5 Things I Learned During My First Personalized Skincare Consultation

Since childhood, I have been diligent with my skincare. My parents slathered my siblings and I with sunscreen whenever we went to the beach or pool. In high school, I always washed my face, removed my makeup before bed and scheduled an annual visit with a dermatologist. Transition to college and I bumped up my routine: microdermabrasion, sunscreen (almost) every day, funky serums and eye creams and continued to visit a dermatologist. 

Mary Rebecca Harakas, Blogger

I kept up with all the beauty trends and did my research before purchasing the latest and greatest product that promised smaller pores or a solution to whatever skin ailment I wanted to resolve. But then I really had a revelation when I turned 27.

I wanted to continue looking 27 when I’m 37. Every beauty magazine, publication or Instagram feed will flood its audiences with all the latest trends or treatments, assortment of products you should consider using and ultimately, put a dent in your checking account. They say beauty is pain (to your wallet). And even if you book all the treatment appointments and purchase all the products: are they really the right things you should be doing for your skin?

Everyone’s skin is unique. While most may have dry, oily or combination skin, some people have brown spots; others have redness; many have sensitivities; and some have specific skin concerns they want to target. So how can any Instagram feed promote a one-size-fits-all skin care routine?

That’s why you need a skincare consultation. While I visited dermatologists for a good chunk of my 27 years of life, I had never received a customized recommendation for my skin: the recommended treatments and skincare products I should be using for my skin to achieve my ultimate goal of looking 27 for a good portion of my remaining years. 

I booked an appointment with Heather Davis at Visage Skin Care and Laser Center, a division of Robinson Facial Plastic Surgery. Upon meeting Heather, I was jealous – her skin was gorgeous! I said, “I want skin like yours!” and she flooded me with her knowledge. We started with a UV image of my skin to determine the degree of sun damage I had, along with any other factors the computer wanted to show.

Fortunately, I didn’t have much skin damage, but different images showed my redness, brown spots, (lack of) wrinkles and fine lines and to my dismay, oiliness. 

I was most happy about the minimal sun damage. Heather then proceeded to treat me with a HydraFacial and I asked a series of questions:

  • If you were 27, what treatments would you consider and how often?
  • What specific products should I be using?
  • Do I need all the hyped-up treatments like micro-needling, dermaplaning, Botox, etc. or what is it I really need?

And here is what I learned:

1) There are estheticians out there who really do care about your skin.

And what I mean by this: Heather wasn’t looking to just sell me a treatment or product. She actually told me what I needed and didn’t need. I asked, “Do I need microneedling or whatever other funky treatments are out there?”

And she said no. Now admittedly, part of why I didn’t need certain treatments was simply because I had taken good care of my skin for so long and had good genes, but I appreciated that she was honest with me. 

2) The VISIA UV photo doesn’t lie – so come to terms with that before you go.

Admittedly, a part of me really thought I wouldn’t have a lot of sun damage since I had taken care of my skin. What I wasn’t ready for was that the photo showed my redness and brown spots. Had I not really paid much attention to this? Apparently not. Even when I wasn’t exercising or outside, I noticed that without makeup, my nose really was red like Rudolph. 

3) The HydraFacial really is amazing.

We’ve all had our facial at various spas or hole-in-the-wall beauty parlors. But many of them feel like a glorified face massage. The HydraFacial not only left my skin feeling amazing and visually showed a difference to my pores – to the point that I could confidently explore town without makeup – but the patented technology sucks all the gunk out of your skin. And guess what? If you really want to see what came out of your skin – dead skin cells, blackheads, oil and more things you don’t want to know – you actually could, because it’s all in a tube at the end of your HydraFacial. For maximum skin health, HydraFacial treatments should be done on a monthly basis to protect and rejuvenate the skin.

4) Invest now or pay later.

Your skincare and beauty routine is an investment that will set you up for success. Similar to setting aside money in a high-yield savings account now and seeing the numbers skyrocket by the time you dip into it in 10 years, the same principle comes with your skin. So does it stink to pay for laser if it’s recommended, medical-grade products or other treatments now? Yes, but it’s a fraction of the cost for what you’d pay later if you didn’t do the right treatments. 

I couldn’t believe the experience I had with Heather Davis, LE at Visage Skin Care and Laser Center. While I experienced my first HydraFacial and first UV photo (aka VISIA Complexion Analysis), it was most gratifying to create my truly customized skin care routine, equipped with the right products and treatments for the best skin of my life. Ready to create your customized skincare routine? I recommend booking a consultation with Heather Davis ASAP – 770-667-3090.