Beauty Byline with Sanah: Ice Ice Baby

Sanah Sayani

If you’ve ever wondered how new beauty trends make their way into the market, it’s because your estheticians and cosmetologists attend beauty trade shows. These shows, held around the nation, are where every year thousands of people are introduced to new services, techniques and products. This summer, my team and I took a trip to Las Vegas for The International Esthetics, Cosmetics and Spa Conference. We saw a lot and learned a lot but one technique really caught my attention - ice sculpting.

PureSculpt® uses ice and sculpting tools to burn fat and tone skin on your face and body. When the ice touches your skin, your body is going to try to warm you up. This activates a natural process in your body called thermogenesis, or production of heat. According to experts, brown fat breaks down blood sugar and fat molecules to create heat to maintain body temperature. Cold temperatures activate brown fat which leads to metabolic change in the body. We also have white fat which stores extra energy. The white fat cells release energy giving the brown fat cells the source to burn calories. The ice also causes detoxification, reduction of inflammation and activation of the lymphatic system.

Once all the toxins are released, they need to exit the body. This happens through the lymphatic drainage process which, like a garbage disposal disposing waste, cleans our bodies of toxins, viruses and bacteria. Since the lymphatic system has to move against gravity (going up) and we stand upright, it can get congested making you feel sluggish and carry extra weight. So how do you get it flowing properly again? This is where the sculpting tools come in.

PureSculpt uses six tools to contour and drain the face and body. You might have seen jade rollers and gua sha tools for the face. Their purpose is to stimulate the lymphatic system, relieve muscle tension and decrease fine lines and wrinkles. There are similar tools for the body serving the same purpose. Gravity will always try to pull your face and body down but ice and sculpting can fight that force and lift it back up.

I was fascinated to see the combo of sculpting tools and ice slim and tighten up the body and face. I volunteered to be a model at the beauty show to see if it really worked and how cold it was. It worked and the ice felt divine on my skin. The effects last up to a week or more depending on the current state of your face or body. It does need constant stimulation because of gravity, weight fluctuations and aging. I highly recommend getting a jade roller and gua sha tool and incorporating the lifting process in your daily regimen. There are a lot of tutorials on YouTube to help you properly use the tools. You should also check with your neighborhood spa or esthetician to see if they have sculpting facials or body treatments.

Remember Dr. Evil in the first Austin Powers movie? He cryogenically froze himself in 1967 and reawakened in 1997. I’ll see y’all in 2051.

Sanah Sayani is a master cosmetologist and owner of Thread Beauty Spa (4426 Hugh Howell Road in the Tucker Publix shopping center). Her monthly column seeks to answer readers’ beauty concerns; write to her at threadbeautyspa@gmail.com or drop by the shop to ask her in person!