Anti-Aging Skin Care

For those wishing to take the next step after topical creams and serums, there are a number of cosmetic injectables and procedures which can offer a dramatic anti-aging effect. These can be categorized in terms of wrinkle prevention, skin-resurfacing, re-volumization, and lifting. For most people, that is also the order I would recommend adding them to your regimen.

 

For wrinkle prevention, there is no substitute for injectable neurotoxins, such as Botox, Xeomin, Dysport or Jeuveau. All four work the same way, stopping specific muscles from contracting in the face, and thereby preventing the wrinkles caused by contracting those muscles. If you can’t contract the muscles of the brow between the eyes which cause the vertical “11’s” or frown lines, then you can’t create those wrinkles, and the area remains smooth. The same is true for horizontal forehead lines, and smile lines by the eyes. These 3 areas are the most commonly treated with neurotoxins, and the result is prevention of wrinkles which can help your face look decades younger. All four major neurotoxin brands last roughly 3 months and are essentially interchangeable, although there is a new neurotoxin call Daxxify which is reported to last 6-9 months.

 

These days, most people have heard of Botox, and oftentimes people come to OnSpot interested in trying it, but wary of certain issues they have seen or heard of. Most commonly, people are worried about ending up with an artificial look, or an exaggerated, cartoonish one. This is a completely legitimate concern, and we have all seen enough examples to know that it does happen. But the truth is that no experienced injector wants to create that look, and with proper technique, neurotoxin treatments preserve natural facial expression, and simply create a smooth, youthful, refreshed look which can be quite subtle. Indeed, I believe most would be surprised to learn how many people they see every day who are getting neurotoxin treatments without them knowing. For every one person with an obvious, exaggerated look, you probably see 20 with skillfully done treatments, helping them look younger with none the wiser. There is much more we could say about neurotoxins, but cosmetic injectables are actually the topic of next month’s blog, so we will hold off for now and dig deeper next month.

 

Now the primary limitation of neurotoxins such as Botox, is that they are much better at preventing wrinkles than they are at removing wrinkles which are already set into the skin. If your wrinkles only appear when you make a certain expression, that’s called a dynamic wrinkle, and neurotoxins can eliminate those. But if your wrinkles are visible with your face at rest, those are called static wrinkles, and neurotoxins can help smooth them a bit, but really clearing them requires adding another modality for skin re-surfacing and collagen stimulation. We already discussed topical tretinoin cream, which is a good place to start.

 

Chemical peels are another option, which can not only smooth the skin’s surface, but also help clear it of brown spots from sun damage. During a chemical peel, a medical grade acid such as trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is carefully applied to the skin, left on for a brief time, then removed. The procedure is not painful, but there is a burning sensation similar to getting a sunburn. Also like a sunburn, the superficial skin will peel off over the next few days, resulting in a smoother, clearer skin surface. Chemical peels are best done in series, for example, once every 2 months for 6 months. Some people get a chemical peel every few months long term as part of their routine regimen.

 

Another excellent option for smoothing the skin’s surface is micro-needling. This procedure uses a mechanical device shaped like a large pen, with very small needles projecting rapidly from its tip, to cause small micro-trauma to the dermis beneath the skin’s surface, where the collagen is. This stimulates collagen growth, and results in firmer, tighter, smoother skin. It is quite safe, but in contrast to a peel, micro-needling can be painful, especially on the forehead. For those with tattoos, the sensation is quite similar. As with chemical peels, micro-needling is best done in series, at least 3 treatments spread over 6 months or so.

 

And last but not least, a variety of laser treatments are available which can dramatically improve the skin’s surface, eliminating fine lines, wrinkles, and dyspigmentation, but these require a motivated patient willing to invest in their appearance, not only financially, but also in terms of recovery time. Some superficial lasers which treat brown spots and sun damage have relatively brief recovery periods of a few days to a week, while other more powerful lasers require a month or longer of recovery, but with more significant effects. OnSpot does not offer laser treatments, but most dermatology practices who offer cosmetic services do, as well as most plastic surgery offices.

 

The third category of cosmetic procedures concerns re-volumization, as with injectable fillers. Again, this topic will be covered in next month’s blog, so a brief introduction will suffice. The goal with fillers is to correct or enhance key facial features by strategically placing naturally occurring and bio-compatible hyaluronic acid products within or beneath the skin, in order to counteract the loss of facial volume which is part of the natural aging process. Sunken-in temples can be smoothed out, cheek bones and jaw lines can be defined, noses can be smoothed and simplified, lips can be plumped up, chins can be enhanced, lines by the nose and mouth can be smoothed, hands can be smoothed. We will discuss the potential benefits and risks of injectable fillers next month.

 

Finally, the fourth category of anti-aging procedures includes those meant to lift the skin, as by literally pulling it back, and tighter, to treat the loose, sagging skin which is again part of the natural aging process. Oftentimes I see a patient for neurotoxins or filler or both, and when I ask what their goals are for their face, they quickly reach up with both hands and pull the skin back, tighter. Unfortunately, neither Botox nor filler can achieve this, although they can create an illusion of lift when placed skillfully. But to truly lift and tighten the skin, one must invest in either plastic surgery, or a new and rapidly growing technology called threads. With threads, a variety of dissolvable suture threads are placed underneath the skin, where they pull it back and lock it in place, then dissolve over time. Threads are less invasive and less expensive than a face-lift, with no cutting or stitches and minimal recovery time.

 

I hope you have found this list helpful. Please feel free to schedule a consultation with OnSpot for cosmetic treatment options tailored your goals, and until then, I wish you and your loved ones a Happy New Year.