February 2020

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Beauty is a Matter of Maintenance

It is common for people of a certain age to begin thinking about beauty. Before the signs of aging become prominent, the goal may be to enhance beauty and postpone the onset of lines and wrinkles. No matter how hard we try, though, it is inevitable that the skin and the shape of the face will change over time. To manage the signs of aging well, it is ideal to address the cause of cosmetic aging. And because aging is an ongoing process, its cause has to be addressed over and over again.

We perform hundreds of services in our Denver plastic surgery and medical spa facility each month. New clients that we meet often want to know what results they can expect from “their treatment.” Translation: “what will this one treatment do for me?” Honestly, one treatment will do very little in the long-run. From the perspective of aging being a continual process, our patients can understand that their beauty is a matter of maintenance.

What Happens Beneath the Skin Doesn’t Stay There

To maintain healthy, attractive skin, many people rely on skincare products. Some are purchased from reputable department stores, some from doctor’s offices, and some are DIY. In every one of these scenarios, we find the singular shortcoming of limited penetration. Remembering that we must address the cause of cosmetic aging, we have to look to the dermis, where most skincare products do not go.

The dermis is the deeper layer of skin where fibroblasts live. Fibroblasts are the cells that produce collagen and elastin. These are the proteins that keep skin looking younger. Collagen does so by supporting firmness. Elastin does so by providing the skin with some stretch and bounce. During the first three decades of life, fibroblasts work wonderfully. They produce enough collagen to keep the skin firm and tight and also extra to heal cuts and scrapes as needed. Around age 30, though, fibroblasts lose their vitality. They all but go to sleep for good. Just because fibroblasts slow or stop their production of collagen and elastin does not mean the skin stops using these proteins. In fact, 1 to 2% of collagen and elastin stores get depleted each year. Without sufficient replenishment, the skin begins to show signs of this degradation.

This isn’t all bad news. Because we know what fibroblasts do and we know that they go dormant, we know we need to wake them up. Topical skincare products don’t do this, but professional treatments can. Examples include Halo laser treatment, Forever Young BBL treatment, and microneedling. With each treatment, fibroblasts are stimulated to stay awake for 4 to 6 months. As treatments are repeated, the new activity in these cells promotes smoother, softer, younger-looking skin.

Learn more about the services that will promote healthy collagen and elastin production. Call our Denver office at (303) 839-1616.

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Blepharoplasty: Is Now Your Time?

We use our face to express how we are feeling. Likewise, humans are experts at reading faces. We don’t spend much time doing so. We don’t have to. Various parts of the face, including the eyes and the mouth, are very telling of a person’s mood and character. Our ability to form a first opinion based on facial expression is an inherent survival trait. However, the subconscious perceptions we have based on appearances can also be wrong.

The two most expressive areas of the face, the eyes and the mouth, change with age. The corners of the mouth may turn downward as the fatty tissue and skin in the mid-face declines. The eyes transform from bright and awake to tired and angry or sad-looking. To remedy this, many people turn to eyelid rejuvenation surgery called blepharoplasty. If you are starting to feel like you don’t look like yourself, this procedure may be exactly what you need.

Is There a Right Age for Blepharoplasty?

The question of age comes up often when a person is interested in a lift of some kind. Blepharoplasty is the eyelid lift that repositions and removes tissue and skin as needed to reset the upper eyelid crease or to resolve puffiness beneath the eyes. For this reason, many younger patients wonder if they are the “right age” to consider this surgery. Statistics show that blepharoplasty is popular across various age groups. Forty-somethings can achieve significant benefits from addressing the early signs of aging around the eyes. Among older patients, blepharoplasty is often sought in conjunction with other lifts, such as a brow lift or facelift. In any situation, we look at the cosmetic “age” of the face rather than a person’s biological age to determine if they are a good candidate for an eyelid lift.

What about Scars?

Scars are a natural byproduct of surgical incisions. Understandably, the idea of scars on the eyelids can be concerning. The thing about scarring is that visibility correlates to skin thickness. If a scar were to form on the back, it may be visible because the skin is thicker there. On the thin skin of the eyelids, scars are barely perceptible. For someone to see blepharoplasty scars, they would have to be looking at closed eyelids from a few inches away.

Facial rejuvenation doesn’t always have to be extensive to have significant effects. Learn more about blepharoplasty. Schedule a consultation at our Denver office at (303) 839-1616.

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