THE NEVER-ENDING war on wrinkles may finally have

found a secret weapon to aid in its defence.

Though it is still too new to
proclaim that the battle has been
completely won, there is very
good evidence to prove that an-
ti-aging, research experts indeed
have enlisted a new ally.

“In a few years, this will sound
like common sense, but right now
it sounds like something out of a
sci-fi movie,’’ states David Sum-
-merfield, co-owner of Optima
Facial Toning Clinic, a new North
Vancouver salon which is the first
of its kind in Canada.

He says, ‘‘Clients come in here
and go back in time. There is no
reason for a person to age if the
facia! muscles aren’t dropping and
the’ skis. is regenerating itself.
With our. treatments we ensure
“this.”

Before you ‘dismiss the idea as
another. ad for ~born-again-
youth-in-a-bottle or an cthereally
gifted esthetician, take note, **:

Let the person on the stand
speak in his own defence before
giving the verdict. What have you
got to lose, other than a few years
off your face?

‘Summerfield admits; “The big-
gest frustration is the many other
products on-the market that have
made great promises and then
don’t deliver. It stops people from
trusting a new. product. But’ Op-
tima is the first firm that promises

_ results. and does produce . them,
with a money-back guarantee.”’

The Optima technique does not
use any type of ‘surgery, anti-
aging ‘creams, massage or. ac-
cupuncture. :

Summerfield and. his partner

and wife Gisele Rasmussen were
so excited by the results, they sold
their: business in Winnipeg, sold
their home and moved to. Van-

THE QUEST for the elusive fountain of youth continues in the

90s.

Carel
Crenna

FASHION STATEMENTS

couver to open the Optima clinic.

The new technology, which was
developed over a four-year period
in Winnipeg with the National
Research Council, was first in-
troduced by its founder, Norma
Johnson, in April 1992.

The’ Summerfields’ advertising

‘firm was contracted to produce an

ad campaign for Optima, and
after, personally testing the treat-
ments, the couple convinced

Johnson to allow them to open .

the first salon much earlier than
the marketing plan had antici-
pated.

There are now Optima clinics in
Winnipeg and Hong Kong, and
one will open in California this
summer. ¢

Summerfield, 45, says that just
three weeks into the Optima pro-
gram, he noticed such a difference
in his face that he advised his
wife, 40, to try it, and she also
had dramatic results.

“It does firm your face and
erase wrinkles,’’ he promises,

tf you are tired of hearing
vague and overly contrived adjec-
tives to describe age-reduction
products and techniques, Sum-

: Merfield forgoes the ‘‘molecular
restructuring mechanisms,’’: the
“cellular defence complexes’? and
the ‘‘deep hydro correction
stimulators."

He describes the procedure in
plain and simple English, leaving
the confusing technical jarzon to
the scientists.

He explains, ‘‘This is the first
technology ever developed which
actually exercises facial muscles.
The small electric current in our
advanced computer changes the
structure of the face by tightening
muscles and giving back the dif-
ferentiation in between the mus-
cles, just like they were when the
person was 20 years old.

’ “It makes your face younger
the way working out at a gym

makes your body look younger.’

However, there are 80 different
muscles in the face, and we work
every one individually, unlike a
body workout which exercises on-
ly selected areas of muscle.”’

According to Summerfield, the
first machines developed for a
similar purpose use a much lower
current and are very un-
sophisticated ‘‘babies’’ compared
to the newest system.

The original versions, still used

n some esthetician salons, can on-
ly increase the circulation or blood
flow. Optima'’s machines work in
the same way, with a_ technical
wand which is softly moved back
and forth over the surface of the
face. :
When the initial development of
Optima facial ‘toning began, its
purpose was to take the. first
machines and use them as a base
to produce dramatic results.

The depths of treatment to each
muscle and the power of the new
machine, which is endorsed and
approved by Health and Welfare
Canada, is now 10 times that ‘of
the original.

The electric current. sends
messages to stimulate the muscles,
though the power is still measured
in micro-amps, a one-thousandth
of an amp, so it is not strong
enough to be harmful. .

Summerfield explains
results.

“The criginal intent was only to
exercise the facial muscles. and
have them return to the tone of a
younger person. As the muscles
tone, they shorten (as all body
muscles do when toned) and as
they shorten they expand in width,
filling out the face.

“But of course, we realized there
is no way to climinate wrinkles,

the

because it is skin that has sagged .

to accommodate : for dropping
muscles. However, what happened
after we continued the process
over a period of years was that
the fines actually did start to
disappear.”’

Optima cwners say this occurs
due to the micro-energy (the elec-
trical current in the wand) which
has been continually brushed over
the skin's surface and the face’s
“nerve ending bundles’’ or
acupressure points. This causes
the skin cells to regenerate, or in
other words, it replaces the cells
faster.

Why would faster replacement
of cells make wrinkles disappear?’
Summerfield says that, in itself, it
wouldn’t do much. But since the
cells are replacing themselves
faster, and that skin is now at-
tached to a-shorter, fuller, exer-
cised muscle, the skin comes in

DAVID SUMMERFIELD (ett), 45, and Gisele neces 40; are
co-owners of Optima Facial Toning Clinic,..a new North: Van:
couver salon which is the first of its kind in Canada. :

tighter to accommodate for the
newly reshaped muscle...

He explains, “P have seen ‘it
now in many clients and in
myself. The ‘first development
which occurs: is the muscle re-
toning, then the lines which used
to be deep creases flatten. ;

As it fades it starts to move
slowly inward, diminishing and

shortening until it’ gets to the

point. where the line originated,
whether it be the corner of the eye
or the crease of the mouth. .
“Then you will simply notice a
row of tiny cracks at the starting

point of the wrinkles where: the,
lines used to be but” the skin has.

moved.’’

When the research team at Op-
tima first - discovered _ the « cell
renewal results, they began in-
vestigating to find out if the pro-
cedure was used anywhere else in
the world, and discovered that a
similar treatment using micro-

‘energy was. used in Florida for

burn victim therapy to get skin
cell regeneration on scar tissue,
and positive results were reported.

The procedure does not hurt in
any way, and since your muscles
tend to ‘flicker’ and contract it
tingles and tickles slightly.

Unlike working muscles at a
gym, there is no chance of over-
extending or exerting the muscles
and causing fatigue or injury.

The procedure is very gentle,

not: building the muscle, simply:

causing it to contract and tighten
up with a minimal amount of ex-
ercise.

The circulation is first restored
to ‘‘warm up’ the muscles and
there is also a ‘‘cool down” pro-
cedure similar’ to a physical
workout. ;

Summerfield says. that the
changes are gradual, though you
will notice improvements after one

~ and the cost is $60.

month. After three. months, “you
begin to see the new emerging.’ ;

Similar to exercising, it‘ depends
on how often’ and, for: how long
you continue the treatments, and
how much improvement you want
tohave done.

‘The energy system: of “the

- machine “is much ~ stronger ; ‘than

your body’s own energy system so
it takes much less ‘than a_ physical,
exercise routine to see dramatic
results. :

Summerfield gives a schedule. :

“The regime begins with getting
muscles in shape, which’ takes. six
or seven: treatments the” ‘first
month. Since you have to:build’
memory into’ these muscles you
come often in the first month. .

“The skin. renewal appears soon
after the treatments. are com
pleted. After. the. first. month .a
client ‘comes once every week ‘or
every ‘two weeks - for. _ three
months.’

“After that period, it is up -to
the individuals. If./they want: to’
maintain the appearance ‘or ‘age-
proof’ themselves, they come once
a month.. The process does not

“ever end, similar to regular exer-

cise.’’
Each treatment is one hour long
Introductory packages are. of-
fered to all new clients: and cost:

$600 for 16 weeks, the appropriate

amount of time to see dramatic’

results.

Monthly maintenance visits are
needed to keep the appearance.if

* you wish.

There is a guarantee stating that
if you don’t like the results, you
will get all of your money back.

Because it is:a gradual. process,
most comments, reports Summer-’
field, -wili be, ‘‘You look .so

See Monthly page 19