I have used probably 40 or 50 group deal vouchers for beauty treatments. (I am so over massages.)
I now stick to facial things and mani/pedi deals.
I thought I would share my experience with the success of treatments. I enjoy peels and they do help, but you can buy the stuff on ebay and do it yourself at home. I am also going to ask my doctor if Retin A creme is just as good. Either way, it saves the aggravation of making and keeping appointments.
I also like microdermabrasion. It varies in quality so much that I am considering buying my own machine and doing it myself in my own time rather than bothering with appointments.
Victamin C serum can be made at home or bought.
All three of the above help with exfoliation - skin turnover. I have received so many compliments since doing all of these, but think going to the salon is mostly not necessary for those things. Even with vouchers, it is cheaper to do at home. And I am sick of appointments.
I have done several IPL skin rejuv and that has helped overall, but if I used retin A regularly and did some skin needling, I am thinking it would be just as good.
The one thing I have done that has helped more than any other is Fraxel Laser treatment. I bought a JOI for a half face for $99. Value of $330. They upsold me for the full face for an extra $99. This was at the Clear Skin Clinic in Shenton Park (Perth). It is like IPL zapping with skin needling. It left tracks across my entire face. Expect a couple of days of looking like you scraped your face on the tarmac. Not really burnning red. Just tracks.
What I was hoping to achieve was a reduction in the uneven surface of my skin. I am 45 and over the years the surface of my skin became less smooth, with very slight indents all over from pimples. No one ever noticed them that I could tell, but I remembered seeing George Clooneys GF on tv and could tell her skin was just as smooth as a childs. I thought, wow, far out, wish my skin was that smooth. I was hoping that the fraxel treatment would help. I was amazed at how much it did help. My skin is smoother than I can ever remember. I just love looking in the mirror and trying to spy some indents. I can't. I am so happy with it. I can't imagine it is not a permanent improvement either. I am certain that it helped in other ways as well, but the surface smoothness is what I really notice and love.
At the place I went, it is $660 for a full face. I am considering asking for a second treatment at a similar discount. Why? I am sure that there would be some sort of additional benefit. It is really that good.
I have had some Radio Frequency treatment done on my face for firmness. At the first place I did not notice any difference after 3 or 4 treatments. At the second place, I have noticed a definite firmness and significant reduction in those lines that go from around the nose to the corners of the mouth after just one treatment. I am scheduled for another treatment for that same place and am really looking forward to it. I do not know how long that is supposed to last. They mentioned 3 treatments once a year.
So the Radio Frequency and the microderms vastly differ in quality from place to place. I only have the one place and one time to say I am happy with the Fraxel Treatment, so it could vary in treatment as well. I think fraxel might be the brand of machine, so it could be that it is good everywhere.
Anyway, I just thought I would throw that out there in case anyone was looking at vouchers for fraxel and trying to decide whether to buy one.