The friends series of interviews last left us with the 1st part of Claudette’s interview about skin care and skin health. My amazing childhood friend grew up to become an even more amazing skin care guru. I had a ton of questions to ask her about skincare and since sharing is caring, you now have these answers too! You’re welcome 🙂
1. TSS Question: How many times per year should I get a facial? Does the type of facial that I get differ as I age? Any suggestions for a good facial for 20’s, 30’s, 40’s 50’s+?
Claudette’s Answer: I have 2 suggestions for a great facial! Facials are a great maintenance treatment for optimum skin. There’s a lot of the feel good and ‘relaxing’ facials out there. However, I’m a fan of the more corrective and treatment based facials. The best one would be the HydrFacial. It’s a multi-step facial that cleanses/exfoliates/extracts impurities while at the same time infusing antioxidants, peptides, and Hyaluronic acid. I simplify it by telling patients to think of it was ‘pressure washing’ your pores. Your skin will feel smooth for days! I recommend 3 treatments on a monthly basis and maintain 2-3 times a year.
My other favorite facial is the Environ DF Facial. It promotes the penetration of concentrated anti-aging vitamins/peptides (including Vitamin A/C/E) through Sonophoresis and Iontophoresis. Sonophoresis uses low frequency would waves to deeply penetrate through the skin. Iontrophoresis uses a negatively charged electrical current to force these ingredients even deeper into the skin. It’s the best facial before events that leaves your skin looking/feeling smooth, glowing, supple, and tight.
The unique Vortex-Fusion® serum delivery system is what sets the and feel instantly.
2: TSS Question: Do we really need to use a different moisturizer in the a.m and p.m.? How often should we be applying moisturizer to our skin each day? Any tips on good ones?
A: Claudette’s answer: The best moisturizer is Hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in the dermal layer, so any products you buy will not penetrate pass the superficial layer of the skin. However, products containing hyaluronic will still give you instant hydration. That said, not all products are formulated equally nor are you aware of how much actual HA is in the products your’re buying. The 2 best topical HAs are Teoxane RHA (not only does it have a high concentration of HA but also some antioxidants). I love the way teoxane feels. It is a very smooth, non-greasy, and smells like roses. My new favorite is SkinMedica’s HA5. HA5 includes 5 different types hyaluronic acids, 1 being time released for all day hydration. The best component is plant based stem cell that stimulates your body to regenerate your own hyaluronic acid. By 30 years of age, most people have lost 30% of their natural HA and by 50 years they’ve lost 50%.
3. TSS Question: Are there treatments that help with dark spots, or are over the counter products ok? How do you know if you need professional help to correct?
Claudette’s Answer: Dark spots are commonly caused by photodamage or sun damage. I’m not a big fan of over the counter products due to the lack of regulation and most likely a very very low concentration of active ingredients. If you want results, medical grade skin care that you can only buy at a doctor’s office is best. The best treatment for brown spots is hydroquinone + tretinoin. The best product to treat brown spots is Obagi NuDerm System with the active ingredients as hydroquinone + tretinoin. Other skin care lines, including SkinMedica, have hydroquinone alternatives but I find that the Obagi NuDerm system is still superior. However the SkinMEdica Lytera is a very good alternative. Sometimes I recommend Obagi NuDerm for 6 months and Obagi Lytera System for systems, alternating between the two.
Chemical peels are also another great treatment option for brown spots. The severity of down-time is dependent on the strength of chemical peels. Results are visible in a week and will treat pigment and texture. Have a darker skin color, I prefer to do a series of chemical peels versus lasers. I find they are safer for darker skin types.
Lasers are also another option in treating brown spots. The most common are IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) or BBL (Broadband Light). You will see results much faster with laser treatments, but a topical skin care system is still very important for maintenance. Fractional laser resurfacing treatments are another option. Resurfacing lasers will treatment pigment but also skin texture. Results are also quick, but associated with more downtime that light lasers. Lasers are highly depend on skin types as well, so make sure your provider is experienced in skin typing. Darker skin types have a higher risk of complications/adverse events associated with laser treatments.
4. TSS Question: Is laser hair removal bad for the skin? Does it cause dark spots?
Claudette’s Answer: Hair laser removal is not bad for your skin. Different parts of the body respond better than others. I find the under arms respond the best. I’ve had my forehead, arms, underarms, and legs lasered. I still have to shave my legs, but not very often. My underarms I rarely shave. The darker and coarser the hair the better it responds. There is a risk of hyperpigmentation (dark spots) for those with darker skin types. There’s less risk of hyperpigmentation with an Nd: Yag hair laser versus light based lasers (BBL/IPL) for those with darker skin. Again, make sure you go to a provider that is experienced.
Claudette is an ARNP at Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery.
Questions? Just ask! nic@nagerbynichyl.com (I’ll send them Claudette)
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