We have the answer to achieving flawless, glowing skin.We recently tried this hot beauty trend that’s got celebs and the blogosphere all abuzz. This gentle treatment deeply exfoliates the skin by shaving the outer layers of dead skin cells leaving you with radiant, refreshed skin. The treatment is also suitable for those with sensitive skin.
It’s not only the perfect solution for glowing skin, but also helps remove “peach fuzz” without having to worry about it growing back thick and prickly. All Saints Clinic skin expert, Chiza Westcarr shares everything you need to know about epi-blading.
RESCU: What is epi-blading?
Chiza Westcarr: Epi-blading is an amazing treatment modality that works brilliantly at removing surface dead skin cell build up and managing vellus facial hair.
A surgical blade attached to a blade holder is gently scraped over the face lifting both peach fuzz and dead skin cells at the same time.
This treatment is extremely popular among ladies who have unsuccessfully tried laser and/or threading to address the fluffy, very fine hair that covers part of or their entire face. This hair can be blonde making it difficult for the laser to target it or it can be quite dark on a Mediterranean type of client.
RESCU: So it’s not like shaving your hair?
Chiza Westcarr: Well, you know some do call it facial shaving.
RESCU: Does it come back spikey?
Chiza Westcarr: No, the reason it doesn’t come back spikey is because we’re not targeting hormonal hair. Vellus hairs are the target, which actually grow out of a very shallow follicle. We are not stimulating blood flow at all which is the case with hormonal hair that is shaved.
By removing this hair just at the skin level, when the hairs do grow back, they return to the same length and texture as they were previously. We avoid going over hormonal hairs in the treatment, and so if someone came in with a chin full of whiskers, we would not work over the skin in that area.
The ideal client for this treatment is someone who has peach fuzz that interferes with product penetration and with makeup application, and that’s all we’re targeting. The idea is not to remove it permanently because obviously cutting it to skin level is not going to do that but to give the client that smoothness and a much better penetration of their actives because there isn’t any hair there that’s in the way.
The removal of dead skin cell build-up, another great benefit of blading means that it almost works like a dry peel. As we scrape away that topmost layer of stratum corneum cells, the skin gets the most amazing penetration of actives, giving it a brightness and clarity that it wouldn’t otherwise have.
Epi-blading is a treatment that can be done every 4 – 6 weeks. Once clients have had it done, they soon swear by it and become regulars because they just love the results they get.
RESCU: Is there any down time?
Chiza Westcarr: None, what’s so ever, it’s a quick treatment, and it’s painless. I always do a little practice run on the back of the hand if the client is nervous just so they can get a sense of what the blade will feel like going over the face. It’s quite a relaxing treatment, just a gentle scraping over the skin, there’s no blood, and there’s no certainly no cutting.
RESCU: Is there any product applied afterwards?
Chiza Westcarr: Yes, epi-blading is normally paired with a hydrating serum or an antioxidant-based infusion. A light, antioxidant-based peel can also be applied directly after the treatment but it should always be a low percentage fruit acid. That way there is also a deeper skin benefit.
RESCU: Is there anyone that this treatment isn’t recommended for or won’t get great results from?
Chiza Westcarr: Yes. Epi-blading is not suitable for acne prone skin, or bumpy skin. The blade has to lie flat on the skin’s surface so acneic skin conditions or blading over areas that are not flat such as the nose are contraindicated. A skin that stings or burns which indicates barrier impairment is also not suitable for this treatment. The skin’s barrier would need to be restored and repaired before epi-blading is possible. As long as the skin is healthy and intact, anyone can have it done.
RESCU: Is this a treatment you could potentially have on your back if you want to get clarity and smoothness in the back areas?
Chiza Westcarr: The skin on the back tends to be very hormonally affected. It’s not a treatment I have done anywhere but on the face, so in my experience, I limit it to just the face.
RESCU: What does the healite do?
Chiza Westcarr: Healite is amazing on its own or following a treatment. Using LED light technology, healite is ideal after epi-blading because it oxygenates the cells, improves circulation and promotes wound healing. It just ensures there’s no residual redness after the treatment.
What you’ve also enjoyed today is a Pomegranate peel, which is an amazing antioxidant peel. It contains astaxantin and pomegranate seed oil, pineapple enzymes and 15% lactic acid.
The healite pairs nicely with the Pomegranate peel and together they add to the radiant glow that epi-blading gives the skin.
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