Pre/Post Service Care

Pre- & Post-Chemical Peel Care

Please follow the instructions below to prepare for your treatment. Your compliance to your pre- and post-peel instructions will greatly affect the outcome of your treatment.

Before your treatment:

• Set up your consultation. You can do this be calling (864) 654-4141.
• If possible please do not wear makeup to your treatment.
• Avoid any irritants to your skin, such as any products containing Retin-A, retinol, benzoyl peroxide, glycolyc/salicylic acids, astringents or Vitamin C for one week before your treatment unless otherwise instructed.
• Do not wax, tweeze or use a depilatory on treatment areas for 1 week prior to your treatment.

After your treatment:

• Avoid sun exposure and tanning beds to treated areas after treatment (we recommend this indefinitely). Daily sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 is vital to maintain your improved skin.
• Avoid any irritants to your skin, such as any products containing Retin-A, retinol, benzoyl peroxide, glycolyc/salicylic acids, astringents or Vitamin C for one week after your treatment.
• Do not wax, tweeze or use a depilatory to the treated areas for 1 week after your treatment.
• It you receive Collagen treatments, these may be resumed 24 hours after treatment.
• Your skin may be more red than usual for 2 to 3 days. Please avoid strenuous exercise during this time.
• If possible do not wear makeup until the next morning.
• Approximately 48 hours after treatment, your skin may start to peel. This peeling will generally last 2 to 3 days. DO NOT PICK OR PULL THE SKIN. When washing your face, do not scrub.
• Apply light moisturizer as often as needed to relieve dryness and tightness.
• Do not have any other facial treatment for at least one week after your peel.

Pre- & Post-Waxing Care

Waxing Overview

Waxing is a form of hair removal that removes the entire hair from the hair follicle. It is one of the most popular and affordable types of hair removal. Warm wax is applied to the skin and enters the hair follicle allowing the hair to be pulled from the root. The wax is either removed with a cloth strip or it hardens and is removed by hand. Because the entire hair is removed, skin is left very smooth.

Pre- and Post-Waxing care is essential to prevent unsightly ingrown hairs, bacterial infections, scarring, itching and having to resort to using antibiotics.

Pre-Wax Care

Before your waxing service:

• DON'T allow the area to be waxed to have extended sun exposure for 48 hours prior to waxing.
• DON'T take blood thinners like Aspirin or alcohol prior to your service.
• DON'T book an appointment when you are sunburned, or have overly thinned skin (often due to Acutane, Retin-A, or similar photo-sensitive medications), as our technicians cannot perform your service under these conditions.
• DO be sure your hair is at least 1/4 of an inch in length
• DO lightly exfoliate your skin several days before waxing.
• DO be sure that you thoroughly cleanse the area being waxed the day of your service (the skin should be moist but not greasy from oils or lotions).
• 30 minutes prior to waxing services, many clients will take Advil or Tylenol in order to reduce inflammation and pain, but because everyone is different, we recommend checking with your doctor when taking any drugs.

Post-Wax Care

After your waxing service:

• DON'T exercise for at least 48 hours after your waxing treatment; sweat is a breeding ground for bacteria.
• DON'T expose the waxed area to the sun/tanning bed for at least 48 hours; it will burn severely.
• DON'T touch the area with your fingers for at least 48 hours afterwards to avoid cross infection.
• DON'T use harsh soaps or acid based products, as these will irritate freshly waxed skin.
• DON'T use saunas, public pools, hot spas or hot showers for at least 48 hours to avoid cross infection. (Cooler showers are fine.)
• DON'T use scented lotions, perfumes, or colognes to the waxed area for 48 hours.
• DO exfoliate the skin at least 2-3 times a week.
• DO moisturize every day.
• DO use an antibacterial soap.
• If continued waxing is desired, we recommend that you not shave between appointments for added safety and comfort.

Frequently Asked Waxing Questions

Will Hair Grow in Darker or Thicker Than It Was? Waxing will not change the color of hair within the follicle, and hair actually grows in finer than it was before.

Will Facial Waxing Cause Wrinkling of the Skin? Wrinkling of the skin occurs because of a breakdown deep within skin tissue. This breakdown is usually caused by excessive sun damage, skin dehydration, cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and hereditary factors. Waxing does not cause a breakdown of skin tissue, and therefore will not cause wrinkling.

What Should I Expect from My First Waxing Experience? Does It Hurt? All depends; your first time receiving a body waxing can be uncomfortable because after shaving for years the hair grows extremely coarse. The more frequent you receive waxing services the hair will begin to grow thinner. Removing hair directly from the follicle is never comfortable, but our esthetician is highly skilled, therefore, it is likely that your waxing experience will be more comfortable than most. Some clients take Advil or Tylenol 30 minutes prior to coming in for their appointment - because everyone is different, we recommend checking with your doctor when taking drugs. With continuous waxing, hair becomes finer and sparser and waxing becomes more comfortable.

What Should I Wear for a Bikini or Brazilian Wax? During the treatment you can leave your disposable panties on or off. We do provide you an optional disposable panty for any type of bikini service.

Could I Be Waxed during My Menstrual Cycle? Waxing during your menstrual cycle is possible but is not recommended because of comfort. During your menstrual cycle your body tends to be more sensitive due to the change of hormones and this could cause the treatment to be more painful. We recommend you schedule an appointment within 2 weeks after the end of your menstrual cycle.

How Often Should I Wax? This depends on the area being waxed and how fast your hair grows. For the most effective body waxing service, it is recommended that body hair growth be approximately 1/4 inch long. On average, every four to six weeks is recommended for body waxing. For the most effective facial waxing service, the 1/4 inch rule does not apply. On average, every three weeks is recommended for facial waxing.

Waxing and Medication? There are products contraindicated for waxing: Accutane, Retine-A, glycolic acid, alpha hydroxy acid, Tazorac Avage, Differin, Strivectin, Renova, Proactive, Avita, benzyl peroxide & salicylic acid. These are only some of the products we are aware of that may cause a problem and new ones come along daily. Your skin is important to you and us; please check with your doctor if you have any doubt.

What are in-grown hairs and what can I do to prevent them? In-grown hairs form when dry skin cells block the surface opening for hairs growing back after shaving, waxing, electrolysis or any other form of hair removal. Failing to grow out of the skin, the hairs curl inside the follicle underneath the skin and the resulting foreign body reaction causes an unsightly infectious bump. Both women and men suffer from in-grown hairs. To prevent in-grown hairs from forming you must follow the appropriate homecare advice (see above).

Spray Tanning Do's & Don'ts

What to Expect From Your Treatment

Disposable garments will be provided. If you're more comfortable in a bathing suit, bring a dark-colored suit (or your garment of preference). The Tanning Mist solution washes out of most clothing very easily, but tends to stain light-colored nylon or other lighted-colored synthetic materials.

This Sunless Tanning Mist treatment is the only one of its kind, as the entire service is performed while you're relaxing on a massage lounge.

• Your body is exfoliated with a unique body wipe designed to cleanse, refine, and balance your skin's pH before the Tanning Mist is applied.
• The treatment begins while you're lying on your stomach, your head turned to one side.
• Barrier Cream is applied to areas of the body that typically absorb more color (like elbows or back of knees) to prevent unnaturally dark coloring.
• Your body is misted with the Sunless Tanning formula. You'll relax under a delightfully warm heat lamp as the mist dries. After about 10 minutes, you'll turn over onto your back, and the same steps are followed to tan the front of your body.

The Tanning Mist provides a deep, rich tan in about an hour that will last approximately 5-7 days (up to 10 for some people). Wait at least 5 hours before showering after your tanning session, up to a maximum of 12 hours (depending on how dark you choose to develop your tan). Keep in mind that your tan will continue to develop for 24 hours after you shower.

• Showering after 5 hours will produce a light-to-medium golden tan. A natural look recommended for very fair to fair skin types.
• Showering after 7 hours will produce a rich, medium bronzed tan. A great full-color look for light-to-medium skin types.
• Showering after 9+ hours will reveal a dark, golden-bronzed tan. A very rich tan ideal for medium to-dark skin types.

Preparing for the Treatment

Ideally, you should shower and exfoliate to prime skin just prior to your Sunless Tanning Mist application. Exfoliating products that leave the skin oily, such as salt scrubs, should be avoided. Make sure that all lotions, creams, deodorants, makeup, or other toiletries are removed from the skin before a treatment. If these products are left on the skin, discoloration and uneven results can occur.

You may want to bring a dark colored bathing suit (or your garment or preference) to tan in. If you do not have an appropriate bathing suit, disposable garments will be provided.

Wear dark, loose clothing and shoes to your appointment. Tight-fitting clothing can affect tanning results. Plan not to get wet, exercise, or excessively perspire for at least 5 hours. After that time, you may shower and resume normal activities. You will see some color wash off the first time you shower, this is just the surface color, and your skin will continue to tan for 24 hours as the Sunless Tanning Mist formula develops.

Caring for your Tan

After your post-treatment shower, apply moisturizer in the mornings and evenings. Hydrated skin will help your tan last longer. Also aviod the following after your spray tan application:

• Waxing
• Depilatory hair removers
• Retin-A, Renova, Tretinoin, Tri-Luma and skin bleaching products
• Products containing alcohol or witch hazel
• Microdermabrasion
• Facial scrubs and masks
• Body loofahs
• Body moisturizer that contain petroleum or mineral oil bases
• Soaking in salt water, chlorine or hot baths
• Rubbing with a towel after bathing - pat dry only

DHA: How Tanning Mist Works

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the most effective sunless/self-tanning products available are lotions containing active ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA is a colorless sugar that interacts with the dead cells located in the stratum corneum (the outermost layer) of the epidermis. As the sugar interacts with the dead cells, a color change occurs. This change usually lasts about 5-7 days (up to 10 for some people) from the initial application.

Every day, millions of dead skin cells are sloughed off or worn away from the surface of your skin. In fact, every 35 to 45 days, you have an entirely new epidermis. This is why tans from sunless/self-tanning lotions fade gradually: as the dead cells are worn away, so does your tan. For this reason, ESS Solei Sunless Tanning Mist is typically reapplied every 7-10 days to maintain beautiful color.

It's important to remember that the Sunless Tanning Mist does not provide SPF protection against the sun's UVA or UVB rays. So if you're planning to go outside to show off your new tan after the color fully develops, be sure to apply plenty of sunscreen and remember to reapply every few hours to maintain its effectiveness.