This article was inspired by a recent experience I had when going for some "me time" and received a not-so-great facial. I had a reality check on how much I've learned during the 20+ years of on-going training and education - and - how crucial my training is to serving my clients well.
So to ensure you know what to look for when choosing an esthetician, here's my top 3 tips.
Tip 1 - Choose an Esthetician that uses High Performance Skincare Products.
This is important because high performance products contain a higher percentage of active ingredients - this means they'll be more likely to work.
Your esthetician should be selecting formulations that have been researched and clinically tested to ensure the combination of ingredients in her products will allow the skin to fully absorb and use the ingredients. An entire library of books could be (and have been) written on this topic alone. The bottom line is choosing an esthetician that has invested in her practice by using high performance products will give you the best results from a facial.
If she doesn't know what poly-L-Lactic acid is, she may not be using leading edge products. Ask her what she's using on her back bar.
Step 2 - Your Esthetician Should be Performing Facial Massage.
If you're over 35, facial contour massage should be part of your skincare - and this means your esthetician should be using it too. This can be done two ways. The first is using a gua sha tool such as the Anma.
We are constantly moving our faces in repetitious movements. These movements cause fascia (a layer in the structure of the face) to get stuck and form the fine lines and wrinkles that appear over time. In just a few minutes we can drain lymph and release stuck fascia using facial massage.
The second way of doing facial massage is using your fingers with gentle pressure (and sweeping moves) in areas of stuck fascia. This takes time to learn just the right pressure for the best release and not to overdo it avoiding adverse results.
Here's two quick videos to demonstrate both. Release Stuck Fascia and Lift it Like a Pro and there's many more on my YouTube channel.
Step 3 - Your Esthetician Should be Using High Tech Devices
Few things excite me more than living in a day and age where technology has advanced in skincare like it has in the past 10 years.
Devices do for the face what gym equipment does for the body. Your esthetician should be using the energy of ultrasound, microcurrent, LED, radio frequency, biomechanical vibration and more to stimulate the regeneration processes in the upper and lower layers of the skin. This is what separates the amateurs from the pros.
The skin renewal process slows as we age but thanks to the advancement of technology, we can reinvigorate the process using high tech devices.
Microcurrent has long been one of my favorites. I wouldn't think of giving a facial without incorporating microcurrent - and neither should your esthetician.
Microcurrent uses electricity to impart energy from the device into the skin via a conducting medium. Choosing a microcurrent device that stimulates without zapping the skin is the best practice for avoiding muscle fatigue. If your esthie uses devices that zap you, speak up and tell her that is not acceptable.
For this reason, I'm a fan of the Clareblend Mini Microcurrent. It uses a variable frequency that allows the energy it delivers to ebb and flow being gentle yet effective at toning the facial muscles and tightening the skin with continued use. I use it in my studio and in my personal skincare routine.
Another favorite technology is ultrasound. This technology uses sound waves to penetrate into the skin through a conducting medium. This modality creates a cascading effect through the layers of the skin stimulating collagen production. The process creates a wrinkle-pumping effect on the skin upper layers and over time tighten and tones the skin. The Time Master Pro with Ultrasound + LED is my go-to ultrasound device. Again I use it in my studio and at home.
Here's a quick video on Microcurrent and one on Ultrasound.
There you have it. Ask any potential esthetician if she is incorporating these 3 areas into her practice so you will get a pro-quality facial.
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