Here’s a comprehensive treatment guide from head to calves before you do
Some people might say it’s kind of vain to think of skin treatments from head to toe before facing the world again after the pandemic. But we’ve been in a rut for two years and yes, it does feel good to make ourselves whole again, ready to take on the world.
But how? For every concern, let us count the ways.
“I look tired, I look sad, and I look angry.”
As we age, the bone begins to erode and the fat compartment of the face tends to lose volume with bone resorption and ligament laxity. Like mountains, the face starts to change its slope and topography. Re-create the old topography of the face by adding natural hyaluronic acid to areas that have lost volume. Hyaluronic acid, a natural component of the face, can improve contours, lifts brows and cheeks, and balance facial proportions. It also stimulates collagen and elastin formation, lifting the face and also improving skin quality.
“My face looks big.”
Loss of definition on the chin and jaw are not just caused by weight gain. Asians in general have weaker facial skeletal support. There are many ways to get a V-shaped face. It depends on the exact result you want, but there are so many non-surgical procedures that can reduce fat around the jawline without requiring liposuction, such as facial contouring with high intenser focused ultrasound (Ulthera and Sofwave machine) and high powered Radiofrequency (Thermage and Tempsure). Botulinum toxin injection (Botox, Xeomin, Dysport) targets the large jaw muscle to relax it and make it smaller. Thread lift is also an option as well as dermal fillers.
“I have a weak jawline and chin.”
The lower third of the face is important because, for women, it’s the stigma of sagging skin and, for men, it’s the most striking region that provides the appearance of strength and masculinity. With age, there is a significant loss of facial bone and this bone erosion leads to biometric volume loss. What causes the most dramatic change to the facial skeleton is the bone erosion in maxilla and mandible. There is a 10-degrees change between ages 30 and 60. There is the deepening of nasolabial groove and reduction in mandibular proportion. Chin proportions contribute to perception of beauty and youth. Dermal fillers for chin augmentation are for genetically underdeveloped chin and volume loss and the treatment of choice for chin contour.
“My eyes are sagging and baggy.”
Thermage eyes treatment is the only US FDA-approved non-surgical procedure that is clinically proven to minimize eye sagging and laxity. It is a high powered RF that tightens the skin tissue and helps rebuild collagen beneath the skin. Non-surgical brow lift can also be done with the use of biodegradable threads, which are inserted into the mid layer of the skin to anchor it to the sagging tissue, creating a lift at the outer crease of the eye.
“My nose is becoming wide and flat as I age.”
We can use hyaluronic acid fillers to stop the muscles pulling down the nose and improve the definition and lift to the tip of the nose.
“My lips are thin and deflated.”
One of the fastest way to look young and attractive is to have full, plump lips. A 2009 study showed that women with fuller lips appear younger than their biological age. Hyaluronic acid fillers can improve lip shape, fullness, and symmetry.
“My neck looks old.”
Every neck is different. Neck concerns vary, from poorly defined jawline, sagging and hanging folds, and fat to platysmal bands, horizontal neck wrinkles, and crepey skin. Treatments include Botox to relax the neck muscles, bone fillers and Sofwave/Ulthera to improve the neck laxity, threading to lift it up Turkey gobblers neck, and fractional lasers (clear and brilliant, Lasemd and Dermablate laser) to improve crepey skin.
“My hands looked old.”
The hands age at approximately the same rate as the face. The hands also undergo extrinsic aging as a result of chronic sun exposure, chemicals, smoking, and stress. This can be seen by age spots, reduction in skin elasticity, and skin volume that results in a translucent and thinning skin and visibility of underlying veins and tendons. We usually combine laser and topical treatments to address age spots on the hands. These procedures, however, cannot target the volume loss that comes with age. Recommended is FDA-approved Radiesse or bone filler, as it is made of calcium hydroxylapatite, the same material found in bones.
“I have dark underarms.”
The skin in our underarms is different from the rest of our body, and that’s why it requires special care and attention. We all have something called a “skin barrier.” It’s vital for keeping our skin condition healthy. Well, the skin in our underarms has a more sensitive barrier. It’s more prone to moisture loss and dryness. Filipinas are also more prone to hyperpigmentation or skin darkening. Darkening is caused by exposure to UV rays, but for the underarm area specifically, what causes darkening is friction, shaving, and irritation brought about by shaving, plucking, waxing, scrubbing it hard, and strong laundry detergent and antiperspirant use. It takes some time to lighten the underarm because we cannot use harsh products and strong laser settings.
“My arms are flabby and not as tight anymore (a.k.a. chicken wings or bat wings).”
Surgery for big wings soars by 400 percent in a decade as women strive to get arms like Michelle Obama and Jennifer Aniston. Potential cause for chicken wings are excessive volume or fat, skin laxity, and loss of retaining support and loss of volumizing support like muscle atrophy. The best way to treat this is to focus on the trigger factors mentioned and to tighten the skin with the use of radiofrequency like Thermage, reduce the fat with the use of cool sculpting or ultra former and injectables, achieve retaining support with the use of bone fillers that will serve as biostimulator for collagen formation, and tone the muscles with lifting exercise.
“My boobs and butt are sagging.”
Poly-L-Lactic acid (PLLA Sculptra) butt and breast augmentation is a non-surgical alternative for patients who are not willing to go under the knife to achieve fullness in these areas. As natural collagen dwindles over time, skin droops and sags. Adding PLLA, which is a biocompatible synthetic formula, can provide long lasting results by increasing the amounts of collagen, thereby adding natural-looking fullness to areas that may last for 18 months to 24 months.
“How can I make my waist smaller without surgery?”
The natural way is to do caloric restriction with monitored exercise. Other people, however, still find some resistant fats in these areas and are not willing to go under the knife. The best way is to do cryoplipolysis (a.k.a. Coolsculpting), a nonsurgical body contouring device that can freeze fat cells under the skin and deliver 23 percent reduction in fat cells in just one session. Results may vary depending on the degree of fat deposition.
“My knees and elbow are dark.”
This usually happens to areas under chronic rubbing and friction. One should also rule out eczema and acanthosis nigricans, which are an insulin resistance problem. The dark color is not pigment but thickened skin due to chronic rubbing. The first step is remove the trigger factor, for example using elbow and knee pads to lessen trauma. Best is to use alpha hydroxy acid peels on the area every two weeks and use emollients with urea three to four times a day.
“My calves are bulky and chubby.”
Botulinum therapy has been a preferred alternative to calf slimming surgery and liposuction due to the simplicity of the procedure. The muscles are selectively weakened, which results in volume decrease overtime.
If we have been neglecting some parts of our body at certain points in our lives, we will surely notice signs of decline. There is always a solution but are you ready for it?