Certified laser specialist in Colorado Springs applies technology to

Colorado Springs Business Journal, Apr 2, 2004 by Becky Hurley

Beauty may be skin deep, but technology allows practitioners to go far beneath the skin's surface to regenerate tissue and diminish the signs of aging.

Noreen Koch, owner of Executive Skin and Laser, could have specialized in any of a number of cosmetic services. The one-time Manhattan, N.Y., hair stylist had built an enviable clientele. Following an injury to her spine and clavicle, however, she went through extensive physical rehabilitation and decided to re-think her career.

Koch moved first to Vermont and then to Colorado. She lives in Parker and finds plenty of time to hike and enjoy the mountains.

But starting a career from scratch posed some challenges. Denver was already saturated with laser clinics, she said. I was lucky to meet a plastic surgeon in downtown Colorado Springs with whom I contracted my services.

Initially, she provided basic skin peel and cosmetic procedures while attending workshops and conferences about the latest laser techniques. Her studies included learning ways to reduce the signs of aging, managing skin disorders, and offering laser hair removal, non-surgical face-lifts and Botox injections, supervised by a doctor.

To qualify as a certified laser specialist and paramedical aesthetician, she completed four years of study at the Rocky Mountain Laser College in Boulder and passed a state exam.

Since moving to her own facility in December 2003, Koch has equipped her operation with a massage room, two laser rooms and a private therapeutic wrap area. Her equipment includes a hair removal laser, a vascu-touch laser for skin tag and vein removal, micro- dermabrasion equipment and a laserscope to treat rosacea.

Located at Research Boulevard and Research Parkway, the clinic is in one of the fastest growing parts of the city.

Longtime customers, Dale and Joy Nixon, have utilized a number of Executive Skin and Laser's services - and keep coming back for more.

I have my once-monthly salt scrub - and also do a massage, Dale Nixon said. You come out so clean and detoxified. After the initial cleansing and application of Dead Sea salts over your entire body, they wrap you up and cook you in warm electric blanket. That's followed by hot towels to rinse off salt.

More men need to realize the benefits of their program. I usually fall asleep - it's so relaxing, he said, and my rough, skin comes out completely smooth.

The Nixons had sun damage and skin discoloration removed with the laser. The sensation of a laser is something like stretching a rubber band between two fingers and snapping it, Nixon said.

Executive Skin and Laser's services include micro-dermabrasion to skin peels, acne treatment, anti-aging facials, European facials (including a choice of exotic masks), cellulite reduction, salt glow/ body rubs, Botox injections, massage, laser hair removal and blue vein/sun spot removal. Prices range from $75-$185. Packages are offered with a 10-percent price break for more than one service.

I'd estimate that at least 30 percent of my customers are men, Koch said. Of course women still are the biggest consumers of facial and anti-aging procedures, but the ratio is constantly shifting.

One of Koch's goals is to educate her clients about the effects of sun exposure or aging - and how the natural exfoliation process works. Home care is so important. I want to do more than just offer procedures, she said. I want to help people improve the condition of their skin in general. To that end, she sells a line of recommended medical-grade retail products.

Anything applied to the skin can't work at the level we reach with laser technology, she said, but you can exfoliate dead tissue and give a revitalized appearance with topical applications and cleansers.

Koch specializes in skin peels (which by state law must be done by a licensed aesthetician) using up to 30-percent glycolic acid. These are done in the hygienic skin room, and as Koch advises this is not a fu-fu procedure.

She carries malpractice insurance to cover her operators, who are hired as independent contractors. She is currently training another aesthetician for certification.

So far I've been able to pay as I go, she said, noting that she has avoided Small Business Administration funding. My goal right now is to get all the members of our staff busy and to keep our rooms productive.