From Botox to fillers and plastic surgery, the business of anti-aging is growing rapidly in Canada.
But lately, it’s natural esthetics that have come into vogue with more and more people turning to them for that fresh-faced look.
These days, beauty really does come from the inside — literally. A medical spa in Calgary offers a hair restoration treatment that uses your own blood, stimulating natural hair growth through injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
“We’re taking your blood and spinning it down and isolating the plasma,” said Aron Furrer with ReNue Medical Spa. “It’s great for thickening the hair, causing new hair stimulation in areas. So if you have thinner hair, that you’re losing hair or you’ve got some bald spots, it will definitely help to regenerate cells in that area.”
A centrifuge is used to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the regular red blood cells, which are heavier and sink to the bottom of the test tube during the spinning process. Then a fine needle is used to inject small amounts of the plasma solution into the client’s scalp in the areas of thinning hair.
Client Sandra Reeder got the hair treatment several times over the course of a year.
“It appealed to me because it was natural. I mean, there’s so many things out there that are fairly gimmicky. I’m so pleased with it,” Reeder said.
It wakes up old cells and stimulates collagen again, according to the medical professionals doing the treatment.
READ MORE: Global News investigates: Calls for Alberta to license estheticians
To avoid using botox or fillers, there’s a naturopathic therapy called micro-needling.
Trudy Toews, a naturopathic doctor at Essence Wellness Clinic, offers the treatment and says it helps clients smooth out signs of aging and acne without using chemical treatments or going under the knife.
“It’s non-invasive. There’s very little downtime and pain involved,” Toews said. “People are always going to want to find a natural alternative treatment to treat their skin naturally without feeling any guilt, without feeling that they’re injecting chemicals.”
Twelve tiny needles go in and out really fast through your skin to create tiny injuries so your body heals itself while absorbing nutrients.
“It helps with crow’s feet and under eye dark circles as well,” Dr. Toews said. “It’s a very effective way of infusing your skin with good natural ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. These two bioactive ingredients are what helps pump up the skin.”
If you’re looking for a subtle alternative to a face lift, there’s the “fibroblast skin-tightening procedure.” Calgary clinic Cinnamon Girl created its own title for the treatment called “Cinnablast,” which has become one of its most popular procedures for people of all ages.
Cinnablast treatment is a non-surgical lift procedure in which the device exerts plasma flashes on the surface of the skin, causing tissue to retract and tighten, according to certified specialists.
There is minimal damage to surrounding tissue or deeper layers of the skin.
“What this can do is pop the wrinkles up so they don’t need filler. A little zap with this electrical arc wakes up those fibroblast cells to produce more collagen and elastin,” said Brittany Wallins, Cinnamon Girl permanent makeup artist and medical assistant.
The treatment also helps prevent or treat fine lines and wrinkles.
If you are choosing to go the botox route, Calgary dermatologist Dr. Paul Kuzel of Rejuvenation Laser Dermatology says it does have a long track record of safety.
“It’s been used for over 30 years for a number of cosmetic and an increasing number of medical indications,” Kuzel said. “When it comes to botox — which is actually a trade name; it’s really botulinum toxin that botox is made of — it is also a naturally occurring substance that’s produced from a bacteria.”
Kuzel said the best treatment regimen for any cosmetic procedure is one that comes up after consultation with your health care professional and after a thorough review of the positives, negatives, risks and benefits of each treatment.
But make sure you do your research and find a licensed professional to do any of the above treatments and procedures since it can cost upwards of $300 to $600 a visit.
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