The gift of beautiful (and healthy) skin
By Patricia Nugent
Betsy Davis has been mesmerized by skin care for most of her life.
“For years women asked me what the secret was for my glowing skin, and my answer has never changed: Start with a clean face and clean pores so your products will work even better,” she says.
After raising her four children, Betsy decided to pursue her passion for skincare and go back to school.
“I am a nurturer by nature, so becoming an aesthetician was a natural path for me,” she says.
After graduating from the Brown Aveda Institute and earning an advanced aesthetician diploma, she wanted to work in the medical field, with products and services that can transform skin.
“I came to the right place at Vanek Plastic Surgery, as Dr. Paul Vanek shares my passion for skin care, even developing his own product line,” she says, mentioning that her training is ongoing to keep up with the advanced services.
When away from work, Betsy is a bit of a paradox. As a woman who appreciates soft skin, you might not expect her hobbies to include hockey, roller derby and hunting. But this might be explained by her upbringing near the Iron Range of Minnesota.
Discovering Custom Solutions
Before she recommends any product or service, Betsy performs a complimentary Visia Skin Analysis, utilizing multi-spectral imaging to determine which treatments and products are best for your skin.
“It’s an especially effective tool for us, as it gives us metrics to see how much your skin can actually be improved,” she says.
Whether it’s dry, wrinkled, unevenly textured, oily, or stressed-out skin, Vanek Cosmeceutical products, made to Dr. Vanek’s specifications, target specific skin problems. The ingredients and ratios differ significantly from products in retail stores and tend to be lower in price than similar products in medi-spas.
“If you can choose only one product to start your face treatment, I recommend the Glycolic Wash,” says Betsy.
“For people with sagging and wrinkles, I recommend the 14:1 Collagen Elastin cream, which is exceptional for putting moisture back in the skin,” she says.
“The Décolleté and Bust Contouring Crème is my “go-to” product for visibly improving skin’s firmness. It may even be my favorite.”
To seal moisture in, she says Liquid Gold is an amazing product that acts as a veil for the face, lips, hands, feet and elbows.
She also notes that many of her male clients are just as concerned about damaged and sagging skin as ladies. She likes to use the Botanical Bio-Peptide Concentrate Serum, which plumps skin and reduces flaking on the face and the scalp of balding gentlemen along with the Face-Firming Complex to firm and tone skin and reduce wrinkles.
“No matter your gender, if you want two powerhouse products, first apply Bio-Peptide Concentrate serum topped with Face Firming Complex,” she says.
One of Dr. Vanek’s newest products has Betsy particularly thrilled. Urban Anti-Pollution Essence is a serum that protects skin from the elements. What makes it so unique is that it goes a step further than sun protection, and also blocks white and blue lights emitted from computer screens.
Services Make Great Gifts, Too
Betsy loves giving her clients a HydraFacial MD which, among other benefits, cleans out the pores and is especially helpful for those with acne.
“It’s finished with a red or blue light therapy, and for that type of skin I opt for the blue light, as it has antibacterial properties. The best-fit product for oily or acneic skin is our Calendula Cream,” Betsy shares.
A seasonal special Betsy combines is the Winter Peppermint Facial and Microdermabrasion, both for $125.
“The facial revitalizes and plumps tired skin, while the DiamondTome Microdermabrasion removes the top layer of skin to reveal a healthy, beautiful tone,” she says.
With the changing weather, she also offers a sinus treatment for $50, which includes a soothing facial and upper body treatment with essential oils, great for clearing stuffy sinuses.
Betsy always includes a soothing relaxation facial massage, as well as hand and arm massage, with each facial.
“Jeni is our licensed massage therapist who offers a variety of full-body massages, from relaxation to medical and hot stone. She’s wonderful,” Betsy smiled.
Vanek Plastic Surgery is located at 9485 Mentor Avenue, Suite 100, in Mentor. For more information, call 440-205-5750 or visit MentorPlasticSurgery.com.