FAQs

GENERAL FAQ

Who is welcome at The Fern Grove Spa?

All respectful individuals over the age of 12 are welcome at The Fern Grove Spa. We do not segregate or refuse services on the basis of sex, gender identity, gender presentation, sexual orientation, body size, body composition, color, ethnicity, or immigration status. If the fact that we’re wildly inclusive bothers you, you should definitely go somewhere else. We have a zero tolerance policy for discriminatory, body-shaming, threatening, or sexually-harrassing language and actions toward our employees and our clients. Violators will be asked to leave immediately and will not receive a refund. Don’t be an asshole.

How old do you have to be to receive services?

Facials are available for people under the age of 18 with a parent or legal guardian present in the room. Both the supervising adult and the minor must consent to receive the service.

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The Zap FAQ

How does it work?

We use high frequency radio waves to address superficial skin irregularities by causing them to dry out. There is no cutting, burning, freezing, or lasers used in this treatment. The chemical reaction is called thermolysis. The device we use is called Skin Classic.

What can be treated with this device?

The Zap can be performed on skin tags, cherry angiomas, broken capillaries (telangiectasia), sebaceous hyperplasia, age spots, small cholesterol deposits, enlarged pores, milia, acne, and more.

We unfortunately CANNOT treat the following: moles, warts, cancerous lesions, spider veins, varicose veins.

Reminder: we are licensed aestheticians, not dermatologists. Please see your physician for medical care and advice.

Will it hurt?

Probably. Everyone's pain tolerance is different, of course, but most people experience a sharp sting during treatment that disappears immediately after the probe is removed from the skin.

On the plus side, this service is very quick. A single spot can usually be treated in under a minute.

Do you offer anesthesia or numbing?

Not usually. We are not medical professionals, so anesthesia is not in our scope of practice.

We do not typically offer topical numbing for this service because it takes longer to numb than it does to treat. The duration of treatment is usually less than a minute for a single spot, where application of topical numbing cream takes 20-30 minutes.

If you have a large volume of skin tags in one area that you'd like to treat all at once, please book a consultation to discuss options.

What can I expect afterwards?

Immediately post-treatment and for several weeks afterwards, you may experience the following at the treatment site:

- Redness and/or swelling

- Crusting or scabbing

- Minor skin irritation

- Discoloration/darkening of the treated area

After the initial healing period, it may take several months for discoloration to completely resolve.

Are there any contraindications to treatment?

The Zap (Skin Classic) treatment is NOT appropriate for individuals who:

- are under age 18

- are pregnant

- are taking blood thinners

- have uncontrolled or poorly-controlled diabetes

- are actively undergoing cancer treatment

- have a history of seizures, stroke, or irregular heartbeat

- have a pacemaker

What if the treated issue doesn't go away?

Some irregularities may require more than one treatment, though this is not typical. If, for example, a skin tag falls off but some of the stalk is left behind, we can re-treat the area to get the rest of it. Some larger age spots or cholesterol deposits may also require more than one session. If the issue isn't resolved after two treatments, we may refer you to a dermatologist for further advice.

The Zap Aftercare Instructions

Keep the treated area as dry as possible during healing. The purpose of this treatment is to dry out the area to cause the irregularity to fall off or disappear during healing. We want it to be crusty! You can shower, but don't let the water have enough sustained contact with the area to damage or remove the crust.

Avoid using exfoliants near the treatment site until healed (this includes body scrubs, chemical exfoliants like acids, and implements like washcloths or brushes). Moisturize around the treatment site as needed but be careful to "preserve the crust".

Initial healing takes 7-14 days like any typical surface wound. It is not uncommon for complete healing to take up to 3 months.

We encourage you to contact us anytime with questions.

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