As we age our skin loses density in its collagen, elastin, and vascularity. These changes give rise to the signs of skin aging. Fine lines, wrinkles, large pore size, sagging, dullness, and the dreaded crepe skin look emerge.
Fortunately, we have many tools to help correct these issues and get you back to your most radiant you. Allow me to briefly discuss some of the modalities and methods you can utilize to improve your skin’s appearance; things that truly work.
I tell my patients, please stop wasting your money on hope in a bottle. If there was a lotion or crème that worked well, we would all be using it. Try this exercise. Place a towel on your bathroom floor. Take all of your skincare products and lay them out on the towel grouped by category: eye creams, sunscreens, night cream, serums, toners, etc., add up the cost of all the products, it will likely be far more than you would think. Now, pick one out of each grouping that created a distinctly notable and visible improvement in laxity… My guess is that there is not one that you could identify as having made a tremendous visual change.
The truth is that products work incrementally and synergistically creating positive changes over time. Your skincare routine should be rather simple and consistent, something to this effect:
- A cleanser that is appropriate for your skin type: Acneic, dry, oily, or mature.
- Antioxidant serum, such as SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic or Phloretin.
- A moisturizer with peptides and growth factor and retinol or retinoid for night time.
- Sunscreen for day time.
- Buy good quality, a little goes a long way and over time the topical products potentiate each other’s effectiveness.
Biostimulators
Hyper-dilute Radiesse, Sculptra, PRP, and Hyaluronic Acid Fillers can be injected under the skin and work like magic. They provide some immediate improvement and continue to stimulate your skin to produce more collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid over the following 6 months. Benefits include more supple, dewy, smoother, and tauter skin and can be seen up to 5 years.
Modalities
Many of the modalities available today, in my opinion, do not yield a significant result in isolation. However, in combination with therapy can provide a very nice improvement. I have seen Microneedling with RadioFrequency and PRP do far more than just Microneedling or RF alone. One new tool on the scene I have been seeing some promising results from is the Subnovii plasma pen. It vaporizes the epidermis at 400 degrees Celsius and directs heat at 40-42 degrees Celsius to the deeper dermis stimulating fibroblasts, increasing collagen and elastin formation. This continues to improve over the 4 months following treatment.
Surgery
As with most correction of signs of aging, surgery is the definitive option for consistent control of the desired outcome. The other modalities will buy you time before you land at this option.
The downside of surgery is the trade-off of a scar. In some areas, such as with a facelift this can be concealed by blending with natural anatomical transition points, such as around the ears. Whereas with a Brachioplasty, there is no great area to conceal it, so you trade off loose skin in place of a scar.
If your funds are limited, the two most important things to invest in are daytime sunscreen and a nightly retinoid.
Last week’s winner of the Emscult session is: @SouthOC_Moms
This Week’s Giveaway: Complimentary Subnovii treatment. To enter, you must be following @J_Derme and @SoCalMoments, like this post on Instagram and comment: “Subnovii”. The winner will be announced in next week’s post.
Author Bio: Heidi Lindner has been an aesthetics expert for over 17 years specializing in all aspects of non-surgical aesthetics and plastic surgery. She is sought out for her techniques that focus on a natural-looking approach to facial balancing, restoration, and beauty optimization. Follow her on Instagram @j_derme