My HydraFacial at Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa

Taking good care of your skin is extremely important if you want to maintain a youthful, glowing, and healthy complexion.  I am pretty serious about using good skincare products on a daily basis and applying sun protection before stepping foot outside!  However, sometimes your skin needs a little extra boost... something that is not just improving your appearance, but actually restoring youthful, healthy skin.

Let's face it, I'm no spring chicken...I am 45 years old and even with good skincare habits, I have hyper-pigmentation, fine lines, and wrinkles on my face (especially around my eyes)!  I recently visited Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa located in Danville, CA to try out the HydraFacial.  I am so over the moon thrilled with the results that I wanted to share my visit and experience with all of you and let you know about a fabulous beauty membership opportunity if you are local to the area!!

I am pretty fortunate to live so close to a state of the art plastic surgery center and med spa facility.  Dr. Ronan and his team of professionals will provide you with  a free consultation and honest medical evaluation to help you achieve your overall beauty goals. That's super important to me.  

So let's chat about the Hydra Facial!  I met my aesthetician, Nikki, and she led me back to the facial room.  She explained all about the HydraFacial treatment which is a non-invasive, multi-step process that combines the benefits of next-level hydradermabrasion, a chemical peel, automated painless extractions, and a special delivery of Antioxidants, Hyaluronic Acid, and Peptides.  This is all done in one hour long quick treatment without any down time or irritation.

Hi from the spa bed!

  

There are 5 steps in the HydraFacial process:

The Hydra Facial is suitable for all skin types and is highly effective for improving your overall skin health as well as remedying a number common skin concerns such as:

-fine lines and wrinkles

-elasticity and firmness

-skin tone evenness, vibrancy, and texture

-hyper-pigmentation (a problem with my skin!)

-oily/congested skin

-enlarged pores

and...

-advanced signs of aging 

Several of these factors are skin concerns of mine and I really like the idea that this is a non-invasive  process!   

Once I was relaxed under the warm blankets and the sound of soothing zen music, Nikki started my treatment by cleansing my face and removing all my makeup and impurities.  This consisted of a gentle facial massage which was so relaxing!  

Cleansing:

Once my skin was ready, she began the HydraFacial.  The treatment uses a series of patented HydroPeel tips to exfoliate the skin several times each pass, achieving better, more even results.  The unique spiral design creates a vortex effect that easily dislodges and removes impurities while introducing hydrating skin solutions and potent antioxidants.

Not knowing what to expect, I was afraid that this would be a semi painful procedure...I imagined sucking, vacuuming, pulling, pinching...well, I was totally wrong and it was not what I envisioned at all!  The facial was 100% painless and actually quite relaxing and satisfying!

Don't mind my makeup-less face! (She did leave on my eye makeup)!  Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to wear liquid foundation and powder every day to cover up our skin concerns?    

Here's a quick video showing how easy the "extractions" are!  There was no pinching, pulling or abrasive tools used!

Next, Nikki applied a product called "Britenol" which reduces brown spots and hyper-pigmentation.  I can certainly use that in my beauty bag!  

A cooling hydrating mask was applied to my entire face an lips!  I didn't experience much redness at all, but if you do have sensitive skin, you may experience some.  The cooling and hydrating mask helps to soothe your skin.   

The treatment ended with red LED light therapy which increases the skin's collagen and elastin, stimulates tissue production, and lightens sun spots, age spots, and dark circles among many other fabulous benefits!

This picture cracks me up...what we do for beauty, right?

I thoroughly enjoyed my HydraFacial and I'm already looking forward to my next appointment which brings me to an exciting opportunity to share with all of you!  

Blackhawk Plastic Surgery & MedSpa recently introduced Beauty Memberships!  Receive all the products and services you need, personalized by your doctor, with one easy membership and monthly fee!  Members also receive quarterly promotions and product gifts to introduce you to what's new in the aesthethics industry!  It's a great way to try out new products and get the beauty services you need for a lower cost!  

  There are 3 different beauty membership plans to choose from based on your desired beauty goals and budget.   

SkinCare Plans starting from $65 a month 
Injectable plans starting from $109 a month 
Combination plans starting from $219 a month

Call Blackhawk Plastic Surgery at 925-736-5757 or use the contact form here to setup your personal membership consultation.  

Please let them know that Hayley from San Francisco Bay Style referred you!

As a final follow up, I wanted to let you know that as I sit here writing this blog post a few days after my facial, my skin still feels and looks absolutely amazing!  The difference is quite noticeable not only to me, but others who see me as well.  Please let me know if you have any specific questions about the HydraFacial.  I would love to hear from you!  

xoxoxoxo,

Hayley  

Fall Beauty with Bare Minerals

Can you believe that it's almost the first of October? I really don't know where September went but it flew by so fast!  It's been a while since I've done a beauty post, and with the seasons changing, I wanted to share some of my favorite fall beauty products!  

I generally take my cue from the colors of nature.  During autumn, the leaves begin to change color and earth tones emerge in the landscape.  The same is true with fashion and beauty...I find myself switching to darker nail colors, earth tone shades on my eyes, and richer colors for my lips.  It's also important to remember that as the weather gets cooler, your skin takes a beating!  Don't forget about exfoliation and moisturizing!   

I've been using Bare Minerals since high school and honestly can say this is my favorite make-up brand!  I love it when the holidays get closer and they start bringing out the makeup sets!  I love picking up a few for my sister, niece, aunt, and girlfriends!  I'm sharing some of my favorite Bare Minerals beauty products I am currently using below.  

What are some of your go to favorites? 

xoxoxo,

Hayley 

SHOP:

My Fall/Winter Skincare Regime

The fall season has finally arrived and I couldn't be happier.  The days get a little shorter and the weather gets a bit chillier, but it's the perfect time to light your autumn scented candles, start a fire in your fireplace, and cozy up with a warm snugly blanket and a cup of your favorite tea.  

Although summer is over and you may not see your bare legs and feet until next spring, it's important to remember that this is the time of year when your skin needs the most attention!  The colder weather and use of indoor heating during the fall and winter season will dry out your skin resulting in flakiness and/or cracking.

Today I am sharing some of my favorite skincare care products from L'occitane.  So draw a bubble bath, light a candle, and get ready to soak in some of the best spa moisturizing treatments that will keep your skin looking soft, supple, and glowing all season long!

1.   Verbena Shower Gel:   I start my home spa experience with this fresh, clean body cleanser scented with a crisp, citrus scent of verbena. Essential oils of orange, geranium, verbena, and lemon tree smooth and nurture even the most sensitive skin and will permeate your room with the sweet smelling aroma.

2.   Verbena Body Salt Scrub:  The next step is a luxurious exfoliating body scrub made with salts from the Mediterranean Sea.  The refreshing fragrance of pure extracts of verbena, orange, geranium and lemon tree are combined to create a perfect exfoliating body scrub. Essential oils of grapeseed, apricot and sweet almond nourish and moisturize while antioxidizing vitamin A helps maintain a healthy appearance. Skin turns silky-smooth as dead skin cells are massaged away. Your body and mood will feel revived.

3. Shea Ultra Rich Body Lotion:  Once you have cleansed and exfoliated, it's time to step out of the bath, dry off, and moisturize.  I love to use Shea Ultra Rich Body Lotion every day all over my entire body.  This ultra-smooth body lotion is enriched with 15% shea butter to nourish, calendula extract to soothe, and honey/sweet almond to moisturize.

4. Shea Butter Foot Cream:  If you're like me, your over-dry feet probably take the biggest beating and need the most attention.  I like to use the Shea Butter Foot Cream every day after showering.  Enriched with soothing lavender essential oil and anti-inflammatory arnica extract, this rich cream smoothes and softens the rough skin while relieving tired achy feet.

5. Verbena Eau de Toilette: I like to top off my fall and winter spa skin care regime with a splash of Verbena Eau de Toilette.  I love the delicate scent of verbena on a rosy base of sweet geranium and lemon tree.

6.  Shea Butter Hand Cream: Don't forget to pop this into your handbag for quick moisturizing fixes during the day.  This super-smoothing and best-selling hand cream is made of 20% shea butter, honey and sweet almond extract, blended with the light and alluring aromas of jasmine and ylang-ylang essences. The texturally pleasing balm glides on and miraculously absorbs to help heal and protect dry or dehydrated skin. Anti-oxidizing vitamin E helps nourish and invites even the most hard-working hands to a fresh beginning!

The weather outside may begin turning colder and dry in the upcoming months but your skin doesn't need to be.  Give your winter skincare regime a boost and say goodbye to unsightly dry, flaking, and cracking skin!  

I would love to hear from you!  What are your favorite skin care products for the hands, feet, and body that you cannot live without?  

Enjoy pampering!

xoxoxo,

Hayley