We work hard to stay healthy. We try to eat nutritiously (if not indulging occasionally). We exercise to keep our bodies and brains active. We scour boutiques and articles for the latest and greatest potions and lotions to keep our skin wrinkle-free and luminous and our hair bouncing and brilliant.
We want to look and feel good, both inside and out. And sometimes we like to step outside of the box to find the newest, most cutting-edge techniques and treatments to get there. We tapped five local experts to tell us how they stay ahead of the game — for their clients and for themselves. Here’s what they told us.
ELIZABETH FACE + BODY MED SPA
The Elizabeth Face and Body Med Spa is a physician-led practice that offers facial, skin and body rejuvenation treatments under the guidance of double board-certified vascular and general surgeon Dr. Elizabeth Pensler. Spa services run the gamut from Botox cosmetic treatments to laser therapy to massage and everything in between.
Morpheus 8 with Radio Frequency produces cell turnover and stimulates collagen production to assist in diminishing fine lines and wrinkles and tighten skin. This treatment also can address textural concerns such as acne scarring, cellulite and stretch marks by creating a smoother skin appearance, and can be done every four to six weeks for optimal success.
Chemical peels can prevent and correct the skin’s appearance by shedding the top layer of the skin and promoting new skin cell turnover. This treatment can be repeated every two weeks, depending on skin type and desired results.
CHIROPRACTIC LIFESTYLE STUDIO
Chiropracticlifestylestudios.com
This Royal Oak studio, led by Guy Riekeman, D.C. and Wes Paten, D.C., was founded on the principle that "the body is a beautiful self-developing, self-healing and self-maintaining wonder," says Riekeman. It offers chiropractic care, focusing on spinal malfunction resulting from neurological interference like physical trauma, environmental toxins and emotional stress. In addition to in-office care, CLS has developed an app for remote patient management to support patients in addressing a broad range of prevention and wellness issues like weight loss, sleep, long-Covid, gut health, pre-diabetes control, healthy pregnancy, stress management, learning disorders and more.
Brain Therapy In addition to traditional chiropractic therapies, the studio offers cognitive brain therapy, which utilizes the best technology in functional neurology, a non-drug approach to integrating and balancing areas of the brain to restore lost/impaired function and optimize brain performance. Brain therapy, paired with chiropractic care, has been shown to offer considerable benefits to aging individuals with memory, balance and brain fog issues.
SKINTERVENTION MEDICAL SPA
Bloomfield Hills’ Skintervention Medical Spa offers skincare technology that “resurfaces and enhances” the face’s natural beauty, says medical director Dalia Gappy. Services include chemical peels, body sculpting, skin tightening and anti-aging treatments.
Micro-Needling Skintervention utilizes the leading micro-needling device, SkinPen Precision, for micro-needling procedures. It is an FDA-approved cosmetic procedure that activates the body’s skin-healing power to increase collagen and elastin, so your skin returns to a healthy and youthful appearance. The process can also help minimize acne scars, surgical scars and dark spots/pigmentation.
Halo (Sciton Laser) utilizes a hybrid fractional laser to deliver ablative and nonablative wavelengths simultaneously. Ablative lasers remove the top layer of skin, and nonablative lasers heat the deeper skin tissue (without harming the surface), so your body can produce new collagen.
AMERICAN ACUPUNCTURE CENTER
The American Acupuncture Center in Bloomfield Hills offers a full range of acupuncture services, including cupping therapy, Gua Sha and massage. Acupuncture, one of the most common traditional Chinese healing modalities, involves the insertion of thin, solid, sterile, stainless-steel needles at specific energy points (meridians) in the body to restore balance. Balance may mean body temperature, metabolism, the strength of bodily organs and other factors. When this energy is blocked, problems arise; the body functions correctly when in balance and flow.
Acupuncture “We regularly address individuals with shoulder and back pain by sending an electrical signal through acupuncture needles into a muscle with the most electrical conductivity,” says Dr. Serena LoDuca, owner of the American Acupuncture Center. This signal, she notes, disrupts the “pain” signal the muscle receives from the nervous system to tighten and protect, resulting in increased muscle relaxation.
Cosmetic acupuncture LoDuca also offers a treatment in which tiny acupuncture needles are inserted into wrinkles to stimulate collagen and plump the skin. Facial firming treatments can strengthen and firm up facial muscles by stimulating the jaw and cheek motor points to create more definition.
RESTORE HYPER WELLNESS
Based in Royal Oak, Restore Hyper Wellness, under the leadership of Scott Marcus, offers the latest in wellness treatments ranging from cryotherapy to infrared saunas, intramuscular shots and facials.
Whole Body Cryotherapy uses extreme cold to freeze and remove abnormal tissue like skin conditions (including warts and skin tags) and some cancers. There is some evidence it can help skin defy signs of aging: When blood vessels constrict, blood is redirected away from the extremities and toward the core to protect the organs. Cryotherapy can help reduce inflammation, boost the metabolic rate and decrease joint pain.
IV Drip Therapy Though a relatively new use for anti-aging purposes, intravenous therapy is an established medical procedure that delivers benefits via fluid injected into veins in the body through a syringe or infusion, also known as a drip. Restore’s medical team harnesses this modality with customized “drip cocktails” comprised of vitamin C, B-complex or Proline (an amino acid used to heal the skin). Proline supports collagen production, a skin-tightening and strengthening protein. Hydration, the key to the appearance of healthy skin, is a perfect drip to pair with a facial — boosting the facial results.
