We are asked everyday “what can I do about my aging face?” Often times we get so excited about all of the technology we have to offer that we tend to ramble on, all the while our clients eyes have glazed over and we are pretty sure all they hear is the Charlie Brown teacher voice – “wa-wa-wa-wa.” But in all seriousness, we have worked very hard to come up with a simple program that we call “The Four Pillars to Younger Skin.”
Pillar 1: Skin Protection- 98% of the damage that occurs in our skin comes from UVA & UVB rays. SPF protection is the first step in slowing down aging of the skin. In addition, a topical Vitamin C will help boost your SPF, as well as help to boost your collagen and elastin production.
What you can do: SPF 365 days per year as well as topical Vitamin C daily and an oral Vitamin C.
Pillar 2: Effective Cell Turnover- normal skin cell turnover is around 28 days. This turnover slows considerably with age as well as with sun damage and can take up to twice as long. It doesn’t take a skin care scientist to understand that brand new skin cells are smoother and more supple that older cells that have been subjected to environmental and biological threats. As we grow older and the ability to regenerate the skin cells diminishes, the result is a buildup which leads to a dull complexion, as well as blocking optimal product penetration.
What you can do: Increase cell turnover with chemical peels, Hydrafacials, Microdermabrasion, Dermablading and use of topical Vitamin A nightly.
Pillar 3: Stimulation of Collagen & Elastin – collagen and elastin are the support structures of the skin – think of it as the coils of a mattress. As we age, our ability to produce new collagen diminishes greatly, in addition, the collagen we do have begins to break down. Similar to a mattress that has coils that are broken down, the skin begins to sag and develop wrinkles.
What you can do: Services which will stimulate your body to generate new collagen and elastin: medical grade skin care, microlaser peel, Halo, SkinPen, Exilis, BBL, Sculptra.
Pillar 4: Volume replacement- At around age 30, we begin to lose about a teaspoon of volume in our face due to collagen breakdown as well as bone degradation. This leads to a hollowing of facial features with sagging skin. Lips also lose volume and become thinner and may start to turn downward at the corners.
What you can do: Restore volume in your face with dermal fillers.
The key to any anti aging regimen is to be consistent. Maintaining younger, healthy skin is as simple as following the 4 Pillars: Skin protection, stimulating effective cell turnover, boosting collagen and elastin as well as restoring lost volume. Your skin is your largest organ and the only one visible to the world. It deserves to be treated well! By doing the above things in a consistent manner, you can look years younger, with healthy vibrant skin. In addition, doing these things will likely delay or prevent the need for surgical intervention such as a face lift, and provide you with a much more natural appearance. It is never too late to start!