Frequently Asked Questions
Many of our clients often have questions about the various products and services we offer here at Julie’s Spa. We’ve put together a list of some questions that we hear most often and written answers for them. To help you find the answers you’re looking for as quickly as possible, we have categorized the questions and answers into separate pages relating to a specific product or service. Please find the list of links below in the Question Categories section.
A lash lift is a technique designed to give you a 6 week lasting curl to your lashes that mimics using an eyelash curler.
Your lashes will have a more dramatic curl which gives your eyes a more youthful, flirty appearance. It also creates a wide eyed look making your eyes look less tired and droopy.
You must arrive to your appointment completely free of eye makeup. Failure to do so prevents the curl solution from working! You must also stop using waterproof mascara AT LEAST 2 days prior to your lift for the same reason. Contact lenses must be removed prior to treatment.
Your lashes will appear much fuller and longer because of the curl and lift. However, this service does not have the same effect as lash extensions.
Yes, most definitely! You will achieve a more dramatic effect now that you have your lash lift.
Keep your lashes dry and do not apply anything to them for 24 hours. Do not use waterproof mascara for the entire duration of your lash lift (approximately 6 weeks).
Absolutely (only after 24 hours)! Some of the most dramatic results achieved are from those using EYENVY because their lashes are already so long.
Although it is impossible to list every potential risk, the following conditions are recognized …
- Eye infections
- Recent eye surgery (6 months)
- Dry eye syndrome
- Anyone using prescription medicated eye drops
- Chemotherapy (1 year)
- Anyone taking thyroxin (it can prevent lift from curling)
Electrolysis is a permanent hair removal procedure, used to remove unwanted hair growth. A qualified professional called an electrologist slides a hair-thin, solid metal probe into each hair follicle. Electricity is then delivered to the follicle through the probe, which causes localized damage to the areas that generate hairs.
There are 2 methods of electricity delivery that can be used damage the hair follicle:
- Thermolysis delivers a high frequency heat to the hair follicle, causing damage to the surrounding tissue and disabling the follicle making it difficult for regrowth to occur.
- Galvanic is a similar process to thermolysis, only it is a direct electrical current that causes a chemical reaction in the salt water solution that surrounds the root of the hair which in turn denatures the follicle.
Our highly skilled technicians use a method called the blend method, which combines both thermolysis and galvanic current to achieve the most efficient and effective results.
Yes! Electrolysis is very safe when administered by a skilled technician who maintains a strict regimen of infection control. Single use, sterile, disposable needles are essential!
Treatment discomfort can be kept to a minimum depending on the method and practices of the technician. At Julie’s Spa we use ice or topical anesthetic to keep our clients comfortable. We also use insulated one piece needles which helps keep the unpleasant sensations to a minimum.
Yes! Electrolysis can be applied to all facial and body parts including eyebrows, chin, upper lip, ears, sides of face, breasts, bikini line, legs, back, hands, toes and tops of feet.
Excess hair growth can be caused by several factors:
- puberty
- pregnancy
- menopause
- normal hormonal changes
- certain medications
- heredity factors
It is imperative that the electrolysis clinic you choose takes your general medical history in order to determine what is causing your unwanted hair to give you the most successful treatment possible.
To achieve permanent results requires a series of treatments so that the hair follicles can be permanently destroyed at each cycle of growth and stop the blood flow to those follicles. Your hair grows in cycles, which vary according to body area. A technician will usually see all the cycles of growth appear over a 12 – 18 month period, meaning you can be completely hair free in less than 1-½ year. However this requires consistent treatments and your committing to them. The duration of your overall treatment plan will vary based on the area of the body and your previous methods of hair removal.
The frequency of treatment depends on many factors such as area site, hair type and how often the client was waxing or tweezing unwanted hair previously. Each client at Julie’s Spa is given a customized treatment plan in order to achieve fast and permanent results. Typically, treatments are scheduled 3 – 4 weeks apart.
The answer ties back to the life cycle of a hair. There are three stages of hair growth. In order for the electrolysis treatment to be effective the hair must be in the first stage called anagen. At any given time there are only 20 – 30% of hairs in the anagen stage. Since it is difficult to know which stage any given hair is in just by looking at it. Many hairs will be treated that are not in the anagen stage and will regrow. This is why electrolysis requires repeat treatments and a bit of patience. However, if you stick with it, you will be rewarded with results.
Electrolysis is a highly skilled procedure. It requires knowledge of the angle hair and depth of the hair follicle, as well as the delivery of the appropriate current and intensity. Most home kits claim to work by applying electrical current above the surface of the skin rather than to the follicle directly. This only singes the surface of the skin and hair, leaving the follicle virtually untouched. This is just a temporary method much like a depilatory and can scar the skin in the process.
A typical electrolysis session can be anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours. This will depend on the amount of hairs that need to be treated. You should expect to experience minor redness. There can be some swelling that occurs if the treatment duration is longer than a half hour. The swelling usually disappears after a few hours. One or two days later, minor scabbing can develop, and can take anywhere a week or two to heal. The scabs should then fall away without any permanent marks.
Laser hair removal is the process of removing unwanted hair by exposing the hair follicle to pulses of laser light energy to destroy it.
It is important to make the distinction that laser treatments reduce unwanted hair semi-permanently rather than remove it. Many clients return for a annual touch-up once they have completed their initial hair removal sessions. The reason for this is that weight gain or loss, medications and hormonal fluctuations can cause new hair follicles to develop.
Treatment discomfort varies from area to area. It also depends on your pain tolerance. Most clients describe the sensation as that of a rubber band snapping on the skin, or a warm prickling feeling, while others report no discomfort.
To minimize any potential discomfort, our laser technician applies ice to the treatment area. We also carry a topical anesthetic you can purchase to help with pain management. The topical anesthetic which needs to be applied at least one hour prior to your treatment.
Any area can be treated, with the exception of eyebrows.
Our N.D. Yag laser can treat any skin colour. However, as far as hair colour, it can only treat dark hair.
All laser hair removal technology works by targeting the melanin, which is the pigment we have in skin and hair to channel the laser’s energy into the follicle to destroy it. There is no laser technology on the market that can treat blonde or white hair due to this limitation.
Depending on area of concern, texture of hair, and pain tolerance, the average treatment series is 6 – 8. In some instances, due to hormonal imbalance or medical conditions, more sessions may be required.
Each treatment session is spaced 4 weeks apart for facial areas and 6 weeks apart anywhere else on the body. This is due to the growth cycle of the hair. The reason this many treatments are required is that at any given time, only 20 percent of our hair is actively growing, and in order for the laser to destroy the hair follicle, it needs to be active.
Depending on the area to be treated, each session can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. During your consultation, we can answer this question more accurately.
On your first consultation visit, we will need all the hair present in order to observe the colour texture and density of your hair in the area of concern. For all treatments, the area must be shaved the night before. Shaving retains the hair follicle but removes the surface hair to allow the laser light to focus its energy on the follicle itself. Avoid UV exposure 7 days prior to treatment. Clients who are sunburned or tanned must wait 2 weeks before being treated to avoid additional skin damage. Avoid sunless tanning products 7 days prior to your treatment. It is recommended that you exfoliate the area to remove any residual colour. If applicable, apply numbing cream 60 minutes prior to your treatment. All products must be completely removed prior to treatment. Clients should come to appointments with clean skin in the area to be treated. All clients who are treating any part of their face or neck will be required to clean their entire face. Avoid chemical peels and other laser procedures in the area to be treated for 2 weeks prior and 2 weeks after your laser treatment. Avoid all alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxyl products (AHA/BHA), hydroquinone, retinals/retinoid, Tazorac and Differing 2 weeks before treatment.
Can I wax, pluck or shave between laser hair removal sessions?
Clients must stop waxing, tweezing and chemical epilation 5 weeks prior to treatment.
Yes, there can be temporary side effects associated with laser hair removal. Some people experience raised, red and irritated skin similar to a mild sunburn. This will subside within a few hours or more rarely a few days. If your technician is qualified and experienced, permanent damage is very rare.
Skin discolouration can occur for a variety of reasons such as laser on tanned skin, hormonal imbalances or over treatment. It’s very unlikely but blistering or burning can occur.
Microdermabrasion is a non-invasive, painless treatment that uses a hand-piece coated with tiny diamonds that is passed over the skin’s surface, deeply exfoliating dead skin. Simultaneously the wand uses suction to remove the dead debris, while increasing the blood flow to the surface of the skin, which in turn promotes collagen production.
- Acne, blackheads, enlarged pores – Microdermabrasion facials reduce acne by clearing away the dead skin and impurities that block the pores which lead to inflammation and breakouts. The improved circulation also assists in healing the skin. Blackheads are also reduced, because the hard surface is removed, while the suction pulls out the remaining hardened oil. In turn, this ultimately reduces pore size because they are no longer clogged with matter that is stretching them open.
- Scar reduction – Microdermabrasion is also a solution for scaring. not only does it remove the uneven skin surface, it improves skin circulation, promoting collagen production which over time smoothes out the surface of the skin.
- Hyper-pigmentation (brown spots) – Microdermabrasion can lighten hyper pigmentation because the darkened areas are sloughed away, revealing brighter, healthier new skin.
- Fine lines and wrinkles – Microdermabrasion can be of benefit to removing fine lines and wrinkles by removing thick dull, devitalized skin and increasing collagen production. Collagen in turn stimulates skin cell renewal giving the skin a youthful glow, and improved texture.
You will notice immediate improvement after just one treatment! This is particularly the case when looking for a brighter, more vibrant skin tone, or removal of blackheads. Other skin conditions such as deep wrinkles, hyper pigmentation and scars however require more sessions spaced two weeks apart in order to achieve significant results.
After your microdermabrasion procedure, your skin may feel tight and dry and may remain slightly pink for a few hours.
Simply treat the area as you would a minor sunburn. Do not apply heavy makeup on the skin for the first 12 hours. Keep skin well moisturized, and apply adequate sun protection.
Thermal radio frequency skin tightening is a surgery-free technique that tightens and lifts brows, jowls,and neck area and other areas of the body. It’s painless and extremely effective.
This procedure uses the energy in RF waves applied via a hand-piece rolled over the skin. When the waves reach the water molecules deep in the skin tissue, they create heat energy. These waves penetrate deep into the skin, stimulating new elastin and collagen tissue to form. This causes your skin to become tighter, firmer and smoother!
Multipolar radio frequency is a safe procedure for almost everyone.
Unfortunately, clients who have undergone chemotherapy in the last 6 months, clients with electrical devices e.g., artificial metal joints in the treatment sites, heart valves or dental plates, cannot be treated…
Thermal RF treatments can be used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin, rough texture, acne scars. By tightening and promoting thickening of the tissue, it also reduces the appearance of cellulite and bulging fatty tissue on multiple areas of the body.
Thermal RF skin tightening is commonly used to treat the forehead, under the eyes, jowls, neck, arms, stomach, inner and back of thighs, and buttocks.
The skin is cleansed deeply and then a special collagen gel is applied. A warm wand is passed over the skin that feels gentle, and relaxing. Once the 30 min procedure is complete, hot towels are applied and gel is removed. A liquid vitamin is applied to the skin and then a moisturizer to seal in the nutrients to complete the treatment.
Generally every 4 weeks until you reach your “happy place”. This will be different for everyone depending on age, lifestyle, and the condition of the skin. On average, 6 treatments spaced 4 weeks apart will give you the best results. Once you have reached your goal, then you and your skincare specialist can decide how often your skin needs a touch up treatment, in order to maintain your results.
Your skin will appear slightly pink for an hour and there should be no irritation. The only post treatment required is to protect your skin for the first 24 hours from aggravation and heat. Try and avoid such things as a hot shower, steam, sun and rough products.