You Look Great... Were You On Vacation?

By Roberta Palestine, MD
Washington’s Finest – April 2006
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Your friends are saying that you look better, more relaxed. Maybe you were away, maybe you have a new hairstyle? In a subtle way that they can’t pinpoint, your appearance is improved. Nothing drastic, just better, fresher, more relaxed.

What’s your secret?

Only you and your dermatologist know... that you’ve had a few “lunchtime” procedures.

These days, with today’s busy lifestyles, many people prefer to maintain or enhance their appearance with gradual, subtle, more discreet methods than in the past. And technology has kept pace with this demand, and has allowed the concept of “no down time” to become a realistic approach to cosmetic improvements.

What procedures fit into the “No Down Time” category?

“No down time” procedures include microdermabrasion, many of the newest lasers and light sources, Botox, mild chemicals peels, filler injections such as Restylane, and Thermage. The newest procedures that have become very popular are Thermage and Fraxel. Some procedures do double duty by treating sun-related precancerous growths while at the sametime improving your appearance. Sometimes one specific procedure may be all that you need, while other times a combination of procedures and several sessions help achieve your best look. This can be customized for you during an individual consultation with a dermatologist.

The skin has several layers. Treatments targeted at the top layer can improve brown spots, surfaces roughness, fine wrinkling, and the overall tone and texture of the skin. Deeper treatments are used to improve deeper wrinkles, some pigmentation problems, and acne scars. Treating the deeper layers can tighten the skin and result in a “non-surgical facelift,” and can also recontour the cheeks, jowl area, and loose skin under the chin. Other treatments help relax the muscles that cause the frown lines between the eye’s, the crow’s feet at the sides of the eyes, and the horizontal forehead lines. It is also now possible, with some of the newer fillers, to improve the hollow appearance that some people develop under the eyes. Fillers are also wonderful to restore volume in the lips, the area around the lips, and the cheeks. The border of the lips can be treated so that lipstick doesn’t “bleed” up into the lines that frequently develop with maturity.

With so many procedure and skincare options now available, sometimes it can seem overwhelming. Rather than deciding on your own on a particular laser or brand name of equipment or cream, the smart approach is to decide together with an experienced cosmetically-oriented dermatologist what skin issues are present, and what the best treatment options are for you as an individual. Let an expert take the guesswork out it!

Another reason to put yourself in the hands of an expect is to formulate a more global approach to looking better, to avoid the common mistake of improving one’s face but forgetting that the neck and hands are also visible and can create a glaring, telltale mismatch if not treated appropriately. Where as older techniques and technology were only safe for use on the face, newer options offer the opportunity to treat nonfacial skin as well. So the effects of sun damage that caused brown spots and wrinkling on the hands and décolletage can now be safely and effectively treated. Even legs and arms are candidates for evening out the mottled appearance that can result from past sun exposure. And the non-surgical options for tightening loose skin are also effective for places such as the abdomen, for example after weight loss or childbirth.

Nowadays, there’s no need to put off improving your appearance just because you can’t take time off to heal. Skip lunch, zip into your dermatologist’s office, and leave already looking better. This is the 21st century!