Caraccioli
learned to be an esthetician, a beauty specialist, in Kenner, and then
went to Houston to learn paramedical esthetics. "It means that I'm
trained to work in a physician's office. I am licensed to do
microdermabrasion and chemical peels."
Internships
in bustling California spas helped Caraccioli focus on the kind of
business she wanted to run. "I wanted a place that was quiet, serene
and specialized. I chose to specialize in facials. My spa is very
private, and my clients love it," she said.
The most
popular services at Carabella Facial Spa are facials, eyelash extensions
and permanent makeup.
"I've
been doing so many eyelash extensions. They last for two months. You need
to come in every four to five weeks for touch-ups. They're
addictive," Caraccioli said.
Micropigmentation,
which results in natural-looking permanent makeup, is Caraccioli's
specialty." Permanent makeup is not a standard tattoo," said
Caraccioli, who is a certified permanent makeup specialist.
"It's
micropigmentation, which means implanting high-quality pigments into the
skin. I use a SofTap method, which means there are no noisy machines. You
have more control over where the pigment is placed. There is less trauma
to the skin and you get more natural results. I use numbing creams, so
there is very little discomfort."
Caraccioli
said her typical permanent makeup clients are women in their mid to late
30s and 40s. "Women who are busy, who don't have time to put on
makeup because they are always running, they really like the convenience.
All they need to do is put on a little foundation or powder in the
morning, and that's it!"
Women who
suffer from deteriorating eyesight or arm movement may also find the
convenience of permanent makeup beneficial.
Although a
risk of infection is always involved, the process is sterile and very
safe, Caraccioli said. "If proper protocol is followed, there aren't
problems. I talk to all of my clients about what to do and what not to do.
With permanent eyeliner, you can't wear mascara for three to four days,
and you need a new, unused tube. Used tubes have bacteria. Only one client
ever got an eye infection. She had applied mascara the same day she got
permanent eyeliner."
Permanent
makeup does have critics, but nobody's mean about it, Caraccioli said.
"I had
one man who called wanting to get a gift certificate for a facial for his
daughter. He said, 'I don't know if I want my daughter to go to a place
that does that.' So I invited him to come in so I could show him my
equipment and what I do. He ended up getting a gift certificate for his
daughter, and he had a facial, too."
The most
requested permanent makeup procedures at Carabella Facial Spa are
eyeliner, then brows, then lips. Caraccioli said she will begin offering
eye shadow soon.
Permanent
makeup starts with a consultation. "If a client comes in and has no
brow at all, I get my templates, and match it to the shape of the face,
and hair color and skin tone. Once we're in agreement about the shape and
color, numbing takes 25 minutes with the creams I use. The entire
procedure takes about two hours," Caraccioli said.
Clients who
get permanent makeup almost always come back to get their brows or lips
done. Some clients request all three to be done together, according to
Caraccioli. Brows, eyeliner and lip liner cost
$300 each, while full lip color costs $500.
"This
comes naturally to me, and I really, really enjoy it," she said.
"The most rewarding part of my job is making people feel good, making
them happy. I've had a few people who've cried, and I cried right along
with them.
"What I
do for people, it may be something so minor to most of us, but for people
who don't have eyebrows, they want them
so much. To be able to give them what they want, to be able to provide
them with this service, is so awesome."
Caraccioli
became emotional when talking about her hopes to help breast cancer
survivors and burn victims. "I really want to get into the
paramedical part of permanent makeup-tattooing the areola for breast
cancer patients who have had a mastectomy and breast reconstruction
surgery. I'm certified to do it, and I'd very much like to," she
said.
"It's
called areola repigmentation, and I have plans to contact physicians
about referrals for their patients. Cancer is such a traumatic
experience to go through, and I want to do what I can to help these
women." Areola repigmentation can help create a natural looking
nipple for breast cancer survivors.
For most
women, radiation therapy used to combat the cancer tightens the skin. The
skin is stretched with a balloon filled with a saline solution. Saline, a
safe salt solution, is used because pure water or chemicals can cause
negative reactions if they leak into the body. The balloon, called a
tissue expander, is later replaced with a regular saline implant.
Cosmetic
surgeons can use skin or muscle from various places on the body to
artistically create a natural-looking nipple, if a woman chooses to do so.
Most do, Castracane said. Most choose to add a natural color through
areola repigmentation, as well.
"We're
giving something back. These women fought the battle of their lives and
we're helping them get back to a normal life. We're helping them get
over it, to move on in their minds," Castracane said.
A
natural-looking breast and nipple created by cosmetic surgeons can help
women begin to move past some of the emotional trauma cancer causes,
Castracane said. Caraccioli wants to work with surgeons to provide that
sense of a return to a
normal life. She
also wants to learn to use micropigmentation to
help burn victims.
"When I
see people who've been burned, it really touches my heart. It means
something to me to be able to help them feel better about
themselves," she said. "Micropigmentation can help soften the
skin and make it more pliable while evening the skin color, making the
color more uniform."
For more
information about Carabella Facial Spa visit www.carabellafacialspa.com.
RH
