Vietura Beauty Staycation (Day 2)

If you are just logging on now, be sure to click here, so you can read about Day 1 of my Vietura Beauty Staycation. 

After a sumptuous meal that was not only healthy but loaded with different layers of flavor and freshness, and a massage that helped release all of the tension I was carrying around, I was able to enjoy my pillowy soft bed back in our room on the club floor. With crisp white sheets, fluffy down pillows (which there is a menu for) and my warm comforter, I slept better than I had most nights in my own bed.  This meant that I was ready for the challenging yoga class which would take place the next morning.

Our yoga teacher, Jahzel, taught a vigorous Vinyasa class which had me questioning myself. “Why is it again, that I haven’t been back to class this summer??” He he he he, but after I got into the groove, I quickly forgave myself for not attending class as much and tuned into the work I was doing on the mat. I was happy to be next to Patty, who expressed some concern with her ability to participate in a yoga class. One thing I remember telling her was not to take it so seriously. Yoga is about you-and no one else,  (It took me a little time to realize that when I was on my mat in the beginning…but eventually, I realized it was not a competition to see who could hold the most extreme poses.) it’s an exercise which will help you tune in to your own body and just listen.

I spoke with Jahz about what type yoga she prefers and where else she teaches. I learned that she teaches in Bliss Yoga, and that she teaches SoFIT quite regularly as well. We shared our interest in Jivamukti yoga because I knew right away that the cream she used on our shoulders was something I was familiar with from a Jivamukti workshop I once attended. 

At any rate, after the class was over, everyone knew we would be heading down to Spiral afterwards for a yummy breakfast.

I know I have said this before in other posts… Brunch is my most favorite meal…ever…

I love the possibilities that brunch provides. You can have savory or sweet, fresh, and in some cases dried. You can have meat or fish. Pasta and eggs. Cheese is good any time of day….and the pastries…oh the pastries…

Truth:  I like to sample everything by taking a small bite of it all…

After our meal, we were all set to receive our services at Vietura. They have extended the specials that they offered each of us. If you choose to avail of a Beauty Staycation, you can choose from one of these three packages: 

SUMMER PERFECTION Slim down for summer and reveal your inner goddess. Summer Perfection Package includes an overnight stay in a Superior Room, De-Light breakfast for two at Spiral, 30-minute Slimming Massage at Le Spa, nutritional counseling, two sessions of Lipocryo and Ultraskin Tight at Vietura, and exclusive access to SoFit, Sofitel’s state-of-the-art fitness facility. Ultimate body slimming and contouring program involves scientifically-proven fat removal technology that freezes fat cells and progressively eliminates them for instant results. The effects continue to metabolize for 60 days resulting in further breakdown of fats, making the body slimmer, shapelier and more sculpted.

Rate is set at Php 22,000 nett; valued at Php 60,265 nett

TIMELESS BEAUTY Relax, rejuvenate, erase the years and turn back time. Timeless Beauty Package includes an overnight stay in a Superior Room, De-Light breakfast for two at Spiral, 30-minute Rejuvenating Massage at Le Spa, complimentary yoga class*, nutritional counseling, one session of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and 15-minute Resolift treatment at Vietura. PRP is a revolutionary anti-aging program that stimulates the body’s own healing processes to smoothen even the deepest wrinkles and bring out a younger you. Rate is set at

Php 30,000 nett; valued at Php 63,265 nett

DETOX RETREAT Cleanse yourself of unwanted toxins safely and bring out beauty from within. Detox Retreat at Sofitel includes an overnight stay in a Superior Room, De-Light breakfast for two at Spiral, 30-minute De-Stress Massage at Le Spa, complimentary yoga class*, nutritional counseling, one session of Colonics Hydrotherapy and 15-minute Ultralipo treatment at Vietura. Colonics Hydrotherapy improves overall health and wellness by removing the toxins that can harm the body. Renowned celebrities use it for weight loss and cosmetic benefits.

Rate is set at Php 17,500 nett; valued at Php 31,265 nett

All the packages include an overnight stay, and choices of De-Light Cuisine.

TRUTH:  I had no idea what PRP was before my staycation with Sofitel. I had some reservations and concerns because I had heard some disturbing stories of friends who had stem cell therapy and did not have pleasant experiences afterwards nor did some achieve the desired results. If I was a little hesitant in receiving a treatment like this, it was because I did not know what to expect. Yes, I knew this was a medical procedure, and that it would be easy to find information and reviews on the internet if Cecil (with whom my consult was with the day before) or Dr. Paolo Asuncion (the doctor who would perform the procedure) couldn’t ease my fears.

PRP is  a form of therapy that involves the platelets (NOT to be confused with STEM CELLS) and uses the same technology. Professional athletes have been known to inject platelets separated from their own blood into injured areas like knees, elbows, and even hips. Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant have both used this kind of therapy to heal after injuries, and to give them a greater edge in their sport.

“The platelets that are separated from the blood have so-called growth factors, which are thought to help naturally in healing. These same platelets are then re-injected into the patient at the point of injury, the idea being that the regenerative properties of the growth factors will work even more efficiently at a higher concentration.” 

So take that same concept and the fact that platelets regenerate skin cells, and you can understand how it works in the cosmetic procedure I received last month.

Like PRP for athletes, PRP for cosmetic purposes also involves drawing your blood. Dr. Paolo drew 20 cc’s from my right arm. After my blood was drawn it was put in a centrifuge to separate the red blood cells from the platelets. Twenty cc’s of blood yielded about 6 cc’s of platelets which they would inject into the wrinkled aging areas of my face. (Think crows feet, frown lines, and forehead wrinkles)  

Doc shared that he can draw up to 40 cc’s of blood which yields about 12-15 cc’s of platelets after it is put into the centrifuge. That larger amount of blood and platelets would be used in a procedure that could include the neck as well as the face. Because we were just focusing on a few areas of my face where my age has begun to show, he only needed the twenty cc’s of blood and six cc’s of platelets. 

I don’t have a clear pic of the syringe with my platelets.

I guess I was a little nervous and my hands were shakey, so the picture was blurry. But really, there was no need to feel anxious. Doc Paolo had feather light hands and explained things as he was doing them. All in all I counted 17 different points where he injected the platelets. I know that quite a bit of the injections were needed on my forehead. (I often joke that I could hold a quarter between my eyebrows because I frown so much and the lines are so deep.)

After the procedure was done, Doc advised me on a few things I should do to facilitate a faster healing process.

• Continue to ice where swelling persists up to 3x a day. Icing only needs to be about 10 minutes long.
• Avoid allergens like chicken, dairy, fish, and eggs.
• Do not wash face for 12 hours.

Nino was a bit surprised at the swelling. Actually, once I put on my big sunglasses, you really couldn’t tell that I was swollen at all. When the anesthesia wore off, I did feel a bit sore in the places where I counted the most needles. My forehead was a bit bruised (you would only see it if I pointed it out) and to the right of my nose felt a bit tender as well. On the pain scale where 10 would be unbearable, I would rate the discomfort I felt in the areas on my face to be about a two…really, not painful, just uncomfortable.

The next day, I rested a little by just taking it easy in the house, but by the second day I was out and about tending to my normal parenting responsibilities. Diego had a Takewondo tournament, I had to do some food shopping and Gia had the whole volleyball team over for a team building activity.

I had a friend come over after the procedure, she actually remarked how “dewy” my skin looked. She said that I looked fabulous and that she knew something looked “different” about me. I actually FELT the difference in my skin as well. It was so much more supple and the lines I once took notice of had visibly improved.  

I have to be honest. I never considered having any kind of work or procedures done to my face until visiting Vietura. I certainly didn’t think I needed to consider any drastic measures to hide or conceal my age because I just turned 40. I’m a “love the skin your in” type of person and my hesitancy in having PRP arose from a few different concerns: 

• I didn’t know what the procedure entailed. (Easily answered by doing a little research and asking Cecil and Doc Paolo some questions.)
• I wasn’t sure of the side effects. (There were none.)
• I wasn’t sure of the recovery time. (Ended up being just a few days.)
• Would I even be able to see “real” results? (Take a look at the first pic I posted as a before. See the two deep lines in between my eyebrows? Look for them in the pic below…betchya can’t find ’em.)

Would I do it again?

Yes. For me, knowing is half the battle. Now, that I know what to expect in terms of pain factor, healing and recovery, I can see that the results are well worth the price tag of this particular treatment.  And for a limited time only, Vietura has extended their summer specials so I can still avail of the discounted prices.

BUT WAIT:

Just the other day I received an email from Jane regarding a contest Vietura is running. You can enter to win your choice of one staycation for two, simply by visiting the Vietura website.

Hmmm, maybe I’ll be really lucky and win another chance to visit Sofitel from the raffle?!?!?!

Good Luck!!!