Elinea on 18th & Noe — Local services in San Francisco

UPDATE: Just had the VI Peel service

I have already had prior facial services with Sara and we discussed the VI Peel as the next level up. I 100% trust Sara with my face! She is thoughtful of the experience she gives while doing the treatment. She explains the processes before, during and after each step so there are no surprises especially since the VI peel sensations are more intense than most facial services. I was very comfortable with and confident in her skills.

The important factors in a nutshell:

Friendly staff Beautifully appointed space; warm and inviting, not so clinical Hidden gem of a courtyard space to relax and enjoy a beverage while you wait Thorough and informative consultation Next day follow up call Great location just blocks away from Castro and 18th so easily accessible by Muni Competitive pricing for their services Ultimately, they are trustworthy professionals providing great results

TL;DR full details below

Good genetics have gotten me pretty far (I’m 54, m) keeping me from feeling like I look my age but lately the signs of aging have started to show more significantly. I did have a filler done once for the beginnings of a frown line in my early 40’s but that was the extent of what I felt I needed and never followed up with regular filling; occasional facials and a fairly good skin care routine seemed to do enough. Up ‘til now I was a bit skeptical about whether I really needed to start looking at some skin rejuvenating services with more substantial results.

Coincidentally, I had to go in for my eye exam the week prior to update my prescription and for better or worse, I could now really see clearly up close again. I was now noticing the lines around my eyes more whenever I’d cleanse and do my skin care. Beyond what I’d currently been doing, the idea sparked that I should at least look into more transformative options.

A friend said to consider having an eye filler done since it would be a subtle change since I wasn’t convinced I wanted to do something that would completely smooth out the smile/laugh lines around my eyes. I have a big toothy smile (somewhat of a hereditary trait) which are the reason why I have such defined smile/laugh lines now. I felt that without them though, I wouldn’t look like how I’ve grown accustomed to seeing myself and my family in pictures.

I expressed my concerns and expectations when I had my consultation visit with Dr. Rami. His professional suggestions were very considered and informative and made me feel confident in going forward with an eye filler just on the lower eye socket ridge. Dr. Rami gave me the full run down of what the process would be, what the product was and how he would administer it. Our consultation felt like an easy conversation between friends so I was very comfortable having the procedure done. After it was said and done, I was more than pleased with the immediate result; it was even better after a few days. There wasn’t anything blatantly obvious about the change but it was overall noticeable in a way that just made my eyes look more rested. It was exactly what Dr. Rami and I wanted the result to be: subtle enough to know there’s a difference but yet not enough to pinpoint what.

When I went in for my follow up two weeks later, he did inject a little more filler that we had discussed saving for this visit should I have wanted a bit more support of the initial result. After seeing the overall effect on all my facial features, he suggested I do a few injections of Botox to soften up my frown lines. I had been having the same thought now that I had lived with the results of the eye filler but I was taken aback since I hadn’t mentioned it yet; Dr. Rami has a keen eye. So I did confess that I had filled my, at the time, one frown line but never did any further maintenance.

Since I was already at Elinea for my eye filler follow up and I was very at ease and confident in Dr. Rami’s expertise, I consented to the Botox. The results speak for themselves; I couldn’t be happier or more fortunate to have...

Elinea is the type of establishment I’d long ago abandoned hope of encountering in the Castro- understated and tasteful. You could easily pass it up even though it has an accessible and visible location. I walked in and was impressed with the attention to detail- the fixtures, the finishes, the music, the colors and most importantly, the lighting, were all on point. Of course, when you are about to entrust your face to someone for the first time, these are details that put your mind at ease.

I was immediately greeted by the friendly staff at the desk and the manager who offered me a drink and gave me a tour of the space. Every square inch is elegant and comfortable, and it even has a sunny patio out back. The treatment rooms are well designed to feel immaculate and comfortable, without feeling cold and sterile. I almost fell asleep during my treatment. In fact, I probably did.

This was not my first time at the rodeo, and most facials that I’ve had in the past left my face looking like a package of ground beef. Actually, I’d given up on facials years ago because I was tired of the recovery period- I just don’t have three days for my face to come back to a presentable tone and texture. The Hydrofacial service looked like it could be gentle enough for me, so I decided to give it a try.

Monica provided my treatment, and she could not have done anything differently. Thoroughly professional, easygoing and just the right amount of conversation. At times, it felt like my face was being scraped and vacuumed and I thought to myself, here we go again! At the same time, I’ve wanted to have my face vacuumed and I found this deeply satisfying. In what seemed like moments but was actually more like an hour, the facial was complete. She even showed me what had been collected from my face, which I had been secretly wondering about and I was not disappointed.

The best part- I looked good when it was over. Like really good. Dewy. Not what I expected at all. Especially since I’m one of those rare individuals who reads the consent form and thought, this could go horribly wrong. Not only did my skin look great, it help up and reminded me how much I love looking at my face when there’s aren’t distracting blemishes and crud in the way.

This is a spa and procedure I would highly recommend to anybody. What they have created is truly a gift and an experience for anyone looking for help with bringing out the best version of their skin. And of course, everyone there had the most radiant skin which makes you confident about what they’re selling. They recommended products at the end of the treatment, but it didn’t feel like I was pressured into buying them. Several days later, I received a handwritten thank you card from, Monica.

No, Monica, thank YOU. And everyone at Elinea. You are delivering excellence and it quite...

Short Version: Extremely flexible Incredibly kind, personable and transparent staff Not pushy/salesly - they want whats best for you! Trustworthy and safe

Long Version: I was referred by a friend and then also received a gift card for my birthday. I'm newer to skin treatments and prefer to keep things more on the natural/low maintenance side.

I had a consultation with Monica first and she was nice and accommodating; kept things super transparent for me based on what I was looking for. She even offered to come in on an off day if that worked better for my schedule.

I was going to do a peel but ended up having to reschedule and switched to my first ever micro-needle experience. I worked directly with Dr. Rami for this treatment. I was super nervous and didn't know exactly what to expect from a recovery perspective. The process took an hour total and the entire staff was so comforting! I grew a little anxious again after a few hours because I was seeing results pretty quickly and I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign- it was good :) So I called and they walked me through everything again and I picked up a new product to help with more hydration (in addition to the great at-home kit they already give you for free). Lastly, they sent me a thank you card in the mail - I couldn't believe it.

I'm already seeing results and can't wait to continue supporting them as a business. Highly...