Furniture

Whilst the look of salon furniture is important, its function is key.  Couches should really be chosen for their function rather than just aesthetics.  Obviously in an ideal world there will be a combination of the two but so often a couch is purchased for the wrong purpose. 

When salon owners purchase couches they don’t always think about how the furniture will be used by the therapists.  You really need to try the furniture first.  Yes, the look is important, but how will the bed function for your portfolio of treatments.  Is it appropriate?  Look for a supplier who has a showroom.  It will offer you a relaxed environment where you can try the beds and see if they will fit your requirements.

For a rigorous massage you need the bed to be really stable.  It is also important that the bed can be easily lowered and raised, so that the therapist can easily access the client at the right height.  Work related injuries from repetitive strain are not good for business. For a quality feel, the movement of the bed should be smooth and silent.  A client will not wish to be jerked around on the bed nor should they be overtly aware of any associated noise. 

There is one lasting impression that your salon furniture may make on your client, their comfort. This is the number one priority during any salon treatment.  If the client is uncomfortable, their treatment won’t be enjoyable and they may not come back for more.

Couches are important.  They affect your customers, your therapists and therefore your bottom line.  Aim for a quality, comfortable couch and your investment will be rewarded.  Be aware of the types of treatments that will be performed on your couch. Wherever possible try a couch before you buy it.  If you aren’t comfortable on it, you can bet your customer won’t be.

For more information on Beauty and Spa equipment, please visit; www.thecarltongroup.co.uk.

Faradic

A faradic current is a low frequency alternating current (AC) that is, an interrupted direct electrical current which reverses the flow of electrons. Used via electrodes specifically placed it causes muscle and nerve stimulation.

A faradic treatment or electro-muscle stimulation (EMS) as it is also known, is an electrical treatment that can be applied to either the face or the body and is used to stimulate and exercise muscles in order to create a tightening, toning effect. This exercise is known as passive exercise or isometric exercise because there is no joint movement involved.

There are two ways in which we use this treatment:

• Facial
• Body

Facial Treatment

Facial faradic is used to tighten and tone facial muscles and therefore re-contour the shape of the face. This is done using two electrodes to create the stimulation. They can either be hand held or some units have self adhesive sticky electrodes that are applied to the face.

There are two modes in which we can apply faradic Mono-phasic or Bi-phasic:

Mono-phasic -  The electrical impulses pass in one direction only between the

                        pads (neg to pos)

Bi-Phasic -       The electrical impulses pass in both directions between the pads

                        (alternating pos to neg all the time).

We must remember that facial tissue is attached to facial muscle, so, when we get sagging untoned muscle we will get lines and loose crêpey skin because the skin’s tissue is directly affected.

When working on the face we always use Mono-phasic as we only ever want a lifting action. To achieve this the positive (red) electrode is placed on the origin of the muscle and the negative (black) electrode is placed at the insertion of the muscle. This is quite complex as the facial muscles are very close together and crossover, so to be exacting is not easy. If you remember BIRO though you will be correct Black Insertion Red Origin.

Benefits

• Increased circulation improving colour
• Texture improved as skin is tightened
• Tightening and toning of muscle improving contour of face and neck.

Body Treatment

An electrical circuit must be completed to pass the current to the client’s muscles. In order to do this electrodes or pads are used. These are placed over or near the Motor Point of a muscle. The motor point of the muscle is where the motor nerve enters the belly of the muscle.

In order to get the best contraction the pads are placed near to the Origin and Insertion of the muscle. The origin is the joint to which the muscle is attached that does not move and the Insertion is the joint to which the muscle is attached that does move. When current is applied to the muscle it stimulates the motor point and causes muscles contractions as long as the current is of sufficient intensity and the pads are placed correctly.

There are three types of padding layout, Longitudinal, Duplicate or Split, but the most widely used is Longitudinal.

Benefits

• Strengthens muscles
• Tightens and Tones the body
• Inch loss due to firming of muscle
• Passive exercise
• Increased circulation and metabolism

For more information on our electrical beauty equipment, please visit our website at; http://www.TheCarltonGroup.co.uk

Facial Galvanic

A galvanic current can be used for both Face and Body work. Basically the principals are the same, but for now we will concentrate on the face. Galvanic works on the principal of producing chemical substances under the electrodes used in the treatments. These in turn have specific effects on the skin and underlying tissues. The current applied to the tissues generally increases blood and lymphatic circulation but it is used more for the specific treatments below.

There are two ways in which we use this treatment;

§  Desincrustation

§  Iontophoresis

Desincrustation

This treatment is always worked with the Active electrode, using a negative polarity. Therefore the Indifferent electrode, the one held by the client is positive. The chemical produced under the Active electrode is Sodium Hydroxide its primary use is to deep cleanse the skin. Desincrustation is performed for between 5 to 10 minutes depending on skin type and is more suited to a greasy seborrhoeic acne type skin, but all skin types, except extremely sensitive benefit from this type of cleanse and is performed by the therapist with discretion.

Benefits of a negative (-) polarity

§  Improves circulation

§  Deep cleanses the skin

§  Removes the surface dead skin cells and sebum

§  Opens pores

Iontophoresis

This treatment is used to pass products through an unbroken skin by the use of the galvanic current for particular skin types or specific skin conditions, e.g: oily or dry skin or acne or couperose skins. Gels or ampoules are used that have been ionised and according to the manufacturer’s instructions the Active electrode uses a negative or a positive polarity. i.e. If the product is ionised negative (-) to positive (+) the active electrode should be negative and if the product is ionised positive (+) to negative (-) the active electrode should be positive. Iontophoresis is performed for 5 to 7 minutes always reversing the polarity of the active electrode for the last 1-2 minutes of the treatment to restore the pH balance of the skin which is disturbed by the galvanic current.

Benefits of a positive (+) polarity:

§  Hydrochloric acid is produced under the electrode

§  Closes pores

§  Helps reduce redness and heat

§  Penetrates positively (+) charged products into the skin

Iontophoresis normally follows Desincrustation, but, if only the cleanse is performed, the reversal of polarity is used at the end of the treatment.

For more information on our Electrotherapy Machines please visit our website at; http://www.thecarltongroup.co.uk.

Equipment

As a salon or spa owner, how do you choose which beauty salon equipment to purchase?  Whilst many so-called ‘concept’ machines are unaffordable for smaller salons and smaller spas, ‘basic’ machines, which offer results driven treatments are cost effective for any size of business.

It is vital when purchasing equipment to make sure you consider who your target audience is.  If you are targeting a more mature client, perhaps consider Microcurrent machines to facilitate facial lifting treatments, whilst the teenage market may benefit more from Galvanic deep cleansing treatments, for example.  How affluent are your clients? Will they be interested in one off treatments or will they be happy to commit to a course of 10 or more treatments.  These considerations influence the equipment you intend to purchase and the potential revenue you can successfully generate.  Also consider how you can enhance secondary spend.  Electrotherapy treatments offer your therapists the perfect opportunity to supply your clients with appropriate home care products.  This not only enhances your client’s treatment but also offers a regular financial reward to your salon or spa. 

Once you have decided what equipment you are going to buy, also consider carefully from whom you should purchase.  Ensure that you buy from an established, reliable company.  If the company manufactures its own equipment, for example, they may be able to offer you better advice on which machine is most appropriate for your salon or spa.  This ‘intimate’ product knowledge will also allow them to offer you better technical back up and customer care after your purchase.  Remember that keeping your equipment ‘healthy’ is vital to ensure your continued return on investment.

Epilation

Electrical epilation is the removal of hair by the use of an electrical current, we then have within this:

Electrolysis – Conduction of electricity by an electrolyte especially to introduce chemical change; the destruction of living tissue such as hair roots by the use of an electrical current.

Thermolysis – the destruction of tissue by the heating effect caused by the agitation of molecules in surrounding tissue where a High Frequency current has been applied.

The currents that can be used when performing epilation are High Frequency (Short Wave Diathermy) and Galvanic.

High Frequency

High Frequency is an alternating current oscillating at millions of cycles per second. The frequencies are measured in MHz (milli hertz) and the higher the frequency the more comfortable the sensation. The destructive force is heat by coagulation or cauterisation. High Frequency used for hair removed is by far the quicker of the two methods. The current is introduced into the follicle via a needle, which is carefully chosen for size. During the application of the current the needle itself doesn’t get hot but the moisture of the tissues does. A heating pattern occurs with the concentration of the heat at the tip of the needle causing the destruction of tissue in the lower follicle.

Galvanic

Galvanic is a direct current and when applied to a moist follicle chemical changes take place. The destructive force is a chemical (Sodium Hydroxide). Galvanic used for hair removal is a very good method, but the application is slow and tedious for both the therapist and the client, as it can take anything up to 1-2 minutes to remove a hair.

Both forms of epilation are of course effective but it was noted previously that when using a galvanic current permanent destruction of hair growth was obtained quicker than with high frequency, but the timing was just not acceptable.  A pioneer of his time, Henri St Pierre was unhappy with high frequency alone because of its percentage of regrowth and galvanic alone because of its time of application so his efforts to improve the treatment brought about the Blend.

Blend

It is the simultaneous flow of both High Frequency and Galvanic current down the needle, each retaining their own properties, in order to remove unwanted hair.

The High Frequency is the warming element and the Galvanic is the chemical distructive force, because it was found that if the area had warmth the chemical Sodium Hydroxide (lye) was produced quicker. Also the surrounding area became more porous allowing the lye to be absorbed quicker in the area and allowed it to stay around after the removal of the hair to carry on its destructive force. This method is faster than electrolysis (Galvanic) but slower than thermolysis (High Frequency) and requires approximately 75% less time to provide the same degree of destruction, as Galvanic alone.

Benefits of Thermolysis

• Shorter application time
• More hairs removed in one session

Benefits of Blend

• Shorter application time of the Galvanic current
• More comfortable
• Very good for curved follicles

For more information on our selection of Epilation Machines, please visit our website at;

http://www.thecarltongroup.co.uk.