Education

The first signs of spring are here in Vancouver as the cherry blossoms are erupting everywhere! It’s so nice to smell the fresh spring air as nature wakes up from its slumber. I feel like I’m waking up too… I’m no longer content with my winter routine and I find myself thinking of the sun-drenched days ahead.

With all the fun that summer brings, it also requires a little more attention to grooming, as we can’t hide our unattended body parts behind clothes as readily!

Permanent Hair Reduction is the perfect solution for such time consuming and dull activities as waxing and shaving. What’s involved and how does it work?

You have to avoid any kind of hair removal that involves removing the hair by its root (ie: waxing and tweezing) for about 4 weeks prior to treatment. After a thorough consultation during which, you will be skin typed, you’ll need to shave the area to be treated. A cool ultra-sound gel is applied to the treatment area and a quartz crystal, chilled hand piece is pulsed over the skin.

The Sciton BBLs uses energy from different wavelengths of the light spectrum to penetrate the skin and effectively target the hair germ cell. The varying wavelengths are used to reach specific depths of the skin in order to treat different hair types. Not all hair is the same; for instance, on the legs, there can be variations on the courseness of hair. The BBLs can effectively treat fine, medium and course hair growth, so that as the treatments progress, all the hair can be targeted effectively. This differs from laser hair removal which cannot adjust the depth of penetration to treat finer and medium hairs which are situated closer to the skin’s surface than course hair.

Each individual hair has three stages to it’s life span. If the light catches the hair in it’s first phase of hair growth, it will not grow back. If the hair is in its second or last stage of hair growth, there is already a new hair waiting in the wings to grow, so it will require more than one treatment to catch every hair in its first stage (anagen phase) of hair growth.

This sounds kind of complicated, but the actual treatment itself is less painful than waxing and any discomfort that does arise is swift and does not linger. It feels like a flash of heat. Some people even liken it to the snap of an elastic band.

Over the week to two weeks following treatment, the hairs seem to be growing out; however, the ones that have been effectively treated fall out as they rise to the surface. It’s quite a remarkable sight! After about three treatments there is 60-80% reduction in the hair growth and density.

Treatments are spaced 8-12 weeks apart and shaving can be done in between treatments to groom the area- but even that chore is significantly reduced in terms of how often it is necessary, as the hair growth becomes finer and less noticeable.

So if you’re looking to bare some skin without the hassles of waxing and shaving this summer, it may be time to shine a light on your unwanted hair.

Click here to read more about Permanent Hair Reduction

Stay tuned by joining our email list- we’re having a really good promotion coming up for Permanent Hair Reduction.

With Father’s Day fast approaching, I started to reflect on how the perception of men experiencing spa treatments has changed.

Oddly enough, my introduction to skin care and massage therapy was through a man- my Dad!  I think he may have been an original metro-sexual.  Now, even that term seems tired and silly, as culturally we’ve come to embrace that health and wellness are not reserved for the realm of one gender, but for both men and women.

Vancouver is one of Canada’s most progressive and modern cities and as such, there’s an increasing demographic of men taking part in spa treatments and skin care.

This is in part due to marketers realizing that men want to take care if themselves and they want products and treatments that are aimed specifically at them. As a result there is now a huge variety of skin care products targeting men which have popped up in the last few years.

Following suit, spas are now tailoring their decor and even the activities they offer to men. One Vancouver spa touts a lounge where men can play x-box while they get their pedicure done. Here at Spruce Body Lab, our focus has always been on creating a gender neutral environment where both men and women can feel comfortable.

Some of the ways we approach this is with our decor, which is modern and minimalist. We also choose skin care products that don’t lend themselves to one specific gender. When we choose to carry a product line, the smell, look and feel of the product needs to be something that both a man and a woman would feel comforatable to have in their medicine cabinet. With our client base at a very nice balance of 50/50 men and women, we must be doing something right!

As far as treatments for men go, we offer massage therapy which is easily a favorite of our male clientele.  Waxing for the back and shoulders, as well as chest and stomach, has become very popular in the last few years. And skin care treatments amongst our male clientele has steadily increased as well.

With regards to skin care treatments, our Customized Spruce Facial is a client favorite. Each treatment is tailored to each person’s specific skin condition and concerns.  For men, we carry the Dermalogica Shave line of products which offers a skin care regime that makes shaving a breeze instead of a burden.

Whenever I’ve treated anyone, male or female who has never experienced a skin treatment- the end result is always the same- “Why haven’t I done this sooner?” I think that fear of the unknown or misconceptions about what it means to get a skin care treatment is what holds most people back. Once they’ve had the experience, it opens up a whole new world of self care.

The last frontier in popularity of treatments for men is the body treatment. A body treatment is something that even women have a hard time getting their heads around.  Body treatments are a combination of the relaxation of body massage, with the skin smoothing and nourishing benefits of a skin treatment.  Put in such simple terms- I don’t think it will be long before these treatments are a man-favorite too!

It’s nice to see that men like my Dad are no longer an anomaly and that the spa industry has responded in kind. Happy Father’s Day and here’s to evolved men!

Spruce Body Lab Father’s Day In Store Specials:

• 25% off Dermalogica Men’s Shave Kits until June 21st, 2009.
• Book in for Full Physical Package: 60 minute massage and Customized Men’s Facial with Complimentary Infrared Sauna $169 (savings of $50)

Regulation of the British Columbia Cosmetology Association

Many people are unaware that in order to provide services for hair cuts and colouring, waxing, facials, manicures and pedicure- there is absolutely no governing body to regulate the cosmetic industry and therefore anyone can set up shop.  The Cosmetology Association of British Columbia used to be regulated by the Provincial government, but in 2003, this regulation was cut.  

When I did my accreditation for esthetics, it was mandatory to be licensed in order to provide cosmetic services.  At the time, the examination wasn’t exactly the most challenging experience of my life and I saw many ‘graduates’ during the exam who didn’t seem to have a clue about hygienic practices and safety. Is it any wonder then, that since the deregulation it is purported that complaints to the Cosmetology Association have increased 10 fold?

When it comes to public health and safety the government was rash in cutting this corner and the road is now being paved for licensing to come back.  

The interesting aspect about taking this regulation away and bringing it back, is that it is possible for the standards of practice and education to be completely updated and brought to a new level of professionalism that may have not been possible if the previous structure/ bureaucracy was still in tact. One of our very own ‘Sprucies’ (as we playfully refer to each other) is participating in a committee which will bring forth new ideas and standards of practice for licensing.

It’s a fresh page for the spa and salon industry in Vancouver and B.C. Thankfully we’ll be matching and hopefully surpassing the standards that are already set in most other Canadian provinces.