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Skin
Deep
The Ionithermie Detox & Cellulite Maintenance System
by Georgia Beth Ridenhour
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Those
of you all too familiar with cellulite likely take notice
each time you hear or read about new methods of decreasing
the appearance of the unsightly stuff — and justifiably
so. Most women, and even some men, especially as they age,
struggle to rid their bodies of stubborn cellulite from common
areas such as the abdomen, buttocks and thighs. And to add
to their frustration, cellulite appears almost completely
resistant to diet and exercise.
While cellulite is perhaps the most aesthetically
displeasing sign of trapped fat and toxins in our bodies,
there’s much more going on below the surface. Toxins
that build up and reside in the fluids surrounding the tightly
packed fat cells creating cellulite can decrease our overall
energy levels, slow our metabolisms and impede our immune
systems. So it seems natural that the Ionithermie Detox system,
originally developed by the French biochemist Olivier Fouche
in 1979, would eventually make its way into our beauty and
wellness regimes.
“He [Fouche] noticed areas like the
knees were firming up and it was getting rid of cellulite,”
says Ionithermie Marketing Director Melissa Mackay. And so
it goes, for more than 20 years, Europeans have embraced the
Ionithermie system for its ability to: improve skin and muscle
tone; reduce inches; increase firmness; improve circulation
to areas of the body where blood flow and, subsequently, hydration
had been limited; rid the body of toxins; re-mineralize; balance
hormones; improve lymphatic drainage; and relax the body and
mind. “There have been several models developed since
[the first one],” Mackay adds, “but the products
have stayed about the same.”
Ionithermie has only been available in the
United States for less than two years and already Austin’s
own Dr. Michael Escobedo has incorporated it into his practice
at LazrSmooth Studios of Westlake Hills. “I came across
the system merely by accident,” Escobedo says, “when
I was on a cruise and got a treatment at the ship’s
spa. I was so impressed with it that I came home and started
checking into how I could offer it to my own clients.”
The Ionithermie system is comprised of four basic in-office
steps, taking about one hour per treatment, followed by the
use of take-home products. First, a therapist measures the
client in approximately five different areas of the body,
carefully marking the areas for comparative measuring after
the treatment. Then, products containing purifying algae,
ivy and amino acids are applied to the skin in the areas being
treated. These ingredients are said to increase circulation,
break down fatty deposits and release trapped toxins. An algae-infused,
electricity-conducive clay is applied to the skin during the
next phase, with electrodes being placed onto the selected
contact points. These electrodes conduct the galvanic and
faradic stimulation. Galvanic stimulation uses the positive
and negative ions in such a way as to deeply extract toxins
from within the skin and body. Faradic stimulation seeks to
restore weak and injured tissues and promote muscle tone and
skin firmness through electrical muscle contractions. In the
final phase, the electrodes and clay are removed, a cooling
body lotion is applied and the therapist remeasures and records
the inch-loss. Effects are immediate in most cases, and include
inch-loss of between one to eight inches as well as soft,
supple, toned skin.
“You can see and even smell the toxins
that have been removed after the treatments,” says LazrSmooth’s
therapist Sakre Heinze. Assuming the client follows the recommended
after care, including drinking plenty of water and avoiding
caffeine, alcohol and other toxins, results can last for several
days or longer. A series of up to 20 initial treatments is
usually recommended, followed by the daily use of at-home
products (purchased separately) and monthly in-office follow-up
treatments.
Ionithermie is recommended, according to
Escobedo, for those seeking to lose “those extra few
inches from those stubborn areas that diet and exercise alone
can’t get rid of.” It is not for those desiring
significant weight- and/or inch-loss. Some people are not
candidates for Ionithermie, including pregnant women or those
less than 12 weeks postnatal, individuals with cardiac, kidney
or liver problems and certain skin allergies.
LazrSmooth Studios, located at 3801 Bee Caves
Road, is currently the only facility in Austin offering Ionithermie.
To schedule a consultation, call (512) 347-9794.
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