To inject or not to inject? Did she or didn’t she? Are those real or wait, that MUST be filler? How does she look SO young still, has she even aged!? You know you’ve said it, or at least thought it if not spoken out loud. We are all curious about the world of beauty, I’m not just talking the latest hot contouring or lipstick guys – I am talking about the juicy stuff. Today I have teamed up with ArtMed in Guelph, Ontario…
Experts in the Art of Cosmetic Medicine.
One look at their team and I know you will be dying to get in there just like I was, they all look beautiful and natural and the team is all about just that. Don’t get me wrong, you can get fillers here but I feel that Dr Mary Peirson and her team have mastered a balance so that her clients are all aging gracefully – just as she is. You walk into a very well decorated waiting area and are greeted by kind staff, they pay very great attention to detail at ArtMed and I was so pleased to see that. Trust me – no woman wants to walk into a dark and well, “icky” looking clinic to get anything done. ArtMed is a beautiful spot in Guelph, it’s clean and professional! Around the holidays my skin gets its worst, I over indulge in every thing including the sweets and my skin goes into detox mode right after Christmas, it always needs some TLC in the New Year so I can’t wait to treat myself to a visit next month.
During my visit earlier this year I met with the team and Christine , a beautiful medical aesthetician had a consult with me to discuss my concerns on my skin and goals. She put my face under a photograph system that took photos of my skin to show the not so pretty (and not seen by the naked eye) damage on the layers of my skin. Damage from sun, dehydration and even things like scarring. It was humbling I tell you but also educational. Christine got to work right away and put numbing cream on my face to prep be for the oh-so fabulous Clear & Brilliant we’ve all been hearing about online. Drew Barrymore swears by it AND Jennifer Aniston, so naturally I HAD to try it right? I have a few other friends in the television industry that have recommended this treatment, all of them do it twice a year – once in the Fall and once in Spring. I wanted this specific treatment to take care of some of my discolouration areas and texture of my skin too and of course my main reason, to slow down the signs of aging! You of course can do these treatments more often though, some people get one every month. So, as a treat to myself and to save my skin after all of this over indulging of the holidays and neglect on my skin, I booked one for the New Year too!
Get this guys, after Christine put on the numbing cream – she sat me in an adorable waiting room in a state of the art massage chair with a tea…pure bliss I tell you!!! I felt like I was at the spa. After the numbing, Christine brought me in to have the Clear & Brilliant treatment – quick and painless!!!!! She talked to me during the entire treatment so I knew what to expect and feel – I left with flushed looking skin that was back to normal within 24 hours. I noticed the best results about 2 weeks after the treatment and I can tell you guys honestly that I am HOOKED. I booked my next one for May 2019 for my 31st birthday present to, well – myself haha!
“What is Clear + Brilliant®?
If you’re battling the effects that aging can have on your skin, or trying to address it before the battle even starts, Clear + Brilliant® can help.
This simple, gentle series of laser treatments, provided by our licensed medical estheticians at ArtMed, can help prevent the visible signs of aging and reduce the overall dulling effects that time and the environment can have on your skin.
A Clear + Brilliant® treatment leaves your skin feeling smoother, younger, and give you a radiant glow that comes from healthy, youthful skin. Routine treatments deliver lasting results that can keep you looking younger for years to come.”
How does Clear + Brilliant® work?
Clear + Brilliant® is a gentle laser that refreshes your skin from the inside out. The laser energy creates millions of microscopic treatment zones in the upper layers of the skin, replacing damaged skin with healthy, younger-looking tissue.
Let’s take a moment to chat with Christine and ask her more about this treatments I am now OBSESSED with!
1 – Why Artmed? Why do you love working there?
I have been here at ArtMed for 12 Years.We are like a family. It is such a great work environment and I feel valued and respected by my co-workers including my bosses. I absolutely love coming to work everyday! My job is not only my career it is my passion!
2 – Who do you recommend the Clear & Brilliant treatment for? DO you get these yourself?
Absolutely I get them done! I try to schedule myself in for one about every 3 months or so. Clear and Brilliant is great for anyone looking for a skin “pick me up”. Anyone in their twenties and up can benefit from one.
3 – What kind of results should one expect from this treatment?
After one treatment, you can expect to see a brighter more even skin tone. It’s also great for softening and smoothing the skin and giving an incredible glow. We also offer Clear and Brilliant in a package of 6 for someone looking to improve the size of the pores, improve their skins texture and minimize fine lines. Each C&B can be done 2-4 weeks apart.
4- Do you ever recommend combination treatments for patients? Using something else with the Clear & Brilliant?
Yes! Stacking treatments can give impressive results. Often times I will combine the C&B with Broad Band light, Microneedling and chemical peels.
5- How often do you recommend someone to get a Clear & Brilliant?
For maintaining a healthy and youthful skin, one could get a C&B as often as once a month. But the majority of my clients get 2-3 per year once their initial series is complete.
6 – What is the downtime like afterwards?
C&B is so great because there really isn’t any downtime. You will look mildly pink (like a sunburn) for about 8-12 hours and by the next day nothing is visible. Your skin will have a Sandpaper sensation (not visible to anyone) for about 2-3 days then will feel baby soft.
Body positivity to me means having full authority over your body and your choices. – Sarah of The Bird’s Papaya
Now, let’s talk about LIPS guys. I love a beautiful pout, I swoon over my kids lips on the daily – they got them from their daddy. I totally wish I had bigger lips sometimes! I first stumbled upon ArtMed’s Instagram account through my friend Sarah of The Birds Papaya – she’s a doll and gave me the 411 on her favourite medical cosmetic clinic and all the treatments she’d tried out, including lip augmentation. To be totally honest with you guys, I was not into the whole lip augmentation thing if you asked me a year ago – I would have said no way would I ever. But the more I’ve learnt about it, the more I want to stop the stigma of it being a bad thing to do. I am not at all against women doing things to make themselves feel better whether it’s breast augmentation, fuller lips or fat reduction. Sarah said, “it’s a beautiful thing to have control over your own body.” and I really loved that. I know so many of you are super curious about this treatment, her lips look GORGEOUS and so I thought it would be fun to ask Sarah about her experience and results personally to share with you! Take it away Sarah…
Q & A with Sarah of The Birds Papaya
1 – You are a big advocate for loving yourself so…First off, let’s start with what your take is on getting your lips done?
Ah, see loving yourself and the body positive movement as a whole gets very confusing sometimes! How can you love yourself and change yourself? Simple… it’s your choice. Body positivity to me means having full authority over your body and your choices. Even coming in for a lip augmentation I was worried about the reaction, but it was something that I wanted to do, free of opinions of others. When I arrived at ArtMed we had a whole conversation about it and I remember Jane saying “back in the day coloring your hair was something to be ashamed of” and yet, nobody now would come around and say “wow that’s super unnatural of you to change your hair color, is that body positive?”. Perspective! Own your choices and be ok with the things you choose for yourself.
2 – Why ArtMed Clinic? Who did your lips from there?
I had become friend with Christine, the medical aesthician at ArtMed as our kids attend the same school, and through conversations decided to come in and try this whole world of medical cosmetics. I started with a Clear + Brilliant facial and took time to educate myself on their other services. Later, I did my lips, and then botox. Nothing all at once, this is over the span of a couple years!
3 – What product did they use and how much if you remember?
I have one full syringe of Juvederm Volbella. I was told it’s a “softer” lip injection to the feel.
4 – Did you love them right away? What was the down time like? How did they FEEL & LOOK?
Oh my gosh, I felt STUNNING. I was so nervous. I mean, it’s your freaking FACE how can you not be nervous. But they were plump and perfect. I was blown away. Typically, every single day I would line my lips big, and then fill with lipsticks and plumping glosses… with the injections, I could pop on chapstick and they looked amazing.
The next day they were quite swollen and I was a little nervous, but then they went down…and I was just really excited with the results. I will say it took me a little bit of time to adjust to drinking and eating with bigger lips though!
5 – Did you share it on social media, how did people respond?
I sure did! Me and my best friend Ariana went together to get them done, and so we were able to document each other’s experiences. It was like going to get your nails done but WAY better. I highly recommend going with a girlfriend! On social media, to be honest, nobody did say anything negative. Everyone was just really into the natural results and asked a ton of questions!
6 – Would you recommend ArtMed for someone looking to have their lips done?
Making recommendations makes you somewhat responsible for the outcome, right? So I take recommendations seriously. So yes, I recommend them. I’ve seen good and bad medical cosmetics done and hands down felt like they were true artist at ArtMed that would never oversell or overdo anything. You are their walking resume… so they are very intentional about making sure everyone who leaves is looking their best.
7 – On another note, you also go to ArtMed for other procedures – like the Clear & Brilliant? Why do you enjoy that treatment?
When I first did Clear + Brilliant I didn’t really notice the impact right away. It’s a great medical facial because it’s got only a few hours of downtime (not days like some). The second time I had it done, I paid more attention to the results and noticed those little fine lines minimized, my overall skin texture improved and my pores. I love it because it helps do what hundreds of dollars of creams promise to do, but at once. I’d do it monthly if I could. It’s amazing.
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” — Audrey Hepburn
We love this quote from the timelessly stylish Audrey Hepburn, but sometimes our lips need a little kindness themselves.
The skilled artists at ArtMed know how to gently, naturally, and subtly revive your pout with lip treatments that will restore their luminous beauty. Read our lips: your natural and lovely result is our priority.
A note from the doctor at ArtMed…
We used two brands of fillers at ArtMed! We love Allergan’s fillers and when it comes to lips, Juvéderm® Volbella has typically been our go-to product. Allergan, the company that produces Botox®, makes Juvéderm® along with Belkyra (for double chin reduction) and Latisse (for naturally long lashes). Allergan has a long history of making top quality products that are exhaustively tested with a high degree of quality control. We have also introduced Prollinium® filler products to ArtMed, the makers of a family of fillers called Ravenesse® and their lip filler product is called Kiss®. This Canadian pharmaceutical company has made a huge impression with some of the top plastic surgeons and physicians in the US! We re-discovered them when we were in Vegas this past June at the Vegas Cosmetic Surgery Conference, and quickly realized one of the top makers of filler product was in our own backyard! Both of these families of fillers have tremendous appeal for their safety, purity and of course, their beautiful, natural looking results.
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