A New You for the Holidays and New Year: How varicose vein treatment can improve your health

Varicose veins are not just unsightly; they can be painful and result in more serious complications such as ulcers and hemorrhaging. With the New Year rapidly approaching, this time of year is the perfect opportunity to take charge of your health and resolve to be your best, healthiest self. This year, make a resolution to get rid of unsightly veins, painful swelling, and discoloration for good.

At Pacific Vein Care and Blue Sky Medical Spa, we understand that looking good and feeling good go hand-in-hand, and are closely tied to a healthy self-image. Fortunately, thanks to treatment improvements, varicose veins are often easily and quickly taken care of in an outpatient setting. Insurance may cover the cost of treating varicose veins if they are due to a medical condition, such as venous insufficiency.

Treating varicose veins most often involves closing off the problem veins so that blood stops pooling in them. Once these veins are closed off, they will fade. Pain and swelling also disappears as blood is successfully rerouted through healthy veins. It is safe to remove varicose veins, because these veins are dysfunctional, and your body has already made new veins. In fact, removing these damaged veins allows your body to circulate blood more efficiently through its newer, healthier veins. Some of the methods implemented to close off veins are laser surgery (by a burst of light), sclerotherapy (by foam, or a solution that causes scarring), radiofrequency (by heat), or microphlebectomy (by extracting veins through tiny incisions).

At Pacific Vein Care, our treatment approach is:

●       Revolutionary and unmatched by other vein-only centers.

●       Quick and convenient, with treatments usually under 1-2 hours for a single vein.

●       Minimally-invasive.

●       Committed to giving you “healthy legs for life.”

●       Outpatient, with a fast recovery time.

●       The most advanced methods that are both effective and pain-free. 

Located in McHenry, IL, Pacific Vein Care and its medical spa, Blue Sky, can help you achieve a better, healthier you for 2017! For more information or to set up a free consultation, call (815) 759-2368 or visit our site. We at Pacific Vein Care and Blue Sky Medical Spa wish you a bright holiday season, Happy New Year, and a successful journey on your path to wellness!

 

Skin Care Specials for a Beautiful Holiday Season

The hustle and bustle of the “most wonderful time of the year” can also bring a great deal of stress as you try to fit it all in. It can also mean forgetting to take care of yourself as you rush to find the perfect gift and make time for one more holiday gathering. At Blue Sky Med Spa in McHenry, IL, we want to remind you to take some time to treat yourself this holiday season.  And to make it easier, we are offering special pricing on four popular treatments if you book before December 31, 2016.

Facial Treatments – Facials are not only great way to pamper yourself, but can also help your skin look great for upcoming holiday gatherings.  They can also improve circulation and blood flow under the skin’s surface and promote cell renewal; as well as deep cleaning in a way that your normal skin care routine is unable. Toxins and dirt that build-up under the surface of your skin can cause puffiness, ruddiness and breakouts. A facial allows you to cleanse at a much deeper level while smoothing fine lines and wrinkles on the surface. Customize a 60-minute facial for only $149 and get at free NeoCutis ritual kit, while supplies last.

VI Purity Peel – This gentle and powerful medical-grade chemical peel is the perfect treatment for individuals who suffer from acne and acne scars. It also can help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, age and sun spots, hyperpigmentation, enlarged pores and a variety of other skin concerns. Book your treatment before

December 31, 2016 for only $149.

Micro-needling – Reduce acne and scaring, diminish fine lines and wrinkles and help boost collagen production with this popular treatment. Micro-needling promotes the body’s natural collagen and elastin production while improving the skin’s texture for a glowing complexion. In addition, it has been shown to improve the absorption of other healthful skin serums. The procedure is minimally invasive with little downtime. Book your 60-minute treatment for only $179 – now through the end of the year.

Laser Procedures – Get 15 percent off all laser treatments until December 31, 2016. Reduce the appearance of scarring, fine lines and wrinkles, and improve tone and texture. Book early so you can look your best for all your holiday gatherings.

Contact the team at Blue Sky Medical Spa today to book your holiday skin care treatments.

Feel Good in Your Skin With Blue Sky Med Spa

Crow’s feet? Rosacea? Ingrown hairs? These may not be things we want to talk about, but they’re also not going away. Our skin is one of the most weathered and well-used parts of our body. When we experience the wear and tear of aging, we either shrug our shoulders at the inevitable or look for the next great skin care solution.

Blue Sky Med Spa can help!

Skin rejuvenation is possible. Laser therapy offers the latest technology for treating blemishes and skin conditions. Laser treatment stimulates your skin’s proteins, regenerating collagen to tighten and renew your skin. What can laser treatments do for you?

•        Rejuvenate Aging Skin: Wrinkles, age spots, and scars can all be eliminated using laser technology. This helps you to look as young on the outside as you feel on the inside!

•        Eliminate Chronic Discomfort: You don’t need put up with painful conditions such as varicose veins and psoriasis! These conditions can easily be treated with minimally-invasive laser technology.

•        Confident in Your Own Skin: An endless cycle of topical treatments to beat rosacea, chronic acne, or warts can take a toll on your morale and wallet, especially when they stubbornly persist.

Blue Sky Med Spa offers the latest in a new generation of aesthetic and dermatology lasers including the LightPod line by Aerolase. Traditional laser technology uses long-pulse lasers, which painfully over-stress the skin. Aerolase uses air-cooled electronic lasers and a new technology with adjusted pulse duration to offer a state-of-the-art laser treatment that’s a cut above the rest.

What does this mean for your treatment?

•        Non-invasive and pain free

•        Targeted treatment, minimize additional absorption by surrounding skin

•        Available for all skin types without the need for cooling during treatment

•        No additional costs for anesthetics or topical cooling agents

Blue Sky Med Spa offers laser treatments for a variety of skin problems. To learn more about the types of treatment we offer, as well as the expected duration and frequency of the treatments, visit our website. We’re ready to serve you on your journey to looking good and feeling great! Schedule an appointment at 815-759-2368 for your FREE consultation today. 

Back to School Fall Spa Specials

Check out our back to school fall spa specials! With fall officially here, it’s easy for moms to forget about their needs and well being as they focus on getting kids acclimated to a new school year. There’s one more item on your school supply list that deserves attention… your health, beauty and wellness.

Now that school is back in session, it’s time to focus on you! Pacific Vein Care is currently offering a 15% reduction on any laser services done through September 30th and Blue Sky Med Spa specials through October include a Mini Facial for $29.00, a VI Peel for $195.00 and Micro-Needling (60 minutes) for $79.00.

Take a look at some of the laser services available at Pacific Vein Care:

• Endovenous Ablation – Do you suffer from varicose veins? Endovenous ablation treatment uses radiofrequency or laser energy to create intense heat in varicose veins. That heat is then directed through a catheter to close up the varicose vein.
• Spider Veins – Blue Sky Med Spa uses laser and pulsed light to complete sclerotherapy in the thighs and lower legs. Laser therapy is quick, safe and you can immediately resume most normal activities.
• Hair Removal – If you are sick of shaving, tweezing or waxing, there is an easier way to get rid of unwanted hair. Laser hair removal uses pulses of laser light to destroy the hair follicle and prevent regrowth.
• Skin Tightening/Rejuvenation – Laser skin tightening is a minimally invasive process that uses a laser to heat the collagen under the skin’s surface, causing the skin to tighten.

Located in McHenry, Illinois, Pacific Vein Care is dedicated to providing revolutionary vein treatment for both men and women. If you are suffering from varicose veins or spider veins, make sure to take advantage of our back to school fall spa specials. Give us a call at (815) 759-2368 to schedule your consultation with Pacific Vein Care today!

The Benefits of Laser Services at Blue Sky Medical Spa

Laser services are able to treat a variety of problematic, stubborn, and unsightly conditions. From acne to unwanted hair growth, nail fungus, spider veins, skin tags, and more, laser therapy can benefit you! You don’t have to live indefinitely with these problems. A medical spa can help by performing medical services in a relaxed, comforting spa environment instead of in a doctor’s office.

Right now, Blue Sky Medical Spa is offering a special 15% reduction in any laser service performed by September 30th.

A New Generation of Laser Skin Treatments

Blue Sky Medical Spa is proud to offer the next generation in medical laser technology, which combines more power with increased comfort and efficiency. Previously, laser machines were bulky, requiring water-cooled lasers that were less targeted and longer in duration. Our Aerolase LightPod Neo uses new 650-microsecond technology to deliver precision-targeted, short-pulse lasers without needing to cool the skin for treatment. This new technology also does away with the pain of older methods of laser treatment, as well as protects the surrounding epidermal melanin by blocking unnecessary absorption. With most conditions only requiring just 1-6 treatments, you’ll be amazed at what lasering can do for your confidence and wellbeing!

Laser Benefits

Lasering helps alleviate a wide variety of unwanted skin problems so that you can look and feel your best. Some of the conditions lasers treat include:

• Wrinkles and sagging
• Spider veins
• Scars
• Acne and Rosacea
• Nail fungus
• Warts
• Unwanted hair growth and ingrown hairs
• Psoriasis
• Pigmentation and age spots
• Bruises
• Angiomas and Melasma

To learn more about our state-of-the-art laser services, conditions we treat, and details on treatment frequency and duration, visit our Lasering page. Don’t forget to take advantage of our current 15% off special, now through September 30th!

To find out the Benefits of Laser Services at Blue Sky Medical Spa or make an appointment for a free consultation, or to schedule services, call (815) 759-2368, or visit Pacific Vein Care’s medical spa, Blue Sky. Located in McHenry, IL, Pacific Vein Care and Blue Sky Medical Spa strive to make you feel and look your best!

“Because when you feel good, you look good.”

The Benefits of Medical Skin Treatments

The benefits of medical skin treatments are abundant. Did you know that Botox isn’t just for foreheads? Botox can treat crow’s feet, overactive eye muscles and other muscle spasms, frown lines, and even migraine headaches and excess sweating.

Botox works by temporarily paralyzing muscles, such as the ones that make our facial expressions, so that they relax and give the skin a smoother appearance. Botox treatments work best on “dynamic” wrinkles, meaning those that haven’t set into permanent lines yet. Dynamic wrinkles only appear when certain movements are made, such as squinting or smiling. Because the effects of these injections are temporary, if you don’t love the way you look afterwards, your skin will return to its previous appearance once the medication wears off.

Cosmetic Botox is created in medical labs and is derived from diluted Clostridium Botulinum, a toxin that is dangerous to humans when eaten in its pure form, but has been deemed safe by the FDA for medical and cosmetic uses.

One of the most popular areas for Botox injections is the area around the eyes. Eye wrinkles are often of the “dynamic” type described above, and respond exceptionally well to Botox administration. Other popular areas include the brow, which smooths frown lines between the eyes, giving both men and women a happier, more youthful appearance, and of course, the forehead.

Botox should always be administered by a qualified professional in a medical setting, such as a doctor’s office or medical spa. Side effects from Botox are rare, but occasionally an allergic reaction or bruising at the injection site can occur. It is important to fully disclose all current medications and natural or herbal remedies before receiving Botox injections due to possible interactions between drugs. To read more about the benefits of Botox and how to prepare for treatment, click here!

If you think Botox is for you, call (815) 759-2368 to set up a free consultation with Blue Sky Med Spa and learn more about the benefits of medical skin treatments!  Located in McHenry, IL, Pacific Vein Care and Blue Sky Medical Spa are devoted to the highest level of quality and offer a wide range of services, including medical skin treatments and facial injectables. Let our team help you look and feel your best!

Don’t Forget About Dad This Father’s Day

It’s officially June and that means beautiful weather, fun in the sun and plenty of summer recreation. With all of the excitement that summer brings, it can be easy to forget that the June 19^th is Father’s Day.  This is an important day to celebrate all that dads do for us.  Often times, shopping for the perfect Father’s Day gift can be a challenge. If you’re seeing Father’s Day ads for the usual mugs, ties, and fishing gear and feeling stumped, Pacific Vein Care can help!

                

Does your dad suffer from varicose veins and spider veins?  Give the gift of good health with a gift card towards Pacific Vein Care or Blue Sky MedSpa!  While many people think of varicose and spider veins as being a problem for only women, the condition is just as common in men.  Varicose veins, also known as varicosities, are twisted, enlarged veins near the surface of the skin that overfill with blood.  Symptoms come in many forms but the most common include swelling, itchiness, numbness, throbbing, and pain near the veins. 

Varicose veins can affect men of all ages but the risk increases with age.  While this condition is typically inherited, it can also be caused by obesity, prolonged standing or trauma.  Many men who experience varicose veins try to avoid the issue but treatment options are fast, easy and effectively work for both men and women.  At Pacific Vein Care, we offer a number of vascular treatment services including ambulatory phlebectomy, compression therapy, endovenus ablation, and sclerotherapy.

Like many conditions, varicose veins will progress without treatment.  If the man in your life is suffering from vascular issues, stop into Pacific Vein Care and pick up a gift card he will actually use!  We offer the latest in revolutionary treatment techniques that provide real results for varicose veins, leg swelling and pain related to vein reflux disease.  Father’s Day is right around the corner – hurry in and pick up the gift of good health at Pacific Vein Care!

Mother’s Day Gifts from Blue Sky Med Spa!

Mother’s Day is just about here! Have you gotten the special lady in your life a gift yet? Mother’s Day is the third biggest holiday for sending cards, behind Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Moms often receive flowers on this day as well, but if you want to get her something more useful than a bouquet of blooms, then consider gifting her spa services or products from Blue Sky Med Spa!

Pamper Mom this Mother’s Day with any of the spa services expertly provided by Blue Sky Med Spa. Choose from massage therapy, lasering, facial treatments, and more. Every service from Blue Sky Med Spa will help Mom look good and feel good! You can also get her a Blue Sky Med Spa gift card that she can use toward any of the services of her choosing. Or, if she’d rather, she can use it to purchase any of the wonderful products we offer:

●       Neocutis - We carry the Neocutis line of skin care products, which were originally designed for wound healing. These products contain PSP (Process Skin cell Proteins) and MPC (Micro Protein Complex) to deliver super-potent anti-aging benefits to your skin.

●       Visao MD - Visao MD is a plant-based medical grade professional and home care line of products. These products are called “skin care cocktails” and focus on anti-aging, acne, rosacea, and sensitive skin care.

●       Obagi - Obagi products are designed to help minimize the appearance of premature skin aging, skin damage, hyperpigmentation, acne, and sun damage and are primarily available through dermatologists, plastic surgeons, medical spas, and other skin care professionals.

●       Latisse - Latisse is an FDA-approved treatment to grow eyelashes for people with inadequate or not enough lashes. Latisse grows your eyelashes thicker, fuller, and darker.

●       Dermaka - Dermaka is an all-natural plant based cream to use post procedure for sclerotherapy, chemical, and laser peels.  It has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Clinical testing has shown Dermaka to show rapid resolution of inflammatory changes, swelling, and bruising.

We’re only a few days away from Mother’s Day, so be sure to give her the gift of good health. Stop by Pacific Vein Care/Blue Sky Med Spa yourself to pick up any of these wonderful products for Mom, or get her a gift card so she can choose herself!

The Benefits of Micro-needling

Micro-needling is the latest trend in anti-aging skin care. Even though it’s seeing a surge in popularity, micro-needling has been around for some time. Micro-needling therapy is minimally invasive skin rejuvenation procedure that involves rolling fine needles over the skin. These needles puncture the skin to create a controlled skin injury. It may sound bad, but these small, microscopic injuries trigger the body to fill the wounds by producing new collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin are both proteins that live in our tissue and give our skin that youthful, wrinkle-free plumpness and elasticity. As we age, these proteins diminish, so many anti-aging remedies and skin rejuvenation treatments aim to raise their levels and restore our skin to a more youthful appearance.

At Blue Sky Med Spa, we use the Power Rejuvenator (PR) Pen, an automated micro-needling pen that visibly tightens the skin of the face, neck, décolleté and hands for a more youthful appearance. The PR Pen is safe and more effective than the readily available micro-needle rollers you can buy online. The PR Pen moves the needles in a vertical direction for better precision when treating the skin, whereas needle rollers do not create a precise vertical action, which can irritate the skin and generate inconsistent effects.

So how does the PR Pen work?

When you arrive at the Blue Sky Med Spa office on the day of your treatment, you will be comfortably positioned on a cart. A topical anesthetic will be applied to your face, or other target area, to minimize any possible discomfort. A sterile cartridge containing the micro-needles is then attached to the PR Pen. Next, in a single motion, the pen will be gently pressed against the skin while simultaneously gliding until the entire treatment area has been covered. The feeling associated with the PR Pen is akin to sandpaper lightly being moved across the skin. Most procedures last less than an hour, and you may begin to see results before you even leave the office! With progressive healing, final results are typically achieved within six weeks. Some patients will see optimal results with one treatment. Yearly follow-ups help keep the skin vibrant and refreshed. Others, especially older patients, may want to receive 2-3 treatments each year to stimulate collagen and elastin production.

To learn more about micro-needling or our other spa services, visit the Blue Sky Med Spa website or give us a call today at 815-759-2368!

Spring Renewal at Pacific Vein Care!

Spring Renewal at Pacific Vein Care! Spring is here… Are your legs warm weather ready, or are your spider veins going to keep them covered? Get rejuvenated at Pacific Vein Care and Blue Sky Med Spa just in time for shorts season!

Although the physical appearance aspect is one of the top concerns for most people when it comes to varicose veins, this disease comes with a host of other complications, including pain, swelling, phlebitis, and sometimes even hemorrhage. Also known as venous insufficiency, varicose veins are a widely recognized diseased and most insurances will cover the treatment.

At Pacific Vein Care, we have specialized training in venous disease treatments and use sclerotherapy techniques to treat venous insufficiency. A concern of many patients is that they’re worried their varicose veins will return. This is not true of sclerotherapy is done correctly and with the most effective sclerosant. Pacific Vein Care uses a sclerosant called Polidocanol, which is highly effective and painless. We also use Radiofrequency Ablation Treatment, which uses a catheter with a heated tip to shrink varicose veins. Blood than naturally gets diverted to your healthy veins instead! Recurrence following this treatment is only two to three percent!

So get your varicose veins taken care of at Pacific Vein Care, and you can stop hiding your legs when warm weather rolls around! No spider veins in sight but in need of a spa rejuvenation? Right now, Blue Sky Med Spa is running some springtime spa specials. Waxing services are 25% off any one area, and we are also running specials on VI facial peels and Juvederm injectable fillers now through the end of April. Look and feel your best with help from Blue Sky Med Spa!

Spring Renewal at Pacific Vein Care! Feel confident again just in time for spring. Schedule an appointment from on our site or call Pacific Vein Care at 815-759-2368 to schedule your consultation, and be on your way to healthy legs for life!

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day is known as the holiday of love. It is punctuated by flowers, chocolates, poetic greeting cards and paper hearts. About 150 million cards are exchanged for Valentine’s Day each year, making it the second most popular card-sending holiday next to Christmas. But do you know the history behind why we celebrate February 14th and how it came to be the holiday it is today? Read on to find out!

The history of Valentine’s Day and the holiday’s namesake, Saint Valentine, is not entirely known. The holiday is thought to have began as a Christian celebration of the martyr Saint Valentine of Rome. It is believed that Valentine’s Day was created many centuries ago to be celebrated at the same time the three-day Roman pagan fertility festival, Lupercalia, was observed. Thus, Valentine’s Day fell on February 14th, right smack in the middle of Lupercalia.

According to history.com, the legend of Saint Valentine contends that he was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Legend claims an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is said that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a heroic and romantic figure.

Today, Valentine’s Day is still a holiday of romance, albeit much more commercialized. A trip to most stores during this time will show you aisles upon aisles of red – roses, heart-shaped things, boxes of chocolates, teddy bears and much more! But what about blue? If you’re looking to get your significant other a unique token of love, consider a gift card to Blue Sky Med Spa! Blue Sky Med Spa offers a variety of spa services like massage, facials, as well as cosmetic and medical treatments. Give your significant other a gift he or she will truly cherish – the gift of good health! Stop by our office to pick up your gift card or visit Blue Sky Med Spa for more information on the services offered. 

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Compression Therapy for Varicose Veins

Vein disease plagues about one in three Americans over the age of 45. Varicose veins are an unfortunate family trait, often appearing in the form of oversized, bulging, bluish cords easily visible under the skin. Sometimes they do not bulge, but rather are small, purplish, flooded capillaries called spider veins. Varicose and spider veins can be painful and unsightly, but thankfully there are several avenues of treatment you can take to healthy legs for life. At Pacific Vein Care, we specialize in several different therapies to treat varicose veins. The focus of this blog will be on compression therapy.

Compression therapy is the use of compression stockings over a period of time. These stockings squeeze the leg and allow the valves to be closer together and function properly. This helps the blood flow easier and your legs respond accordingly with less swelling, fatigue, discomfort, pain, heaviness, throbbing, and cramping. Most insurance companies require this as part of their conservative therapy criteria prior to approval for procedures.

One thing to keep in mind about compression therapy is that while it helps relieve symptoms, it is not a true cure for varicose veins. Support stockings are a temporary measure that will not fix a chronic, physical problem like the new, effective, minimally invasive technologies and treatments will. Compression stockings are not a definitive treatment, but they are a good place to start when it comes to vein disease.

Compression stockings can be purchased at Pacific Vein Care, where we will measure and use our suppliers sizing chart to get the right fit for you. Since each patient’s diagnosis and symptoms are different, a consultation with Pacific Vein Care will help us get you into the correct compression gradient and stocking length for your particular situation. We will also take the time to explain how to properly use your stockings for compression therapy, and if the compression therapy isn’t doing the trick for your varicose veins, we’ll talk about the next step for you in treatment. To schedule your consultation with Pacific VeinCare and be on your way to healthy legs for life, give us a call today at 815-759-2368!