Brazilian Waxing

Brazilian waxing is becoming more and more popular and more and more people are jumping in and trying the brazilian as their first waxing experience (brave or crazy?).
Part of my job as an Esthetician is giving Brazilian waxes.  Today at the school was another class's "Brazilian wax day".  This means for 8 hours today I spent time teaching 8 people how to successfully, carefully and professionally perform a Brazilian wax.
If you have never received a Brazilian yet/or are wondering if your service provider is performing your service correctly, read on!  The vagina is like a puzzle.  There are many pieces to the puzzle and every piece is shaped a little different.  There has to be a game plan to the puzzle, not just slapping wax and ripping hair out.  By examining hair growth direction, this will help with the puzzle piece shape and knowing how the hair will come out the best and least amount of pain!
I have mapped out the vagina into 18 pieces, 9 on each side.  By having a diagram/map, my students find it very helpful in following the steps b/c let's face it, staring at a naked vagina for the first time and wondering how do I go about this without hurting someone is nerve-racking and scary.
Your Brazilian should take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes.  A Brazilian does include "everything" removed, but if you would prefer to leave some hair on top or in back, it's totally up to you.  I would really recommend trying the backside waxed if you never have experienced it.  It doesn't hurt and it's wonderful!
Aftercare!!!  Avoid hot water(showers, tubs) for at least 24 hours after your waxing.  Avoid sex for at least 24 hours after.  Avoid working out/sweating for at least 24 hours after.  No tanning before or after waxing for at least 48 hours!  Avoid harsh/abrasive scrubs or exfoliants in waxed areas for 48 hours after.  Wash/clean waxed area w/ clean hands and antibacterial soap.  Pat dry then apply tea tree oil or my favorite, "Finipil" antibacterial, antimicrobial cooling lotion that also retards hair growth.  Tea tree oil is excellent to because it is a natural antiseptic to keep open follicles clean and kill bacteria.
Everyone's hair growth rate is different, but I would recommend keeping up with your waxing services every 3 to 5 weeks.  You want your hair to be as long as a long grain of rice(1/4").
Contact me if you have any questions about waxing or services you have had.

Microdermabrasion

Today, there are so many different forms of different microdermabrasion.  There are products we can buy, vibrating hand-held devices, and all different looking machines that are used in salons, spas and doctor's offices.
I wanted to help educate people about microdermabrasion and what to try and what not to try.
When getting microdermabrasion in salons, spas, and doctor's offices; you need to know that depending on the persons pressure(light or heavy) that will determine how deep or light of an exfoliation you will get from the machine.  Also depending on the settings that the machine is at also will determine how deep or light of an exfoliation you will get.  The number of passes over the same area will also determine how deep or light of an exfoliation you are getting from the treatment.  As long as the person is holding your skin taut, it is fine to go over an area twice, as long as it is comfortable for you.  Microdermabrasion feels like a "cat lick".  It feels rough, but shouldn't be painful!  When the treatment is over, you should not have any red lines or "tracks" on your skin.  You should just have a nice, even, glowing complexion!
Some places offer microdermabrasion with other services like chemical peels and/or oxygen.  These are wonderful services to add to your microderm service.  If you make your appointment, make sure the microderm comes FIRST then the chemical peel!!!!  Think of it like buffing off the dead, dull skin first so the chemical peel can go even deeper because all the dead skin cells are out of the way.  Then by finishing the service with oxygen, that would be very beneficial and healing to the skin!
If you have any open sores, cold sores(new or old), white heads or recent pimples....DO NOT GET MICRODERM done.  This will only spread the bacteria or virus around your face so that more breakouts occur!  If you have whiteheads, simply get a light/superficial chemical peel instead.  Once the whiteheads have healed, then go back for the microdermabrasion service.  Do not let someone try and convenience you that the microderm will be okay if you have whiteheads!  They probably just wanna make money and you will have a broken out mess all over you face!
As far as buying products that say they are "microdermabrasion" I would just save your money.  It is fine to have a nice scrub to use once a week, but products that claim to do the same thing as the actual microdermabrasion treatment.  If you have acne, however, know that scrubs are not good to use on your skin.  Acne needs chemical exfoliants not scrubs, so don't waste your money on scrubs or hand-held devices.

Oxygen Treatments for the Skin

Did you know that doctors and burn clinics use oxygen right out of the tank to blow directly on the skin to help in wound healing?
In the last decade, more and more doctors and skincare professionals (Estheticians) have been using oxygen tanks in their practices and spas to help with acne, anti-aging, add-on treatments, or to aid in healing from laser treatments, resurfacing treatments and/or chemical peels.
I have experienced getting oxygen "blasts" and giving these oxygen facials and add-ons.  "WONDERFUL!"  I definitely recommend it!  Wonderful for the skin.  I absolutely love the results and the way it feels on the skin.  You can receive it alone or also use liquid vitamins to mix in with the oxygen being blasted onto your skin to add even more benefit.  This past week I received microdermabrasion first, then the oxygen treatment after.  This makes perfect sense because you want your skin to be "buffed" or exfoliated first before using anything wonderful like vitamins or oxygen.  The exfoliation first, will allow a much better penetration of something like vitamins or oxygen.  Just the same if you were getting a chemical peel done,  you would want that done prior to any masque, vitamins, oxygen treatment.  Chemical peels are exfoliation too.  Microdermabrasion is manual exfoliation(better for dryer skins) and chemical peels are chemical exfoliation(better for acne).
Any questions about this, feel free and ask!  I love it!