Hi! In case we haven't met, I'm Lydia Puhak, owner and licensed esthetician at Coastside Esthetics. As a skincare professional, the concept of self care is key and the more you get to know me, you'll come to understand that I'm passionate about the topic.
Self care, by definition, is the act of engaging in activities that promote an optimal level of overall health in 8 main areas: physical, psychological, emotional, social, professional, environmental and financial. Pretty straightforward, right? Theoretically, yes, but how do you regard self care and is it a priority for you? It's a matter of values and goals. This is where professional services like esthetics come in. Great skincare supports wellbeing in all of these areas -- when you have healthy, beautiful skin, you look and feel good. It's not the solution to everything, of course, but it definitely supports a healthy outlook -- not just superficially, but well beneath the surface.
Caring for yourself in all these areas can feel daunting, especially when you consider all that is involved and all that you're responsible for. That's why it's important to get support when you need it. Choosing one or two areas to focus on and finding professionals who support your values and goals is key. Now, if you're like me, you have a pretty good idea what's important to you (your values), but can you name your goals? When I ask my clients, the top three answers I receive are some version of the following:
I want fresh, young-looking skin (anti-aging: includes addressing fine lines and wrinkles, minimizing appearance of pores, and promoting firmness)
I want to have clean, clear, healthy skin (includes addressing acne, rosacea and hyperpigmentation)
I want to reduce redness, dryness and sensitivity (includes addressing environmental issues and promoting a healthy barrier function)
Other common goals include reducing acne scarring, simplifying routine while maximizing results and simply coming in to be pampered and feel good.
So, how may I help you? I'm happy to listen and ready to serve.
In addition to skincare treatments, I love to share resources and education as a means of supporting you too. I've appreciated getting to see some of my own support team lately and would like to introduce you to one of my favorites: Barbara Lambrechts of Lasersthetics. I’ve been seeing Barbara for IPL treatments since 2018 to help reduce my hyperpigmentation. (More on IPL and its benefits in a later article). When I first met Barbara, her straight-forward style and focus on education made it immediately clear to me that I was in excellent hands. I couldn’t have been happier with my results and I am ecstatic to resume my treatments this season! In addition to IPL, Barbara also offers her clients laser hair removal, Botox and Juvederm to address their individual concerns.
Now, personally having never received any of these other treatments, but knowing many people who have and being the naturally curious that I am, I want to know more. At my last session, I tapped Barbara's knowledge and have this short interview to share with you.
Today’s blog post addresses Botox and is the first of an ongoing series addressing some of my and my clients' questions about cosmetic aesthetic treatments which I’m offering here so we can learn together.
LP: Hi Barbara! Thanks so much for agreeing to share your expertise about Botox. What do you love about this product? What benefits and results have you seen that you’d like to share?
BL: Great seeing you, Lydia! I'm always happy to answer questions. Education is so important! What I like about Botox is that it takes your skin back to baseline without dynamic, deep wrinkling. You can have it in your forehead, the glabellar 11’s, the frown lines and crow’s feet.
LP: I find the information out there around cost and dosage a bit confusing. I’ve heard that some practitioners offer injections by the “unit” — how do you determine the right dosage for your clients? I’ve also heard that some practitioners offer different strengths of product, diluting doses to offer cheaper pricing. Is that actually possible? And if product is diluted, how does that affect results?
BL: That is possible. I use the standard dilution and the formula that you learn during product training and apply standard units per area* (science), then tailor to each individual face beyond that (art). Some people are fortunate enough to respond well to standard. I charge by the unit because I feel that you should only pay for what I give you.
*Standard dosage = 12 units for glabellar 11's, 12 units for forehead lines and 6-8 units per side for crow's feet
LP: What should someone look for when selecting a practitioner? Does the product they use matter? Botox is one option in the category of aesthetic neuromodulators: wrinkle-relaxing injections of botulinum toxin – commercially known as Botox Cosmetic, Dysport, Xeomin or Jeuveau – that are used to treat wrinkles, frown lines and crow's feet. I believe you exclusively use Botox. Is that right?
BL: Yes, that's right. Botox gets a bad name for expressions being frozen, but really it's up to the practitioner to determine how to achieve their client's best result. This product has been around the longest and is tried and true. I believe in removing the static lines, but having full animation. I prefer to give my clients a fresh appearance versus one that looks “done.”
LP: This is all very helpful — thank you! One more question: Do you ever offer clinic-style treatments? If so, how does that work?
BL: I can arrange for after hours at my office for multiple people.
LP: Thank you so much for your insight, Barbara! I’ll look forward to tapping into your knowledge and experience again as we continue our exploration of cosmetic aesthetic treatments in future blog posts.
Feel free to contact Barbara Lambrechts about her services or to book a private session directly at 650-455-0232 or lasersthetics@yahoo.com
At Coastside Esthetics, we take a conscientious approach to skincare. We listen, we care about what's important to you and we dedicate our efforts to bringing out the best in your skin. We provide customized facials that address your specific concerns and deliver effective treatments that provide excellent results. We offer great products, share resources and host workshops too. Whether you're an occasional client, just coming in for a treatment while visiting the area or an ongoing regular client, we're here to support you and your skincare goals.
Coastside Esthetics will be hosting a Botox clinic exclusively for you at Lasersthetics in San Mateo on Friday, December 10th from 4:30-7pm. Space is limited to 8 participants. You can sign up here or contact me at lydiapuhak@gmail.com for more details. Hope to see you there!