Body & Skin Renewal Archives - Pretty Please Charlie

Earlier this year I didn’t think that I would ever say these words again, but I love my hair!

Hair Loss Update: I love my hair again!

I really love my hair. It’s such a great feeling. And I’m getting my confidence back! And I am loving my short hair. Now that is something I never thought I’d ever say in a million years. And I went even shorter after the big chop (that you can read about HERE).

If you’re not familiar with my hair loss story, you are welcome to pop over HERE. The following pics will also make a lot more sense then.

Look at all that hair!! I still can’t believe that my hair is so thick and healthy.

The ‘going-on-bald’ patch I had on my head is gone! (Yes, there are way too many exclamation marks in this post, but I am just so damn happy and excited. Forgive me.)

I also have my curls back. And they are back with a vengeance!

This has been quite a ride. Not a fun one. I know I’m extremely lucky that it all turned out the way it has.

And it’s all thanks to the following…

The Renewal Institute

I told you about how Skin & Body Renewal helped me get to the root of my problem (I know; I love puns) in the hair loss post I mentioned earlier. Their love and care has meant the world to me. Plus they were the ones that taught me the importance of supplementing your diet with vitamins and minerals, especially during times of extreme stress. I am now that annoying person who says ‘do you take supplements’ as soon as anybody mentions any health issue. And I’m not even sorry! I now pop my pills every day and I am better off for it. Skin Renewal shared my story and info on how stress can effect your health on their blog HERE.

Tosca Hair & Beauty

This kind people of Tosca Hair & Beauty has been caring for my hair and they have been so amazing. It’s not easy dealing with an emotional client who bursts into tears the moment they sit down in the chair. Thank you for the treatments, the care, the laughter. And my awesome new short hair do. I love it!! See you again soon.

Trichotin Hair Regenesis

This. Oh my word, I don’t have enough words to express my love for Trichotin Hair Regenesis. This is my ultimate hair hero!! My hair is in the best condition it has ever been. It’s healthy, strong, thick, dense. And curly! IT’S GORGEOUS!! This magical green supplement can be life changing. It has been for me. It really (REALLY!) works. If you haven’t read my previous posts about this phenomenal product and your wondering what the hell I’m on about, please read about it HERE. You won’t regret it. And thank you Fusion Laboratories for Trichotin. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to experience an Exilis Elite treatment at Skin & Body Renewal at Cape Quarter.

What is Exilis Elite you may ask?

The award winning BTL Exilis Elite offers treatments that are a safe and relatively pain-free alternative to surgery and other invasive treatments. The results are proven and clinically tested. Simply put, Exilis is a machine that uses radiofrequency to tighten skin and melt away fat on the face and body. It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

That’s exactly what I thought, but hey, I’m willing to try anything.

Exilis Elite body treatments are by no means going to take you from fat to slim, as only a healthy eating plan and exercise can do that, but those stubborn areas like the love handles, inner thighs, cankles, inner knees, bra bulges, upper arms, etc can be treated with amazing results. Truly remarkable results can be achieved with the facial procedures as well. Have a look at these before and after’s and tell me you are not impressed…

Pretty Please Charlie Exilis Elite review before & after — Before & After

How the Exilis Elite helped bust some of my belly fat

I chose to have a treatment done on my stomach. I have never had a flat stomach and my regular readers know that I am in a constant battle with my weight. Exilis Elite treatment will be most effective if you have it done when you are within 5 kg’s of your ideal weight. I am not, but I was still curious to see what this machine can do. The skin on my tummy also did a great deal of stretching during my pregnancy and is not nearly as tight as it used to be.

The treatment itself required me to lie on my back whilst the therapist ‘massaged’ the treatment area with the Exilis Elite applicator. The aim is to heat up the area to the point where the fat cell will be damaged (note that I am over simplifying here!). At a temperature of 44ºC the fat cells can be permanently destroyed. Obviously that was what both the therapist and I wanted to accomplish. But damn, do you know how hot that is? We (I say ‘we’ as I had to give the therapist constant feedback on how I was experiencing the treatment) got the temp up to 44ºC quite a few times, but most of the treatment was performed at 42ºC. It hurt at times, but it was not unbearable. Would the discomfort stop me from doing it again? Not at all.

I was measured before and after the treatment and over the 4 different areas that were measured, I lost an average of 1.75cms. That’s huge!

Because I have to be completely honest, I have to share my not-so-pleasant recovery process. Please note that I seem to be the exception to the rule as most people only experience mild redness or swelling for a couple of hours after treatment. I was nauseous for 2 days after the treatment. Upon consulting with the Skin & Body Renewal doctor, I was told that it was because my liver was working so hard at processing the fat that the treatment broke down. All of the sudden the nausea doesn’t sound so bad, does it? I took liver supplements for the next couple of days and that helped. I also developed Panniculitis. Not nearly as scary as it sounds! I had 3 lumps under my skin that were caused by the fat cells that became inflamed. I am happy to say that all lumps have since disappeared. I also suffered from quite a bit of swelling around my waist, but that also subsided within a couple of days.

I can guarantee you, even after experiencing these side effect, I still would not think twice about having these treatments again. My stomach looks better than it has in years. It has a flatter appearance and the skin is a little tighter than before. And this is after only one treatment.

Will one treatment be enough to give you the results you want? Probably not. It all depends on the area and how your body responds to the treatment. It is recommended to have one treatment every two to three weeks for a minimum of four treatments. Maintenance treatments can then be done if necessary.

Treatments are not cheap, but they are worth every cent. I had my procedure done at Skin & Body Renewal and you can have a look at their prices HERE.

Is it worth the money and discomfort? Yes, yes, YES! I am so happy with my results and I would love to go back for more treatments. I can just imagine how great my stomach would look after 2 or 3 more fat busting sessions. The bum and thighs could also use a couple of sessions.

Thank you so much to BTL Aesthetics for giving me the chance to experience this amazing treatment. And a special thanks to Skin & Body Renewal Cape Quarter for performing the treatment and for all the follow-up calls. I’ll most definitely be visiting you again soon.

To find a salon or clinic near you to experience Elixis Elite, you can contact BTL Medical SA on +27 76 232 8058.

xoxo