An Unforgettable Journey into a World of Tranquility, Renewal, and Wellness:
I stumbled into Dutch Hollow desperate and helpless because a couple months prior my flawless complexion turned into a severe case of acne. My confidence was shot as I faced days where I didn’t want to leave my house due to the ugly condition of my skin. I had visited two dermatologists that provided me with products that only triggered more acne. Mirka complimented my beauty and promised that she would do whatever it would take to not only improve my skin, but perfect it. I had no doubts that my skin was finally in good hands.
Mirka introduced me to the Dr. Obagi skincare line and gave me IPL treatments and Microdermabrasions. Mirka called me on a regular basis in between visits to check on my skin and would often see me after hours to follow up. Every appointment with Mirka is wonderful, she not only transformed my skin but she became my friend as well. This is a woman that goes above and beyond her job, she truly cares about all her clients and addressing there needs. In a very short time my skin has drastically cleared up. Words cannot express my gratitude toward Mirka, and her husband Sam for his efforts with my skin, and the encouraging and pleasant receptionists.
I am convinced that without Mirka I would still be struggling with my skin. I encourage anybody that feels they have a helpless case of bad skin to visit Dutch Hollow Spa and get ready for amazing results.
Sincerely,
Crystal Lowe
Mirka and Sam,
I had several procedures done yesterday; botox around my eyes, botox under my arms, and Radiesse. When I looked in the mirror this morning I had no bruising or swelling and I couldn’t stop smiling at myself. I am so satisfied with the results I get from Radiesse. I look like a younger version of myself…I don’t look like I’ve had anything “done”. Since I’ve been a client of yours for many years I thought it was about time to give you a testimonial. The very best thing about your service is simply this, you are not just trying to perform procedures and collect money. You truly care about your clients and you know what looks good and what looks bad and aren’t hesitant to let me know. I love your spa and I love what you and Dr. Sam have given me and that is a safe, professional, and FUN place to go get pretty.
Thanks from my heart to yours,
Barbra Davis
Dutch Hollow Medical Day Spa is such a wonderful place to rest your body and soul and to forget the worries and care of the day. This is a full service medical spa which will leave vivid memories in your mind. At Dutch Hollow Medical Spa, “To be pampered” is only a statement…until you experience the warmth and hospitality extended to you by Mirka and her staff. At this spa you can be tightened, hairless, refreshed, rejuvenated, renewed and revived within an hour without the aid of a knife. Recently Dutch Hollow added a successful HCG weight loss program to their facility. This indicates that Mirka and Dr. Figueroa focus on healthy lifestyle. Therefore, each client not only looks good externally but feels good internally. Thanks to Mirka and Dr. Samuel Figueroa for allowing clients to find the “Fountain of Youth” so they can look 10-15 years younger then their stated age. Mirka and Dr. Sam Figueroa possess a fountain of knowledge in skin care and are well respected among their peers…both in the community and elsewhere. They are instrumental in teaching their skills to doctors, nurses and medical estheticians some of which are sent from plastic surgeons and dermatology offices for training. Mirka has contributed much of her experience and knowledge to many medical spas not only in the nearby community but as far as South Carolina, New York and Florida. I personally had the opportunity in sending my nurse to be trained with Mirka 4 years ago. She returned to my facility well informed with an abundance of knowledge in the field of medical esthetics. Mirka shares her knowledge with everyone including doctors, nurses, estheticians and friends.
Keep up the good work!
Dr. Patricia Riddle
When I came to Mirka, I was at the point of giving up hope. I was 28 years old with a severe case of systic acne. I was so embarrassed to leave the house or go into public with my face in this condition. Prior to coming to Dutch Hollow, I had been to two dermatologists, a nutritionist, tried almost every acne product offered “over the counter” or off TV, tried things from the health food store, and every remedy there was to try.
During my initial consultation with Mirka, she suggested Acutane due to the severity of the acne. I was somewhat unsure about the medicine, so Mirka began working with me through microdermabrasions and peels.
I now look at my face everyday and smile because my skin looks and feels beautiful. Mirka not only obtains amazing knowledge of the skin, but also an amazing and kind heart. I now know Mirka as my friend, but also my “Face Angel”, because what she did with my skin was truly a miracle.
Amanda L.
I have been troubled with adult acne and looking for help. I came to Dutch Hollow Medical Day Spa in December 2010 with acne products and treatments. In two and a half months my skin has improved so much. It is wonderful! Thank you Mirka!
Very pleased client,
Theresa Neudecker
I have been a client of Mirka’s and a Dutch Hollow customer for 10 years. Last year, I moved to St. Louis and, because of the long commute back to Godfrey, decided to find an aesthetician closer to my new St. Louis home. Over the past year, I tried five of the “best” salons/spas in St. Louis (at considerable expense!) and have to tell you: no one, and I mean no one, did as good a job as Mirka. In fact, through all my travels — New York, L.A., Chicago, London, etc. — I have never found anyone who did my brows as beautifully as Mirka. I am now committed to driving back the 45 miles (90 miles round trip!) just to have Mirka do my brows! It’s worth it. She’s the best.
Stephanie Abbajay
“”Diet works for Brighton resident” by Jill Moon in The Alton Telegraph July 5, 2011
GODFREY – Brighton resident Hilda Geske got her mojo back when she shed unwanted weight through a controversial diet.
Done right, the HCG diet, with initals that stand for human chorionic ganadotropin, can be a positive experience for those who are serious about changing their lifestyle, such as Geske, 51, who previously felt blah and tired.
“I wanted to feel better and get my life back,” said Geske, who lost 30 pounds on the HCG diet administered by Dutch Hollow Medical Day Spa in Godfrey, which aquired the product a year ago. “You just feel better eating healthier, and it makes you aware of what you’re putting in your body. It makes your body work for you.”
HCG is a hormone naturally produced in a woman’s body during pregnancy; with the HCG diet, the hormone is dropped under the tongue. The hormone almost completely controls metabolic functions and can be used safely by both men and women, Dutch Hollow Medical Day Spa CEO and owner Mirka Figueroa said.
As with any weight management program, Figueroa wants any and all HCG clients to see a doctor regularly before and during the weight management program.
The controversy comes in with rogue HCG products sold on the Internet and because some days of the HCG cycle require a 500-calorie diet, which should be monitored by a physician with regular check-ins.
Geske began her lifestyle change Feb. 23, when she stared using HCG drops. She read about the HCG diet in The Telegraph last year.
“I asked my doctor about it. They looked into it and said, ‘That’s fine,’” she said in preparation to change her lifestyle.
For 40 days, Geske used the drops, which are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for various medical conditions, although it has not yet been specifically determined to be effective for weight loss or weight management by the FDA.
“You can use the drops for up to 41 days if you haven’t reached your target weight, but I just did 40 days,” Geske recalled.
Dr. Samuel Figueroa, with Dutch Hollow Medical Day Spa, consults and supervises HCG clients. HCG does not react with any common medications or contraceptives, but should be used only under a physician’s supervision. Dr. Figueroa is a staff physician at Saint Anthony’s Health Center in the Anesthesiology Department.
“Before you start the diet, we want to make sure you are healthy,” said Mirka Figueroa, a wellness expert. “And during the program, we would like to make sure you maintain health, because a 500-calorie daily diet sometimes can prevent the body from the nutrients it needs.”
Strenuous exercise also is not recommended during the 500-calorie portion of the diet. After 40 days, Geske did three weeks of maintenance and then did an additional three weeks of adding certain ingredients, such as starch and sugars, back to her diet.
“The first week, you just start dropping,” said Geske, who works as a sales associate at Macy’s at Alton Square. “I noticed my clothes first; I lost five pounds right away.”
Customers began asking Geske what she had done. Geske’s husband of 33 years, Duane, liked it, too.
“He’s like, ‘Ahhhh,” she said grinning.
After the three weeks maintenance and three weeks of reintroducing ingredients into the diet, Geske basically returned to a normal diet, which included a new perspective about food.
“Then you can have whatever you want,” said Geske, who unless she brings her lunch to work, faces limited food choices at the mall. “If I know I’m going out to dinner, I take a lighter lunch.”
Recently, the grandmother of three went on a weekend getaway with her husband on the back of his Harley-Davidson to Giant State Park in Southern Illinois.
“We ate what we wanted that weekend; I ate fried fish,” she noted. “We had a bottle of wine, ate off the buffets and pretty much what I wanted to eat.”
She also drinks lots of water and watches for preservatives in her food.
“I’m trying to eat more natural and stay away from preservatives, even in spices, which has sugar in several,” she said.
She also incorporated some other supplements and services into her new lifestyle, such as vitamin B-12 shots every few weeks, which she gets at Dutch Hollow Medical Day Spa, through its comprehensive Weight Management and Healthy Lifestyle Program, which Mirka Figueroa implemented more than two years ago.
“They made me feel better. My husband said he couldn’t believe how much energy I had,” Geske said.
During the program, HCG diet or anytime therafter, clients can call Figueroa on her cell phone at any time. During days that clients are using HCG drops on 500 calories a day, they do regular weigh-ins at the spa.
After Geske completed the HCG portion of the diet, she began walking on a treadmill.
She said the HCG diet was particularly good for slimming her mid-section.
“The hormone targets the hardest fat to get rid of, and that’s your belly fat,” she said.
About two months ago, Geske also did a detox body wrap at Dutch Hollow Medical Day Spa, which caused her to lose seven more inches. Most people lose two inches, she said.
“My daughter said, ‘I’m so proud of you, Mom. You look so good, I’m jealous,’” Geske said.
Comments from clients inspired Figueroa to add a weight and lifestyle program to Dutch Hollow’s menu of services.
“Clients would come for skin care and say, ‘My clothes don’t look good, I’m not happy with my body, nothing fits, I’m depressed,’” Figueroa recounted. “I’ve always been interested in nutrition, and I have the knowledge and my husband’s background.”
Figueroa shares healthy recipes, shopping lists, snacks and fresh produce containing less sugar. She also focuses on specialized diets for clients who are diabetic, gluten-free eaters or have other health considerations.
“All diets are approved by Dr. Sam. He tells them about their needs and explains why,” Figueroa said. “He helps them understand fruits and vegetables and what each one does.”
The Figueroas also discuss dairy, alcohol, and how foods and beverages interact, as well as how to pick a personal trainer who they also can recommend.
“We teach discipline first,” Mirka Figueroa said. “Then to reward themselves, we give them a (spa) treatment. We want to heighten mental awareness of why and how to adjust your body.”
Figueroa said the younger generation wants to adjust their lifestyle with organic and natural solutions instead of chemicals.
“People need education,” she said. “It’s not a quick fix anymore. I want long-term happiness for you, which is my happiness. You have to understand that maintenance is the key to life.”
Clients can join the program for either one or three months.
Visit www.dutchhollowmedispa.com or call (618) 466-9496 for more information or a free consultation.”
October 11, 2011 Alton Telegraph article by Vicki Bennington
“Dutch Hollow promotes good health; Spa’s variety of services has it covered from head to toe”
GODFREY – Mirka Figueroa, medical esthetician and CEO of Dutch Hollow Medical Day Spa, works hard to bring her clients the best of the best, never one to rest on her laurels.
For the last 15 years, she rarely has taken a day off. Even when not at the spa, she and her husband, Dr. Sam Figueroa, often combine business with pleasure, visiting other medical spas, attending medical seminars and consulting with spa owners, doctors and developers of the latest and greatest products and procedures.
“I love what I do – and that’s helping people to be happier. That’s what I’m here for,” Mirka Figueroa said. “Everything we do requires research, but I love doing that, too. It’s stimulating, and even on vacation, I’m looking and learning. That’s just me.”
She and Dutch Hollow’s medical director, Dr. Sam, as he’s known to clients, have consulted with doctors in New York, California, Argentina, Europe, Canada, and she has worked with a number of celebrities in Los Angeles.
“We work with physicians and medical spa directors from all over the world,” Mirka Figueroa said. “We are constantly learning new things, and that’s make a big difference in what we can offer our clients.”
Dr. Sam also is an anesthesiologist at Saint Anthony’s Health Center, and Mirka also is trained as a physical therapist. Their medical backgrounds serve them well in the world of sorting through numerous aspects of new treatments, machines and products that appear on the market.
“I learn about everything from every aspect,” she said. “And I never offer anything to a client that I haven’t tried on myself.”
She spends days and days, along with evenings, studying new machines, devices and products. Because of her thorough knowledge and dedication to education, some of the providing companies have offered her full-time jobs.
“But my business and the people in this community are my top priority,” she said. “So, I’ve said no, but I’m always happy to help them out as a consultant.
“They value my opinion because I work with clients on a daily basis and see how everything works in practical application.”
One of the newer device additions is the Edge Systems Corp. HydraFacial machine, which basically has replaced the former microdermabrasion procedure. It contains an upgraded microderm diamond technology, in addition to the ability to infuse the skin with vitamin C, growth factors and moisture to plump up collagen. The HydraFacial removes dead skin cells and impurities while bathing the new skin with hydrating skin solutions. Treatments can be designed to be very individualized to treat acne and inflammation, or address anti-aging, dry skin, oily skin or hyper-pigmentation.
Figueroa said the top grade HydraFacial cannot be performed at a spa without a medical director such as Dr. Sam, who also performs many of the medical procedures, such as Botox and corrective fillers.
“If there isn’t a medical director, the process that some spas call HydraFacial is not the same grade,” Figueroa said.
Her entire concept for Dutch Hollow from the very beginning has been to help people live a healthier lifestyle, while offering events and the best available services to help them look and feel better.
She said living healthier not only lessens the chances of disease and other health problems, but also promotes a more attractive appearance and overall sense of well-being.
“Weight loss is such an important part of health and happiness. It makes you feel so much better,” she said.
The HCG Weight Management Program is a diet program that Figueroa said will work for almost everyone using Human Chorionic Ganadotropin, a hormone found in a woman’s body during pregnancy. But the diet can be used by men and women, and allows the metabolism to remain normal while on a reduced caloric intake rather than going into starvation mode.
Figueroa helps clients along the way who are using HCG with guidance and moral support. She helps people stay strong and stick to the program, even walking with one client who needed extra motivation to get through the rough spots.
Following up weight loss and exercise with spa services such as water therapies can help with joint problems and circulation, and wet room treatments such as the Body Polish and the Vichy shower exfoliate the skin and massage muscles, helping clients to relax and de-stress.
“We all have stress, and every person that walks through the door has their own story,” Figueroa said. “I listen to what they have to say. I learn from them and, hopefully, I can help them. It’s an exchange.
“I value every client. They make my day – every day,” she said.
Figueroa said she has found that spa treatments also are very beneficial for clients who are undergoing a variety of medical treatments.
“It helps them to feel better about themselves, and I can see a difference in their attitude,” she said.
And for clients who become ill or have a life-changing experience and cannot drive, Figueroa has been known to make a home visit to do a treatment that will comfort them or make them feel better.
Figueroa’s extensive penchant for research and education has led her to the formulation of her own product to decrease age- or sun-related pigmentation, and she currently is in the process of creating a cream to soften wrinkles.
“People want to look and feel good,” Figueroa said. “And that’s what I constantly work toward.”
Dutch Hollow also offers “in office” packages for manicures and pedicures, facials or massages.
“We will bring in music and aromatherapy if desired and make it a special event,” she said.
On Sundays and Mondays, Dutch Hollow can be reserved for private group spa events.
Dutch Hollow is at 3042 Godfrey Road. For more information, visit www.dutchhollowmedispa.com or call (618) 466-9496.
