Know the limits of your skin care regimen
Skin care addresses only the most visible layer, not volume loss and tissue sagging
Even if you are diligent about your morning and evening skin care routine, there are limits to antioxidants, sunscreens, corrective serums, exfoliators, toners and moisturizers. Dr. Julia Carroll, Director of Dermatology, helps us understand the extent of skin care treatments and where other strategies step in.
In terms of skin protection, sunscreen is a must. The active ingredients of high quality skin care products also offer benefits by improving the texture and the reflective nature of the skin – more glow and fewer brown spots. But these products certainly don’t pause time, regardless of what the commercials say. They can’t add volume back into the face and won’t address the other main hallmarks of face aging: loss of volume and bone structure.
How our faces age
Traditional skin care regimens address only the skin while neglecting the underlying muscle, fat and bone. Our bodies are constantly producing new tissues and breaking them down. In our 20s, we tend to produce more than we break down, which leads to the classic baby face. In our 30s, there tends to be a nice balance where we are breaking down as much tissue as we are making, and tend to look more chiseled. And then as we get older, we tend to break down more than we produce and that’s when we see loss of structure.
Face aging is multifactoral, your strategy needs to be as well
“Many patients ask me whether they should do the lasers, the injectables or the skin care products?”, says Dr. Carroll. “I tell them that their question is similar to someone saying, ‘Should I put on my pants or should I put on my top?’ Well, in order to have a complete outfit, you need all of it, and the same goes with your skin care routine. Each procedure or treatment has its place and specific role.”
Start with your main concern
Everyone ages differently and everyone has different preferences. Some people have great bones, and the skin has taken the brunt of aging because of sun exposure. Other people have great skin, but they’ve lost their bone structure. Sit down with a trusted skin health professional and figure out what you want to do.
Understanding difference between transformation, restoration and augmentation
This terminology is used to describe different approaches to address face aging through procedures beyond skin care.
Transformation: The desired outcome is to transform the facial structure and markedly change the appearance – for example enhance a subtle chin, take out a bump in the nose or make thin lips full.
Augmentation: Due to fashion trends or a popular look, this approach augments an existing area of the face. Lips is the best example of this.
Restoration: This is our Medcan dermatology team’s specialty: Helping people achieve their ‘aesthetic optimum’. This is often done by examining a picture of the client in their 20s, so the doctor can reference bone structure and volume.
A little bit of everything gradually over time
Dr. Carroll recommends keeping your skin in positive production mode, which ensures never looking “overdone”.
“There should never be a dramatic transformation with subtle treatments over time,” adds Dr. Carroll.
How to get into positive production mode
In addition to regular skin care with products, Dr. Carroll starts with ensuring the skin reflects light. This means removing any unwanted distractions like bumps or moles – anything that bothers you. She then recommends devices such as Ulthera or the Clear & Brilliant laser to tighten and rejuvenate the skin.
Then, Dr. Carroll focuses on lines that are caused from repeated movement. “Whether it’s a frown or scowl, lines around the mouth, eyes or between the eyebrows – those we can ease off but we still want to keep those parts moving so you look like yourself,” she says.
Finally, to counter face aging, Dr. Carroll focuses on the structure and shape of the face. Traditionally women aim for a more oval face, while men go for a more chiseled look. “You want all the parts of the face connected – so bringing other parts of the face into balance and into sync with other parts of the face to make it proportioned. This may also include improving the jawline, more blunted with less fat gives the impression of losing weight.”
Choose a practitioner by their own aesthetic
Check if your practitioner and staff have the same aesthetic as you. If you want to look natural, be sure to choose a practitioner, and a team, that meets the expectations of the look you are aspiring to.
