Unlocking Your Best Look With Minimally Invasive Beauty Treatments

Looking your best means figuring out what is most attractive about you and highlighting it to the world. Thanks to incredible advancements in cosmetic treatments, less invasive options are available that can create amazing results!

Minimally invasive cosmetic procedures make use of smaller incisions and require little to no downtime. These include microdermabrasion, chemical peels and injections like Botox.

Facials

Facials aren’t just pampering beauty treatments that leave your skin looking healthy and glowing – they can also help prevent signs of aging from developing and give you a well-groomed, more youthful appearance. They can even reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, fade acne scars and improve deep hyperpigmentation.

A basic facial can include steam, exfoliation and extractions that help to remove blemishes and blackheads from the face, as well as a massage that boosts circulation and increases blood flow to the face, which helps minimize dark circles under the eyes. The treatment is tailored to each individual client so that it addresses their specific skin concerns.

For example, someone with clogged pores could have the facial customized by applying a serum that unclogs them and then infusing the skin with antioxidants to improve its health. Another common skin concern is dryness, which can be addressed by using hydrating serums and a massage that enhances moisture retention. If you’re looking to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, a facial with retinol can make them look less prominent by encouraging the growth of new collagen and elastin fibers.

If you’re dealing with uneven skin tone, a facial with vitamin C can brighten your complexion. Those with more serious wrinkles can benefit from a laser facial, which uses a low-level laser to stimulate collagen and elastin production while helping to fade the appearance of wrinkles and discoloration.

You can find a facial that suits your needs by reading the menu at your favorite spa or asking for a recommendation from a trusted esthetician. You should also be honest with your technician about any medications you take or have received recently, including filler, botox, dental or mouth surgery, and anything else that might impact the outcome of your facial. The laser hair removal from Encore is also a popular treatment done alongside facials.

Pavitt says it’s also important to avoid exfoliating for 24 hours prior to your facial as too much sloughing can lead to irritation, and that you should skip the manual razor for at least 24 hours prior as it can cause more damage to your delicate skin. She recommends using a gentle cleanser, like the Pacifica Vegan Ceramide Extra Gentle Face Wash, that will keep your skin calm and protected following your facial.

Injectables

Injectables are a fast and easy way to improve facial contouring, soften lines and wrinkles and plump the skin. They can also help reduce neck fat, smooth hands and treat cellulite. In the hands of an experienced injector, these treatments can be very natural-looking. Using the latest advances in neurotoxins, dermal fillers and deoxycholic acid, we offer a range of cosmetic injectables that can be used to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, add volume, tighten areas of sagging and even plump lips and sunken cheeks.

Injected cosmetic treatments can be as effective as surgery in reducing wrinkles and fine lines and improving facial contouring, but they can often be performed with less downtime and more comfort. Injectables can be combined with other skin resurfacing techniques such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion and laser resurfacing for enhanced results.

Some of the most popular injectables are designed to reduce dynamic wrinkles caused by movement such as smile lines or frown lines. They work by blocking the nerve signals that cause these muscles to contract, thus preventing them from causing the lines and wrinkles to form. Other injections include Belotero Balance (a hyaluronic acid filler for subtle enhancements), Botox (a neuromodulator to minimize fine lines and wrinkles) and Daxxify (a neuromodulator that can minimize nasolabial folds).

The newest dermal fillers available can be injected to restore lost volume, reduce creases and wrinkles, soften the skin and add definition to the face and lips. They are made from a hyaluronic acid which is found naturally in the body, and they act like an inflated cushion to support tissue and structures that may have become less elastic or sagging over time. The newest additions to the Restylane family are Refyne and Defyne which address the nasolabial folds as well as marionette lines, while Juvederm Ultra XC is a hyaluronic acid filler that can enhance lips and smooth creases and wrinkles around the mouth and nose.

Lip injections are a popular beauty timesaver that can transform thin lips, asymmetrical lips and overly large or round ones. They are injected with a topical numbing cream and can contain commercial fillers such as Juvederm, or fat taken from your own body to create a more natural appearance.

Body Contouring

Sometimes, no matter how much we diet and exercise, stubborn fat deposits won’t budge from trouble spots like the stomach or thighs. For those who feel uncomfortable in their clothes because of this problem, body contouring procedures may be the answer.

This group of cosmetic procedures includes both surgical and non-surgical options that remove excess skin, tighten loose muscles, reduce the appearance of cellulite, and provide slimmer, more defined body contours. The most famous surgical option is liposuction, which can remove large pockets of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. Other surgical treatments include tummy tucks, arm lifts, buttocks lifts and breast rejuvenation. These procedures are more invasive and have a longer recovery time than non-invasive alternatives, but they also offer more dramatic results.

The good news is that there are now many effective, minimally invasive body contouring options that do not require surgery and can be completed in your dermatologist’s office. These treatments use technologies such as cooling, heat, radiofrequency and lasers to eliminate stubborn pockets of fat, improve the appearance of cellulite and tighten loose or sagging skin. Some of these technologies are so advanced that they can even shrink and firm the short strands of collagen that connect the skin to the fat and muscle underneath.

These treatments are ideal for those who have lost a significant amount of weight, either through natural weight loss or bariatric surgery, but struggle with localized pockets of fat that will not go away no matter how hard they try. They can also be helpful for those with sagging skin caused by aging or pregnancy. Non-invasive fat-eliminating treatments such as Coolsculpting or TriPollar Radio Frequency Technology can permanently kill unwanted fat cells and leave your skin smoother and firmer.

Wrinkles and fine lines are another sign of aging that can make you look older than you are. Injectables such as Kybella, dermal fillers and Sheerwave body contouring can help to diminish these signs of aging by tightening the skin and reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Unlike surgical operations that have long recovery periods, most non-invasive body contouring treatments are painless and can be done in the comfort of your dermatologist’s office and during your lunch break!

Thread Lifts

A thread lift is a nonsurgical procedure that involves lifting the face with dissolvable sutures. It is a less invasive alternative to the traditional facelift and can help you look younger without having a three month recovery period like a facelift would have. A thread lift is also a great option for men or women who may not be able to have a facelift due to health reasons.

Originally invented in the 1990s, this procedure has come and gone in popularity, but is making a strong comeback now with a new generation of much more efficient saggy skin treatments that use soluble sutures instead of permanent ones. It has almost no risk of infection and produces much better results than the old permanent threads used to use, which were prone to causing problems like scarring and severe bruising.

The new soluble sutures, made of polydioxanone (PDO), have barbs that anchor to the fat pads beneath the skin and raise them up. This not only lifts the skin, but also creates tightening for the muscles in the area that was pulled. The cones on the sutures promote collagen production which helps to soften lines and wrinkles and give you a more youthful appearance.

In a thread lift, the sutures are inserted under the skin using local anesthesia so that you will not feel pain during the treatment. They can be used in a number of areas on the face including the nasolabial folds, jawline and cheekbones, as well as the neck and lower jaw. Dr. Sean Doherty often combines this procedure with a chin augmentation to produce an outstanding result.

After the procedure, patients will experience some bruising and swelling for a few days, but this is significantly less than the recovery period after a facelift. This is a relatively low-risk procedure that can be done in about an hour in the office and you can return to your normal activities immediately afterward.

The type of threads that are inserted into the skin is very important for achieving your desired results. For example, the NovaThreads are more effective for the nasolabial folds because they have barbs that attach to the tissue and lift it. The Silhouette Instalift uses a different type of thread which has small cones on it to grab onto the skin and provide more of a dynamic lift.