A guest post written by Caleb McGrew
Estheticians have an enormous number of tools and potions at their disposal. Today they can choose from many advanced, results oriented treatments.
Handheld Microcurrent devices
LED Light Therapies
Radio Frequency
Microneedling
Enhanced Chemical Exfoliants
The world of advanced beauty has many options to help skincare customers achieve truly remarkable results. But, how can those results be achieved safely and effectively?
In my practice and in my own personal skincare regimen, I rely on combining a few treatments to achieve results for clients. Some of my go to combo treatments are:
- Dermaplaning + Mild Chemical Peel
- Microneedling + Mild Chemical Peel
Both of these options provide excellent results and can really take ordinary treatments and make them extra-ordinary.
Dermaplaning + Peel
This good ol’ fashioned tried and true modality is making quite a resurgence in popularity lately. A surgical scalpel is used to gently exfoliate the skin. However, a by product of the treatment is that the scalpel also removes vellus hair or peach fuzz. Women who battle the fuzzy face love this effect as it leaves skin silky smooth and makeup slides on like glass!
If I have a client on my table whose skin I’m familiar with, and they have some concerns beyond basic exfoliation and de-fuzzing the face, I will add a mild chemical peel such as:
- Gentle, enhanced Jessner’s peels by PCA skin to treat hyperpigmentation
- A blended TCA to target fine lines and laxity.
There is no better way to prep the skin to receive all the juicy benefits of that peel than to remove the barrier of hair and stratum corneum (that’s boring, fancy talk for the dead outer layer of your epidermis)?! But be warned, combo treatments should only be performed when there is a good working relationship between client and esthetician. The esthetician really needs to know a client’s skin. Also, removing the barrier prior to peel application will certainly result in a more intense experience….but as they say, if ya can’t take the heat….
Microneedling + Mild Chemical Peel
My personal fav! In a nutshell, microneedling, or collagen induction therapy, is nothing short of a magical handheld device used to stimulate the body’s collagen production system. A pen with a sterile, one time use needle cartridge to create a controlled injury on your skin is used on the client’s skin.
Check out a video demo of Caleb performing microneedling on our Facebook page!
Caleb McGrew Microneedling
Your skin is like: WHOA I need to go heal this injury, so it produces collagen and elastin in the area and voilá: smoother, more radiant skin with less fine lines and better texture.
Who doesn’t want that? It’s also the single most effective tool in my arsenal for treating acne scars.
Microneedling on its own is highly effective, but for that client who wants a little more, I will apply one layer of PCA Skin Sensi Peel. Sense is a 6% lactic acid. On its own, it is very gentle, but applied to freshly microneedled skin, it has the ability to go deeper and yield even more dramatic results. Again, I can’t stress enough how important it is that the esthetician is very familiar with each individual client’s skin before performing a combo treatment like this….It’s not something you wanna do on the first date. But, get to know each other a little bit…cozy up and take your relationship (and your glow) to the next level!
Caleb McGrew
Esthetic enhancement expert Caleb McGrew is an award-winning esthetician, cosmetic tattoo artist, and educator with over 18 years experience in the beauty industry. He holds multiple advanced certifications and believes in providing subtle, undetectable enhancements to his clients’ natural beauty at his Miami-based medical spa SKIN by Caleb McGrew.