Ouch! What is this bump?

Have you ever experienced a red, raised bump, that can be tender to the touch, and wondered what the heck is this?! These my friends, can be ingrown hairs.
They can show up anywhere you have hair on your body, though the more common places are: pubic areas, legs, butt, back, neck and chest. They look similar to a white head or large zit. They can be irritating, and sometimes painful. 

How do you get them you ask? Sometimes dead skin can clog up a hair follicle. A big factor is shaving, especially against the grain. This can cause a type of ingrown called "pseudofolliculitis". In other words, you are breaking off the hair at the root causing a sharped edge to the hair, and a higher ability to bend backwards and curl up under your skin. People with curly hair are more susceptible, though anyone can get an ingrown hair. Also, people with high levels of certain sex hormones can have excessive hair growth, which makes it more likely to get ingrown hairs.

Don't fret, there are solutions to help reduce and eliminate ingrown hairs. Most importantly, don't pick or squeeze trying to "pop" it. You can cause more irritation, and leave a scar or dark spot, and it can become quite infected. If the ingrown is infected you may need to visit a Dr. who will need to remove the hair for you and may prescribe either a topical or oral medication to avoid further complications. This is pretty rare, and most ingrowns can be remedied on their own with the following suggestions:

 - using a sterile needle, lift the skin and remove the hair with a clean pair of tweezers. Keep the area clean while it heals, usually in 2-7 days. If it forms a scab, do not pick it or you risk a scar. Let it fall off naturally. 

- exfoliate! and often. exfoliate every time you are in the shower and you can greatly reduce the risk of ingrown hair. You can find exfoliation scrubs, gloves and brushes online at our website, or in our studio, or even your local drug store. 

- consider laser hair removal. It does not pose the risk that shaving, tweezing, plucking does. Visit our website for more information on laser hair removal and packages here

Free Vadazzle in October 2012

Are you hairy scary?
Now is the time to get your Brazilian Hair Removal (whether sugaring or lasering). Then as a special bonus this month, we will apply a Vadazzle design of your choice to your smooth hairless skin.
What will Vadazzle do for you?
1. Increase your confidence
2. Make you smile every time you pull your pants down or your skirt up
3. Give your partner a reason to check you out twice!
4. Mainly--just for FUN!!!

Pick out the design of your choice when you come in for your October appointment.
Schedule now online.

New High Speed Laser at Acomoclitic Studio

The High Speed Laser for Hair Removal Benefits:
1. Much Faster!!!
2. No cold gel application
3. Same results as before

Now available at Acomoclitic Studio for shorter treatment times on your next scheduled appointment.

Check out The Lumenis Duet Laser featured on The View by clicking here.

Acomoclitic Studio recently added the Lumenis High Speed Duet Laser to our clinic.
Instead of you legs taking and hour and half to laser, not it will only take 30 minutes!
Instead of a back laser session taking an hour, now it will be done in 15 minutes!

Sugaring vs. Waxing

Benefits of Sugaring include:
1. Less irritation on the skin
2. Less ingrown hairs
3. Results last longer
4. No double dipping

Acomoclitic Studio no longer does the traditional waxing for hair removal. Now we are using sugaring instead. Sugaring works on any and all areas of the body and face to remove unwanted hair. There is one primary technique we use with the sugar called the paste method. We can also use sugar like strip wax if preferred.
We make our own sugar paste and sell it to estheticians or customers who want to try using it at home. You can pick it up at our studio for $18 a jar, or order directly from Amazon here.

Once you try sugaring (if done correctly) you will never want to wax again!

Photofacial for your Bum

As I am writing this article we have a female client at our studio receiving a bum photofacial. I wonder if we are the only studio in the world that offers a photofacial for the 'rump?' This is her second treatment.
Our photofacial is administered with the Aesthera PPx which does skin rejuvenation, helping improve the skin texture and tone. The light from the PPx kills acne bacteria, clearing up acne pimples within 2-3 days following a treatment.
The machine we use has a vaccuum tip that draws the skin up towards the light. It almost feels like a gentle massage. By drawing the skin up towards the light, the light pulse doesn't have to penetrate as deep to achieve the same effects as other IPL machines. This technology makes our machine much more comfortable and doesn't require numbing prior to the treatment.
To do a photofacial on the backside takes about 15-20 minutes and costs $150. We recommend keeping out of direct sunlight for 48 hours which should be no problem for this area! lol!

Ready for Spring Break?

Acomoclitic Studio wants to help you get ready for Spring Break! We are offering a special price on our spray tan for March 2010. When you come in for your brazilian waxing, add on a spray tan for only $15! You will be all set for your trip, hopefully to someplace warm and sunny!
Before you come in for your services, you will want to make sure that your hair is grown in at least a quarter inch long. That will ensure that all the hair will get pulled out by the wax. You will also want to exfoliate your skin. By exfoliating, you get all of the dead skin off and that way, the spray tan lasts longer and comes off more evenly.
You can exfoliate by using exfoliation gloves, a loofah or a scrub body wash (like apricot scrub). We sell exfoliation gloves at our studio for $5. Totally worth the investment! I use mine about three times per week and they have lasted over a year.
You can schedule your wax the same day as your spray tan, but we will be sure to do the wax first. Remember to wear dark, loose clothing like black sweats and a dark colored t-shirt.

What is a photofacial?

A photofacial is basically a light facial. New technology has specific wavelengths to treat acne, brown spots and fine lines. Acomoclitic's photofacial machine is painless, where most photofacial machines (IPLs) can be painful.
Why is yours painless? It has a unique system called photopneumatics. Basically meaning that the treatment tip has a gentle vacuum that sucks the skin closer to the light source, allowing the light to penetrate deeper without it being so strong that is causes pain. Most IPLs will feel like a rubberband snap and may even require numbing cream prior to the treatment.
The Aesthera PPx photofacial is just as powerful and effective without the pain. What is a treatment like?
First, you need to cleanse your skin prior to the treatment. Make sure that there is no makeup or lotions on the skin. Then, the esthetician will wipe a gauze soaked in water over the skin. Then the photofacial tip will be applied to the skin. You will feel the suction sensation and then a warm burst of light. The tip only treats a small area at a time. It takes about 20 minutes to cover the whole surface area of the face. Afterwards you may feel a slight sunburn sensation. This usually lasts for about 20 minutes. Your skin may be slightly pink depending on your skin sensitivity. You can apply make up immediately after and go about your day. There is no down time. You can easily get a photofacial on your lunch break and go right back to work.
The results take a few days to show. The acne spots will clear up. The brown spots will fade. And the skin should feel slightly tighter and smoother. Multiple treatments are recommeded for the most benefit. More treatments are needed for severe acne and dark brown spots.
This month and until the end of 2009, we are running a special of Buy 1, Get 1 FREE on our photofacials. You can actually use both of the treatments the same day. How do I do that? One option is that you can treat your upper chest for your 2nd free treatment if there is sun damage or acne. Or you can do two treatments on your face. Won't that be too much for one day? No, it is actually recommended for faster results on fine lines and brown spots. For acne, it is better to use your second treatment one week from the first one.