The pursuit of beauty is so ingrained in human nature that not even the pandemic lockdown stopped practitioners’ phones from ringing.

Although many are shuttered in their homes and masked up in public spaces, there are still Zoom meetups that warrant the desire for a camera-ready face. So, when salons and spas reopened, there was a rush for next-generation services that expand on established therapies.

According to Dr. W. Y. Chung of Vein & Skin Center of Hawaii, the pandemic has provided the right circumstances for procedures.

“People are using the downtime to their advantage. I’m seeing more people who always wanted to come in but couldn’t because of their work situations.”

Mask-wearing made it easier to go out while still in recovery mode because the treatments often involve superficial injury to the skin.

Here’s a rundown of services available:

FIBROBLAST PLASMA PEN

Plasma fibroblast therapy uses a pen-like device to target fibroblasts, collagen–and protein-producing cells in the dermis, to help lift and tighten skin.

“It’s like a hot pen,” explains Nikki Kerney of Way Gone Aesthetics. “It’s one of the few treatments that allows us to work on the upper eyelid without risk.”

The pen tip never touches the skin, but comes close enough to release a high- frequency electric current that creates micro injuries. The heat damage stimu- lates fibroblast activity leading to tissue regeneration and tightening that helps to deal with age spots, acne scars, and wrinkles, primarily on the eyelids, neck, jawline and around the lips. Way Gone Aes- thetics is at 320 Ward Ave. Suite 212. Call (808) 721-6518.

HYALURON PEN

Using technology developed for needle-free delivery of insulin for diabetics, the hyaluron pen uses streams of air pressure to deposit hyaluronic acid filler into the upper dermal layers of the skin to plump, shape and lift treatment areas such as lips, nasolabial and marionette lines and forehead wrinkles.

“It’s a softer way of enhancing beauty without any needles,” says Erin Costa, an aesthetician who works out of Kimmie Jacob Hair Salon. She said its results look natural because the filler is dispersed over a larger area. “It’s like using a spray bottle instead of going straight down into a single spot.”

Treatments start at $300. Erin Costa at Kimmie Jacob Hair Salon, 705 S. King St. 206. Call or text (808) 286-3425.

MICRO-CHANNELING

Similar to micro-needling that involves perforating the skin with thin needles to induce cell turnover and deliver serums into the skin, this procedure uses needles no thicker than a strand of hair to punc- ture the skin using a hand-held device instead of a roller. This helps the practitio- ner to target more specific areas.

According to aesthetician Izumi Nagahama of Beauty Elements, a trainer in ProCell stem cell therapies, the needling creates channels within the skin for delivery of stem-cell growth factors that help to rejuvenate skin. The service is available at Lash Love, 660 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 220, (808) 489-715 and through Kristianne Mitsuyoshi of Bliss Esthetics at Fine Line Studio, 719 Kamehameha Hwy. Suite B105, (808) 541-7276.

PLATELET-RICH PLASMA

To boost the results of micro-needling and laser treatments, Vein & Skin Center of Hawaii has added PRP or platelet-rich plasma to its list of services, which incorporates a patient’s own growth factors as a kind of fertilizer for the skin.

The treatment starts with taking a small sample of the patient’s blood, which is put into a centrifuge to separate red blood cells and other components from platelets rich in growth factors, including seven that affect hair growth.

Instead of a commercial product, the PRP is used as a serum in conjunction with micro-needling and or fractional C02 laser treatment to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and address volume loss.

“People feel comfortable with it because it’s their own body that is used for healing,” says center owner Dr. W.Y. Chung.

Treatments with PRP start at about $800. Vein & Skin Center of Hawaii is at 1585 Kapi‘olani Blvd. Suite 1740. Call (808) 949-8346.

STEMCELL REVIVE

This treatment program developed by founder Majara Belisle is based on non-embryonic stem cell derivatives and peptides to address wrinkles, to scarring, spots and discoloration.

Enter SkinCell Revive, a facial and skin treatment kit to use at home. The kit includes a StemCell Revive pen that uses nanotechnology to apply growth factor-and cytokine-rich stem cell and amino acid serums to repair tissue and stimulate the body’s natural regeneration mechanisms, plus a 30-day supply of Hyaluronic Essence for daily moisturizing aftercare.

The painless, non-invasive treatment takes 20 minutes to apply and requires no recovery time.
The StemCell Revive kit retails for $499 at stemcellrevive.com.