Did you ever wonder why your skin loses laxity as you age? All of a sudden you wake up and see how much your jowls are pronounced or that turkey neck starting to form. What happened and when? Honestly, you are aging as you are reading this blog, ugh another wrinkle! As a society, we are obsessed with “anti-aging.” It is a billion dollar industry and there are so many products and procedures to choose from. You can even take “anti-aging” supplements or drinks. Where do you begin and what really works? Well, I am here to simplify your life!
First, let’s talk science. The most abundant protein found in our body is collagen; it is found in our connective tissues, bones, cartilage and skin. It is very important component to give your body structure. You see advertisements everywhere for skin products and procedures that can “boost” this protein. Why is it so important for your skin? As you age, you lose firmness and elasticity due to the breakdown of collagen and elastin. It is best to preserve collagen and elastin stores for younger looking skin to keep it young and plump (i.e. wrinkle free). Now, there is no such thing as wrinkle free skin, so do not get your hopes up, but there are things you can do to help slow down the structural changes of this protein.
The fundamental items for the best skin care are: SPF, anti-oxidants, retinols, moisturizers and your dermatologist (wink, wink). These can vary in quality, concentrations and your compliance (this is key). However, there are procedures that I like to call “boosts” to our aging prevention routines and I want to focus on one of my faves. A non-ablative (non-surgical) procedure known as Ultherapy as taken the world by storm over the past few years. I love this procedure because it is AWESOME to start in your 20’s and 30’s to keep that collagen stimulated to keep the skin tight. Think about slowing it down from degradation (again, wrinkles). I call it the “Millenni Lift.” Normally, the procedure involves two depths of targeted ultrasound to counteract the gravity that takes hold of your skin over time. A person in their 20’s and 30’s does not need such an intense treatment because your collagen is in much more supply than in your 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s. Therefore, a Millenni Lift involves one depth into the skin so it is not as aggressive, but still leaves gives you the collagen boost that is needed to slow the aging process down. A lot of my clients who do the full procedure that includes the two depths usually return 6 months later to do this Millenni Lift enhancement.
Results are gradual and can take up to 6 months to appreciate, but I like to call this the quiet, subtle and smart procedure. Repeated every 1-2 years your skin will reap the rewards later in life.
Bottom line: as you age you lose collage and start seeing the loss of elasticity that eventually lead to wrinkles and laxity (jowls, turkey neck). Though you cannot stop the aging process, you can definitely slow it down with the right topical lotions and potions as well as giving it a swift boost with a procedure like Ultherapy.