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St. Luke’s Opens Medical Spa

Category: Patient Stories
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Michelle Strum, Licensed Advanced Practice Esthetician

Services and products to help you look and feel your best

A day at the spa can do wonders. From waxing to facials, spas offer services that refresh and enhance a person’s natural beauty, helping them feel more confident in their own skin as they take on the world. A medical spa serves exactly the same purpose, while also offering some significant additional benefits. However, not everyone is aware of what these additional benefits are.

“Hearing the term ‘medical spa’ for the first time can be intimidating,” said Michelle Sturm, Licensed Advanced Practice Esthetician (LAPE) at St. Luke’s Rejuvenation Center. “People sometimes assume it means our services are extra expensive or more invasive, but that’s not necessarily true.”

Formerly part of St. Luke’s Plastic Surgery Associates, St. Luke’s Rejuvenation Center provides a full range of medical spa services, and Michelle is excited to show patients all that a medical spa has to offer.

The benefits of a medical spa
“At a medical spa, patients will receive medical-grade products and services in a spa setting,” said Michelle. “That means they’ll see noticeable results more quickly.” St. Luke’s Rejuvenation Center offers a full range of services, depending on what skin concerns a person wants to address, including:

  • Laser treatments for fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, redness, acne, scarring, spider veins, skin tightening, rosacea and hair removal
  • SkinPen treatments
  • Microdermabrasion
  • Chemical peels
  • Facials
  • Face and body waxing
  • Eyebrow waxing and tinting
  • High-end makeup and skincare products
  • Makeup application and instruction
  • Injectables and fillers

Another benefit is the level of training the staff receives. “An LAPE is a step above a regular esthetician’s license,” Michelle explained, “and in order to offer skin care services in a medical facility in the state of Minnesota, that is now the required license. For our patients, that means experience and training resulting in knowledgeable, expert care.”

Finally, being in a medical facility enables collaboration with physicians and specialists who are always available when needed. “If I come across a skin condition that would be better assessed by a physician, I’ll recommend the patient to someone at St. Luke’s Dermatology Associates,” said Michelle. “If someone comes in with spider veins, I’ll recommend them to St. Luke’s Vascular Surgery Associates before I tackle the cosmetic side. There are so many resources available to our patients because we’re part of a healthcare system.”

Treatments for everyone, in every season
No matter what issues a patient may want to address, everything starts with a free consult. These can happen either virtually or in-person, and help the licensed esthetician understand more about the patient. “We will go over their skin and what bothers them most,” Michelle explained, “then give them options, including both products and treatments that will help them achieve their goals for healthy, youthful skin.”

Treatment recommendations tend to change with the seasons. In the fall the Sciton BroadBand Light (BBL) treatments and chemical peels are especially popular, addressing sunspots and other skin damage from the summer sun. In the winter, exfoliation treatments and hydrating facials are often recommended because they help remove dead skin cells and add moisture back into the skin.

The Center also has a few special treatments available during the COVID-19 pandemic. “People have been struggling with acne related to mask-wearing,” Michelle said. “So, we are offering mask-ne (mask acne) treatments. These involve facials focused on cleansing the skin and reducing inflammation, as well as products patients can use on a daily basis at home to keep that area looking and feeling healthy.”

Virtual facials are also now available. These are done by sending products to a patient’s home, and then walking them through how to use them via a video visit. “That way, if they are at home doing distance learning with their kids, for example, they can still take care of their skin with high quality products,” said Michelle.

Skincare solutions at St. Luke’s
The Center serves a wide range of people and addresses a host of different issues, and the staff is always ready to help new patients. While Michelle typically sees more female than male patients, she hopes to help more men in the future. “I see quite a few gentlemen for rosacea. It would be great to get more in for facials and other treatments as well,” said Michelle. “We have some great regimens designed specifically for men.”

Prices vary from $15 eyebrow waxes to $350 chemical peels, and include everything in between. “It all depends on what a patient is looking for in terms of results and the down time they have available,” said Michelle. “Our treatments are very reasonably priced and they can easily fit into any budget.”

To learn more about St. Luke’s Rejuvenation Center or to schedule a free consult, visit slhduluth.com/rejuvenation or call 218.249.7910.

This article was published in The Woman Today magazine October 2020 issue.