Med Spas Combat Colorado's Climate
by Connie Hein
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At about 5,000 feet above sea level, we are nestled safely near the foothills of the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Add approximately 300 days of sunshine per year, and Northern Colorado seems like the picture-perfect place to live. Unless you consider the effect these conditions have on your skin.
But don’t despair Coloradoans, skin care experts in Fort Collins tell us you don’t have to sacrifice healthy, hydrated skin to live in Northern Colorado. You just need to use quality skin care products and daily sun protection.
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Xanadu Med Spa
(970)482-1889
www.xanadumedspa.com
Melissa Wynne, R.N., at Xanadu Medical Spa in Fort Collins, says that in Northern Colorado the sun is much stronger than in other areas of the country, so a quality daily skin care regiment is very important to healthy skin.
“The basics for any skin care system for residents of Northern Colorado,” Wynne says, “should include professional-quality vitamin C to boost collagen, a toner to balance the skin pH, retinol for elasticity and firmness, and last but not least, a quality sun block that is at least SPF 30.”
Wynne says Xanadu Med Spa provides skin peels and laser treatments for skin that already has damage and also offers two high-end lines of prescription-strength skin care products that not only help heal damage to the skin, but maintain the look with daily use. “Obagi Skin Care has been around for about 35 years,” Wynne says, “and has the ingredient Hydroquinone that penetrates into the deep layers of the skin to correct signs of premature aging and sun damage.”
In the four different phases of skin transformation, the cells become regulated and adjust to the skin care products. The skin then starts to produce normal pigment cells and increased collagen. In a three to four month period of use, you basically have new skin with more even tone, laxity, and texture.
“There are several different types of regimens in this line,” says Wynne, “no matter what your skin type or lifestyle. These skincare packages range in price from $150 to $418.”
The other line carried by Xanadu is Medica, which has skin care products that are sold separately to customize a client’s skin care regimen based on skin type, ranging from oily to dry skin.
Before making decisions about a skin care regimen, Wynne says Xanadu offers a free consultation and Pro-Imaging skin screening. “The skin imaging machine shows the deep layers of the skin and the imperfections and damage that will appear on the surface of the skin over about five years,” says Wynne.
She says they can tell from this image what the skin will need to heal down to the deepest layers to give you the best skin you can have as you age. Wynne says the healing can be done using skin care products, lasers, peels, and other procedures depending on the extent of damage to the skin.
To bring back a healthy glow to damaged skin, Xanadu offers Intense Pulse Light Laser (IPL) and Dermal Optical Thermolysis (DOT) Laser treatments. The two lasers treat different types of damage to skin (discoloration, age spots, sun damage, or redness) and draws it to the surface. The top layers of the skin then peel off and reverse the appearance of aged skin, improving the texture and smoothing wrinkles. The one time IPL treatment is $2,500, the DOT laser is $1,400 for five treatments for a full face.
For a less expensive, but still effective way to freshen aged and sun damaged skin, Wynne recommends their chemical peels. “Chemical peels will improve the texture of the skin, including clients with acne problems,” says Wynne, “and peels are less expensive than the laser treatments.”
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Allura Skin & Laser Clinic
(970)223-0193
www.alluraclinic.com
Yvonne Hampson, R.N. and Laser Technician at Allura Skin and Laser Clinic, says, because of the unique Colorado climate, they carry Sinatas, a medical-grade skin care line manufactured in Boulder with natural ingredients. “These products are very affordable and are made specifically to address the effects of the Colorado climate on all skin types,” says Hampson.
She says Sinatas was developed over 20 years ago by Boulder pharmacist Ben Fuch when he saw a need to have skin care products with fewer chemicals and more vitamins. The products were initially sold in Colorado only, but have become so popular that they are now carried in many other states with dry climates.
“The Sinatas philosophy is to exercise the skin and then let it rest just as you do with any other muscle or organ in the body,” says Hampson. “This gives skin a healthy, rested look.” These products are sold in kits or individually, ranging in price from $58 to $170. The second skin care line carried at Allura is Innovative Skin Care Clinical (IS). Hampson says this line is also medical-grade, but concentrates more on anti-aging of the skin. The IS philosophy is to cleanse, heal, hydrate, and protect.
“The IS products are excellent for damaged skin because they contain concentrated serums to accelerate skin growth and renew the look of the damaged skin,” says Hampson. This line comes in kits or separately and runs from $58 to $135, with complete starter kits starting at $125.
“The skin is not the only part of the body affected by the Colorado climate,” says Hampson. “The hair and lashes are also exposed to the sun and can become brittle and damaged.” She says Allura now carries the very popular Latisse Eye Lash Conditioner that accelerates the growth of lashes, making them thicker and longer in about 16 weeks.
“Everyone who has tried it has been amazed at how well this product works,” says Hampson.
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AWP Esthetics and Spa
(970)482-3473
www.awpfc.com
Nina Roys, spa manager at AWP Esthetics and Spa, says the dry climate and close proximity to the sun makes it imperative that you use daily sun block and moisturizer.
“This mile-high, dry, sunny climate is very hard on skin,” says Roys. “You have to use sunscreen and moisturizer everyday to prevent premature aging of the skin and other serious concerns, such as skin cancer.”
Roys says even when you spend most of the day indoors, light comes through office and car windows, even on a cloudy day. Exposure to fluorescent lighting can also cause damage to the skin, so you still need daily sun protection.
“Whenever you see light, light sees you,” says Roys. “So you must always keep your skin protected with a good sunscreen.” But she says not all sunscreens are created equal.
Roys says the main ingredient for sun protection in their La Roche-Posay Anthelios SX SPF 15 is a sun filter called Mexoryl™, which was approved by the FDA in 2006.
“The FDA has not approved a new sun filter in over 18 years, so this is revolutionary and we are proud to carry the product.”
She says Mexoryl™ fills in the gap in sun protection unaddressed by other FDA-approved sun filters. It protects against short UVA rays, while the other ingredients, Octocrylene and Parsol 1789 help protect against UVB rays and long UVA rays. “This product has an umbrella effect for the skin,” she says. “Not only is Anthelios SX a sunscreen, it is a daily moisturizing cream for 24 hour long-lasting hydration.”
Roys says AWP has another great sunscreen they recommend for Coloradoans who enjoy so many of our outdoor sports such as biking, hiking, and skiing. “Anthelios 60 has a combination of sun filters and ingredients that are water and sweat resistant,” Roys says. “It provides better protection for times when you are more active.”
In addition to La Roche-Posay, AWP also carries BIOMEDIC products, Roys says, which are great quality medical-grade skin products for this climate and area of the country. They range in price from $80 to around $120 for a complete skin care regimen.
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Twenty Three Trees Medical & Wellness Spa
(970)495-8400
www.twentythreetrees.org
Michelle Tollefson, Medical Director for Twenty Three Trees Medical and Wellness Spa, agreed that the effects of the sun and dry climate are a significant concern for clients living in Northern Colorado. It was one of the main concerns considered when purchasing products and deciding on procedures to offer in their new med spa.
“Twenty-Three Trees is only three months old,” says Tollefson, “so we searched before opening the spa to find the newest and best science-based and evidence-based products and procedures for this climate.” She says they wanted their products and procedures to meet the high standards of the Poudre Valley Health System.
“We found the T3 skin care line is excellent in this climate for both men and women with every skin type,” Dr. Tollefson says. “We have been thrilled with the results and excited for all of our satisfied customers.”
She says, along with using quality daily skin care products, it is very important to add sunscreen to your daily regimen. “Sun protection is huge in this area, for children as well as adults,” says Dr. Tollefson. “I can’t stress enough how much damage the everyday cumulative effects of sun have on your skin.”
She says she is very excited about a new powder sunscreen by ColoreScience called Sunforgettable Powder with an SPF 30. “We have many clients that want to use sunscreen, but hate the greasy feeling some of them have.” Dr. Tollefson says this powder formula can be put on bare skin or over makeup and feels like nothing is there, but still efficiently protects skin from the sun.
“It is very important to reapply sunscreen throughout the day, so I carry this powder in my purse all the time,” she says, “and recommend that my clients do the same.”
She says the powder costs $50 when purchased the first time with the brush. Once you have the brush, the refills are less expensive.
Besides offering products that protect and cleanse the skin, Three Trees also offers the Smart Skin CO2 Laser renewal procedure.
“This is one of the newest laser procedures leading the industry today and we are so excited about the results we are seeing in our clients,” Dr. Tollefson says. “This has brought a fabulous response from the community.”
She says the laser smoothes and tightens skin, evens out pigmentation, removes any redness or dark spots, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, and diminishes under eye darkness all in one machine.
She says she is excited to be able to offer the laser treatment for clients with damaged skin and then offer the perfect combination of skin care products for clients to use to maintain the new look achieved by the laser.