There are wonderful things that come along with aging such as wisdom, increased financial security and more time to do things you enjoy; but most people could do without the physical signs of aging. When it comes to those heavy eyelids, sagging skin, wrinkles, and age spots we can help! There are plenty of options such as: at home products, in-office procedures and of course, surgery. Here is our guide to help you look the age you feel.
Heavy Eyelids
Heavy eyelids are one of the first signs of facial aging. They can cause you to look tired and aged, even when you are feeling great. My first recommendation is to use a quality medical grade eye cream such as SkinCeuticals’ A.G.E. Eye Complex on your upper and lower eyelids. This incredible product offers both instant and long-lasting benefits to the eye area including reducing the appearance of crow’s feet, dark circles and puffiness while increasing skin density and elasticity.
My favorite in-office procedure for heavy eyelids is a Botox Brow Lift. This 5-minute procedure can lift your eyebrows and open your eyes, making you look more awake and refreshed. In addition, skin tightening treatments such as Morpheus8 can stimulate new collagen to naturally lift the skin around the eyes.
If you have significant upper eyelid skin laxity, the gold standard treatment would be an eyelid lift, also known as a blepharoplasty, with or without a brow lift. Our office is unique because we have both Dr. Souyoul, board certified dermatologist, and Dr. Pennington, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, so we can discuss all the treatment options available with you and help you pick the best treatment.
Vertical Lip Lines
Lines around the mouth happen to everyone, not just smokers. As we get older, we naturally lose volume around our mouth and the distance between our nose and upper lip gets longer. Both factors cause these pesky lines to start slowly setting in and become deeper with time.
There are many treatment options to help with these lines. First, Botox can soften the lines and stop them from getting deeper. Second, fillers such as Juvéderm or Restylane, can also help fill these lines and add volume to the lips and corners of the mouth. I also recommend starting topical Revox Line Relaxer from Revision Skincare around the mouth twice a day. This product helps reduce wrinkles and expression lines while improving the look of skin elasticity.
In-office procedures can also help improve vertical lip lines. My go-to treatment is microneedling with platelet rich plasma (PRP). This procedure helps improve wrinkles and skin texture by stimulating collagen production. If a patient has deep set-in lines, then I occasionally recommend a more aggressive treatment such as laser resurfacing with our Erbium or CO2.
Double Chin & Loose Neck Skin
The neck can be one of the main areas women become most self-conscious of as they age. Fullness and loose skin can cause a loss of definition along the jawline, heaviness, and an overall aged appearance.
The first thing everyone should start using is a quality neck cream. My favorite is Revision Skincare’s Nectifirm ADVANCED which helps to improve skin quality, texture, and firmness. In addition, everyone should be using a daily sunscreen on their neck, along with their face. My go-to is EltaMD Clear SPF 46 since it goes on clear and won’t rub off on your clothes.
In office procedures can be helpful to address some common neck concerns. First, Sculptra can be used on the neck to improve skin quality and treat crepey skin. Sculptra is a biostimulant which stimulates your skin to rebuild its own collagen naturally—the filler itself dissipates a few days after treatment and then your body builds its own natural collagen over the next 6-12 weeks. Usually, two sessions are recommended 6 weeks apart for optimal results. Skin tightening devices, such as Morpheus8 and Exilis Ultra, can also help tighten and improve the quality of the skin on the neck. Both treatments will increase collagen production and results can last up to two years.
Surgery is also an option, but a Surgical Neck Lift is reserved for those patients who have a combination of excess fat and skin that cannot be addressed with non-invasive measures. It can be a life changing procedure improving both confidence and quality of life. I always recommend discussing this option with a board-certified facial plastic surgeon, like Dr. Pennington, to determine if it is right for you.
Skin Discoloration & Pigmentation
Uneven skin tone, brown spots, and age spots are all secondary to sun damage. Uneven skin tone and pigment can quickly give the appearance of aging. There are plenty of ways to treat unwanted pigmentation, but it is most important to start with good skincare to prevent future sun damage.
Vitamin C and sunscreen are key components in skincare when it comes to both treating and preventing bothersome discoloration. The sun will worsen any type of dark spot, which is why we recommend a quality sunscreen such as Skinceuticals Physical Fusion or Revision Skincare’s Intellishade. Furthermore, a topical antioxidant in your morning routine can further help protect your skin from sun damage and decrease oxidative stress on the skin. Our best-selling antioxidant is CE Ferulic by SkinCeuticals. It is a vitamin C serum demonstrated to provide powerful environmental protection with a combination of 15% pure vitamin C, pure vitamin E, and 0.5% ferulic acid.
Medical grade chemical peels can reduce the appearance of age spots and sun damage. In addition, IPL (intense pulse light) laser can treat unwanted brown and red pigmentation. It is best to bring up any pigment concerns with your dermatologist, especially if you have a significant history of sun exposure or tanning bed use so they can do routine skin checks to monitor for signs of skin cancer.
Hair Thinning
It is a common misconception that only men lose hair as they get older. Unfortunately, women can also suffer from thinning hair. There are many types of hair loss with the most common being androgenetic alopecia, also known as male or female pattern hair loss.
The first treatment I recommend in patients with mild hair loss is the hair supplement Nutrafol. This supplement offers a natural approach to hair loss and is clinically proven to support your hair growth by targeting six key root causes affecting hair health – hormones, stress, lifestyle, metabolism, nutrition, and aging.
Another natural treatment option to add to any hair loss regimen is platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections. PRP consists of both plasma and platelets which play an important role in healing throughout the body. Platelets specifically contain growth factors that can trigger cell reproduction and stimulate tissue regeneration. During this procedure we draw your own blood, spin it down to get a serum containing a high concentration of platelets, then we inject this serum into your scalp where we would like to stimulate hair growth.
There are also over-the-counter topical treatments available such as Rogaine, and oral prescriptions like Propecia and minoxidil. If you are suffering from hair thinning, I recommend you consult a dermatologist to diagnose the root cause and discuss which treatment options are best for you.
Dr. Skylar Souyoul is a board-certified dermatologist who practices in Shreveport, Louisiana with Dr. Lindsey Pennington, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon. Together this female duo treats all signs of aging from head to toe. Both are specialized in a full array of services such as non-invasive injections and procedures. In addition, Dr. Pennington offers more in-depth surgical procedures such as rhinoplasty (nose job), blepharoplasty (eyelid lifts), and rhytidectomy (facelifts and neck lifts). All cosmetic consults are complimentary. If you have questions, or would like custom skincare recommendations, please call our office at 318-216-5366, email us at info@penningtonfacialplastics.com, or message us on our Facebook or Instagram @penningtonfacialplastics.