After many years of 'thin-is-in' for the eyebrow, models and movie stars are showing a thicker, stronger brow for 2006. This year's brow is both highly angled and highly groomed, but sometimes appears casual with less of a defined arch. Not everyone can wear the latest thicker brow style, especially if their own brows are thinned because of hair removal, hair loss as a result of aging, or too few hairs for other reasons.

Superstar of the 1940s, Rita Hayworth was known for her signature "widow's peak" hairline. A "natural" mark of beauty? Well, not really. That perfect beautiful hairline was created by electrolysis treatments! Other superstars, such as Cher and Elizabeth Taylor, also received electrolysis that added to their professional persona, and, it is perfection that really sets electrolysis in a class by itself. Because this is a hair-by-hair removal system, great precision is possible. A skilled electrologist can accomplish flawless hairlines, eyebrows, back of the neck and even shaping a man's entire chest.

While in most states laser and other light-based treatments remain the prerogative of physicians, the growth of medical spas, and the greater consumer awareness about these devices mean that aestheticians, whether working with a physician or at a day spa, will encounter questions about these treatment options. Much has been published in various professional skin care publications about lasers and light-based devices. The following article looks at lasers and light-based devices from a more technical, technological angle. What exactly is a laser? How do lasers work? How do lasers destroy a specific target without injuring the surrounding tissue? These are the types of questions answered in this review.

Two forms of wax are used in spas, with one being a 'must have' hair removal tool that has been used in the beauty industry for generations, and the other being a traditional barrier therapy utilized for hydrating the skin for as long as skin care has been performed. Both deem a closer look at for safe use, epsecially as spa clients are demanding higher levels of safety now. Spas must answer client demands for obviously safe protocols, or lose them, one at a time, to spas that do.

Out of the 11.7 million medical aesthetic procedures performed in 2007, laser hair removal accounted for over 1.4 million treatments and 12 percent of the industry's massive growth. This once unheard of treatment is now the third most sought after non-surgical procedure, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
The ability to gain self-confidence by ridding oneself of hair in embarrassing places and freedom from the monotony of shaving are just some of the benefits individuals seek through laser hair removal.

We, as the consumers, have a tendency to spend a noted amount of money to rejuvenate our faces and at best our décolletés. But what happens to the rest of the largest organ of the body? It cries out for help by mimicking the Sahara, an alligator, the Rocky Mountains … well you get the idea.
Now, I can write this article to you my colleagues, my friends and my customers as a nice, light but quirky piece with some educational value, however I decided to simply have a heart to heart with you. Having the pleasure and privilege of meeting people from all walks of life, from all over the world, I have met incredibly knowledgeable people who go the distance to create healthy choices for skin care.

A LITTLE HISTORY
Laser hair removal procedures in 2010 totaled to 936, 121, which reflected a -26.9% decrease from 2009 – most likely as a result of a flexing economy.1 It is a procedure, however, that continues to be popular.
Lasers (including the CO2 laser) were introduced in dermatology and surgery as early as the 1960s.2 The CO2 laser became more popular during the 1990s for skin resurfacing to improve wrinkles, dischromias, scars, atrophic scars, pitted acne scars and others.3 These pioneering procedures also meant longer recovery periods.

Since arriving on the scene in the late 1990s, the laser hair removal industry has gone through a metamorphosis. The technology has changed, the accessibility has changed, and in many states, the regulations have changed. While it can be tough to keep up with all of the regulatory changes, emerging laws, statutes and regulations are helping to strengthen our business and improve the overall client experience.
I know this from my own experience in the industry. I opened my first medical spa in 2003 in Scottsdale, Arizona with my business partner Matthew Gould. Immediately we noticed a problem.

As women it may be hard for us to relate to daily shaving of a facial beard but we all know the potential hazards of shaving our legs; be it cuts, nicks, ingrown hairs, or even an angry razor burn, we know the pitfalls associated with the shaving ritual. For men, besides having to deal with daily shaving, consideration for skin condition (i.e. oily or sensitized etc.) and beard type (i.e. coarse, fine etc.) must also be taken into account.

For many salons and professionals, the arrival of summer brings a marked increase in our waxing services. Certainly the traditional bikini wax becomes something that we see more in the summer, but how about the now-famous Brazilian Bikini Wax? What I have found interesting about this service is when it hit our industry about 10 years ago, it hit with a vengeance and is still one of the most attended classes and asked for service. It took about three years to move from exclusively female to now include the men.