Imagine a therapeutic session at a dermatologist office: dim lights, soft music and plush cushions as knotted muscles and frown lines disappear… if only. However at Keila Ward Skin Therapies located 406 Galleria Circle, Suite 5, in Oxford, a client can get a thorough professional treatment with the relaxation of a spa.
Ward is a licensed aesthetician who has been practicing since 1985. She works only appointments that last from 45 minutes to two hours. She insists on having quality time with her clients for an effective session.
She said, “There’s no need for a rush. I want my clients to have a professional and spa treatment at the same time.”
Ward offers a variety of skin treatments suitable for young people as young as 13 struggling with acne to aging people in their 70s wanting to minimize wrinkles or skin damage. On her list of services are dermaplaning that polishes the skin while removing facial hair; signature oxygen facial that rejuvenates skin cells beyond the surface; and European facials that vacuums away blackheads followed by mask toning and moisture therapy.
Among her services is the Impulso face lift that diminishes wrinkles by stimulating facial muscles to contract and tighten.
Ward said, “The Impulso face lift is good for aging. It is exercise for your face as it pulls the muscles upwards in a way that tones your face. Hyaluronic acid and natural fluids evaporates with age, and the Impulso helps penetrate this fluid into the deeper layers of the skin. It also can help with puffy eyes.”
She has another skincare tool: the high-frequency aesthetic machine that literally zaps bacteria and facial impurities.
Ward said, “I have had teenagers ask for that one so I could ‘zap’ their zits before their proms or rehearsals.”
She has a microdermabrasion tool that physically sloughs off dead skin cells, thus effective on acne scarring and sun damage. She also offers a variety of chemical peels from glycolic mini peel to light complexion peel to Endue medium and intensive peels. Ward is mindful of allergies and in her spacious time sessions with clients she uses patch tests to figure out the best peel treatment for them.
Her passion shows in her thorough attention to intricate differences in her clients’ skin needs. That passion stems from a life-changing event: a successful skin treatment.
She said, “I planned on being a gymnastics coach when I was younger. I had issues with my skin and one day, an aesthetician helped improve my complexion. She taught me about allergens in cosmetics and I wanted to keep learning since.”
She enrolled at Allure Career College in Tucson, Arizona. Since graduation, she utilized her knowledge to educate other aestheticians on new skincare treatments and to help those struggling with skin allergens that require specialized products beyond the usual merchandise in any drugstore. Since she knows the struggle of finding anti-inflammatory makeup well, she supplies her own brand of skincare products and makeup lines that do not have ingredients that can be inflammatory to skin: mineral oil, beeswax, paraffin and petroleum.
Last December, she relocated her business from Meridian to Oxford. But her services are missed back in Meridian so she travels back for her clients.
Some of her clients have traveled to see her too. Katherine Foley has traveled from Auburn, Alabama to see Ward for more than 20 years, and she recently visited her in Oxford.
Foley said that while she has gotten a lot of skin care sessions, she has always returned to Ward because she knows her products and procedures well. She said that Ward customizes her facial care routine to meet her skin care issues; she also noted that Ward can take “one look at your face” and tell what is needed.
Foley said, “I have gotten better results from what Keila has done than any other physician I have been to.”
Jennifer McClure is one of her Oxonian clients.
She said, “Keila Ward Skin Therapies is the place to go for all of your skincare needs. With over 30 years of experience Keila tailors her treatments and maintenance recommendations to your individual skincare needs. Not only pampering but also extremely effective, her facial treatments bring out the best in your skin. My skin hasn’t glowed this way in years!”
Terri is Keila’s client.
Jennifer said, “(My mother, Terri) is often mistaken for being our sister–who would guess by her beautiful skin that she is nearly 65?”
Since I also have skin issues, I met Keila Ward for a skincare treatment a late Wednesday afternoon just after work. She looked at my skin which has post-inflammatory scarring and a couple of zits, and then decided on microdermabrasion paired with a glycolic mini peel treatment. I had a couple of years’ worth of dermatologist visits to brace myself for a slightly uncomfortable but necessary procedure.
But the discomfort never came. She explained each product as she applied them to my face as the muscle knots disappeared from my neck. She pronounced chemical names easily as she recommended beneficial treatments for my skin issues.
At the end of the session she showed my reflection: I looked brighter, and I felt lighter. Ward then gave me her phone number and said to keep her updated on how my skin reacted to the treatment after. She kept true to her word and I heard from her a couple days later where she provided advice. My skin still looks healthy weeks later, thanks to her thorough and educational service.
A session at Keila Ward’s Skin Therapies can be quite the experience for her clients as they leave her office looking and feeling fresher… and yet wiser too.
To keep updated on her business news and specials, like her page on Facebook.
Callie Daniels Bryant is the senior managing editor. She can be reached at callie.daniels@hottytoddy.com.
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