Photo courtesy of Jen Bennett.

Who wouldn’t want a face like this?  Meet Margaret Gierhart: licensed esthetician, certified makeup artist, all-around skin nerd, and my dear friend.

Margaret and I attended esthetics school together, and I know first hand what a brainiac she is.  She just happens to be beautiful to go along with all those smarts.  And, she’s an excellent skin care technician.  An esthetician’s esthetician, if you will.  She’s been in the beauty biz in Charleston for many years.  Couple that with her educational background in psychology, and you have quite the beauty package.  This is a lady who understands why it’s important for people to look and feel great, and she’s armed with the science to help make that happen.

Margaret is a member of the team at Sheperd Integrative Dermatology in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. This practice recently celebrated the grand opening of a state of the art facility.  It’s like walking into Zen Land (or you can meander through the labyrinth just outside); it’s a mash-up of a medical dermatology practice and the most beautiful spa center.  Each of the employees is like an Apple Store genius, except in the medical/beauty field.  It’s got that feel.  Dr. Sheperd, in addition to her medical training, is an artist whose beautiful works line the walls of this serene place.  Art + Beauty and Medicine + Wellness got married and set up house here.

Last Friday, I had an appointment with Margaret.  I experienced derma planing and a SkinCeuticals micro peel.  Derma planing uses a tiny straight edge razor to lightly shave the outermost layers of facial skin.  The satisfaction I felt after seeing loads of dead skin cells on a piece of gauze, was topped only by feeling my super-smooth face.  Amazing!  And then Margaret took it one step further: she did a glycolic-lactic acid micro peel to penetrate deeper layers to remove dead skin.  That kind of regular exfoliation (about every 5-6 weeks) is the cornerstone for truly wonderful skin care.

Some of the dead skin that’s shed after derma planing.

Me, checking out my new glow after derma planing and a micro peel.

This red-carpet treatment is a must-have before any special occasion: wedding, anniversary celebration, holidays, birthdays, or simply because you believe in investing in beautiful skin care.   There are deeper peels offered, but if you’re looking for a no downtime procedure, this is it.  It’ll have you at your glowy, dewy best for your next event, the same day you have it done!

Margaret’s targeted skin-type facials are outstanding, too.  She asks a lot of questions to determine what’s going on with your skin, then develops a tailored plan of action to address your needs.  It’s the perfect place to begin serious and beautiful skin care.  Shepard Integrative Dermatology offers Skin Medica and SkinCeuticals products, as well as Jane Iredale cosmetics.

Call 843.216.3530 to arrange your facial treatment with Margaret.