[ Okay, this is incredibly detailed, but I figured maybe someone would find this useful! ]
Today's appointment at JEM was the first time I've ever gotten a facial (which is why I wanted to try out a higher quality establishment). Mainly, I wanted to have a specialist look at my skin, which has suffered from persistent light acne for the past two years.
I decided to go with the New Client Welcome Facial ($120 for both a Signature Facial + phototherapy treament), and got an appointment with Michelle, who turned out to be very professional and courteous. She's not terribly talkative, which on the plus side means she's concentrating wholly on the process, but on the negative side feels a little standoffish.
Overall, it lasted about 1.5 hours. Michelle started off with a brief explanation of what she was going to do: facial cleansing, extraction, phototherapy, hydration, and light head/shoulder/back massages in between. The room is very clean and private. (It was a little embarrassing on my part because it took me a while to figure out that the yellow robe laid out was, in fact, a robe and not some kind of skirt. It leaves your entire decolletage exposed for the purpose of massage.)
The cleansing itself involved three separate mask-like products, which felt cool and refreshing. The third had a strong fruity smell, which didn't bother me, but if you're sensitive to that sort of thing you'll definitely want to bring it up ahead of time. Each product was gently wiped off by a warm towel, and the whole thing was followed by steaming, which came from a hose-like contraption that hovered above my face. Felt super nice!
Prior to the actual extraction, Michelle brought out this electric skin scraper thing (I don't remember the actual name), which sounds scarier than it really is. What it does is use high vibration, which -- as it comes in contact with your skin -- brings all the dirty stuff trapped deep inside your pores to the surface. What I really appreciated was that Michelle not only did my face but also the areas beneath my chin/jaws and my decolletage.
Extraction was the only unpleasant part. It basically felt like a long series of sharp needle-like pinches, but what is (eventual) beauty without pain?
Phototherapy was done with something that sort of looked like a handheld roller massager. It applies both heat and light using a series of flashing pulses, one section of your face at a time. What it allegedly does is even out the pigmentation and promote collagen production. (I'm a little skeptical here, but I'm guessing repeat treatment is needed to actually see results.) The pulses become progressively warmer but never get too hot.
Last was the hydration mask, the moisture from which is sent deep into your skin via ultrasonic (I think?) paddles. The entire treatment was then wrapped up with a final massage.
Right away, I got up to look at my face in the mirror, and I was really happy to see a visible difference: pores cleared out, acne reddened from being extracted, and an overall brightness. The feel of my skin was beyond awesome -- I honestly don't think it's ever been cleaner or more taut than it was today. Definitely not a feeling you can replicate at home.
Michelle pinpointed my main problem: severe skin dehydration, which may have been exacerbated by the products I use regularly (e.g. Clearasil). And she recommended ways that I can correct that. Also, she showed me the product line JEM sells and recommends (Image Skincare), but never tried to push it on me, which I thought was exemplary in terms of customer service. In her opinion, she doesn't want to force people to buy something new if they haven't used up their existing products yet. As a bonus, she gave me free samples of two of their cleansers (Clear Cell and Vital C), so I can decide for myself whether they're right for me.
I asked Michelle how often clients tend to visit, and she did say that JEM typically recommends one visit a month, but doesn't want clients to come in when it's unnecessary. In my case, she said if I start hydrating my skin properly, I may not even need another appointment!
Long story short: I highly recommend this place! It's awesome. read more
