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You, EvEn BEttEr impulse control ELECTRONIC FACIALS OFFER A NEW WAVE OF TECHNOLOGY TO UNDO DAMAGE CAUSED BY EXTREME SKINCARE REGIMENS. by susanna negovan w hen LA-based electrical esthetician Melanie Simon came to town to intro- duce a custom facial developed for the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, she took a stand against common anti-aging treatments. "Women and men have become obsessed with every line, every spot, instead of thinking about the big pic- ture," she says. "They're overfilling, overpeeling… that's why women who have been forcing cellular turnover for 20 years are waxy. But overall, do they look younger?" If harsh treatments are the problem, electronic facials could be the 21st-century solution. These treatments use microcurrents to accelerate wound healing (including the self-inflicted variety caused by lasers, injections, and peels), build up skin den- sity, and increase definition—making electronic facials an ideal companion to other treatments, including Botox. Metal paddles the size of a straightening iron (or, at the Four Seasons, a pair of metal balls) are attached to a machine to issue painless currents in the nano and pico range, or "one billionth and one trillionth of an ampere," says Simon. "One ampere runs a lightbulb." The currents replicate those that already exist in the human body. "I'm simply put- ting a message in the skin to stimulate repair," says Simon. "Your body does all the work." At Cellular Intelligence Luxury MedSpa, direc- tor Rich Campbell suggests the BioLuminescence microcurrent facial two weeks after a Botox injec- tion. Using currents, "We can plump, build, and firm other muscles," says Campbell, adding that the 106 michiganavemag.com Years younger— in a flash! treatment also targets the lower half of the face, which Botox doesn't treat. While the microcurrent component of electronic facials usually takes about 20 minutes, the treatment often comes with add-ons. Cellular Intelligence starts the facial with an oxygen infusion to hydrate skin, enhancing transmission of the currents. Simon's facial at the Four Seasons starts with lym- phatic drainage, a massage that uses a pumping motion to move fluid and toxins out of facial tissue and eliminate puffiness. Simon's products, branded Circ-Cell, are used throughout the facial, and include a professional version of her best-selling Dew, which has 10 amino acids in the identical ratio to human skin. "It's modeled after a treatment I send red-carpet clients to get: an intravenous amino-acid vitamin drip. That night, literally, they will glow." Treatments are recommended monthly (some celebrity clients visit her Montecito spa weekly), and over time build up skin density. "Every time you get a laser treatment or microdermabrasion you're thinning your skin," explains Simon. "This makes it strong, thick, resilient, and luminous." TreaTmenTs around Town Resculpting Facial at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago: 50 minutes/$150, 80 minutes/$195. 120 E. Delaware Pl., 312-280-8800 Cellular Intelligence BioLuminescence Facial: 60 minutes/$250. 100 E. Walton St., 4th Floor, 312-255-1495 Facial Pilates at Leah Chavie: 90 minutes/ $300. 2457 N. Halsted St., 773-327-7051 While Simon is protective of her clients' skin, she still supports the use of lasers and injections. "I'm saying to do these things, but in moderation," she offers. "It's very important to remember the skin is an organ. It needs to have treatments that work in harmony with its functions." MA