Just ask Kathy

Question #1
Is it ok to use Retin-A, Retinol or pigment lightening products while having micro-dermabrasion treatments once every seven to ten days?

Answer:
I have found that it is most advantageous to do so because the Retin-A is helping to normalize the cells and also push the dead cells up from the lower layers of the skin. The dead cells come up to the surface and the micro-dermabrasion machine comes along and removes all of those dead unwanted cells. Because of the way the non-irritating handpiece of the S. T. Peel is designed, we only need to be abstaining from Retin-A for 24 hours before and after a micro-dermabrasion treatment.

Question #2:
I want to firm my skin. I am over forty and I am noticing larger pores and a little sagging skin. Also, my skin does not look as smooth as it once did. Can I turn back the clock just a little?

Answer:
Actually, you can turn back the clock when you take advantage of the latest technology in equipment and products. The younger you are when you start on an anti-aging program the faster you will see results. Both Retin-A mixed with the Superior Skin Secrets;, high potency "Night Cream" with Retinol, and the S. T. Peel (micro-dermabrasion machine) promote collagen and elastin growth, which firms and thickens the skin. Dirt in the pores holds them open and make them appear large. If those pores are held open for very long they become permanently stretched. The S. T. Peel will suction the debris from the pores and also remove the outer portion of the pore that has been stretched open. This will create a porcelain smooth look. If you do what is suggested above and your pores are still looking a little oval and your skin is not as firm as you would like, you will need muscle strengthening treatments. See the explanation of the SOLI-TONE toward the bottom of these questions.

Question #3
My husband said that micro-dermabrasion is like sand blasting the skin. That doesn't sound like something I want done. What method is used and how much does it hurt?

Answer:
The men that come to see me at the Spa in Ahwatukee, Arizona use this sandblasting analogy quite often. That is the best way for men to relate to what is happening. There are many machines on the market today. Very few have been redesigned for the comfort of the client. Most of them do feel like you are being sandblasted because the corundum powder, which is second in hardness to diamond, is coming straight out of the tip. It is like a head on collision; crystal powder meets skin, ouch. The hand-piece of the S. T. Peel, which helps deliver the powder to your skin, is very different from all the rest. The powder is swirling inside the hand-piece like a tornado. When it gets to the skin it exits on an angle and is more like a sideswipe than a head-on collision. This is very effective yet less irritating. It creates a feathering effect all around the small tip so your abrasion is very even. Most people need four to six treatments, given one every seven to ten days. More treatments are needed for acne scars and deep wrinkles.

There is a brochure available that is very explicit. E-mail me at Jaeckel@qwest.net for more information. Let me know if you are in the aesthetics business, in Arizona only, and are interested in possible purchasing a machine or if you are a potential client interested in treatments and consultations in Ahwatukee.

Question #4:
How safe is the Corundum powder used in micro-dermabrasion machines? I heard it has impurities in it?

Answer:
It is true that some powders are not 99% pure, as is the powder from Silhouet-Tone. Ours is considered medical grade crystal Corundum powder. That is why so many doctors are using the S. T. Peel. It goes through many cycles of purification before it is certified as pure. There is an obvious reason why our powder is so white. It is also second in hardness to diamond. Nothing can do the job like corundum powder. Softer materials will break down easily and only polish the skin, not remove it.

Question #5:
I'm often drawn in by a good advertisement or a sales person at a department store and I buy a little of this and a little of that. Is it effective to mix different brands of products for my face?

Answer:
Most product lines make their products with ingredients that will blend together well and promote a healthier skin when used in combination. When you mix different lines you loose this benefit.

Question #6:
I understand that Bare Skin by Dr. Bollmann program, uses .1% Retin-A cream with their anti-aging and acne skin care line. How do I go about getting this since it is a prescription item?

Answer:
You can bring a prescription with you from your doctor when we meet for training on the application and use of the anti-aging or acne program and our doctor will dispense it. You can call me and I will help you set up and appointment to see Dr. Bollmann either at the Satellite office in Ahwatukee or you can see him in North Scottsdale. If you are out of town, you can get the prescription from your local doctor for .1% cream and have it filled by your pharmacy in your area. We have two Retinol products that do not need a prescription, Rejuvenation Serum and Night Cream. These products work very well. It has been my experience that they penetrate very deeply and exfoliate extremely well.

Question #7:
I have freckles and a lot of sun damage. Is there any hope for me?

Answer:
There was a time when I would have to say I'm sorry, it's too late. BUT NOT ANY MORE! Micro-dermabrasion will lighten pigmentation and open up the skin by removing the old dead cells so products like the Bare Skin Eventone and Rejuvenation Serum or Night Cream can lighten the damaged cells quite quickly.

Question #8:
I'm fifty years old. My hormones are doing not so funny things to my body. I don't like it one bit. The worst is the sagging. I have seen too many surgeries gone awry. Is there anything I can do naturally without side effects for my neck, facial cheek and jowl area? While I'm asking, is there anything I can do for sagging breasts and stomach.

Answer:
YES, YES, AND YES! I have a wonderful little magic machine called the COMPU-LIFT. These machines should only be used by a licensed aesthetician or a cosmetologist trained in skin care. A positive and negative electrode a placed at the origin and insertion of each muscle effecting the area we are treating. This machine has automatic settings that gradually takes us form the warming up the muscle stage to the re-educating the muscle stage to the finishing point where we have deep penetration of an anti-aging gel to promote collagen and elastin growth. This treatment takes about an hour unless it immediately follows a micro-dermabrasion treatment, in which case, it takes forty-five minutes. The treatment is given two per week for seven weeks. There is a brochure available that explains this in detail. If you contact me through e-mail, let me know if you are a professional in the aesthetics business interested in possibly purchasing a machine or a client interested in treatments in Ahwatukee, Arizona.

Question #9:
I am 30 years old. I am my correct weight. I work-out three times a week but still have the dreaded cellulite? It's just not fair! What's up with that?

Answer:
You probably won't like this answer but here it is. 90% to 95% of all women will have cellulite some time in their life. Why, you might ask. Studies show that at puberty, around twelve years old, girls acquire about twice as many adipocyte cells, fat storing cells, as boys. At the same age the dear boys acquire about twice as many beta cells, muscle building cells. The young girls are beginning to prepare to nourish the young and the boys are preparing to defend their family with their great big muscles. You may not like this scenario if you are a female, but that's how the plan was and still is from a scientific standpoint. Now how can we correct this problem in a healthy way if you are women. Silhouet-Tone has a machine called the Lumicell Touch. This is a suction massage machine with LED Lights and Micro-current. that encourages healthy circulation, detoxification and the breaking up of cellulite pockets for removal into the lymph system. It feels good and smoothes the skin in fourteen to twenty treatments given twice a week. Before and after pictures are encouraged. Brochures available upon request. Contact me through an e-mail message. Let me know if you are an aesthetician or massage therapist, in Arizona only, wanting professional information or a potential client wanting treatments in Ahwatukee, Arizona.

If you have other questions just e-mail me at superiorskincare@wildblue.net. You can have me call or write to you, whichever you prefer. Be sure to include the best times to reach you and your area code and time zone if you want to be contacted by phone.