 You become so mellow you may even drift away, as for one hour of
your day you are treated like nothing less than a queen or a king.
Now ask yourself, where are you? Perhaps you're on a luxury cruise
liner in the Bahamas or a high-end hotel in Chicago? Try 170 Campus
View Drive in Lincoln.
At Hair Designers Salon and Spa, owned by Glenda Allison, you can
treat yourself to something very special without ever leaving town.
Allison, who is also a well-known real estate agent in Lincoln
with ME Realty, has been a cosmetologist for the past 20 years, but
she said it was something she really wanted to do all her life.
In her earliest years her life took a different direction, and it
wasn't until her 40th birthday that she started fulfilling her
lifelong dream.
"It was my 40th birthday, and my husband asked me what I wanted."
She laughed and said, "I answered, ‘I want to go to cosmetology
school!'"
After completing her education, Allison had a shop downtown for a
while, but she moved it to Campus View Drive, the home of a dear
friend, when that friend became ill and needed someone close by all
the time to watch over her.
Over the years her business has grown, and she now has three
stylists working in the shop with her.
Allison said that many a time, while she was working with
someone's hair, the client would bring up the condition of their
skin. Time and again, she heard people say that they wished for a
product that would truly improve their complexion.
From there, Allison started thinking about what she could do to
help. She began investigating products and programs, and she heard
great things about a company called Bioelements.
There were several things that attracted her to this line. It is
a U.S. company; products are made in America and never tested on
animals. Facial products are designed to be blended in the spa for a
treatment customized to the client.
At the beginning of the program, the new representatives spend
several months going through extensive training in Chicago.
In addition to all this, the education is ongoing. As new
products are developed, representatives are brought back to Chicago
for additional training, free of charge.
Allison said that when she started the education and started
using the products on herself, she knew she'd made the right choice.
She started noticing right away the improvements in her own
complexion.
For the client, the first step to a new complexion is a 90-minute
session with Allison that starts with a skin consultation. She will
talk with the client about their complexion, do a deep cleansing
routine and then conduct a study of the skin.
Allison uses a special lamp called a Wood's lamp to examine the
skin in detail. This lamp is the same as is used by dermatologists
and uses ultraviolet lighting to examine the layers of the skin,
locate and identify types of damage.
The most common damage to the skin that Allison sees is from the
sun. She said that while sun damage is not repairable, there are
still treatments that will greatly improve the quality of the
complexion.
Another common problem is acne. Allison stressed she is not a
dermatologist. However, she still has products that will work
wonders on acne, and she is qualified to do extractions as needed.
After the exam she will discuss what she saw with her client and
then recommend a treatment.
Included in the treatments that Allison is qualified to perform
are "peels" and "microdermabrasion." She warns, though, that not
everyone can tolerate these types of treatments, and communicating
discomfort during the process is crucial.
If a client feels discomfort such as burning, Allison can remove
the treatment products and apply anti-stressors to the skin that
will soothe the irritation and relieve the discomfort.
[to top of second column] |
After the consultation, the client will receive their first facial,
which includes an exfoliation, then extraction as needed and a
finishing mask.
For optimum results, the client will leave the first session with
an at-home treatment to use between visits and will return at least
three times for facials.
Allison said that maintaining the regimen is important, and she
wanted to make it affordable for her clients, so she discounts her
services to 40 percent below the suggested price for the first visit
and offers additional discounts if the client books the return
visits.
In addition, she said that she doesn't take full retail for the
products the client takes home. Allison said the at-home products
are priced comparably to high-end department store name brands such
as Lancome, but she believes that, used according to directions,
they will last longer and offer better results.
In addition to all this, Hair Designers Salon and Spa has
recently added teeth whitening to their list of services. Allison
said that her daughter and son-in-law are the technicians for this
service and thus far have produced some wonderful results for their
clients.
She said that most everyone will see whitening by four shades,
but they've actually had one client who ended up with teeth eight
shades whiter than when they began.
Allison suggests that if you have an important date coming up in
the future, such as a wedding, prom or special anniversary
celebration, you should start now if you want to be at your very
best when your special day arrives.
And on that day, you can come in for a fresh facial, a new do and
even have your makeup expertly applied by one of the girls in the
shop.
And fellas, don't think that you're left out. Bioelements offers
products specifically for males, so you too can have fresher,
healthier and younger-looking skin after just a few treatments.
Allison started doing these treatments in December and has
serviced several clients already. She said that most all comment on
how good their skin feels after the facial.
The bottom line is that when the skin is healthier and smoother,
the complexion clearer, individuals will feel better about
themselves. And who doesn't want that?
And if one can achieve all this at discounted prices without ever
leaving town, well, that's just an added perk!
[By NILA SMITH]
___
Hair Designers Salon and Spa
170 Campus View Drive
Lincoln, IL
217-732-8998
 |
