I had never been to a dermatologist before and always wanted to, so I was excited to meet Dr. Richard Fox, who is an essential part of the Agua Serena Spa at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa.
After a brief consultation, Dr. Fox used the VISIA complexion analysis machine to analyze my skin. VISIA is a digital imaging machine that uses UV light to show you what your skin really looks like.
I was a little scared it was going to show every wrinkle, brown spot and skin damage I had. The VISIA is connected to a database that takes all aspects of your skin (wrinkles, sun damage, brown spots, etc…) and compares your skin quality to your exact demographic all over North America.
- Second of a three-part series.
You receive a comparable percentile so you can see where your rank among your demographic group.
My results were pretty good, and Dr. Fox gave me some recommendations to even improve more so over time.
His office is known in the desert for “Dermal Planning”, an age defying, FDA-approved treatment that literally scraps off dead skin cells from your face.
“Scraping” sounds like an unpleasant experience (photo at right), but it’s really more of an aggressive exfoliation and is totally painless. My closet comparison would be getting the dead skin removed off your feet during a pedicure with a callus remover.
JoAnn Fox, a marketing spokesperson for the office and the doctor’s wife, suggests the treatment should be done “every 4-6 weeks, “ and “there is not downtime required,” in comparison to a skin treatment such as a chemical peel.
After the “planning” is complete, a second exfoliation is done with a lactic or glycolic acid to remove any additional dead skin cells that may have been left over from the planning.
Extractions followed by a highly trained aesthetician who did an excellent job. Many times the amount of extractions included in a spa facial is very low. However, after my treatment there was no pore left that had not been addressed.
To finish off the treatment, you receive a mask and a treatment called “cryontherapy.” Cryontherapy is a big ball of chilly CO2 that is passed over your skin to normalize your skin’s PH level and close all of its pores.
My skin felt a little tender, but totally refreshed. This is a great way to combat the signs of aging and the dryness of desert, and I would thoroughly recommend adding it to your skin care regime.
The cost per treatment ranges between $60 to $175 with an average of $80 to $95.
The Medical and Skin Spa, 44-600 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells, 760-674-4106
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