1. Do Your Homework
You should think of your Aesthetic Treatment Provider as an artist and your skin is the canvas. Not all artists create work that is pleasing to everyone’s eye and some get bogged down in the tiny details and can’t see the bigger picture. Basically, you should be diligent in researching and even interviewing your potential practitioner. You are forming a partnership with that person to help guide you through your aesthetic journey for years to come. You need to feel trust and confidence that your provider is not only properly educated in Aesthetic Medicine, but is also keeping up with best practices and new cutting edge techniques.
2. Build a Foundation
When thinking about the attributes of a youthful appearance, the easiest way to envision this is with the triangle of youth; high cheekbones, full cheeks, full lips, and a defined jawline. As we age, the triangle becomes inverted due to a variety of factors such as bone changes, fat pads and muscles falling, and skin laxity. Typically patients come to me because they have noticed something specific and undesirable about to their face. While treating specific problems is sometimes warranted, often times, treatment of the underlying problem in a different area will achieve an even better result. We’ve all seen the person who kept having his/her nasolabial folds filled year after year… started looking very lion-like, right?? Restoring volume to the mid-face/cheek area with Voluma® can recreate the triangle of youth and thus start to correct many of the problems we see as a result of mid-face volume loss.
3. Fill the Deficits
Now that we’ve rebuilt a solid foundation, we can fine tune some specific lines/folds with thinner Hyaluronic Acids such a Juvederm®. It is then easier and safer (aesthetically) to fill any remaining nasolabial fold or marionette line without compromising the aesthetic structure and dimensions of your face.
4. Define and Contour
Modern medicine is always searching for solutions for age old problems. And it’s found not 1 but 2 solutions for many people’s arch nemesis: THE DOUBLE CHIN!!! We now have Coolsculpting® Mini which freezes and eliminates the fat cells, and Kybella® which is an injectable product that also kills fat cells. I customize treatment depending on the individual patients needs and goals. Someone may need 1 Coolsculpting treatment then 1-2 Kybella treatments while another may need a series of Kybella or Coolsculpting treatments alone. Both treatments are great for contouring your jawline and exposing a more defined and youthful profile.
5. Prevent More Work
If you haven’t jumped on the Botox® bandwagon yet, you’re definitely missing out! The notion that you will look frozen or plastic need not be the case. That occurs when practitioners use old techniques and, frankly, too much product. I use Botox as both a corrective and preventative tool. If a person happens to learn about Botox early in life before lines have really had a chance to set in, then we can prevent lines and wrinkles from developing into deep lines and ridges.* Don’t fear if you don’t fall into that previous category, Botox still can come to your rescue! When lines and wrinkles are more set in, one Botox treatment will definitely make them better but probably will not entirely erase the line.* Typically with deeper lines, it can take 3-4 Botox treatments before the line is totally eliminated.* With regular Botox treatments, you can decrease the need for more aggressive resurfacing treatments in the future.
6. Resurface and Regenerate
Lasers and Microneedling are also a huge components in optimizing skin health. Microneedling treatments are fantastic for a plethora of skin conditions as wells as for prevention and anti-aging. In a nutshell, Microneedling makes tiny channels to specific layers within the skin allowing for superior penetration of topical products. Products are able to work on a deeper level, and the actual act of needling causes your body to begin the wound healing cascade. Once this process starts, it causes the body to generate more collagen. More collagen = firmer skin, fewer lines, more even texture and pigment… all things we want for our skin! IPL Photofacials are another great tool to reverse signs of sun damage and even out skin tone in certain types of skin.*
7. All About Maintenance
Once you’ve invested time and money into your face, you’re going to need a solid skincare regimen to maintain it. I mean, would you buy a Ferrari then never wash it or change the oil. Not a chance. I’ve broken down my typical recommendations here, but these vary per individual needs.
8. Enjoy the Results
Optimized skin makes for a more confident you! Use that confidence to improve your life and make the world a better place.
*As with any aesthetic treatment, individual results may vary.
