The holidays are coming, and we want your skin to be glowing just as bright as the holiday lights. To achieve the perfect holiday glow, we recommend you target all the layers of the skin to truly shine.
Under the skin are your muscles which can be targeted by neuromodulators, such as Botox or Dysport, these are used to soften and smooth dynamic wrinkles. The most common areas we recommend neuromodulators are between the eyebrows to stop you from scowling and making the dreaded “11s”, the forehead to soften horizontal lines and around the eyes to alleviate crow’s feet. Another popular area is around the mouth to help improve down turning of the mouth or in the upper lip to help plump the upper lip, also known as the Botox lip flip. Neuromodulators can also be used in some less known areas such as the neck to help smooth lines and define the jawline, or in the jaw to help with jaw clenching and sliming the lower face. Neuromodulators are one of our favorite treatments to do because they provide almost instant gratification with full results in 2 weeks and last 3-4 months. We recommend doing this treatment 3-4 weeks before events.
Under the muscle is the bone which is the foundation of the face. As we age, we lose bone and fat which causes our face to look more hallow and the skin to droop. Dermal fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane can help restore this volume. These fillers are made of hyaluronic acid which is naturally found in the body and decreases as we age. By placing these fillers in areas where volume loss has occurred, it can help achieve a more balanced youthful appearance. The most common areas we place filler for facial rejuvenation are in the mid face and cheek area. This gives the appearance of a lifted and more rested face. Addressing the mid face and cheek area can not only help restore a youthful proportion to a more heart shaped face, it can decrease the appearance of nasolabial folds, jowls, and even improve under eyes in some patients. This area is the “most bang for the buck” area to treat and it’s so fun to watch patients have instant gratification from a 30 min office appointment.
The next place I usually place filler is in and around the mouth to help revolumize the lips and correct the down turning of the corners of the mouth. Other areas fillers can be used are the temples, jawline, chin, under eyes and even earlobes to naturally lift, smooth lines and eliminate sagging. It’s really such an amazing tool for use with patients, it takes a very artistic touch and significant knowledge of anatomy to achieve beautiful results. The perfect mix of art and science.
A popular less known in-office procedure to restore facial volume is biostimulatory fillers such as Sculptra or Radiesse. These are non-traditional fillers which volumize over time by stimulating your own natural collagen production. These fillers last two or more years and are good for full facial rejuvenation since they help with skin quality and loss of volume. They are great to use in areas off the face for crepey skin such as on the neck, chest, arms, thighs, abdomen and above the knees. Since they are stimulating your own collagen, it takes 6-12 weeks for full results, but are so worth the wait. They are subtle and natural.
If you are interested in any of the treatments discussed above, please come in for a complimentary consultation. Both Dr. Skylar Souyoul, board certified dermatologist, and Dr. Lindsey Pennington, double board certified facial plastic surgeon, are accepting new patients. Their office Lindsey Pennington, MD Facial Plastics is located at 6030 Line Ave, Suite 110 in Shreveport, LA. They work together combining their expertise to collaborate for a fully integrated approach for the best result for all their patients.
1. EPIDERMIS
The top layer of the skin is called the epidermis, and this is where topical skincare products are applied. Depending on the type of product you apply you can pump, smooth, brighten or hydrate. Our must have product to target this layer of the skin is SkinCeuticals Hyaluronic Acid (H.A.) Intensifier or SkinMedica’s HA5 hydrator. These products hydrate while helping improve your skin’s visible firmness, smoothness, and plumpness.
2. DERMAL EPIDERMAL JUNCTION
Under the dermis is the dermal epidermal junction (DEJ) and our signature medical grade facial, the DiamondGlow Dermalinfusion, is the perfect no downtime treatment for this layer. This non-invasive, 3-in-1 treatment simultaneously exfoliates with a patented diamond tip, suction extracts impurities, and infuses in to the dermal epidermal junction of skin with condition-specific customized for the patient serums. Depending on your skin goals this facial can be tailored to provide hydration, skin brightening, fight acne or improve collagen production. Do this 1-14 days before a holiday party to to help your skin glow and make-up sit perfectly!
3. DERMIS
Below the DEJ is the dermis which is where we have our collagen and elastin. The newest injectable for this area (it is the first and only in this category!) is Skinvive by Juvéderm which hydrates the skin from within with hyaluronic acid to increase your skin’s ability to retain moisture and softness leading to an improvement in skin texture, decrease pore size and improve hydration. This treatment is perfect to help your skin glow while feeling hydrated, refreshed, and healthy.