Journey to Avène 9th August 2014

Avéne Hydrotherapy Centre, France

Nirvana and I are so excited! We leave for Avéne on Saturday this week. We will fly to Johannesburg, and from there fly to Paris. The trip will take us to Montpelier, and then we will drive for an hour and a half to Avène. We will be staying at Avène Hydrotherapy Centre. This is where we will live for 21 days.

What makes Avène so special is the Thermal Spring Waters.
This pure, unique product has many benefits and provides immediate relief to skin. Avène Thermal Spring Water is unique in its origin and composition. It features soothing and softening properties, as well as an active ingredient that’s perfect for noticeably reducing the reactivity of sensitive skin.

During its long journey underground, Avène Thermal Spring Water takes decades to acquire its special properties. It is bacteriologically pure, low in mineral content, extremely high in silicates, and contains trace elements. Silicates make the water exceptionally soft, leaving a soothing and protective film on the skin that enhances the feeling of comfort. Collected directly from the source and packaged under sterile conditions, Avène Thermal Spring Water retains many beneficial properties and does not see the light of day until the first time it is sprayed!

Avène Thermal Spring Water has been used for over two centuries to treat inflammatory skin diseases. Of the many benefits recognized by the French Academy of Medicine,  here are a few: 

Anti-irritating

Soothing

Anti-inflammatory

Known and recognized for its healing power, Avène Thermal Spring Water is ideal for skin subject to eczema, psoriasis, ichthyosis, or dermatitis. Treating skin with Avène Thermal Spring Water helps reduce inflammation, relieve irritation, and speed healing.

This is how the treatments will be done:
On day one, we will have an initial consultation with the hydrotherapy centre dermatologist, who will prescribe the treatment programs and monitor the progress. The treatment program is never fixed and may be adjusted on a daily basis by the hydrotherapy dermatologist. The treatment sessions are held in the mornings for 2 hours, from Monday to Saturday.

Treatments will start with Filiform showers (Avène Thermal Spring Water applied at high pressure). It is a medical act administered only by Hydrotherapy Centre physicians on very scaly, lichenified or hypertrophic lesions. This process will last for 2 to 3 minutes max. Then, localized sprays will be applied. This is for the face and hands. The result, hopefully, is anti-inflammatory and anti-pruriginous (anti-itchy). The compresses will reduce the redness caused by long massaging and all treatments are dispensed under medical surveillance, according to a program defined by one of the Center's physicians.The daily treatment session consists of 4 hydrotherapy treatments per day.

Basic treatments:
Nirvana will take simple baths, whirlpool baths and hydromassage baths. Each bath lasts for a maximum of 20 minutes. The anticipated result is emollient, anti-inflammatory and relaxing. If prescribed, the action of the bath can be reinforced with an automatic or manual underwater shower, administered by a medical auxiliary to specifically designated areas of the body. 
Showers and full-body sprays: The shower helps to eliminate dead cells soaked off by the bath. The spray, consisting of a fine mist of thermal spring water, complete the action of the shower providing the anti-pruriginous effect.
Drinking water, which is always associated with external treatments. It is recommended to drink 1.5 litters of Avène thermal spring water every day. 

Complementary treatments:
Scalp showers: Scalp treatments. Emollient and anti-pruriginous. 
Thermal Spring Water Compresses: Applied to the most inflamed lesions. This treatment has an anti-pruriginous and anti-inflammatory effect. 
Underwater massages: This treatment is carried out by a physiotherapist. The effect is softening and relaxing. 

Specific treatments:
Body Wraps with Emollient Cream: This is used on a patient with severely dry skin. The skin needs to be hydrated and softened which is achieved with the application of the Avène Emollient Cream and wrapping the body in an occlusive film. 
Facials with Emollient Cream: This is a long massage session using a high tolerance emollient cream, followed by the application of compresses impregnated with Avène thermal spring water. Massaging smoothes the epidermis and will help to eliminate scales caused by the eczema and psoriasis.