Do you have a dream list of treatments you’d like to try out at Bella Sante? I’ve been visiting the clinic for about 10 years and have been fortunate enough to try every service on today’s list, so I can give you the inside scoop on what to expect.
That reminds me. I’ve been asked to share what got me to go to Bella Sante for the first time. Here’s my story:
We had gone out for dinner with my parents. My mother leaned over and loudly whispered, “I see you’ve decided to grow out your bangs. You should really think about Botox if you’re going to do that.”
It was my 45th birthday.
I remember feeling somewhat offended, but as I peered at myself closely in the mirror later that night, I frowned, causing a network of deep lines to sprawl across my forehead and between my eyes. I squinted and fine lines around my eyes deepened. A visit to the optometrist a few months later improved my vision but worsened my mood, as my new graduated lenses revealed enlarged pores, textural irregularities, chin hairs and even more lines. I looked … old. And tired.
I didn’t FEEL old and tired, apart from the first stirrings of arthritis. I wanted to look the way I felt. But how? I sighed because my mother had already given me the answer. I booked an appointment at Bella Sante for Botox and an IPL treatment a few days later.
As I sat in the office waiting for my consult, I felt uneasy. Guilty, even. Should I be here? Do I really need to worry about wrinkles? We all get them eventually. Office manager Colleen Bell answered my question with a question. “Are you here to please someone else? Or you? Don’t ever feel guilty about doing something good for yourself.”
She was, of course, absolutely right. Since then, I’m just one of hundreds of clients who come to Bella Sante for a refreshed appearance. What are the services they request most? I asked the team at Bella Sante and got their short list, and I agree with every single pick. Here they are, in no particular order:
Chemical peels
Chemical peels are a great way to treat fine lines, discolouration, acne and skin textural issues. Your practitioner will apply a chemical solution that will cause the top layer of your skin to peel or exfoliate and reveal fresh skin underneath. There are a few different chemical peels available at Bella Sante, from their signature Obagi Blue Peel to the Jessner Peel (I tried this one with fantastic results a few years ago.) You’ll have about 7-10 days of social downtime while your skin is peeling, and you’ll have to be very careful about keeping your skin clean and moisturized. Chemical peels are a great cost-effective alternative to laser peels, so if you’re curious, try one out.
Laser hair removal
Bella Sante’s IPL machine can be used for permanent hair removal virtually anywhere on your body. The laser targets the follicle of the hair and delivers a pulse of light that kills the follicle and prevents new growth. You’ll need a few sessions, though, because your hair follicles all have their own growth schedules and you’ll have to wait for each crop of new hairs to pop up like horrible spring weeds before you can deal with them.
This is one service I can’t have. My obnoxious, coarse little chin hairs that showed up in my late 40s are mostly blonde or white, and the laser can’t differentiate between the hairs and my pasty skin. People with dark skin tones or even a dark tan also won’t have good success with laser hair removal for the same reason — the laser targets dark hair against lighter skin. For those of you who are lucky (or unlucky?) to have dark chin hairs and fair skin, this service is for you. Color me envious.
Botox & fillers
These tie in popularity as the most popular service among clients because of their amazing ability to relax wrinkles, smooth skin, and create volume and lift — with no down time and results that last for months. They each have different purposes, though:
Botox, along with other neuromodulators such as Dysport and Xeomin, are injected by highly skilled nurse practitioners to temporarily paralyze muscle tissue. It’s most commonly used to relax and smooth wrinkles on the forehead and glabellar lines (those pesky ’11s’ that form between your eyebrows) but it can also be used around the eyes, lips and neck. The results are noticeable after about two weeks and typically last for about four months.
Fillers such as Juviderm and Restylane create volume at the injection site because they’re made of hyaluronic acid, a naturally-occurring substance that attracts and retains moisture. They smooth and plump the surrounding skin and are supposed to dissolve within a few months, though new studies show they may last longer, depending on your body’s metabolism.
I’ve tried Botox, Dysport and Juviderm and I love the results I got from each of them: a smooth forehead, softening of the lines around my eyes and mouth, fuller lips and an overall fresher, more youthful appearance. (Yes, I could still move my eyebrows, even though my ’11s’ were fast asleep. And no, I didn’t have duck lips. Just fabulous ones.)
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
I’ve already written about IPL in this series — it was one of the first services I ever tried, and with good reason: it reverses sun damage, evens skin tone, helps with overall skin texture and helps reduce fine lines. I repeatedly get this service to erase sun damage and reduce my skin cancer risk, but I’m pretty impressed by how it also eliminates age spots, little freckles, red marks left by old pimples and more. This is a budget-friendly procedure you can do in spring and fall (but not in summer, as it makes your skin more sun-sensitive) and there’s no down time, apart from a bit of redness for a few hours.
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is part of Bella Sante’s signature BelaMD™ facial, the first treatment I had with their Beautiful You program. It removes dead surface cells, polishes your skin and gives it a ridiculously healthy glow. Zero discomfort, zero downtime, a lot of compliments after the service — I completely understand why this one ranks so highly. If you are new to Bella Sante, this is the service that will convince you to come back again and again.
What’s your favourite service? Do you have a favourite skin care treatment that’s not on this list? Let me know!
Until next time,
~Michelle
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