Midlife Skintervention


Posted on March 24th, by staff in Expert Tips, Skincare, Treatments. 10 comments

Midlife Skintervention

Beauty writer Lisamarie Wilson heads to our favourite skin clinic in Toronto and finds out that menopause may be a bitch, but you don’t have to look like one.

This is going to sound crazy, but there are certain aspects of menopause that I am looking forward to – no more periods, a decent excuse to be super-cranky all the time and hot flashes – as someone who is cold all the time this sounds like an amazing side effect to me! Of course along with the good comes the bad – the hormonal changes that go along with menopause can cause all kinds of annoying problems such as unwanted hair growth, mood swings and changes in the skin including those to elasticity, tone and colour.

Diana_PhillipsI recently had a chat with Cosmetic Registered Nurse, Diana Phillips from the DLK on Avenue Cosmetic Clinic about the options that are available for dealing with the havoc that menopause can cause to the skin – luckily she had lots of options for just about any part of the body that might be an issue.

Problem spot #1: Face

Symptoms: The skin begins to sag, wrinkle and volume depletes and the pores and uneven texture become more evident. The reds and brown tones are more visible and things start growing on the skin.

Clinical Fix: You can’t beat Botox to relax expression lines between the brows, lines on the forehead and crow’s feet around the eyes. It can even be used to give a slight brow lift or to treat the barcode on the upper lip.  A dermal filler such as Juvederm’s Volpella or Voluma if very effective to restore volume which improves under eye depressions, and lift for deep folds around the nose and mouth – with results that will last up to 12 months.

Diana-Before-After

Improvement in lip lines and skin in a 52-year-old woman.

Problem spot #2: Neck and Chest

Symptoms: The neck line starts to sag and crepeiness, lines and sunspots appear on their décolleté.

Clinical Fix: Teosyal Redensity I & II is a new generation injectable that helps correct the effects of aging on thin maturing skin, while also protecting the treated area from further damage. This designer injectable combines hyaluronic acid with amino acids, antioxidants and minerals to provide a synergistic level of micro-hydration and reconditioning of the neck and chest.

neck

Problem spot #3: Hands

Symptoms: Just like the face, the skin loses volume, looks crepey, veins become more prominent and sunspots appear.

handsClinical Fix: Radiesse Volumizing Filler, a calcium based dermal filler – has the unique ability to both immediately restore lost volume and stimulate your body to produce its own natural collagen for long-lasting results, making skin look plump again and veins less prominent.

Profractional Treatment is a quick and comfortable procedure that uses a laser microbeam to improve the overall appearance of your skin and used to improve a wide variety of skin conditions such as wrinkles and fine lines, post-traumatic and acne scars, age and sun spots, freckles and aging or sun-damaged skin.

The Global Approach

Improving the condition of the skin is something Diana tells her mature patients to keep in mind, which is why she recommends starting off any anti-aging treatment plan with a series of Intense Pulse Light treatments combined with Microdermabrasion Diamond Peel treatments to really get the rejuvenation process started on all the problem areas – when combined with the specific treatments outlined, your skin will be looking and feeling younger in no time!

mature womanKeep in mind that the risk of basal and squamous cell skin cancers goes up as people get older. So consider getting those lumps, bumps and moles that increase in growth with menopause diagnosed and removed by a dermatologist. [Watch our mole removal video.]

Of course effective home care is critical, and there are lots of options as well. The #1 thing you can do for your skin is wear sunscreen, every single day, even when you don’t think it’s sunny. Diana recommends an SPF of 30, anything over that gives you minimal extra coverage and to make sure the formula will stay on the skin, look for one that has a sweat-proof and/or waterproof formula. Most importantly, make sure you like the way the sunscreen feels and smells – if you don’t like it you won’t wear it!

Tips

 

We love this moisturizing SPF 30 lotion by Kellett Skincare.

 

The next best home treatment is a topical Vitamin A. Vitamin A or retinoids increase cell turnover, making for a constant supply of fresh new skin cells – great for smoothing texture, improving fine lines, reversing sun damage and even helping with acne. Apply it at night, the best time for your skin to work with it and go for a serum formula which is the easiest for your skin to absorb.

Tips

 

We love Dr. Kellett’s OTC 1% retinol serum, here.

 

Menopause may be unavoidable but you can still have great looking skin despite it. And don’t forget the other great thing for your skin (and mood) – wine!

Diana's Desk

The right home care products will optimize your treatment results.

 

 

 





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