Rejuvenation PreJuventaion
Often patients come to our office seeking skin REjuvenation. These are male and female patients alike, typically in their 40-50’s that have been exposed to the Florida sun for a number of years and some even may be guilty of the ‘ol baby oil and iodine trick in order to get a suntan. We know that at about age 40 several ageing phenomena start to take place in the face. It is common to start to see “bags” under the eyes as the eye socket begins to recede making us look “sunken”. Additionally, wrinkles of motion start to appear at rest from being overused for several decades and actually become little etched in scars. There is a shift that takes place of our facial fat pads that can often exaggerate the lines around the nose and mouth creating a void or loss of volume. You may be starting to think to yourself that this is painting quite a grim picture. With a competitive job market and the baby boomers coming of age we see an influx of patients inquiring about cosmetic procedures.
It is interesting to note that the American Society of Plastic Surgeon Statistics show that injectables like dermal filler for instance has increased steadily anywhere from 5-10% yearly and continues to trend even higher. What is even more interesting to note is the new group of patients that are coming to our offices seeking what we like to call “pre-juvenation”. These are young women and men in their 20-30’s that can see into the future by looking at their parents and quite frankly may not like what they see. These patients come seeking interventions that they can do to prevent the signs of aging hence we call it “pre-juvenation”.
There are several procedures that are appropriate for the younger generation that wish to be more proactive in their skin’s appearance that was not available to generations before them. Immediately one very popular cosmetic treatment comes to mind, the use of neuromodulators such as Botox, Xeomin, and Dysport. We often hear in the office from a 50 year old patient, “I am not old enough for Botox”. In reality, neuromodulators such as Botox are actually preventative in nature. Understanding the science behind these injectables is crucial to knowing their role in preventing the aging face. This is a product injected into a muscle that is responsible for making a wrinkle. Days after the injection this muscle becomes weaker and unable to make the expression responsible for giving us a wrinkle! Starting an intervention such as Botox early will literately hault the progression of aging. Most commonly patients are injecting in between the brows for the scowl lines and around the eyes in the area we refer to as the crow’s feet. Studies involving identical twins, one using Botox and one not for over 10 years yield remarkable results that attest to pre-juvenation.
Obagi 360
So what else can patients do in the “pre-juvenation” realm? We always recommend starting on a good topical skincare regiment that includes active ingredient products such as retinols, antioxidants, moisturizers and of course a broad spectrum physical sunblock. Retinols slow the age related loss of important skin components while boosting collagen. Antioxidants slow down and prevent the effect of free radicals from the inside out. Other popular interventions that are appropriate for this age group are non-ablative laser and radiofrequency treatments that stimulate collagen with hopes to replenish collagen before it starts to steadily degrade. Chemical peels are also a great way to stay ahead and keep your skin looking youthful and radiant.
Waiting to see a wrinkle develop will put you behind the game in terms of aging. As the vast body of knowledge in cosmetic dermatology continues to grow we certainly see a trend of starting early. Even though we are speaking about patients in their 20-30’s it is never too late to start to pre-juvenate.
Always trust your skin to the experts, come see us at the USF Health Cosmetic and Laser Center to start your pre-juvenation today … after all it is where beautiful skin happens.
By: Nicole Hogue, ARNP-C
Nicole Hogue, ARNP, Cosmetic PractitionNicole Hogue, ARNP-C