ONLINE HED:
ONLINE HED: How to Choose a Spa
Putting Your
Best Face
Forward
Choosing the spa facility and treatment
that’s best for your skin.
by Shannon Slatton Schwartz | photos by amanda gahler
Pat Scherven of Skin Therapease believes diet and lifestyle changes can make a beautiful difference.
At every stage of life, we can see the story of our lifestyle in our skin. Whether it’s skinned knees that tell the tale of an active toddler or the brown spots across the nose and cheeks of
an older woman that wordlessly explain summers of sun
exposure, our skin wears the evidence of everyday habits
and our environment. Many skincare experts also say
that what you put into your body by way of
food or drink is reflected on the surface.
But if you’ve made a few mistakes in caring for your skin, never fear. Today, we have more experts and technology to improve skin than ever before. You can help your complexion become smoother, clearer or tighter through peels, exfoliation, dermaplaning and even lasers. Many experts design treatment plans that include procedures, products and dietary changes that map a path to better skin.
Overwhelmed yet? With skincare services offered at spas, med spas, aesthetic clinics and medical practices, how do you know what’s best for you?
“Consumers can often be confused by terms associated with different spas,” says Barb Grieman, vice president of the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota. “Before choosing a service provider, do your research.” Grieman recommends checking with the BBB to access reviews of the facility and then calling and asking the facility staff important questions (see page 44).
Still unsure about where to start with your skin therapy? In case you’re not ready to spend hours Googling, we’ve compiled a quick primer of the different types of facilities offering skincare services in the lake area. Read on to find out what to expect and how to choose the best place for your needs.
Spas
Spas and day spas can provide a wide variety of services for your skin, hair and nails. When people think of spas, relaxation and rejuvenation come to mind. Most spas try to achieve that in a relatively short window of time. “We are a full-service salon and spa,” explains Emily Louricas, spa coordinator at Lili Salon Spa. “People are going to find relaxation with results-driven treatment.”
Besides a range of waxing, hair and nail services, Lili Salon Spa offers facials, peels and exfoliation treatments like dermaplaning, which clears away dead skin cells and superfluous hair. For the best experience, Louricas suggests you meet with the aesthetician to talk about skin goals. Once those are established, the team can recommend products for a skincare routine as well as which kind and how many treatments will help achieve the desired result. “We offer complimentary consultations before any service,’” says Louricas. “We’ll be upfront with a guest and whether or not they need a series of appointments to reach what we are looking for.”
The diversity of services that you’ll find at a spa is reflective of the experience you can have there. You can go with a desired result in mind, or you can grab some of your best girlfriends for a relaxing experience. “People can come in, have a facial, relax and be on their way, or we can give them a facial and send them home with a regimen,” says Louricas. “In six months, their skin can be transformed.”
Med Spas
Generally med spas are a cross between a medical clinic and a day spa, but no two med spas are alike. Pat Scherven, who has operated Skin Therapease for 14 years, says her med spa is unique in that they recommend changes to diet and lifestyle before prescribing medicine. “We’re about the whole person,” says Scherven. “No two treatment plans are alike, just like no two faces are alike.”
During a visit, clients can expect questions about diet and exercise as well as their skincare regimen. “Sometimes we ask them to give up something, like dairy or gluten,” says Scherven. “Sometimes if they are having breakouts, it can be balanced by adding something like vitamin D or omegas.”
Most med spas run under the supervision of a medical professional and provide services like injections, laser treatments, and advanced skin peels. Skin Therapease has a medical director and a registered nurse, as well as trained staff members. Clients generally come in for scheduled visits or treatments, much as they would at a doctor’s office. “Sometimes we explain to clients that if they come in every three to four weeks, they can have the best results,” says Scherven. “We have a lot of acne clients, and if they come in every few weeks, they can get better results.”
Unlike a spa, where relaxation is an element of the experience, clients come through the door of a med spa seeking a desired skin change “My business happens to be skincare and lifestyle,” says Scherven, who calls herself a “skincare cheerleader.” Scherven says much of the time clients don’t want to resort to medication, so they look for solutions in a lifestyle change or getting an advanced laser treatment or peel. “Your skin will talk to you and tell you what it needs,” says Scherven. “Our goal is for people to have the healthiest skin they can.”
Aesthetic Clinics or Medical Practices
It seems like common sense to say medical doctors can offer the most drastic and comprehensive changes to the skin, simply because they can prescribe medicine or even perform surgeries. But science and technology have changed so drastically that now cosmetic surgery isn’t a quick standby. “We are different 50-year-olds than our parents were,” says Vicky Hagstrom, M.D., who founded Anew Aesthetic Medical Center seven years ago. “We’ve always looked for the fountain of youth, and now we have reasonable tools to maintain that look without being so aggressive and having a surgery performed.”
Medical practices like Anew Asthetic Medical Center offer peels and facials, but they also offer injections, fillers, laser treatments and minimally invasive procedures. “This is a combination of technology and art,” says Hagstrom. “You want to be confident that you are in hands that are trained.”
Hagstrom performs several procedures, is on site four days a week and personally trains her staff. “I come at everything from a medical perspective,” she says. “I am not a business person first. I’m a physician first and I want to provide services that are valuable.”
Hagstrom recommends clients come in for a meeting to address needs and goals. Often her strategy includes not only procedures but diet and exercise, too. “The skin absolutely reflects our inner health and contributes to our inner health,” says Hagstrom, who points to the terms “bad hair day” or “bad skin day” as proof that what you look like affects your life.
“Sometimes addressing the skin really helps motivate people on the inside to have better health,” says Dr. Hagstrom. “I want to give people reasonable options to maintain the freshest face.” //
With our busy lives, taking time for relaxing skin treatments can do a world of good.
What to ask when choosing a
• How does the business classify its services?
• What type of training do employees have? What type of training is required for the service you are seeking?
• If it’s a medical treatment, will a physician be performing it, supervising it or available onsite during your procedure?
• What kinds of products and ingredients are used? Inform staff of your allergies or ingredient concerns.
• What are the risks of the treatment and what emergency protocol is used in case of complications?
If you go:
Lili Salon Spa
5757 Sanibel Drive, Suite 1, Minnetonka
952.935.0000
salonlili.com
Skin Therapease
1097 Wayzata Blvd. #120, Wayzata
952.404.0000
skinthereapease.com
Anew Aesthetic Medical Center
13570 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka
612.208.0741
anewmedicalcenter.com
At every stage of life, we can see the story of our lifestyle in our skin. Whether it’s skinned knees that tell the tale of an active toddler or the brown spots across the nose and cheeks of an older woman that wordlessly explain summers of sun exposure, our skin wears the evidence of everyday habits and our environment. Many skincare experts also say that what you put into your body by way of food or drink is reflected on the surface.
But if you’ve made a few mistakes in caring for your skin, never fear. Today, we have more experts and technology to improve skin than ever before. You can help your complexion become smoother, clearer or tighter through peels, exfoliation, dermaplaning and even lasers. Many experts design treatment plans that include procedures, products and dietary changes that map a path to better skin.
Overwhelmed yet? With skincare services offered at spas, med spas, aesthetic clinics and medical practices, how do you know what’s best for you?
“Consumers can often be confused by terms associated with different spas,” says Barb Grieman, vice president of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Minnesota and North Dakota. “Before choosing a service provider, do your research.” Grieman recommends checking with the BBB to access reviews of the facility and then calling and asking the facility staff important questions.
Still unsure about where to start with your skin therapy? In case you’re not ready to spend hours Googling, we’ve compiled a quick primer of the different types of facilities offering skincare services in the lake area. Read on to find out what to expect and how to choose the best place for your needs.
Spas
Spas and day spas can provide a wide variety of services for your skin, hair and nails. When people think of spas, relaxation and rejuvenation come to mind. Most spas try to achieve that in a relatively short window of time.
“We are a full-service salon and spa,” explains Emily Louricas, spa coordinator at Lili Salon Spa. “People are going to find relaxation with results-driven treatment.”
Besides a range of waxing, hair and nail services, Lili Salon Spa offers facials, peels and exfoliation treatments like dermaplaning, which clears away dead skin cells and superfluous hair. For the best experience, Louricas suggests you meet with the aesthetician to talk about skin goals. Once those are established, the team can recommend products for a skincare routine as well as which kind and how many treatments will help achieve the desired result.
“We offer complimentary consultations before any service,’” says Louricas. “We’ll be upfront with a guest and whether or not they need a series of appointments to reach what we are looking for.”
The diversity of services that you’ll find at a spa is reflective of the experience you can have there. You can go with a desired result in mind, or you can grab some of your best girlfriends for a relaxing experience.
“People can come in, have a facial, relax and be on their way, or we can give them a facial and send them home with a regimen,” says Louricas. “In six months, their skin can be transformed.”
Med Spas
Generally med spas are a cross between a medical clinic and a day spa, but no two med spas are alike. Pat Scherven, who has operated Skin Therapease for 14 years, says her med spa is unique in that they recommend changes to diet and lifestyle before prescribing medicine.
“We’re about the whole person,” says Scherven. “No two treatment plans are alike, just like no two faces are alike.”
During a visit, clients can expect questions about diet and exercise as well as their skincare regimen.
“Sometimes we ask them to give up something, like dairy or gluten,” says Scherven.
“Sometimes if they are having breakouts, it can be balanced by adding something like vitamin D or omegas.”
Most med spas run under the supervision of a medical professional and provide services like injections, laser treatments, and advanced skin peels. Skin Therapease has a medical director and a registered nurse, as well as trained staff members. Clients generally come in for scheduled visits or treatments, much as they would at a doctor’s office.
“Sometimes we explain to clients that if they come in every three to four weeks, they can have the best results,” says Scherven. “We have a lot of acne clients, and if they come in every few weeks, they can get better results.”
Unlike a spa, where relaxation is an element of the experience, clients come through the door of a med spa seeking a desired skin change
“My business happens to be skincare and lifestyle,” says Scherven, who calls herself a “skincare cheerleader.” Scherven says much of the time clients don’t want to resort to medication, so they look for solutions in a lifestyle change or getting an advanced laser treatment or peel.
“Your skin will talk to you and tell you what it needs,” says Scherven. “Our goal is for people to have the healthiest skin they can.”
Aesthetic Clinics or Medical Practices
It seems like common sense to say medical doctors can offer the most drastic and comprehensive changes to the skin, simply because they can prescribe medicine or even perform surgeries. But science and technology have changed so drastically that now cosmetic surgery isn’t a quick standby.
“We are different 50-year-olds than our parents were,” says Vicky Hagstrom, M.D., who founded Anew Aesthetic Medical Center seven years ago. “We’ve always looked for the fountain of youth, and now we have reasonable tools to maintain that look without being so aggressive and having a surgery performed.”
Medical practices like Anew Asthetic Medical Center offer peels and facials, but they also offer injections, fillers, laser treatments and minimally invasive procedures.
“This is a combination of technology and art,” says Hagstrom. “You want to be confident that you are in hands that are trained.”
Hagstrom performs several procedures, is on site four days a week and personally trains her staff.
“I come at everything from a medical perspective,” she says. “I am not a business person first. I’m a physician first and I want to provide services that are valuable.”
Hagstrom recommends clients come in for a meeting to address needs and goals. Often her strategy includes not only procedures but diet and exercise, too.
“The skin absolutely reflects our inner health and contributes to our inner health,” says Hagstrom, who points to the terms “bad hair day” or “bad skin day” as proof that what you look like affects your life.
“Sometimes addressing the skin really helps motivate people on the inside to have better health,” says Dr. Hagstrom. “I want to give people reasonable options to maintain the freshest face.”
With our busy lives, taking time for relaxing skin treatments can do a world of good.
What to ask when choosing a spa
- How does the business classify its services?
- What type of training do employees have? What type of training is required for the service you are seeking?
- If it’s a medical treatment, will a physician be performing it, supervising it or available onsite during your procedure?
- What kinds of products and ingredients are used? Inform staff of your allergies or ingredient concerns.
- What are the risks of the treatment and what emergency protocol is used in case of complications?
If you go:
Lili Salon Spa
5757 Sanibel Drive, Suite 1, Minnetonka
952.935.0000
Skin Therapease
1097 Wayzata Blvd. #120, Wayzata
952.404.0000
Anew Aesthetic Medical Center
13570 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka
612.208.0741
