August • September 07 Vol. 1 • Issue 3
Spa-In-The-Box
[ By: Kelly Hamilton ]

Nowadays it is almost as easy to find a day or medical spa as it is the neighborhood Starbuck’s.  Every salon seems to be offering esthetician services and day spa signage is never more than a shopping center away.  Because of such saturation in the market it would be easy to believe that they all offer the same amenities and services. Right?  Well, not exactly.  Tucked away above a locally known and favored Italian restaurant in Lincoln Heights is Aesthetic Options Medical Spa.  With the insurgence of ‘spa’ fever everywhere we turn, it would be easy to label this particular spa as being no different from others in the Alamo Heights area. Before drawing that conclusion let me share with you the difference that is Aesthetic Options Medical Spa.   By definition according to the National Coalition of Aestheticians and Association, “a medical spa is a facility that operates under the full-time, on-site supervision of a licensed heath care professional.  The facility offers traditional and alternative health practices and treatments in a spa-like setting.  Practitioners working within a medical spa will be governed by their appropriate licensing board and licensed in most state.” Aesthetic Options medical spa stands true to this definition with its proprietor holding a Master in Science, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner degree from Texas A&M Corpus Christi as well as aesthetic certification resulting from her studies under Dr Patrick Bitter and Dr. Steven  Mulholland in Los Angeles.

Nancy is certified by the State of Texas Medical Board as a Nurse Practitioner and has also completed multiple training sessions in the field of Aesthetics in order to competently provide medical spa services to her clients.  Under the off-site supervision of local physician, Dr. Carl Dukes, Internal Medicine and Nephrology, Nancy sees one patient at a time in order to fully assess and create a treatment plan based on her client’s wishes.

Originally from Sea Drift Texas, Nancy and her husband of twenty-four years have called San Antonio home since 1993.  After working for nine years as onsite faculty and student RN with Our Lady of the Lake University, Nancy decided to take a sabbatical from work. It was at this point in life she took the entrepreneurial leap and, under the guidance of Dr. Dukes as her medical director, created and opened Aesthetic Options Medical Spa.  Much deliberate time and planning went into every aspect of her new business.  Warm peach tone colored walls graced by soft paintings, Victorian styled furniture, with lightly perfumed scents lingering in the air, Nancy considered every aesthetic detail of her office and treatment rooms in order to create a welcoming environment with décor reflective of her attention to detail. It is that attention to detail that drives Nancy to create personalized treatment plans including before and after treatment photographs for her clients. Ensuring complete privacy for clients young and not so young, Nancy does not overlap appointments and enjoys treating each client personally in order to ensure a quality return on their investment. Treating every client herself is just one small way in which she sets her practice apart from others. One on one consultation and personal follow through by a Nurse Practitioner is unique in the medical spa industry. 

With more people starting aesthetic maintenance early and realizing there are non surgical options to holding onto their youthful appearance, Nancy is more motivated than ever to provide  stellar service via her state of the art equipment.  It is with much pride that Nancy offers the most up to date equipment, such as the Syneron, that incorporates laser and bi polar radio frequency.  Effectively and safely, Syneron technology treats hair and wrinkle reduction as well as skin rejuvenation and tightening.  The intense pulse light treatment in the laser successfully reduces rosacea, wrinkles and spider veins. Laser treatment not only tightens skin it rejuvenates cells and stimulates collagen that is natural and already existing in our bodies.

A new alternative to the ever popular Microderm-abrasion is Vibraderm-abrasion.  It is different in that it has a stainless steel paddle that vibrates fast enough to remove 75% of dead skin cells. “Tone and texture of your skin can dramatically improve with just one treatment. Vibraderm is clinically proven to effectively exfoliate and produce new collagen. Vibraderm employs a vibrating surface that removes layers of damaged tissue leaving you looking healthier and radiant.”

After the exfoliation process, Nancy infuses products from the Seda skincare line. Seda has an Oxo delivery system in its molecules that takes vitamin c further into the dermis aiding in the rejuvenation process of newly exfoliated skin.  The benefit of infusing is that it gets the skin care products deeper into the septum whereas unexfolliated skin can only allow a portion of the products to soak in leaving the majority to remain on the skin’s top layer. 
Aiding in the battle against most female’s nemesis is the Velasmooth anti cellulite procedure.  Nancy is able to use the Velasmooth treatment by combing a vacuum suction rolling device that is combined with infrared heat.  By heating the skin, the septum that causes dimpling is stretched and the infrared heat warms fat cells encouraging metabolism of the cells.  After roughly two months Nancy’s clients see a one inch reduction result in the treated area as well as smoothing of the skin. 

On the topic of side effects and downtime Nancy says her motto is “ No down time and no pain.  My goal is to have clients resume normal activity with no one being able to tell they have just had an aesthetic procedure.”  Nancy also states that one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is aiding in the transformation of mature clients and knowing that she has made not only an aesthetic difference but has boosted their confidence. “When you can do something aesthetically to help fix the package that is not what it was, it feels really good.”

Click HERE to see the article as it appeared in NSIDE MD

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April • May 07 Vol. 1 • Issue 1
Strut Your Skin
[ By: Nancy Hill ]

Everyone recognizes and admires beautiful healthy skin.  It’s true; when others look at you they are making a judgment about you based upon how you look. Studies by Hamermesh and Biddle showed that the more attractive women and men earned 4-9 percent more than their less attractive counter parts. Beautiful healthy skin is a hallmark of attractiveness. Many of us invest considerable time and money in our education, wardrobe, jewelry and hair, but invest little in our skin. Think of the times you have washed your face in bath soap or gone to bed without washing your face. How many times have you failed to reapply sunscreen when you are out in the sun or, worse yet, failed to apply sunscreen at all?  You only have one chance to make a first impression! Now is the time to invest in your skin and with so many advances there are many options available to protect, repair, or enhance your skin.

An appropriate and effective daily skin care program can help to prevent damage, improve the appearance and texture of your skin, or just keep your skin looking beautiful.  Skin care experts generally agree that one of the most important actions one can take to prevent damage to your skin is consistent sun protection. Sun exposure is responsible for more than 90% of all skin cancers and the changes in our skin we often associate with aging (wrinkles, broken capillaries, brown, red, or white spots).  When used in the prescribed manner, an effective sunscreen or sunblock will help prevent skin damage and reduce the risk of skin cancer. Use sunscreens that have the Skin Cancer Foundation’s seal of recommendation on the label to be assured that it is effective against UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays. There are many sunscreens in lotions, powders and sprays; choose one that is the easiest for you to apply so you will be faithful in your daily application and reapplication. Colorescience makes a powdered sunscreen with UVA and UVB and Infrared sun protection that comes in a retractable brush that is very convenient to apply and can be applied over makeup without  having to touch-up your makeup.

Skin care products can make the difference between unhealthy problematic skin and beautiful healthy skin. A basic skin care regimen consists of cleansers, moisturizers and protection. Often, the culprit of some skin problems is caused by the inappropriate use of skin care products. For example, using the inappropriate cleanser (bath soap) on your face increases the chances of developing acne. Washing your face with alkaline bath soap disrupts the normally acidic ph of the skin and creates an ideal environment for acnes bacteria to flourish. What started with a simple problem/solution can result in acne complications; such as, scarring and pigment changes, and will require more than just the use of an appropriate cleanser to resolve. If you are unsure of what your skin needs, see a qualified skin care expert for advice before a simple solution turns into a more complex problem.

Damaged skin and aging skin may require medical grade skin care or more invasive treatments, such as chemical peels, Vibradermabrasion, or laser treatments to correct the problem. Choosing a treatment that is the most appropriate for you is important and is based on a variety of factors, including your skin care goals, skin type, medical history, and how much time and money you are willing to spend to achieve your goals.
   
Chemical peels are used to stimulate, firm and tighten the skin. These treatments use certain chemical agents and depending on the chemical and its strength, peels can be superficial to deep. Superficial chemical peels are generally recognized as a safe and effective treatment for acne, rosacea, sun damage, and pigmentation problems.  Superficial peels speed up the natural exfoliation process to enable new healthier skin cells to come to the surface thus improving skin texture, reducing the depth of superficial lines, helping to fade brown spots, and assist in clearing acne blemished skin.

Vibradermabrasion skin resurfacing is a mechanical exfoliation treatment with immediate skin tone and texture improvement Vibradermabrasion uses a vibrating surface that evenly removes the dead skin layer (epidermis) and stimulates the production of new healthy skin cells and collagen. Collagen is the support and connective tissue of the skin. After removal of the superficial dead skin layer, topical skin care products are infused directly into the deeper layers of the skin where they are most effective. Within minutes of infusing skin care products, the skin begins to repair and restore damaged skin; reduce fine lines, acne/scarring and pigment changes.

Laser and Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment is a skin treatment that utilizes light energy to selectively heat up and modify a particular target such as, hair follicles, brown spots, capillaries and wrinkles without damaging the surrounding tissue. The resulting healing response diminishes age spots, fine lines and wrinkles, broken capillaries, rosacea, and enhances skin tightening.

Whether you are seeking to maintain your skin or trying to repair damaged skin, there are numerous aesthetic options available to help you have skin others admire.

Nancy Hill, MSN, RNC, ANP has been practicing as an Adult Nurse Practitioner for fifteen years and is committed to the health, beauty and vitality of your skin. Aesthetic Options Medical Spa, 555 E. Basse Road Suite 202, San Antonio, Texas 78209. www.aestheticoptionsmedicalspa.com

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