Story by Deb Peterson | Photographed by Kim Singer.
It’s difficult to imagine that the beautiful Lisa Chism struggled with skin until she was 40 (ish).
“I had bad skin my whole life,” Lisa says. “It was very sensitive, red, patchy. I scratched it until it bled, saw so many doctors.”
She had tried everything she knew of. One day, when Lisa was working as a registered nurse at Baxter Regional Medical Center, her mother called. She had just had a permanent eyeliner treatment at a medical spa.
“My gosh, Lisa, you need to look into this,” Lisa recalls her mother saying.
Lisa got busy learning about permanent cosmetics, and 10 years ago this spring opened Simply Beautiful in Gassville. Her lifelong focus on her skin blossomed into a passion, and she finally had the avenues she needed to research solutions for her own skin problems. She researched every possibility, tried every product and technique on herself, the perfect test model.
“I couldn’t believe that the right products made such a big difference. Within six months to a year, my skin had improved so much that people would say to me, ‘you have such nice skin,’” Lisa says. “Nobody had ever said that to me before.”
Her new skin gave her confidence.
“It improves your whole life,” she says.
Life-Changing Help
Simply Beautiful evolved to include skin care. Today, Lisa’s clients include a woman who had a large strawberry birthmark around her neck.
“She used to try to hide it with her hair,” Lisa says. “Within six months it had faded so much you could hardly see it.”
The woman was so happy she cried.
Lisa had a strong inclination to help another woman with permanent eyebrows. She doesn’t usually pressure anyone into specific treatments, preferring to let women see for themselves, but she felt strongly about this woman’s eyebrows.
A few months later, the client was diagnosed with cancer and lost all of her hair during her cancer treatment.
“She was so grateful to have her eyebrows,” Lisa says.
Lisa has found that even the simplest form of help can change a woman’s life.
“I showed a woman how to apply her makeup properly,” Lisa says. “She came back a week later and said her friends had been asking if she had had a face lift.”
Gail Zuidema of Mountain Home has been Lisa’s client for four years.
“I’ve tried everything,” she says of Lisa’s services. “I don’t know what I like better. I love it all.”
It’s hard to believe looking at her, but Gail, shown at right, is 60.
What’s the Secret?
“It’s very complicated,” Lisa says. “Women tell me they have drawers full of product, but just saying a product is anti-aging doesn’t mean it is.“
The products in those drawers are simply the wrong products for that woman. To get past the skin barrier, products must have a carrier, Lisa explains. Different skin types—dry, oily, acne prone, sensitive—have different needs.
“A woman with sensitive skin shouldn’t be using anti-aging products,” she says.
Anti-aging products stimulate growth beneath the surface of the skin, which can further irritate sensitive skin.
Lisa’s newest techniques for helping women achieve beautiful skin include:
• EndyMed Pro—a radio frequency energy that restores firmness and reduces wrinkles
• Dermasound Elite—a gentle exfoliation
• Zerona—a non-invasive body contouring treatment that dissolves fat
• Power Plate—which stimulates the body’s natural reaction to vibration.
The Power Plate stands in the same room as Lisa’s gorgeous sauna. Take her cue and turn your thoughts about aging upside down.
Springtime Tips
Lisa has three easy tips for springtime care of your skin:
- Exfoliate with a chemical peel or dermabrasion, depending on your skin type and tolerance, to remove dry winter skin and reveal fresher, brighter, younger skin.
- Use good products to stimulate better skin condition.
- Protect your skin with powdered sunscreen. Powdered? Yes, powdered. Brush on protection that includes zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, a physical barrier better than chemical sunscreens. It’s waterproof, has a cooling effect on the skin, and is safe for kids. It comes in light, medium, and dark tones.
“Sun causes 80 percent of wrinkles,” Lisa says. She suggests:
• Wear a hat
• Avoid facing the sun
• Wear sun gloves, found in fishing shops.
“I want women to know that everybody can have beautiful skin, and it makes your attitude toward everything change,” Lisa says. “You should absolutely be the best person you can be.”
You can reach Simply Beautiful at 870-435-5000.
M! April/May 2011.
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