Do you remember when soap, cold cream, and harsh curling irons were the only beauty enhancements available to the average woman? Wow, have times changed! Technology has not only impacted the world of computers, it has changed the world of beauty as well.

Today we have Botox, plastic surgery, laser skin resurfacing and other medical-related beauty treatments. Even the good old beauty shop has taken on a high-tech twist. When a new beauty salon named Bliss opened in Aberdeen, North Carolina, Kim Michaels-Fekette, the owner, told me that they had plenty of technology that could enhance my beauty. She made it sound so-o-o good that I decided to give it a try.

My afternoon of beauty started with a computer imaging session to determine what hairstyle and hair color would bring out the best in my facial features. My first job was to smile for the camera for my “as is” photo. Then another photo was taken with my hair pulled back. That image was projected on the computer screen, where I could choose from 2300 hair styles. Their Cyber Imaging system then shows me in that hairstyle. Everything is customizable so you can change the hair style and/or hair color to see what looks best. We picked a shorter hairstyle for me and decided on a color slightly redder than my natural color.

Next, I found some high-tech ways to improve the texture and look of my skin. First on the list was a microdermabrasion treatment for my face. The idea behind this technology is that if you remove the dead skin and particles of debris from the skin, the more youthful skin underneath will be able to come to the surface. The microdermabrasion mechanism has a vacuum-like tube attached to the power generator/accelerator. The machine pelts the skin with small aluminum oxide crystals which are then suctioned back through the hand piece and deposited into the waste canister. This treatment can exfoliate clogged pores, reduce fine lines and remove mild acne scarring and mild pigment irregularities. The process was painless and the result was softer, smoother, and younger-looking skin.

The next skin enhancement was a chemical peel. This performs essentially the same function as the microdermabrasion, but it is done with chemicals. It diminishes imperfections by peeling away the skin’s top layers. Peels vary in their specific ingredients and their strength. This was a glycolic peel that was able to smooth my skin in only three minutes.

New high-tech treatments like this are the norm today in spas and salons across the nation. They have names like computer imaging, chemical peels and microdermabrasion. These are terms that we never heard of a few short years ago.

The staff at Bliss finished off my visit with an excellent haircut by Kathy Henley, my favorite stylist. She cut it in a slightly shorter style to match one of the computer images that we liked. I left there feeling both pretty and pampered. Technology really has come to the beauty world, and I was grateful to have encountered it. Special thanks to Kim, Kathy, Michelle and Alicia.

For those of you who live in the Sandhills of North Carolina: Bliss is behind Applebee’s in Aberdeen. They can be reached at 910-944-8888.