Spring is in the air! For many people, warm sunshine, fresh blooms, and longer days can signal a return to fun outdoor projects and social activities. But emerging from a prolonged indoor season can be a tricky prospect; dry winters can take their toll on skin, creating new wrinkles or causing skin to look pale, dull, or flaky. To get skin ready for its warm-weather close-up, a visit to the dermatologist may be just what the doctor ordered. Cosmetic dermatology can help create a fresh look that’s ready for whatever spring has in store. Check out the many available options below for achieving smoother, younger-looking skin in no time.
Botox® Cosmetic in Sterling Heights
Millions of people rely on Botox to get rid of wrinkles and frown lines; in fact, Botox injections are one of the fastest ways to achieve a vibrant, fresh look, and they’re available right now in Sterling Heights.
Botox is a muscle-relaxing injectable that treats the signs of facial aging. In just a few minutes, Botox targets muscles across the forehead and around the eye area that cause facial wrinkles and lines such as crow’s feet. Botox requires no recovery time or anesthetic, and patients can resume their normal activities the same day. The procedure is so quick that lunch-time appointments for Botox injections in Grosse Pointe and Sterling Heights are common, with patients going right back to work afterward.
Botox works by using neurotoxins to block facial muscle contractions, making lines and wrinkles reduce significantly or disappear. And, there’s even growing evidence that Botox can be used to prevent new lines and wrinkles; since Botox works to keep treated muscles relaxed, skin stays smooth and supple, preventing new wrinkles from forming.
Botox injectables produce fast results — after treatment, wrinkles begin to fade in just one day, with continued improvement over the next five days. Botox results are also long-lasting; although Botox benefits typically last about four months, some patients have reported seeing effects lasting up to a full year.
Side effects of Botox injections are rare and are usually temporary and mild; the most common side effects are headaches and minor redness or bruising at the injection site. Choosing a board-certified cosmetic dermatology professional in Grosse Pointe or Sterling Heights to administer Botox means that any rare side effects will be handled expertly and with professional care.
As the most common non-surgical enhancement treatment, Botox is a superior choice for reducing or eliminating bothersome fine lines and wrinkles.
Chemical Peels and Microdermabrasion
Chemical peels and microdermabrasion are fast fixes for dry, dull-looking skin. Over time, skin slowly loses its ability to shed the outer layer of skin cells, causing a dull, flaky appearance. To accelerate natural exfoliation, chemical peels rejuvenate and freshen the face by using an acidic solution to get rid of dead skin cells, revealing a new skin layer underneath. Peels stimulate collagen and soften lines; they can also even skin tone and boost the skin’s hydration levels.
Depending on the desired level of treatment, chemical peels can last a few minutes to half an hour or more, and results are generally visible one week after treatment.
Recovery after a chemical peel is generally minimal, but skin may be sensitive for a short time after the procedure. And although peels can sting a bit when applied, patients report that any discomfort usually subsides about fifteen minutes afterward.
Another skin-freshening option is microdermabrasion, which refines the texture of skin by removing dead cells from the surface layer. Microdermabrasion is an easy, inexpensive way to soften fine lines such as crow’s feet and revitalize skin texture. It can also minimize sun damage and other age-related spots. To treat the face with microdermabrasion, dermatologists use a diamond-tip applicator to remove dead skin, effecting a polished look that creates a “canvas” for other treatments, such as chemical peels. Microdermabrasion results typically last two to three weeks, but if the treatment is paired with other anti-aging techniques, results can last a lot longer. Microdermabrasion involves minimal, if any, pain and many patients find the procedure to be relaxing.
Together, microdermabrasion and chemical peels can create a glowing, youthful look just perfect for a new season.
Injectable Dermal Fillers
But what about deeper facial lines? Signs of more advanced aging such as sagging skin and deep wrinkles tend to show around the mouth, the jaw line, and the cheeks, and many people are bothered by these noticeable changes to their appearance. Happily, a cosmetic dermatologist can help with even the more advanced signs of facial aging. When facial skin needs a more comprehensive pick-me-up, cosmetic injectable dermal fillers help restore a more youthful contour to the face.
Injectable dermal fillers are used to replace lost volume in the cheeks, define the cheekbones and jawline, and fill in smile lines around the mouth. Dermal fillers help to replace the collagen that skin loses with age; although collagen keeps skin plump and firm, it generally diminishes with advancing age, resulting in a sunken look or a sagging profile. Dermal fillers take the place of lost collagen, lifting targeted areas and filling in lines and wrinkles while restoring facial volume.
Dermal fillers can also be used to fill in hollows or bags under the eyes, and can be combined with Botox injections to enhance and customize anti-aging results. When combined, these anti-aging treatments can help to produce the illusion of a surgically-lifted face at a fraction of the cost and with minimal recovery time.
Cosmetic injectable dermal fillers involve minimal pain, and very little recovery time. Results achieved with dermal fillers can last six months to a year.
As with Botox injections, a board-certified dermatologist is the most uniquely qualified to administer injectable dermal fillers. A dermatologist can customize dermal filler injections to meet a patient’s anti-aging needs, and will take into account the areas to be treated, the amount of volume lost, and whether fillers should be combined with other anti-aging treatments.
Spring is the perfect season to reclaim a refreshed, youthful appearance, and revitalizing and rejuvenating skin is as easy as one call to a dermatologist in Sterling Heights.