TURNING BACK THE CLOCK HAS BECOME A GROWING NATIONAL PASTIME IN CANADA
The Medical Spa segment is the fastest growing in the exploding Canadian spa industry. Whether you live in a big city like Toronto or Montreal or a small town anywhere across the country – chances are the benefits of professionally assisted beauty are right at your doorstep. And while the Canadian industry is in its infancy compared to the USA, practitioners are scrambling to provide the latest and greatest technology the industry has to offer.
Here are a few of the top trends that characterize medspas North of the border:
–Latisse-less lashes. Though Health Canada has yet to approve Allergan’s Latisse®, the lust for longer fuller lashes has spawned a micro-industry in alternative professional brands claiming to promote similar effects. Brands like Revitalash MDâ„¢ and MD Lash Factorâ„¢ offer mascaras and conditioning treatments that claim clinically proven results.
–Teeth Whitening. We may have universal health care, but most Canadians still have to pay for the perfect smile. Without a doubt, one of the busiest spots at the Toronto Spa Show in June was the Smile Fx professional teeth whitening booth. Medspas across the country are offering light-based teeth bleaching that promises to lighten teeth by as much as 8 shades. Most, like the Beyond WhiteSpa System offered by Laser, Skin & Hair Centre in Calgary, offer hour-long treatments in which a gel is applied to filter blue light and whiten teeth without the sensitivity of conventional bleaching techniques.
–Next generation Microdermabrasions. Forget systems that propel aluminum crystals willy nilly – the next generation in microdermabrasion is the SilkPeel Dermalinfusion System. Carried by some of the nation’s best known medspas, like Dr. Nowell Solish’s Cosmetic Clinic in Toronto’s posh Yorkville neighbourhood, the SilkPeel uses a static diamond tip wand to simultaneously exfoliate, evacuate and infuse the skin with solutions for acne and anti-aging. Because the SilkPeel applies vacuum pressure simultaneous to infusion, it is in fact able to deliver larger molecules deeper into the epidermis. Translation: more of the good stuff gets to where it needs to go to work. No downtime and visible results as early as the first treatment.
Photo Credit: beautymedicine.ca
–Liposonix for lean abs. Canadians may not have Latisse, but we do have Liposonix – Medicis’ new ultrasonic technology targeting abdominal fat. Liposonix uses high-frequency ultrasound to achieve non-invasive fat reduction around the waist. According to Alan Chan, Managing Director of Beauty Medicine www.beautymedicine.ca, a brand new medspa in Markham, the advantage of Liposonix is its ability to deliver enough heat to destroy fat cells under the skin without subjecting the surface of the skin to so much energy that it is damaged. A typical Liposonix treatment yields visible results in as little as 6 weeks with full results in 8-12.
–Just for men. Just as men’s skin care is growing in popularity, so are medispas that cater to the specific needs of the male persuasion. The uber luxe Vic Park in Montreal, for example, offers a men’s program that incorporates Botox, dermal fillers, IPL and fractional resurfacing that effectively address his imperfections without compromising his rugged look (or ego.)
–Freeze the fat. Totally unrelated to our frigid temperatures, the Medispa Clinic on Main in Unionville is pioneering an ultra-cool body contouring called the Freeze, by Venus Technologies. Also yet to be approved in the US, the Freeze uses Mp2 technology, based on multipolar radiofrequency, to achieve skin tightening and improve the appearance of cellulite. Purported to be painless, the Freeze not only claims to reduce the appearance of existing cellulite but help prevent its appearance, a unique appeal in a market that is beginning to learn the importance of preventative anti-aging.
–Au Natural. Natural skin care is predicted to be the fastest growing segment in Canadian skin care – and medspas are taking notice. Even the most technologically sophisticated aesthetician will tell you that natural products and face and body treatments based on ingredients like green tea, pumpkin and hibiscus are increasingly being used by themselves and in combination with filler and laser procedures for glowing results. Clients of Vivian Medical Spa in Mount Alberta, for instance, make trips between Juvederm touch-ups, Moor Mudbaths and Thalassotherapy treatments featuring sea salts and seaweed.
–Skin of Colour. Canadian cities are among the most diverse in the world and our medspas are leading the way in the treatment of all skin types and colours. Skin Med Laser Clinica, a medspa in Richmond Hill with a large Asian patient base, uses the Lumixyl Brightening System to improve the appearance of hyperpigmentation and uneven tone to which many of their clients can be prone. Unlike hydroquinone, which can’t be used in the long term, and lasers, which can be unpredictable, the Lumixyl system can be used safely and in the long term to even imperfections – not lighten abnormally.
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