in an easy-to-follow numbered system for dramatic results” [New Beauty Magazine, Winter 2011]. Obagi skin-care systems and products contain prescription-strength formulas and are available only through physicians. In the article, Nashville Dermatologist, Micheal Gold, says ”This is a great line that’s been around for a long time. The brand continues to reinvent itself and utilizes clinical studies from dermatologists to show its benefits.” A New Beauty Editor gushes that ”This supercharged skin-care line works over time to really deliver dramatic results!” .

‘Best Over-all Dark Spot Eraser’ [Obagi Nu Derm Clear]

Why it won: “Clear gets rid of stubborn dark spots while fighting the signs of aging” [New Beauty Magazine, Winter 2011]. A New Beauty Editor says that “Active ingredients in a strong concentration tackle common discoloration problems, to achieve perfect, evenly tones skin.”  The Nu Derm skin-care system boasts a number of great products including Gentle Cleanser, Toner, Clear, Exfoderm, Healthy Skin Protection SPF 35, and Blender. Tretinoin and Sunfader products are also available upon the recommendation of a physician or skin care specialist.

Seasons is proud to carry the full line of Obagi products. Start your skin transformation today with a complimentary consultation and find out why Obagi is the best skin care system! Seasons – The Spa 318.255.1155.

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