When a patient comes into Wellspring that is new to aesthetics, I tell them there are 3 categories of treatments that we offer that can make them look 10 years younger (or if they are younger, to maintain their youthful appearance!). These three categories correspond to the three major side effects of aging we all face sooner or later:
Wrinkles
Volume Loss
Skin integrity
Neuromodulators - Botox, Dysport, Xeomin
Repeated facial motion causes wrinkles. When we are young, our skin can quickly "heal" from the folds in the skin caused by smiling, furrowing of the eye brows, raising eye brows, etc. However, as we age, our skin can no longer keep up with the repetitive facial motions of daily life, and wrinkles form. It's not that we cannot heal, we just cannot heal fast enough. Thus, neuromodulators come into play as the foundation of youthful skin.
Neuromodulators are wrinkle-relaxing injections of botulinum toxin commercially known as Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, or Jeuveau. Botox has the largest name recognition, but they are all effective. A minute amount is injected directly into an underlying muscle, causing it to relax, reducing the repetitive motion, and allowing our skin to catch up and smooth out the skin. The areas most treated are the crow’s feet, forehead, area between the brows and the outer brow for a beautiful brow “lift”. Neuromodulators can also treat a small upper lip, known as a “lip flip” and the platysma bands in the neck to smooth the neck. These treatments are temporary and last 3-4 months depending on the dosage.
Volumizers - Filler
Aside from wrinkles, volume loss is the next most obvious sign of aging. Collagen production in the skin is responsible for providing volume in the skin, however, collagen production decreases rapidly around the age of 25! Loss of volume can also result in sagging skin. To supplement the lack of collagen, fillers are used. There is another category of volumizing treatment, which is augmentation, or adding volume that was not lost, but was never there in the first place, simply to offer a patient a look they do not naturally have. This is particularly popular in the lips, cheeks, and jaw line.
Fillers must be expertly administered in the correct location, depth, and quantity, let alone carefully distinguishing between the unique properties off all the filler labels on the market, and what is appropriate for an individual's needs. There are many products in this group, including hyaluronic acids (Juvéderm, Restylyne, RHA and more), Radiesse and Sculptra. These products can lift and “fill” the areas of concern, augment existing facial structures, and correct asymmetry in the face and lips. These product last 12-24 months.
Non-injectable skin care
The third category is skin care. We have taken care of the “pillow” of the face and now we address the pillowcase. This group is extensive, but the main goal of each is to improve the integrity of the skin. To make it look and feel young and resilient. What we recommend is unique to each patient’s skin. I will list the main services here:
Their claim to fame is “Lighten, Brighten, and Tighten". We have several different peels to choose from. Light- to medium-depth peels. The amount of peeling can be adjusted. Normal skin cell turnover is 28 days, and this increases dramatically with age. Because of this, skin can look dull and dry.
Chemical peels refresh and exfoliate your skin. You may do these in a series of 3 or at the very least do one at the end of the summer and at the end of the winter.
Also called Microchanneling This has been around since Cleopatra’s time. So even then they saw the value of this procedure. It is minimally invasive involving superficial and controlled puncturing of the skin with miniature fine needles. At the same time, we can infuse different products into the skin to improve tone, texture, and pigmentation. Beautiful results.
This is also called a HydraFacial. Our device has 3 elements to it. It provides microdermabrasion, suction to clean out pores, and infuses hydration and skin brightening to the skin. This is our “runway” procedure. Skin looks beautiful immediately!
This is also a micro channeling device that infuses a “cocktail” of active ingredients into the skin. The mixture includes Neuromodulators. Hyaluronic Acid ”filler”, and peptides. It is infused into the epidermis and not the underlying muscles, so it tightens the skin but does not freeze the muscles. Once injected it compels your sweat glands, oil glands and pores to shrink. Your skin will appear smoother, clearer, and more hydrated. Hence the name, Glass Facial.
Also called Photofacial, PhotoRejuvenation, and IPL. This is a light-based treatment that is our staff’s personal favorite!!! It is considered the gold standard for pigment reduction but does so much more. The skin tone and texture improve dramatically. The skin remains intact, so it is minimal down time.
Simply put, a facial is a multi-step, multi-purpose skin treatment that addresses your specific skin conditions in an effort to keep skin balanced, hydrated, clean, healthy, and glowing skin. It contributes to the improvement of the appearance of your skin and overall skin health.
This is one of my favorite treatments to receive and to perform! The results are immediate and rewarding. This facial exfoliation treatment is quick, non-invasive, and minimizes the appearance of fine lines. In this procedure we use a surgical blade to remove hair and dull skin. It only takes 30 minutes and is a great treatment to do before events or when you will be photographed. Movie stars even have this done on their set before performing!
Each individual patient requires different treatments to differing degrees. There really isn't a one size fits all plan. This industry is expensive, so care must be taken to develop a plan that is an efficient use of a client's resources (both time and money) by experienced injectors and estheticians. That being said, sometimes you just have to go out of your comfort zone and try something new. Botox is a great place to start as its highly effective and requires no downtime. I hope this helps explain some of our services and I hope to see you soon!!!
- Susan
Check out this post from Dr. Corey about some more advanced procedure we do at Wellspring that you may be interest in.