It is important to take care of ourselves and to maximize our health so we can be other focused instead of self and illness focused. Often my services are sought when the ravages of time and sun are beginning to be evident. My goal is to develop a skin care treatment program which is personalized to that person’s needs. I believe in a step wise approach to skin care and facial rejuvenation. There have been many new technologies developed over the past five years which have allowed me as a plastic surgeon to not only to do surgery with smaller incisions but also to improve the quality of a person’s skin prior to any surgery. It is with this in mind that I would like to share with you some of the latest technologies and treatments in skin care and skin health.
First the facts: Our skin is our largest organ of our body. It acts to protect us from the ravages of our environment. We get 80% of our lifetime sun damage by the time we are 18 years old. You say why bother with any type of skin care, if the damage is already done. The good news is that we have been wonderfully created and our bodies have the capacity to repair past damage and to respond to reparative treatments.
The first step and the foundational element to any facial rejuvenation is to start a personalized skin care regimen and to stop behaviors (like smoking) which contribute to aging and damage. Water is essential to total body health and to good skin hydration. You should make sure that you are drinking enough water to keep yourself well hydrated. Daily skin care including daily sunscreen acts as fitness for your skin and is essential for preparing the skin before treatments and keeping your skin looking great between treatments.
Photo facials use intense pulsed light (a laser related technology) to treat brown spots, liver spots and spider veins on the face, chest and arms. The brown spots lift to the surface and flake off with in 7 –10 days. Spider veins and erythema associated with rosacea can also be treated so that the skin tone becomes more even. Tightening of the skin and improved texture can also result from this treatment that treats the skin from the top down.
On the other hand, Forma by Inmode Aesthetics treats the skin from the bottom up. This technology uses radio waves to recoil and stimulate collagen and elastin in the deep portion of the skin. You will feel an immediate tightening of your skin without any peeling or bruising. This technology has been used on facial skin and now can be used to treat lax skin of the abdomen and arms.
Exciting fillers like Juvederm now allow us to enhance and define contours of the face and lips and to soften harsh frown lines. The results are immediate and last longer (about six months) than previous fillers. Botox is often used with fillers to relax the muscle that makes the wrinkle so that the filler will last even longer.
In conclusion, there are many newly available skin care and rejuvenation treatments which can enhance any surgical result and may even help to prevent the need for surgery. It is important to carefully discuss your goals with your plastic surgeon so that your result is maximized. As always remember that healthy skin is beautiful skin and that is it never too late to be the most beautiful version of yourself!
