When you look in the mirror your eyes might immediately draw to an area that you wish you could improve. Fine lines and wrinkles, crows feet, sagging skin, congested skin, uneven texture, sun damage – the more we focus, the more we see that we’d like to change.
The beauty of what I do in my aesthetic practice is that I’m able to enhance your natural features, while reversing the clock on aging and skin damage.
So, what are the most commonly asked-about concerns that I address? How do I treat these issues? And most importantly, how do I restore vitality and balance back to the skin?
These are the six most common skin concerns that I treat every day:
- Sagging skin/ loss of elasticity
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Dull skin
- Thin lips
- Loss of volume in the face
- What to do as an everyday skin care routine
Read on to discover the top six most common skin concerns and how I treat them.
How to Treat Sagging Skin and Loss of Elasticity in the Face
Skin laxity, better known as sagging skin, is a common bi-product of aging. As we get older, our body slows the production of collagen and elastin, the two proteins that are responsible for the firmness and elasticity of the skin. The result is skin, often around the neck or chin line, that is noticeably less taught than years prior.
While I cannot magically make you younger, I am able to restore elasticity to the skin and treat sagging areas with aesthetic medical services. I recommend a variety of treatments to patients who are looking to firm up sagging skin, however one of my most-recommended treatments is microneedling with radiofrequency.
Improve the Skin Elasticity and Appearance with VirtueRF: Microneedling with Radiofrequency
VirtueRF is a system that uses both microneedling and radiofrequency to tighten and tone the skin, improving look and texture while reducing imperfections. Radiofrequency is an advanced way to tighten and brighten the skin. Microneedling works by creating micro-punctures in the skin that stimulate production of collagen and elastin, while regenerating cell growth.
The VirtueRF treatment can help smooth and tighten the skin, while also evening out skin tone, reducing pore size, diminishing fine lines and wrinkles, and improving overall texture of the skin.
How to Reduce Fine Lines + Wrinkles
Smile lines are a sign that you’ve led a joyful and full life. Unfortunately, the pesky little lines can start to form as early as our 20’s and 30’s and deepen as we age.
One of the most common skin issues that we treat are wrinkles and fine lines, specifically around the eyes, forehead, mouth and nose. Most regularly, we use wrinkle-relaxers (aka BOTOX® ) to gently release and relax creases, both mild and moderate, in the skin.
BOTOX® injections are “neuro-modulators,” that when injected into a muscle, can relax muscles from contracting, and the result is the temporary reduction of wrinkles around the forehead, mouth and eyes. There are several other “Tox” injectables like Dysport, Xeomin, and Juveau that provide similar effects. The result of any wrinkle-relaxer is a smoothed appearance, with fewer expression lines. The treatment is fairly quick and virtually painless, and results usually last for 3-4 months.
How to Treat Dull Skin
Dryness is one of the biggest causes of dull looking skin, however dullness can also be attributed to a number of reasons.
Exfoliation is one of the best ways to remove the layers of excess dry skin, to allow new skin cells to grow. Chemical peels give amazing results to those looking to smooth, tone and refresh the skin. Peels stimulate the exfoliation process, allowing the body to purge several layers of excess dry and dead skin cells to reveal newer, fresher layers of skin below. Peels are a great way to fade discoloration and spots, diminish scars, lessen pores and fine lines, and overall even the tone and texture of the skin.
How to Treat Loss of Facial Volume
Collagen and elastin production slows as we age, and our fat distribution in the face also changes. These combined with sun exposure, genetics, weight loss/gain and hormones can show prominent visual changes in the face.
As a result, fullness and volume around the facial features begin to noticeably change. You might notice that the area around the eyes or cheeks appear sunken or sagging. Good news is that we can rebuild these areas where volume has been lost, and restore a more supple look to the face.
Dermal filler is another injectable that helps replenish fullness to areas of the face (like cheeks, mouth, eyes) that have sunken or diminished with age. Filler is used to add shape and contour to areas like cheeks, chins, mouths and more. Filler can also be used to fill in and smooth areas with deeper wrinkles to reduce the signs of aging and provide a more balanced profile.
How to Add Volume to Thin-Looking Lips
We see plump, pouty-looking lips everyday online, on TV, in movies and in magazines. Even if you aren’t looking for a celebrity-style lip, adding volume to the top, bottom or both lips can enhance your face, balance your profile and add fullness to your features.
A common myth about filler is that adding volume to the lips has to be excessive or unnatural looking. Quite the contrary! The amazing part about lip fillers is that we can moderate and control the volume to create a desired shape and volume.
In fact, you would never guess that most clients we see for lip filler have had these injections, since we customize the treatment to the individual and make gradual enhancements. Fillers are buildable, meaning that you can start with a low amount and continue to add till the desired result is achieved. Fillers last for multiple months and slowly dissolve over time, so the changes are not dramatic as they wear off.
Everyday Skin Care: Why you Should invest in Medical Grade Skin Care Products
It’s no secret that your best skin develops with time and consistency. Your daily skin care routine matters, and can make a huge difference in the appearance and vitality of your skin. But, what should you be using to make sure you’re sufficiently re-hydrating, protecting and replenishing your skin daily?
Medical grade skin care products are NOT what you find in your local drugstore. Medical grade skin care products are not available over-the-counter and are only sold through licensed physicians and retailers.
Even when labels may look similar, professional products contain higher concentrations of important ingredients like retinol, hydroquinone, retinaldehyde, vitamins C and E, ceramides and others that keep skin healthy and glowing. In fact, these professional-grade products contain verifiably higher volumes of these ingredients, and are scientifically tested for effectiveness. Ask about daily skin care products available at Ericsson Aesthetics during your next visit.
How Can I Get Healthy Skin
While there is no on-size-fits-all approach to skin health, there are a few general rules that apply to all when it comes to daily care and maintenance.
- Be gentle with your skin
- Use sunblock daily of at least 30 SPF
- Moisturize, exfoliate and rehydrate skin
- Take care of yourself overall by sleeping and eating well
- Make a visit to a trusted aesthetic center that can help explore options to improve your skin look and feel
Above all, as aesthetics professionals our biggest role is to help you feel more confident in your appearance, while improving your skin health. Luckily, aesthetics treatments work both ways to provide benefits that keep you looking youthful, radiant and healthy.
