We are planning great things for our next event Thursday November 1st, 2012 from 3p to 7p.  It will be our last event before the holiday and for the year!  Come by and check out our new products, enjoy drinks and appetizers and save with great discounts.  We will have the prize wheel out again.  Last event we had some BIG winners!  Maybe this time it will be you!  Before the holiday season gets into full swing, do something nice for yourself and look spectacular at that office party!  We look forward to seeing you!

  RSVP to drhubiak@skinsciencemedspa.com

This is our first week and we had many great questions.  Since we had so many interesting topics Stephanie and I both decided to answer a question!

Here is Question #1 for Dr. Hubiak:

The question I decided to answer, and that I hear a lot, is “What is the difference between Botox or Dysport and a filler like Juvederm or Restylane? And how do you know which one I need?”

Botox and Dysport are  neuromodulating medications that relax muscles and in turn soften the wrinkles caused by the movement of the muscle.  The best example of this is the wrinkles between your brows (also called the 11′s).  Whenever you are mad or upset or even just thinking hard, you tend to furrow your brow and make a little wrinkle there.  When this movement is made over and over the wrinkle gets “etched” into the skin.  You can think of paper being folded over and over until eventually it is very difficult to smooth it out.  If we relax the muscle that “folds” the skin so that it can’t keep making that motion then those lines will relax.  But it’s important not to wait too long, because once that line is made it becomes much harder to undo it!  An experienced injector can use Botox or Dysport to to soften many different areas of the face including crows feet, forehead lines, jowls, mouth and chin!  It can even help with sweaty palms and underarms (but that we will save for another post!)  So, in summary, Botox and Dysport relax the muscle to smooth out lines but don’t replace volume.

An example of a neuromodulator

That is where fillers come in.  There are many different types of fillers, but the ones I use at my medical spa in Pleasant Hill, are Restylane and Juvederm.  Fillers work to replace volume.  As we age the volume in our face changes, bones remodel and fat shifts or disappears and that can lead to an aged look.  Restylane and Juvederm are made of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance, which is an essential component of all our cells.  Hylaluronic acid attracts water and can occupy a large volume relative to its mass.  This means we can inject it into different areas of the face including the temples, cheeks, nasolabial folds, lips and more to help restore the face to its previous youthful appearance.  With fillers you see an immediate effect that is so rewarding!  We also now use DermaSculpt blunt cannulas for injecting so there is minimal pain and bruising.  Clients have been estatic with the results!

A before after of a hyaluronic acid filler

If you have been thinking of trying Botox, Dysport, Juvederm or Restylane, make an appointment for a consult!  I would be happy to talk to you about a customized plan for a more youthful you!

Question #1 for Stephanie

“I am new to skin care and am not even really sure where to start.   Are there any general tips you can give me to get me started?”

Great question!!  If you know me, you know I love to share my skincare tips!!  So here are a few I’ve collected over the years:
*Cleanse your skin nightly! Morning time also but your nighttime cleansing is the important one! Your face has accumulated the days dirt, oil, environmental grime on it . I like to call this buildup, Smut!

Your skin repairs itself at night, cleansing will give your skin a fresh start so that any nighttime products you use will work more effectively.
*So many times I hear, “I always fall asleep on the couch so I rarely wash my face”. There’s no written rule that states you have to wash your face right before bedtime. Wash it as soon as you get home, right after dinner, as soon as you tuck the kids in. Better earlier than never!!
* Change your pillowcase frequently! Bacteria and oils that may be on your pillowcase will get reintroduced onto your skin while you sleep. If you are acne-prone the more often the pillowcase is changed the better!
*Baby Wash Cloths! Love these! Small enough for the palm of your hands & doesn’t take up a whole lot of room in the hamper compared to regular sized washcloths! If you have continuing breakouts, keratosis pilaris (chicken bumps) on your body you’ll want to exfoliate everyday in the shower with a baby wash cloth! Use a liquid/cream body wash. Soap bars can be more aggravating to the skin because of the extra fillers they contain.
*Eye creams at night – When applying eye creams at night you’ll want to apply lower & stay away from the lash line. When we are lying down gravity will take over & somehow overnight our eye creams will creep up into our eyes causing heavy, filming, swollen, irritated eyes in the morning.

*Sunblock is a 365 day product!  Not for just your gardening days or vacation at the beach. Skin ages more quickly when exposed to the sun. Always use a sunblock even when it is overcast. That overcast ray is actually more harmful to you then a bright sunny day!

*NO Smoking!  Smoking is one of the most damaging things for your skin.  Similarly to sun aging, smoking reduces the elasticity of your skin.

*Drink Water!  Water is a natural body cleanser and can do wonders for your complexion, but it is also an important element in keeping your skin young and beautiful. Be one of the few people to drink the recommended 8 glasses of water per day and you will notice your skin looking rejuvenated and younger.

*Sleep! This, my friends is self explanatory….
Thanks everyone!  Feel free to ask us more questions, we will be posting on this blog regularly!  And if you want to see us in person, come visit us in Pleasant Hill, CA.  We serve Walnut Creek, Concord, Danville, Alamo, Martinez, Lafayette, and anywhere else in the Bay Area.  We are conveniently located off the highway and have plenty of parking!

There are still some spots left!

Their peels are incredible.  As I’m writing this I have just finished peeling after a Vitalize Peel and my skin feels amazing.  Even my husband noted how soft and glowing my skin looks now (and that’s saying a lot!)  My skin actually peeled off in sheets (and took ALL of my self control not to pick at it) but wow it was worth it!  Their products are great too and work especially well during the peeling process.

I am also using their Essential Serum, which makes my skin feel healthy and luminous.  For the month of July we are offering a free tote bag and travel cleanser + sunscreen with your purchase of Essential Serum.

Come in, try a peel, and get to know the new line!!  Your skin will thank you!

Save 10% on Botox AND get a complimentary eyebrow shaping with your purchase!

Wednesday May 30th, 11am to 2pm

SkinScience Medical Spa invites you to attend our special event “Botox and Brows” on Wednesday, May 30th from 11am to 2pm
Whether you already love Botox, or are looking for more information, this is the event for you!
Allergan representative Mona SouSou will be there to answer all of your questions and give you the most up to date information on Botox and Allergan products.

Lunch and refreshments will be served. Bring a friend and enjoy a day of pampering!

RSVP required.  Please email drhubiak@skinsciencemedspa.com or call 925.334.2210

We look forward to seeing you!

Melissa and Steph

So here goes…How SkinScience Medical Spa Came to Be…

Part I by Dr. Hubiak

You may think that it’s odd for a girl who grew up in the country with no electricity or phone to become the owner of a medical spa in the Bay Area, but for me it has always been my path. With no TV and little exposure to media influences, it is hard to explain my interest in aesthetics from such an early age. I still remember vividly, when I was about seven years old, a friend of my mother’s visiting for the weekend and out of her overnight bag she pulled a smaller bag with a black and white print. Inside that smaller bag she had powder, blush, mascara, eyeliner! I was entranced!  I think it was that very day that began my obsession with all things aesthetic.

That's me in the back. Notice how my makeup and personal style has changed minimally in the last 30 years!

In my teen years I suffered from acne. I would get huge zits on my face and pimples on my chest and back. It was humiliating, pretty much the only thing I could wear was a T shirt. I was so jealous of the girls with beautiful skin who never had to worry about a breakout and could wear cute clothes whenever they wanted. When I finished high school I went to UC Davis for my undergraduate work and then to UC Davis School of Medicine for my MD. Through college and medical school I maintained my love of aesthetics, subjecting my friends to frequent mini-makeovers. My bathroom looked like the cosmetics aisle at Rite Aid exploded!

In medical school I decided to focus on Family Medicine because I felt that was the specialty with the broadest scope that would allow me to be involved in many different facets of medicine. I chose to do my residency at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center because it was known as one of the most rigorous and comprehensive family medicine training programs in the United States. And it was! After many stressful and sleepless nights, my skin was suffering. One day I was flipping through a coupon book and found a discount on a Microdermabrasion Facial at Steph’s Room. I decided to give it a try.

When I called to book the appointment Steph was so helpful and friendly. She gave me tons of advice over the phone, just to help me out. When I met her she was great and felt like an old friend and my skin, wow! it felt smooth, clear, luminous!

I signed up for a serious of six peels. My skin had never felt or looked better! People in the hospital started to notice and asked me what I was doing for my skin. I referred a lot of people to Steph and they are all still faithful clients! Shortly after I also started using Obagi. My skin was the best it had ever been! The texture was smooth, my breakouts nearly disappeared and I almost looked rested!

After I finished residency I helped develop and launch Morpheus Medical Aesthetics in Santa Rosa. It was a wonderful experience and a great learning opportunity. After a few years in the business I felt ready to open my own place in the Bay Area.

Me and Dr. Chilcott of Morpheus Medical Aesthetics

Around the same time Steph started talking to me about wanting to expand and go in a more medical direction. We had talked about our ideas for the future and I knew we had the same vision. So one evening I took a look at available office spaces in the area. Most of them were generic rooms in strip malls. But then I came across a two room space in Pleasant Hill, in the super cute Two Worlds complex. I called Steph immediately and told her I found our place!

Lease and key in hand! The adventure begins! Please excuse the fact that I look exhausted, see the culprit bottom left corner!

A month and a half later SkinScience Medical Spa was born!! Our long awaited dream is now a reality. The space turned out beautiful (a shout out to our husbands who worked hard to get it finished) and the support has been amazing.

Our Grand Opening was last week and it felt terrific to have so many old and new friends there to share in the launch of our long awaited dream. We are so excited to have so many wonderful services and products, that we really believe in, to offer our clients.

We hope you will come and see us!

Stay tuned for our next blog post about a Mother’s Day Makeover Give Away! You don’t want to miss it!!

Part II by Steph

Where do I begin?!

I am a California State Licensed Clinical Esthetician with over 15 years experience in the esthetics industry.

I am trained certified to perform medical grade chemical peels, microdermabrasion and light therapy.

I suppose I could tell you the usual info that shows up on a bio with dates & places but there’s basically two things important facts that you need to know about me…

1. I LOVE extractions aka “picking”
2. I LOVE to clean (sick…yes but very therapeutic!)

These two loves of mine go hand in hand with my esthetic services…you will leave SkinScience with CLEAN, healthier skin.

I was born to do this Esthetician thing!

Future Nordstrom's Shopper!

My obsession with skin started on the day that acne decided to pay me a visit. 6 weeks after the birth of my first daughter, acne appeared and appeared and appeared…everywhere. Acne can be humiliating at times but it can also be humbling, I am grateful for what it has taught me and how it brought me to where I am today.

Dr Hubiak summed up how we met & started SkinScience. Who knew that an ad would sprout a friendship & future business partnership but as you can see we both have similar backgrounds and a mutual obsession for the art of aesthetics.

Thank you for your support during my transition & the excitement you’ve show for this new venture!

I LOVE my job.

The hubbies working hard!

Before…lots of work to be done!

After

Dr. Hubiak Working Hard