We started the new year with beautiful weather, but this week’s cold snap has many of us retreating to the comfort of fuzzy socks, blankets, and heaters in our homes.
That also means your skin is probably super dry right now.
“I think hydration is going to be the key buzzword there,” says Akhila Challa, the owner of Ultimate Image Med Spa, a small chain with locations in North Dallas, Richardson, and Lewisville. “With it being cold, so many people’s skin is just going to get dried out.”
During chilly times, our skin gets flaky, irritated, and dehydrated, adds Skinfinity owner Kendra Tilleman. And while moisturizing is one of the best ways to fight the cold, Total Med Solutions C.O.O. George Thompson says, a facial sounds really good right about now, doesn’t it?
There are all sorts facial treatments to explore, from peels to microdermabrasion, as well as laser procedures that we usually have to avoid during the warmer summer months. We checked with three med spas around town about the best services to try during cold weather.
Try laser hair removal at Ultimate Image Med Spa.
While your outdoor activities are limited because of the cold, it might be a good time to get ahead on your summer look, like finally getting laser hair removal. Challa says one of the biggest “no-nos” for laser hair removal is sun exposure, “so naturally, when it’s cold, the sun is not out as much and your skin is a little safer away from the sun, so it’s an optimal time to get treated.”
Challa says people need to avoid the sun and tanning beds for at least two weeks before and two weeks after treatment to protect the skin against burning and hyperpigmentation. The laser uses radiation to penetrate your skin’s surface layer to get below where the hair follicles are. If your skin’s not your natural color, that could mess with the laser’s effectiveness and expose your skin to more damage. “The laser is high energy,” Challa says, “so when you’re exposing the skin to a higher energy that’s already been exposed to the sun, you’re risking it to have potential problems.”
Ultimate Image Med Spa, 8604 Greenville Ave., Suite 102, Dallas location. New client pricing begins at $99.
Rid yourself of redness with a photofacial at Skinfinity.
Another service to try while you’re cooped up indoors is a photofacial, Tilleman says. During this facial, a laser uses intense light to remove redness and hyperpigmentation, like sun damage or age spots. Plus, “people get a lot of broken capillaries in the winter because they’re blowing their nose a lot, and it actually helps take those away,” Tilleman says. But, because you are using lasers on your skin, you need to limit sun exposure for about a month afterwards.
Skinfinity, 4230 W. Lovers Lane. $250.
Get a hydrafacial at Total Med Solutions.
Your skin is dry, so head to Total Med Solutions, which has seven locations across DFW, including on Lemmon and Walnut Hill, for a hydrafacial. It’s similar to a microdermabrasion, which removes the top layer of skin. Total Med C.O.O. George Thompson says this service is actually “re-infusing minerals back into your skin.” Basically, over a 30-minute session, a machine agitates the skin, exfoliating and cleansing it like a peel. Then it vacuums off dead skin, and, finally, re-infuses vitamins and minerals back into your skin.
Total Med Solutions, 5445 La Sierra Dr., Suite 305, Walnut Hill location. $149.
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