Guess who’s Back – to blogging

September 22, 2022 No Comments

Hi Beauties!

I can’t believe how much time has lapsed since my last blog post here. It seems to be harder and harder to jump back into blogging the longer time passes. So much has happened since 2020: Like planning a wedding, going on our honeymoon, enjoying the joys & nuances of pregnancy in 2022, and now preparing for a new human being!

Lots of life milestones have been passing by while being present both at work and at home.

I’m at the homestretch of pregnancy and on maternity leave now. And Guess What, I want to jump right back into blogging and documenting again because wow… the last 2 years really flew by.

Although I do still want to focus on aesthetic nursing for this blog, I also want to incorporate my lifestyle here as well in hopes that I’ll be an overall well-rounded, happy & grateful Wife, Mother, Friend and Employee.

Anyways just some weeks to go until we welcome our baby home! While I’m getting lots of sleep and rest, I’d like to document what gestational diabetes friendly meals I come up with and last minute nesting & studying I’ve been up to.

Alas don’t worry, I’m truly hoping I’ll take the maternity leave time to also study up on anatomy, techniques, webinars, and journals! I’m sure I’ll be up at random hours feeding and comforting a newborn. Hopefully I won’t be too sleepy and zombie-like, but I guess time will only tell. Wishing all the new mamas and babies so much luck and love, as well as all the aspiring aesthetic providers to come 🙂

Here’s to a new era!

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How I Became an Aesthetic Nurse pt. i

September 30, 2020 No Comments

Nursing has many trajectories and possibilities

The main keypoint to understand and realize is that everyone’s path and journey is so unique.

I did not go to nursing school initially dreaming about the aesthetics world. Honestly, I only discovered it the last semester of my schooling through instagram. At that point, being an aesthetics nurse, cosmetic nurse, beauty nurse, medspa nurse (there was no set description) was a daydream. I remember one time I was “joking” to my classmate friend and said, maybe I’ll be a cosmetic nurse one day – just to test out the water. Although that day I said it quietly, I think saying it out loud still helped cement the thought into manifestation. My curiosity and secret aspiration was growing and nurturing.

I thought I could become a seasoned, passionate educator and provider in the ICU or ER world, and envisioned traveling around the world to help save lives. All in all, you may not know where your path takes you. But I do believe that there are many opportunities of niches for nurses to discover – which is so amazing and magical!

Get Experience, NETWORK, put yourself out there

During my last year of nursing school, I worked as a student nurse worker at LAC+USC. I would typically work on some Fridays from 3pm-11:30 pm after a half day of lecture. However working in the hospital with a flexible schedule allowed me to float to so many different units (PCU, ER, ICU, SICU, PACU) and network with the nurses as well as the nurse managers. One nurse manager bestowed wisdom by telling me to remember to always work hard and humbly as you would in this profession, and it will be noticed. Never forget that.

My immediate goal after passing the NCLEX was to get a registered nurse job in medsurg, ER, or OR. Though meanwhile I also looked at medspas around my neighborhood that maybe would want to train a freshly minted, bright-eyed new grad nurse. I scoured through craigslist, ziprecruiter, indeed, monster, and glassdoor.

While I was waiting for job interviews, I still worked as a student nurse worker. It was one day in the ER when I talked to one of the nurses and found out she used to work at a medspa and loved her experience there! I asked where she worked, and applied there. It just so happened that I got my job interview for the medical spa before any interviews from the hospitals I applied to.. And well I took that as a sign and started working less than 2 months after I passed my NCLEX.

Learn Constantly, add to your toolkit

Since I worked at a chain medspa, I was able to work in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brea, Palo Alto, and Los Gatos. You can imagine the range and diversity of clientele with personalities, age, and preferences. I think this has helped me improve on my communications & people skills, and diversify in providing procedures & recommendations.

I grasped all the opportunities I could to build up my own foundation of aesthetics. In my toolkit I started out with:

Laser hair removal
Laser tattoo removal
Clear and Brilliant
Coolsculpting
Laser facial
IPL
Skin care regimen

Then gradually added:

Botox and Xeomin
Lip, Nasolabial, and Cheek fillers
Thermage

All the while learning and understanding the rationales of every procedure to always educate the patients in providing safe & effective results. This allows you to collaboratively come up with a treatment plan to give the patient the best outcomes! I also enjoyed asking the more senior providers and nurse directors of their own experiences, paths, and tips so I could learn and take notes and continue dreaming :).

Pt 2 coming soon, talking about how to passion plan and pivot to your next stage.

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Clear and Brilliant pt. ii

September 17, 2020 No Comments

Here’s Part 1 if you haven’t read already 🙂

What to Expect at your Clear and Brilliant Treatment

You will discuss with your provider on which handpiece to use depending on your skin goals and priorities. Permea and Original are both amazing, so there’s really no bad decision!

After your consult with your provider, along with a set of photos and signed consents expect:

+ 30 mins topical numbing time
+ 30 mins for treatment

Immediately afterwards, your face feels like a sunburn, tight & red. I apply a soothing vitamin C serum for hydration and healing, as well as sunscreen. The heat quickly subsides in about 30 mins-1hr and is very manageable.

These are my go-to's immediately after treatment

Obagi C-clarifying serum: Contains 4% hydroquinone to reduce hyperpigmentation (sun spots, melasma). Also contains 10% Vit C (antioxidant) to help defend against free radicals that cause aging skin. You can only get this in office, but I will link a similar one here

I love this oil-free EltaMD UV Clear Tinted spf. It helps calm and protect sensitive skins, especially those that are prone to acne and rosacea. This also contains niacinamide (Vit B3), hyaluronic acid, + lactic acid which all promote appearance of healthy looking skin. I also love how it is absolutely lightweight and silky, and oftentimes can substitute as light tinted coverup/foundation.

PRE-CARE instructions

Make sure to be diligent with being sun-avoidant and wear sunscreen daily.
Avoid retinols, salicylic acid, and any other active ingredients for at least 3 days prior to treatment.
You cannot put on numbing cream if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, however you can do the Clear and Brilliant treatment itself … (I’ve only done 2 patients out of many many 100s who didn’t want to have the topical numbing)
Try to arrive for treatment with a clean slate of a face 🙂

POST-CARE instructions

In time you may notice little “scab” like texture on your darker spots. We call it microcrusting. Absolutely do not pick nor exfoliate it off! Just moisturize and it will flake off in its due time.
For the next 3-5 days or so, your face will feel like rough sandpaper and appear dry. Keep moisturizing your face with gentle moisturizer
*Common sense note: if your moisturizer is feeling extra fiery and burning, please wipe and use something more gentle and simple. Aquaphor, vaseline, cetaphil, cerave suffice.
You can wear your makeup 12 hrs later, but personally I recommend to let your skin breathe.
DO wear sunscreen diligently and cover your vulnerable baby skin from the sun

After about a week you will see your beautiful glowy new skin.

It may still feel slightly rough but you can come into the office and get a gentle exfoliating + moisturizing dermalinfusion called DiamondGlow (I wholly love this so much too!) – your skin will be even more soft and supple and glowy!!

How many C&B treatments do you need?

Well depends on your overall goals for your skin. Most start out with a series of 3. However, C&B is easily a staple in the optimal skin care regimen. It eventually becomes part of a maintenance routine, similar to facials and massages. For instance, are you ever going to be done with 3 massages? No I don’t believe so, you’ll be doing it as a maintenance because we want massages for life right lol.

How long do results last and how to best maintain your results?: So the results are immediate and progressive. I say the results build upon the previous. Of course keep on top of your moisturizing and applying sunscreen to prolong your skin health and glow. For best maintenance and regimen, have a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, adequate water intake, exercise, as well as sleep and skincare applications. Protect the investment you make on your face so that your skin is more even, bright, and younger-looking.

How far apart do you do the treatments?: Typically we space out the treatments every 4 wks or so, to allow the regenerative process of your skin to complete itself. However, if patients want to target their acne scars ASAP, then the soonest you can do the treatment is at 2 wks. I also tell patients to do C&B at about 1-1.5 weeks before their big event to have the best glowy, dewy skin!!

Let me know if you have any questions :)!

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Quick GRWM: Aesthetic Nurse ASMR

September 16, 2020 No Comments

What kind of morning person are you? I usually roll out of bed 30 minutes before heading out the door. Sometimes it might even be 15 minutes, depending on how sleepy I am 😛

⭐Remember to rinse your face beforehand to have a clean canvas.

⭐ SK-II facial treatment essence: to hydrate my face before wearing a mask for the rest of the day

⭐ Burt’s Bees Coconut & Pear: this one has coconut oil, pear extract, and shea butter. I love how it truly moisturizes my lips

⭐ Naked smoky palette: I am by far from a makeup guru, and am not very good at blending haha. I like bronze colors and a little smoky to add some quick “allure”

⭐ Tarte colored clay precision cream liner palette: it’s nice to not have to be too defined. Super easy to extend winged eyeliner

⭐ HERA sun mate leports spf 50 sunscreen: never leave without sunscreen. Protect your skin from the sun as well as blue light from all our screen time. *Tip: Also spread the leftover onto the tops of your hands to protect them while driving

⭐ Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Eucalyptus Spearmint: just a little dollop goes a long way. Really helps uplift your mood to start off the day!

⭐ And of course Wear Figs scrubs because they are absolutely comfortable, wrinkle-free, and also fade-free!

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ASMR quick TLC for MASKne

September 2, 2020 No Comments

Herbivore Blue Tansy resurfacing clarity mask. Truly gentle mask that clarifies acne-prone skin. A combo of AHA+BHA with papaya and pineapple enzymes, white willow bark, and blue tansy essential oil

Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid treatment. Gently but deeply exfoliates dull, pore-clogging dead skin cells.

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil. Next generation retinol oil balanced with blue tansy again and chamomile essential oils to soothe visible redness and neutralize signs of sensitivity – for a calm, even-toned complexion

Indie Lee De-Stress body oil – to boost away the stresses of the week, with soothing patchouli, relaxing lavender essential oils mixed with eucalyptus.

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Clear and Brilliant pt i.

August 29, 2020 No Comments

Clear & Brilliant

This one is definitely one of my absolute favorite treatment to provide as well as receive, especially if you are seeking smoother, tighter, and radiant glowy skin. An added plus is that there is very little social downtime and the treatment is noninvasive

Why consider Clear and Brilliant?

Diminish the look of fine line
Reduce appearance of pores
Improve skin tone and texture

This means improving our skin’s overall appearance by Clearing the fine lines and pores, Getting brilliant tone and texture!

Patients notice quite quickly that their pores appear smoother & smaller, as the oil and dirt buildup has been essentially cleaned up by the treatment. This in turn also leads to aiding in acne and blackhead prevention, thus truly helping you get your optimal glowy, glass skin!

After the healing process, you will notice that the skin feels more supple, smooth, and definitely rejuvenated. You feel so fresh & young. *Warning: it’s addicting 😛

Noninvasive, gentle with little downtime:

C&B is known as a non-ablative laser resurfacing treatment aka baby fractional laser. But don’t let that fool you, as it is still a very effective treatment to prevent early signs of aging skin.

How does C&B work:

The procedure creates millions of microscopic treatment zones in the upper layers of skin. This triggers a “wound healing” response from our skin to replace damaged skin with healthy tissue = Younger looking skin, soft baby skin.
It also helps shed off the dead, dull skin and instead replace with new refreshed, healthier looking skin.
Furthermore, our skin is stimulated to produce more collagen

There are 2 different handpieces that target different levels of the superficial dermis:

1. PERMEA

1927 nm, depth of 170 um (level at which melanin resides)
Creates broad, more superficial microthermal zones to increase skin permeability and enhance efficacy of your topical brightening serums and skincare
Perfect for treating sun spots, sun damage, and melasma (targeting tone and hyperpigmentation)

2. ORIGINAL

1440 nm, depth of 200-300 um
Causes deeper injury and targets fine lines and texture, as well as reducing pore size
Perfect for mild acne scarring
Helps kill off that pesky little pimple that just won’t go away

Next post I’ll talk about What to expect for your treatment, The Pre & Post care instructions, and How to best maintain your results 🙂

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Profound pt. iii

August 27, 2020 No Comments

How to Prepare for Profound

Pre-Procedure

Hydrate sufficiently for the week prior to procedure
Consider prepping your skin beforehand, as in moisturizing it
Eat a substantial meal before coming in
Avoid alcohol and NSAIDS to decrease risk of bruising
Discontinue retinoids and similar active ingredients for at least 3-5 days prior
Avoid sun exposure and use spf 30+

What to expect after treatment

Immediately after the treatment, we cleanse the face with sterile normal saline. Then we typically apply Alastin Nectar + Balm.

Wash face gently with a gentle cleanser 2x/day. Pat face dry (no rubbing or exfoliation, absolutely no picking as this can cause PIH!). Let the skin heal on its own
Apply Alastin Nectar & Balm at least twice a day to have a consistently glazed appearance. Liberally do this for 1-2 weeks
Sleep with head elevated for the first 2-3 nights can help with swelling. Also try not to sleep on side of the face while making sure pillowcases are clean each time
Redness can be reduced with our recommended post-care skincare
Bruising can be mitigated quickly with a laser in office
There is also the post-injection serum by Alastin that can help with bruise reduction and swelling as well

*Remember, the first 1-3 days may be the worst of the swelling

Areas that can be treated

Face, neck, chin, jawline, abdomen, inner & outer thighs, arms, skin above knees!

Please Profound me everywhere right? hahah

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Profound pt. ii

August 20, 2020 No Comments

How does Profound work

Radiofrequency + Microneedling

There are microneedle electrodes that deploy into the dermis or subcutaneous tissue to precisely deliver fractionated zones of thermal injury without thermal impact to the epidermis. The thermal injury is the radiofrequency aspect – it stimulates a strong wound healing which naturally creates new elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid formation: *cue in dermal remodeling!

With the real-time temperature feedback, the system allows the microneedles to reach optimal temperature, of a specific time duration, in the depth of treatment.

Temperature (RF), Time, Depth – What do all these factors do? With the right combination, we are controlling the thermal injury to partially denature collagen, which is effective in triggering a strong wound healing response that addresses the full dermal structure, generating all three vital components of youthful skin: COLLAGEN, ELASTIN, HYALURONIC ACID.

* Partially denatured collagen can heal 38% faster than fully denatured collagen. It is crucial to reach optimal temperature and time, which the Profound system is precisely designed for.

There are 2 different tips (Dermal & Subcutaneous)

1) For DERMAL tip, the deep dermis is targeted, as this is where concentration of collagen is the highest. This treatment addresses facial wrinkles and skin tightening. Here we see one of the needles penetrating the deep dermis at depth of 1.0-2.0mm. The tip is where the bipolar RF energy is delivered into our deep reticular dermis. Meanwhile the green part of the needle is insulated as to protect the epidermis from thermal damage. The blue part is also the cooling plate at the surface of the skin for protection.

There are a total of 5 pairs of these 32 gauge microneedles (thinner than a hair), to allow for precise fractionated treatment within the dermal tissue = Induce neoelastogenesis and neocollagenesis, renewing skin to look younger, smoother, and tighter!

2) For SUBCUTANEOUS tip, the subcutaneous tissue is targeted to address cellulite. The fractionated injuries increase dermal thickness, remodel septae, and decrease adipose volume. There are a total of 7 pairs of the 32 gauge microneedles, which are oriented at a more perpendicular insertion angle to ensure deeper penetration into the adipose tissue.

The RF energy targets the adipose tissue to coagulate and remodel cellulite. This tip can even be used to debulk pockets of fat (such as in the renowned “double chin”).

As you can imagine, there is a lot of purposeful injury to the areas of treatment

Expect a social downtime of at least 1 week.

At least 3-7 days of swelling & redness, as well as bruising (I honestly tell patients they will look like a chipmunk – remember when you got your wisdom teeth taken out?)
Appearance of tiny dotted insertions on treatment area

As the body replaces the skin with new collagen and elastic tissue, you will see an improvement over several months. Dermal remodeling can continue for 6-12 months, with improvements seen at 3-6 months post treatment. But, may start noticing a difference even around week 2!

Next I’ll talk about how to prepare for your treatment (Pre and Post care) 🙂

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Profound pt. i

August 20, 2020 No Comments

Snap back to Younger & Tighter skin again

As we age along with the effects of gravity, we notice our skin being more lax and sagging slowly. Hmph, a normal progression of physics & physicality that we try to embrace with grace. BUT, there’s a treatment that can really improve our baselines if we are not ready nor considering surgery (such as facelift and necklift) and want something minimally invasive.

It’s PROFOUND, which is a “single treatment radiofrequency microneedling for facial wrinkles and cellulite.”

How does AGING show in our skin?

Skin loses elasticity and becomes more fragile. As a result facial wrinkles and appearance of cellulite increases

COLLAGEN levels decrease every year
ELASTIN production stops (starting in our 20s)
HYALURONIC ACID diminishes

WHY choose Profound?

Clinically proven to stimulate 2x Collagen, 5x Elastin, and increase Hyaluronic acid – turning back the clock and forcing our skin to be efficiently young again.
First and only Radiofrequency (RF) microneedling device FDA cleared for both face and body
1 standalone nonsurgical treatment that can last 2 years (depending on skin maintenance)
100% response rate for facial wrinkles
Real-time temperature controlled device that delivers long pulses of RF energy. This is critical in controlling collagen denaturation

WHO is the ideal candidate for Profound, and WHAT can it do for you?

If the desired result is a more lifted appearance. As well as achieving revitalized new, healthy skin to look more youthful

Firmer, smoother skin
Wrinkle reduction (works best in conjunction with botox/neuromodulators)
Improvement of the jowls
Improvement of sagging skin on upper neck

Remember to have realistic expectations and realize this treatment will not 100% replace the results of a facelift, necklift, or tummy-tuck. Profound is a great alternative, if you are not ready for surgery or would like to avoid one (be it you are not old enough or looking for more preventative measures or want a shorter commitment to recovery) 🙂

On the next post, I’ll talk about how Profound works!

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Miradry

June 12, 2020 2 Comments

Summer is basically here, with spring 2020 just literally skipping over us huh.

Now that we are slowly returning back to society coming out of quarantine, we are reminded that we should probably wear deodorant and maybe shave when we are wearing our sleeveless outfits.

I personally sweat easily. Especially when I’m feeling warm, or even flushed with embarrassment or stress. I would absolutely love to have the miraDry treatment one day.

What is Miradry?

SWEAT, ODOR, HAIR

FDA approved in 2011 for treating excessive underarm sweating
Also cleared in 2015 to permanently eliminate underarm hair of all colors, as well as odor glands
For optimal results, it is recommended to treat 2-3 times, at least 3 months apart
However even with 1 treatment, it is clinically proven to have an average of 82% sweat reduction and 89% odor reduction

Of course results can vary from patient to patient

How does it work?

Noninvasive procedure that uses electromagnetic energy which target and destroy sweat gland via thermolysis – aka “microwave” technology
The energy works in depth of 2mm-5mm below skin’s surface where most sweat glands reside
Local anesthesia is injected for numbing as well as padding the nerve bundles farther away from the energy
There is a vacuum suction which stabilizes the skin and brings the sweat glands closer to the energy
The skin is also cooled with a cooling plate and temperature sensor to monitor and protect the dermis

It is about an hour long treatment where you can get to know your provider or listen to music and podcasts.

Is it bad to destroy the sweat glands in our armpits??

Nope not at all. We have ~2 million sweat glands throughout the body, and only 2% exist in our underarms. Sweating will be normal elsewhere and will not affect your body’s ability to regulate and cool off.

PRE-Procedure:

Shave your underarms at least 4 days prior, to prevent small cuts and infection. We also want to see some hair growth by the time you come into office to determine area of treatment
Don’t wear deodorant to the office
Wear a loose tank top and/or sports bras for easy access to underarms

*Note: Make sure to not schedule the procedure when you are planning to wear a sleeveless outfit within the next 1-2 weeks, for aesthetic reasons. So, obviously don’t do this treatment before a tropical vacation.

RESULTS + AFTERCARE and expectations:

Sweat glands that are targeted are permanently destroyed and do not regenerate!

Results begin immediately, long-lasting, and are often permanent results.

You may notice 100% dry with no sweat, however after 2-3 weeks some sweat will return.

There will be bruising, swelling, and lumpiness
Numbness and tingling can last for 5 weeks
Localized soreness and swelling – can gently stretch out armpits
ICE + IBUprofen to manage pain & swelling

That was a lot of information, but what questions do you have? I’m a visual person, so here are a couple of clips to show the general progress of what to expect 🙂

You can soon kiss your deodorant good bye! No long worry about ruining your outfits with sweat stains, and definitely go in for the big bear hugs at summer weddings without a care for sweaty, wet armpits.