Skincare for the aging face; 5 Steps to non-surgical Facial Rejuvenation- Republished from June 2019

5 Steps to non-surgical Facial Rejuvenation; Skincare for the aging face. Republished from June 2019, Generations Skincare by The Anti Aging Nurse

"My approach to natual looking facial rejuvenation is to combine several treatment modalities. I believe end results will be best if you start from the inside (skeletal structures) & work your way out (outer skin layers.)"

"Often times when you see people who have an artificial, overdone, or unnatural appearance it is because an inexperienced provider has treated the effects rather than the underlying cause." 

Successful non- surgical facial rejuvenation takes time, patience is KEY.  If patients want instant results or have unrealistic expectations of what non- surgical treatments can do- I refer them to my colleague & skilled plastic surgeon Dr Karol Gutowski."  He offers virtual consultations! 

Click here to learn more;

My Recommended Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Gutowski 

What contributes to facial aging?

 The Aging Face - unfortunately there is no way around it, everyone's face will show the signs of aging- eventually. Genetics, Environment, diet & lifestyle can all affect how our face ages. I turned 50 this year and started "preventative" treatment's in my late 30's in an "attempt" to slow down the aging process (on my face at least!) I prefer a non- surgical conservative approach and the "natural look." "I dont want to try to look 20 - I just want to look the best I can for my age."

Why is my face changing as I age?

Understanding what happens to our face as we age can help us discover which treatments are best to counteract the inevitable signs of aging - many factors contribute to the aging face. Factors such as bone reabsorption, volume loss, & decreased elasticity can all lead to "saggy" skin & result in a "sad" and/or "tired" look. This can make you look older than your age. There are many things we can do to help our aging faces.

Facial skeletal structures  reabsorb as we age

Did you know that our facial skeletal structure actually changes as we age? The skeletal structure in our face actually shrinks as we age due to a process known as "bone reabsorption" in the aging process. 

If your Face were a House;

Fix the foundation first

Think of your face as a house & the skeletal structure as the house's "foundation."  This is what I mean when I say, " I start from the inside & work my way out."  If the foundation is damaged it doesnt do much good to fix up the inside of the house. You can go in a house  paint, wallpaper, & change accessories to improve the houses appearance, but if the "foundation" is damaged - it's like a bandaid. If the "foundation" of the "house" is not restored you are wasting your time fixing up the inside. The same goes for your face. If your facial bone structure has changed, you can add botox, fillers, facials, skin care products etc., but it wont do much good. 

 Why is this? & what can we do to restore the foundation (aka facial bone structures? ) 

As we age a process called "bone reabsorption" begins and actually physically changes our facial skeleton (or the "foundation" of the house.)   The eye sockets get smaller, the cheek & jaw bones shrink & lose their definition. The size and shape of the bones around our mouth also change. A good aesthetic/cosmetic practitioner knows that the foundation must first be restored in order to rejuvenate the face. We can restore the facial bone structures non-surgically with firm fillers such as Radiesse/Sculptra and/or PDO threads.

Once the "foundation" has been restored, a more youthful appearance & facial rejuvenation is achievable. Restoring bone structure is only the first step in facial rejuvenation.

What causes skin to sag?

When these skeletal changes start, there are other things that also happen to the aging face. Back to the house analogy l...think of the dermis or middle skin tissue as the inner part of your "house" & the outer skin layer as the exterior of your "house." We lose facial volume, laxity increases & elasticity decreases. Volume loss can be from weight loss/gain, but can be corrected with volumizing fillers and/ or PDO threads, & fractional radio frequency. All of these changes can make our faces appear "saggy" or make you look "sad/tired" & look older than your age. We lose elasticity and hydration & our skin becomes more dry and leads to a dull complexion. When you combine all these factors - you really start to show your age & if you dont do things to repair the damage you can look older than your actual age.

Is there anything we can do to slow down the aging process on our faces?

The good news is there is hope ! There are things we can do to help our aging faces! These are my 5 steps to natural looking non-surgical facial rejuvenation.

#1) Prevention :

Preventative botox/xeomin in our late 30's. It's much easier to prevent wrinkles in our 40's & 50's than to try to undo deeply formed wrinkles.

Stay out of the sun, wear sun block daily & regular facials can also help to prevent problems later. START SUNBLOCK ASAP - don't forget your NECK & DECOLLETAGE', consider them part of your face. 

"As a skincare specialist I can tell you it is far easier to PREVENT wrinkles than to try to undo years of sun- damage & deep wrinkles." 

2) "Fix the Foundation First" ; Rebuilding  the skeletal support system. 

"Treat the cause not just the effect." Don't just "put a bandaid," such as botox or fillers to try to hide the underlying issue. 

Not everyone will need this step. It depends on genetics age, but if there are skeletal changes I always address this first. It's much easier to build on a strong foundation.

Fixing the foundation, Fillers

"Foundation" damage or facial skeletal bone reabsorption can be fixed by adding "firmer" fillers to strategic places on the face. Restoring structures such as cheekbobes, jawbones, & temporal areas can make a HUGE difference & I often ask my clients to see pics of themselves when they were younger. This can act as a "scaffold" to lift and support sagging skin & tissues.

This will also ensure a natural refreshed look rather than an overdone/unnatural look, which is usually caused by putting bandaid's (treating the effects)  rather than  cause. My favorite firm filler is Radiesse by Merz.

Fixing the Foundation, PDO threads & Fractional Radio Frequency 

PDO threads can help restore the foundation creating a support and give a  "lift" effect on sagging tissues & skin. PDO threads & fractional radio frequency combined can also help stimulate new collagen. Fractional Radio frequency can tighten underlying tissues, which creates a smoother outer appearance.

3) Restoration of the Interior AKA the dermis;  restore volume build collagen & tighten elastin

 After "fixing the foundation" and rebuilding skeletal damage in the foundation of the aging face the restoration of the interior (middle layer or the dermis) can begin.  the next step. Restoring volume & improving elasticity in the middle layers of your skin is key step to restoring a natural youthful look to a sagging tired face. After the "foundation" is fixed restoring volume is vital to create a more youthful appearance. Combining many different non-surgical treatments creates a natural refreshed look.

Restoration, adding volume; Fillers

Rejuvenation can be achieved by adding volumizing fillers & also "layering" products such as juvederm voluma or Belotero on top of the firm fillers (newly restored "foundation.")    We can replace volume that is lost with the aging process using HA based fillers.  This step is VITAL to create a more youthful natural looking appearance. Restoring lip volume definitely helps create a youthful appearance.  In my practice  I use many different fillers to restore volume,   but some of my favorites are belotero by Merz, Restalyne by Galderma.

"Fixing volume issues can often times instantly take years off our faces."

Restoration, collagen & elastin; Micro-needling, PRP, Bio fillers, Fractional RF

Replacing volume loss, building new collagen, & tightening over stretched elastin is essential to a resfreshed youthful appearance.  Volume can be restored with fillers and/or other treatments that build new collagen such as microneedling, PRP, Biofillers, & Fractional Radio Frequency. 

" Fractional Radio frequency is one of my favorite  tools to achieve collagen buildingand tightening."

Fractional Radio frequency stimulates new collagen growth, heats up loose skin, & tightens loose tissues.  It works by heating up the tissues with radio frequency energy delivered to the dermis via microneedles.  This heating process also destroys the underying SMAS layer (think of this as a tiny network of fibers.) Over time these tiny fibers become overstretched/loose like an over used rubberband.  If you can heat the deeper layers of tissue up  new collagen will form & the SMAS layer rebuilds tighter.  This gives the outer a skin a refreshed look when the inner layers are volumized & tightened.  

4) Repairing the outer layers

After the skeletal structure (foundation) damage has been repaired, the (interior) dermal layers have been restored, the final touches can be corrected on the (exterior) outer skin layers. The outer skin layer known as the epidermis can be repaired. 

Sun damage is mostly preventable & difficult to reverse

 The #1 most important tip I give is SUNBLOCK, SUNBLOCK, SUNBLOCK.  Protecting the exterior of your "house" prevents damage.  Years of sun damage is extremely difficult to undo.  The BEST thing you can do is prevent sun damage in the first place.  This can be achieved by wearing sun block, avoiding the sun, good skin care, & regular exfoliation. 

"At 50 I am now struggling with trying to undo years of sun damage on my neck & decollatage'." If I could go back to my 20 something self I'd say, 

"Your face doesn't stop below your chin! Treat these areas with the same care as your face."

What can I do to improve the outer skin layers & create a youthful glow? Lasers, plasma fibroblasting, peels, microneedling & hydrafacials 

  Existing damage can be lasered away or another option is plasma fibroblasting with a plasma pen. Currently I do not have a laser for 2 reasons, high cost & trends.  Lasers can be up to $200,000.  

After 12 years in this industry I have learned that lasers trend in and out very quickly.  Every medical spa  I have visited or worker at seemed to have  a "device graveyard." 

 Sun damage can also be undone with deep chemical peels. Skin texture can be improved with good skincare & regular hydrafacial treatments.  

Regular skin exfoliation is recommended every month & deeper exfoliation every 3 months. This can be accomplished using medical grade skin peels or hydrafacials to remove dead skin cells, add hydration, & restore a youthful glow to the outside layers.

Microneedling and fractional radio frequency can also shrink pores &  improve overall skin texture.  Treatment options depend mostly  on budgets & downtime.

5) Maintenance & Insurance 

After spending countless hours on rebuilding, restoring, and rejuvenating maintenance is important.  Step 5 is all about Skin Maintenance & protecting your investment. Maintenance & Insurance means "protecting your investments."  It starts with you & your aesthetic provider creating a maintenance treatment plan you can afford and will stick with. Good Maintenance plans include regular treatments every month then every 3 months to maintain results (depending on your budget.) Consider quality skincare products as your insurance policy.  

"Quality Skincare doesn't mean you need to spend a fortune on lotions,potions & fancy creams."

"There are many affordable skincare  tips & tricks, but that will be another BLOG post- stay tuned!"

Recap the steps: 5 steps to non- surgical Facial Rejuvenation:

1) PREVENT fine lines & wrinkles (20's & beyond)

2) REBUILD the foundation (40's & beyond)

3) RESTORE volume, collagen & elasticity (30's & beyond)

4) REPAIR outer skin layers(40s & beyond)

5) Maintain & Insure  is for all ages (start in early 20's) -good skin care & treatment regimen combined with quality skincare products.

Recap: 5 steps to facial rejuvenation:

1) Preventative treatments starting in late 20's early 30's (sunscreen, avoid sun, neuro- modulators)

2) Rebuild skeletal structures (if needed) or fix the "foundation" such as cheekbones, jawline, & temporal hollows.

3) Replace/Restore lost volume in cheeks, lips, & temporal hollows with volumizing fillers; collagen building such as PDO threads & fractional RF.

4) Repair & Reverse the outer layer of the skin with peels, lasers, hydrafacials & microeeedling.

5) Lastly step 5 protect your investment with affordable skin care & maintenance plan (every 3 months) you will stick with.

In summary, all aging faces go through the same changes - facial bone reabsorption, loss of cheekbones/jawline. This combined with loss of volume/elasticity & a dull complexion can make you appear older than your age. Preventative treatments are key. Rebuilding facial structure first & then restoring volume loss & improving elasticity can make a huge difference in your appearance. After fixing these common problems repairing outer layer damage is the final step in creating a youthful natural looking appearance. Think of it as remodeling your "house" from the inside out.

Generations Skin Care Clinic is the first of it's kind to open in mahomet IL. We are accepting appts starting Nov 1st 2019. We are a family owned & operated business offering all the latest treatments mentioned in this blog post to help you achieve a healthy natural looking appearance. 

 "Look like you, only better- Skin care for all ages." Together we will create a plan to prevent/restore a youthful look to your skin as well as skin care & maintenance treatments you can afford. 

This plan will prolong your result & protect your investment. My mission is to provide high quality affordable skin care treatments for women & men of all ages in a relaxed atmosphere.

The Anti Aging Nurse specializes in non-surgical skin rejuvenation with Natural looking results.

Check out more of my before and after photos on my website at:Before & After Photos

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The Aging Face & What can do to improve our appearance? 5 steps to facial rejuvenation