Local Expert Blog: Local Experts Blogs: Are Oxygen Facials The New Botox?

Sponsored story by Joanne Duff, Laser Technician at Tecumseh Laser Centre TLC & Zerona Canada:

What are some celebrities claiming is a fountain of youth? You’re breathing it right now.

The so-called oxygen facial, which counts Madonna among its fans, has grown in popularity among women looking to stop time in its tracks.
During treatment, an aesthetician applies pressurized oxygen, acid and a customized serum to the skin to reveal visibly plumper, younger-looking skin. But does it work?

“The skin often looks more firm and smooth after the first treatment and the benefits are cumulative, says Joanne Duff who claims that her business, Tecumseh Laser Centre, has been extremely impressed since introducing it into her spa several months ago.

“Many of our guests have been getting these treatments monthly since we started giving them and say this preventive treatment has helped them avoid plastic surgery,” she adds. “Oxygen facials do not work like Botox, by paralyzing your expression lines, so you friends will still be able to tell if you are happy or not, which is important because our oxygen facial regulars tend to smile a lot!”

Dr. Marina Peredo, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, notes that the treatment may be ideal for those looking for a less painful way to fight aging.
“Oxygen is a necessity if you want to have healthy, youthful looking skin,” says Peredo. “This facial is great because it helps protect and reverse damage from environmental pollutants that can harm our skin. It also helps the overall texture of your skin, which feels smoother after this facial. The oxygen facial reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles by releasing moisturizers onto the skin, which absorb quickly with the help of oxygen. It’s an ultimate hydrator that infuses vitamins and nutrients into the skin.”

With the exposure of environmental pollutants and damaging sun rays, many can understand the oxygen facial’s appeal, which works with an element that’s essential to the body.

“As we age, our bodies are less able to readily assimilate the oxygen in our blood into the skin,” explains Leslie Christensen, regional spa manager at fitness club Equinox in New York City. “This leads to a drop in a multitude of issues, including a reduction of collagen and elastin production in the skin, which in effect, leads to the quintessential signs of aging, such as fine lines. When pressurized, the oxygen helps the skin absorb the infused serums, which are customized to treat the specific needs of the skin.”
Oxygen facials are a soothing experience for those seeking a day of pampering.