Bloggers Night Out with SkinSpirit Med Spa

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of getting a hands-on look inside SkinSpirit in Mill Valley. Mill Valley is just a short drive across the Golden Gate from where I live, but they also have two other Bay Area locations in Walnut Creek and Palo Alto. Medically overseen by Dr. Vistnes, MD, SkinSpirit is a medical spa backed by a board certified plastic surgeon and carries a philosophy of science-backed treatments to pamper, protect, and prevent skin conditions. Whether you’re 25 or 65 years old, there’s a treatment here for you! Let me tell you a little about some of the services I learned about.

Juvederm: Used to fill lines and lost volume in the face, Juvederm injections can be subtle or substantial depending on your needs. One of the spa specialists snapped this photo of me and then used the Juvederm iOS app to show what I might look like after three full syringe injections. You’d get one to three injections in one visit, so I thought it’d be fun to see all that it could do. Look at those child-like pinchable cheeks! My smile lines are also significantly softened.

BOTOX: Probably the most famous of the services offered, BOTOX helps relax wrinkles and lines to give you more relaxed and youthful-looking skin. While I was too chicken to try out this procedure, I saw a few people have this done on their forehead and I’m still innately curious.

Ultherapy: This is a non-invasive treatment that uses ultrasound technology to tighten up and firm areas like the neck or forehead. There’s no downtime either, so you could do this treatment and not have to worry about the recovery period associated with actual plastic surgery.

VelaShape: This is a FDA-cleared, non-invasive treatment that targets unwanted fat and helps smooth out cellulite. From what I understand, the treatment feels like warm suction that runs back and forth on your body. Patients should schedule multiple sessions to see consistent results, but some people see small results even after one treatment. The technician even said some patients fall asleep because they’re so relaxed during this “deep tissue massage” type treatment.

Microdermabrasion: While I didn’t get to try microderm at this event, I’m headed back to SkinSpirit in a few weeks for an appointment, which is my first ever treatment of its kind. This procedure is the next step up from a standard spa facial or peel, in my opinion. This might sound scary, but think of tiny fine crystals brushing the top layers of your skin at a very high speed, and that’s essentially microderm. As someone in their mid twenties, I have plenty of acne scars I would like to lighten with a skin refinishing treatment like this. Based on the Reveal Skin Analysis sheet pictured above, I actually have pretty minimal sun damage (damage is dark red spots, obviously skewed by some eye makeup), but I do still battle redness and healing acne spots. Occasional microderm, paired with regular facials and disciplined skin care, is something I hope to maintain to keep my skin looking as youthful as possible.

I have to give a huge thanks to SkinSpirit for inviting me to this event and hooking me up with this deluxe gift bag with some certificates to try out the services I missed. During a raffle I even won a full size bottle of SkinMedica’s TNS Essential Serum, which is a $260 miracle skin serum, and I’m still floored about it. If you’re a Bay Area local, there’s really no better med spa to choose from than one backed by a plastic surgeon. You’ll be in great hands!