Silk Touch Cosmetic Surgery & Medical Spa - Blog

Sometimes we get so caught up focusing on the wrinkles on our face, that we forget that the signs of aging might be showing on our neck and décolleté area, too. Luckily there are ways to maintain a youthful looking neck – through prevention and damage reversal treatments.

Here are the proven ways to treat or get rid of discoloration, texture problems, weight gain, loose skin and wrinkles that evolve into the much dreaded “turkey neck”.

Neck Firming Creams

Creams and serums can provide an anti-aging arsenal that can help prevent signs on aging, and sometimes can help in reversing wrinkles and skin laxity. While there are a lot of products out there that claim to tighten and tone the neck, our favorite product is by Revision – Nectifirm. Nectifirm is the best product for the neck. Patients notice an immediate difference in tone, texture and firmness. It’s one of our best sellers and I wouldn’t go a day without it! 

Skin Tightening

While creams can help with the signs and prevention of aging, sometimes in-office alternatives may be necessary. When it comes to skin tightening, you don’t have to go under the knife to see results. New technology such as the non-invasive VENUS FREEZE SKIN TIGHTENING can provide dramatic results with zero downtime. Venus Freeze uses radio frequency technology to firm the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Re-Texture

If you are looking to improve the texture on your neck and décolleté area,  you will see the best results from fractional laser treatments such as the CO2 Dot Therapy. Laser Skin Resurfacing re-texturizes the skin, leaving a new and improved appearance. It also helps with skin laxity, sun-damage and fine lines and wrinkles. This treatment is one of the most popular anti-aging treatments here at Silk Touch. While the downtime can last from 1-2 weeks, the results are phenomenal and you can see major results in just one treatment.

Non-invasive Slimming

Extra, unwanted fat on our jawline and neck can add years to our appearance. If you are looking to slim your neck – there is no better treatment then Smartlipo. This quick in-office procedure is minimally invasive with a short amount of downtime. Most people are back to work within a day or two. Smartlipo is the only way to take away fat in just 1 office visit.  Dr. Kerr specializes in Smartlipo for necks. Below is a recent patient of ours.

Click To Save $500 On Smartlipo 

Prevention

Creams and serums can help ward of signs of anti-aging. It’s important not to forget our neck in our daily skin care routines.  Don’t forget to protect your neck from the sun too, especially when you driving or going to be outside for long periods of time.

Exercise can help keep the neck youthful as well. Incorporate yoga stretches that tone the muscle and tighten skin.  

1. Pesky Forehead and Frown Lines

Best treatment: Botox or Dysport

These ever annoying can asily be corrected with muscle-inhibiting neurotoxins like Botox or Dysport..By limiting ovement of the muscles that cause these lines, the lines and wrinkles are softened and made less noticeable.

They key to getting the best results is to go to an injector who has a lot of experience and can give a natural look. No one wants to LOOK like they have Botox, it’s important to not get over-injected.

 2. Get Rid of Lines Around the Mouth

Best Treatments: Juvederm and C02 Fractional Laser

Pursing your lips, sun exposure and smoking among others, causes tiny, yet hard-to erase lines around our lips. This area can show harsh life-style choices, and make a person look a lot older than they really are. Fillers like Juvederm can help minimize these lines, and C02 Fractional Lasers can resurface damage skin to reveal new, fresh skin. A combination of both these treatments can be extremely effective for those who have deep, etched in lip lines.

3. Protect Damage from Happening

Best Treatment: Sunscreen

Reduce the incidence of more wrinkles forming with our go-to product that everyone should be applying everyday – sunscreen. Make sure you wear SPF with with a SPF of at least 35 on a daily basis. Don’t just do this in the summer, it’s important all year round. A good SPF will block both UVA and UVB rays.

4. Reduce Heavy Folds

Best Treatment: Fillers

As we age, we lose volume in our face, which can cause a deep shadowing around the mouth. It can also cause sunken eye, and jowls as the fat migrate downwards. Fillers added to the cheeks and tear troughs can make nasolabial folds less prominent by volumizing and re-inflating the skin envelope.

5. Prevent Wrinkles

Best Treatment: Retinoids

The healthier your skin is, the less apparent your fine lines and wrinkles are. Retinoids work the strengthen skin and boost in the production of collagen. The more collagen there is, the less wrinkles and lines there will be. Prescription-strength retinoids are a must-have for your daily beauty routine.

1. Fillers and Injectables

Once you notice one wrinkle, it seems like all you can notice are wrinkles! They are one the first signs of aging, and by far the most requested aging mark to “make disappear”. To treat deep smile lines, forehead wrinkles and crowsfeet, there is nothing that makes more of an immediate difference than fillers such as Juvederm, Restylane and Artefill. 

Botox is still number one in treating forehead lines and crowsfeet. Eliminating crowsfeet can take years off your appearance!

2. Restore Volume

As we age, our collagen production slows down significantly making our faces appear thinner, and more gaunt (on the plus side, collagen depletion shows off great bone structure). We also lose fat as we age, making us look even more gaunt. For those of us with fat that migrates downwards,  we can end up looking like we have a square face or “jowls.”

Artefill, the only long lasting filler, is the best choice on the market for replacing lost volume. Laser Skin Resurfacing treatments, using CO2 Fractional Laser, can help boost the production of collagen as well. In addition, CO2 Fractional Lasers can help improve the skin’s texture – helping to remove fine lines, tighten skin and improve complexion. 

3. Lips

Lips thin as we age. And if you smoke, your lips will age you even more through the appearance of “smokers lines” around the mouth.  Both of these problems can be easily fixed with Juvederm.

Naturally restoring the volume of lips can not only help you look younger, but can also add more symmetry to the face.

4. Chemical Peels

Ever notice how your foundation looks when it's applied to scaly, dry skin? You look older and ashier. The celebrities sheer a few years off their faces in under an hour with a professional chemical peel. Chemical peels work by removing the damaged top layers of skin.

There are different strengths of chemical peels, and which one your aesthetician reccomends will depend on the results you are trying to achieve, or the problem you are trying to fix. Chemical peels to brighten complexion are less aggressive, and typically have little to no peeling. Those are reffered to as "Glow Peels." More aggressive peels that target acne problems and texture issues are typically more aggressive, with peeling that can last for 2-3 days.

The before and after below is using one of our favorite peels of staff and clients here Silk Touch, the SkinMedica Revitalize Peel.

5.  Products

A customized skin care routine is absolutely necessary for anti-aging. You should consult a professional to see what types of products should be used for your individual skin conditions, and how often they should be used. Using the wrong type of products on your skin can cause even more damage if you aren’t careful.

To keep fine lines from becoming wrinkles, many people turn to retinol creams. This miracle ingredient can help keep wrinkles from forming, clear up acne, and can make the skin appear tighter and brighter.

Request a Free Visia Skin Analyis for a customized skin care regimen.

What is the Madonna Eye Treatment?  

The Madonna Eye is a new type of laser resurfacing. It utilizes a fractional CO2 laser using a light setting which creates tiny microscopic channels in the tissue so that new collagen can grow in to rejuvenate the skin. The Madonna Lift improves drooping skin, wrinkles and those telltale signs of aging around the eyes. This fractional CO2 laser technology has been used to perform a host of functions, including skin resurfacing and the treatment of acne scars. Now it can give men and women a younger look by rejuvenating the skin around your eyes including the eyelids.

What does the Madonna Eye Treatment do?  

It reduces the appearance of wrinkles and dark circles while tightening eyelid skin.

It works by utilizing a new fractional CO2 laser technology. Laser beam-like columns are created in the skin while leaving surrounding tissue intact. These beams eradicate damaged collagen and elastic fibers so that fresh skin with renewed elasticity can grow back in its place. Because only a "fraction" of the skin is affected, healing is very quick with minimal discomfort.

How do I know if I’m a candidate?  

If you have wrinkles around the eyes, loose eyelid skin, crow’s feet, or dark circles, you are a candidate. 

Will the laser work on darker skin?  

In most cases, it works very well on darker skin. However, to be on the safe side, we do a test spot in the eyelid area first to be sure there is no change in pigmentation. 

Do I have to stay out of the sun prior to laser treatment?  

No. But one should wear a sunscreen after the Madonna Lift as is the case after any laser treatment.

How many treatments are needed?  

The number of sessions depends on the individual changes present. On average, most people need between 3-5 sessions. 

How long in between each treatment?

We usually space treatments at 2-4 week intervals 

How many days of downtime?  

Most people are a little red and puffy for 3-4 days. However, one can apply make-up right after the treatment to hide redness. 

How long will the results last?

As new collagen is produced, we expect the results to last for at least several years. But as the technology is so new, it is difficult to be sure at this point.

Are there any other treatments and/or injectables I should be using to prolong my results (such as Botox)?

Botox can be injected after the Madonna Lift to help prolong the results. Long lasting fillers like Artefill are also a great addtion to the Madonna Lift. Artefill restores volumes while the Madonna lift opens the eyes, making the entire face more rejuvinated and younger looking.

During May, buy an Artefill Kit and get the Madonna Eye Lift at no additional charge.

You want amazing skin right?  So do we!  That's why a few years ago one of our aestheticians and myself flew all the way to Denver to attend a two-day conference where we were instructed by an industrial chemist who specializes in dermatology products.     

We were on a mission!  We wanted to know what the best ingredients were, why they worked and in what combination.  At Silk Touch Med Spa we have always tried to provide the very highest grade skin care products available;   Epionce, Jan Marini, Revision, etc.

But now, we wanted the best of the best, and to show our confidence in the products we've chosen, we have put our own Silk Touch name on them.   Thus, Silk Touch Rx Medicated Skin Care was born. 

Our heavy hitter is our Vitamin A product line.  Why?  Because we mix the Vitamin A right into the moisturizer at our Med Spa, thus giving you the highest potency and efficacy available.  You have to see the difference to believe it!  

The above photos are of Mariah, our medical aesthetician who started using the Silk Touch Rx Vitamin A product because of sun damage and texture issues.  Before and after photos were taken using our Visia Digital Photo Analysis.  

Another heavy hitter, is our  Silk Touch Rx Skin Lightening Peel.  Melasma is very difficult to treat, but look at the photos below and see the amazing results!   

This is one of our clients who was terribly sunburned as a young girl and developed melasma.  She had done many procedures including Microdermabrasion, Chemical Peels, and IPLtreatments with no success.  When we found the formulation for our skin lightening peel we called her up and said, "Let's do this for you free of charge!"  She had a few days of down time and had to use an at-home skin care system, but just a month later, Shazaam!  Look at her now!!!!!   Aren't her results amazing??? 

Click here more information on the Silk Touch Rx Skin Lightening Peel.

We offer free a VISIA SKIN Analysis ($100 value) to new patients. Call us today to schedule a free consultation. Alternatively, you can schedule online below.

There are numerous ways of removing skin imperfections like wrinkles, pigment changes, fine scarring, acne, and sun damage. Microdermabrasion and chemical peels can both help treat your skin concerns. But how do you know which is right for you? When should you get a microdermabrasion verses a chemical peel?

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion treatments start with a deep cleansing and gentle extractions.  This treatment uses micro-crystals to painlessly remove the surface layer of skin to leave it softer, smoother and fresher. Six to eight sessions are usually suggested for optimal results. There is minimal redness of the skin after each treatment which usually subsides within about 30 to 60 minutes so there is little down time associated with this procedure.

Microdermabrasion is great for improving:

• Clogged and large pores

• Rough skin texture

• Production and growth

• Collagen

• Uneven skin color

• Sun and age spots

• Dull or dry patches

• Acne

• Fine line and wrinkles

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels involve the application of an exfoliating solution to the skin in order to remove damaged outer layers and expose the soft, new and radiant underlying skin. At Silk Touch we offer several types of chemicals peels, all suited for various skin types and conditions. Read about them here. The downtime for a chemical peel is a little longer than for a micro but it is still minimal.

Chemical peels are great for improving:

• Fine lines

• Acne

• Skin Discoloration

• Increases moisture retention

Both treatments sound great, but which treatment is right for me?

Microdermabrasion and the lightest glycolic peels both make very subtle changes to the appearance of the skin. As part of a regimen of regular skin care, either will probably contribute to a fresh and rested appearance.  However, peels using stronger concentrations of glycolic acid, or using one of the many other chemical peeling agents, will almost certainly make a more substantial difference in the look of skin than microdermabrasion does.

Every person considering facial resurfacing will have to balance the competing factors for themselves. Only an individual can know how much of a difference they would like to see in their face, and what they are willing to do to achieve it. If you want help deciding between a chemical peel and a facial, our staff at Silk Touch is here to help. Drop on by for a free consultation and we can give you a skin analysis go over the changes you would like to see and suggest the best treatment options for you personally.

To schedule an appointment click the link below or give us a call at 208-939-3110.