Category: Medical Spa

Pinpoint Smooth

Food & Home Magazine – Santa Barbara – Winter 2013

By Cynthia Grancourt – Freelance Health & Beauty Writer

There’s a new kid on the block in the ever-changing landscape of aesthetics and it’s name is Micro-needling. Also known as Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT), this innovative new procedure is making the rounds among the rich and famous in Hollywood (shout-out to Kim K!) and has since settled on our doorstep right here in Santa Barbara.

Needling the skin is actually an old technology that goes back to ancient times, but what makes it modernistic is that the depth of penetration of the needles is adjustable and the micro-needling pen is automated. The idea is that by inserting tiny needles into the skin, it will cause micro-trauma to the dermis, booting collagen production that can literally “pinpoint” and smooth away wrinkles, acne, stretch marks and scars all the while improving the skin’s color, tone and texture. The micro-pen works in tandem as a delivery system for a number of different topical solutions used in the treatment, the most popular being Hyaluronic Acid (HA) and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP).

Hyaluronic Acid is ideal for tissue hydration, lubrication and cellular function. Platelet Rich Plasma in conjunction with micro-needling is better known as “The Vampire Facial”, in which a sample of your own blood is drawn, spun in a centrifuge, the PRP separated and delivered back into your skin via the micro-pen. This stimulates the rebuilding of the underlying structural integrity of your skin because the internal essence of the blood inside you contains life-giving fundamental growth factors that are designed to restore and repair your skin.

To provide maximum comfort, a topical numbing cream is used before the procedure and the micropen, which is comprised of a sterile needle tip containing twelve tiny microneedles, is gently pressed against the skin while simultaneously gliding in one direction until the entire treatment area has been covered.  Treatment areas are not limited to the face; micro-needling can be used on all parts of the body, with a recommendation of 2 – 3 treatments required, spaced 6 – 8 weeks apart.  Another bonus is that it’s also affordable.  Dr. Griffin, Medical Director of The G Spa notes, “I love recommending automated micro-needling for patients as a medium-priced procedure that produces a great result with minimal down-time.”  This au courant  procedure is all the rage among the glitterati and shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.  The fact that the results are amazing will definitely keep the trend alive.

Food & Home Magazine – Santa Barbara – Fall 2013

By Cynthia Grancourt – Freelance Health & Beauty Writer

If you could safely, easily and inexpensively turn back the hands of time, would you do it? Well, one of the hottest new aesthetic procedures on the market is the LazerLift ™ and turning back Father Time is precisely what it does. Safely. Easily. Inexpensively. This cutting edge procedure is laser face and neck lift technology at it’s finest; a minimally invasive solution to aging that is as smooth and streamlined as a sleek, black Aston Martin.

Gone are the days of scalpels, stitches, scars and massive amounts of “down time”.
The traditional facelift has gone the way of the dinosaur because, really, who wants to deal with the risk, high costs and long recovery, not to mention the bruising and swelling? Especially when one can achieve a similar result with revolutionary laser technology?

Advanced laser technology is more powerful than ever, and has the capability to nip and tuck, no sutures required, no scars to bear. Wow! How far we’ve has come! The magic of this procedure is that it tightens and lifts the lower face, smooths wrinkles and restores the youthful curve to the neck. That means no more turkey neck! No more jowls! No more sagging jawlines! Your sleek, smooth jawline is restored, with improvement of the wrinkles and fine lines. An added benefit is that LazerLift ™ will continue to lift and tighten skin, long after the procedure is over by stimulating the ongoing formation of collagen.

Dr. Kathleen Griffin, Medical Director of The G Spa Medical Spa notes, “LazerLift ™ is one of the most gratifying surgeries that I have learned to master since medical school. The results are phenomenal, beginning on day one and increasing over the course of a year. The fact that it is done with almost no pain during or after only adds to the remarkable nature of this procedure.”

Going under the knife can be a daunting, risky and expensive venture, especially when you consider general aesthesia, hospital stays and extended recovery times. It’s really a no-brainer to choose the safety, ease and economics of laser technology in this brilliant and magnificent world of science that is ever changing and exponentially growing with rapid ascendancy.