My article published my LVBX Magazine 6/21/16 June 23 2016
"Get Your Skin summer Ready!"
Most of us take great care in keeping our faces looking their best. Then, all of a sudden, we notice our body isn’t looking quite so good.
Many of my patients, like many of you reading this, want to feel empowered with knowing what we can do to get our bodies looking as vital and youthful on the outside to match how vital and youthful we feel on the inside.
There are many options for treatments, but you will get the most out of them if you prepare properly first. This is an important step many patients skip in their treatment plan.
Start four weeks prior with supporting your skin from the inside with high performing supplements such as:
Omegas: to protect from mitochondrial breakdown.
Antioxidants: to protect from cell damage and collagen and to support our connective tissues. Make sure that in particular, your digestive system, liver and adrenal glands are healthy and supported so they’re not draining your bodies natural rejuvenation processes.
Add electrolyte water and beauty foods high in vitamin A such as, sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut squash. Lessening your sodium and alcohol intake is one of the most important diet changes you can make to see a difference in the hydration of your skin.
Make sure you’re exfoliating! Our cells turn over at a slower rate each year, so we need to help inspire new cells with daily exfoliation. You can use a homemade sugar scrub, practice dry brushing, or purchase a mechanical body brush.
Exfoliating creates a prepped canvas for your topicals. I’m a huge fan of serums versus old school body lotions. Your skin can more readily absorb and utilize them. Use serums packed with fatty acids, powerful antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, and vitamins, my favorites are B3, B5, C, D3, E, and K.
Add yoga or pilates to your exercise routine. You have to support all the layers of the body to have the fittest skin, from the inside bones to the epidermis. These disciplines help strengthen the connective tissues and help make everything look tight and right!
Now your skin will be ready to get the most out of clinical body treatments.
Different areas of the body tend to respond better to certain treatments or modalities.
The knees and elbows improve the most with muscle lifting treatments and peels. (Ulthera, microcurrent, cosmelan peel.)
Muscle laxity will be more visible in these areas and you need to make sure you target both the muscle and the skin to get real results.
The abdomen responds well with heat therapies such as radio frequency and ultrasound. (Thermage, venus freeze) The heat inspires the heat shock proteins and the fibroblasts to create collagen. A lot of patients want to also target fat burning in this area, but you have to consider that any volume loss can create laxity in the skin.
The thighs and buttocks respond well to heat and suction. (Viora) Make sure the suction isn’t too aggressive, this can lead to weakened blood vessels and more trauma than desired to the tissue. The suction can help lessen the appearance of cellulite and help relive water retention, creating a more pleasing aesthetic to the eye and be smoother to the touch.
Keep in mind that if you’ve had liposuction in these areas, the integrity of the tissue can be a bit compromised and you may have to be more patience before you see results.
LED treatments have become trendy for the body. You want to make sure the bulbs are binned to create the perfect therapeutic wave length for real results. The photodynamic light therapy helps regenerate the skin by stimulating collagen and elastin production. (best on market MAX LED technologies)
It has also been proven that certain wavelengths, such as 635 nanometers, can trigger the body’s own natural ability to breakdown fat; a process called lipolysis. During this process the body can release fatty acids which are then used by the body during exercise. Although, I believe it’s best utilized for skin rejuvenation.
Cryotherapy is also trending as an anti-aging skin treatment. This “cold therapy” stimulates growth factors and relieves the body of depleting inflammation. Freezing temperatures send the body into a “survival mode,” which causes blood supply to flow to the most vital organs to relay more oxygen and nutrients. All this supports and feeds the skin.
Some patients respond very well to a mix of modalities. I’ve seen great results with mixing radio frequency and CIT, or needling in the same treatment , or hand piece to tone the skin. This is also especially helpful in wound or scar revision where there’s a loss in pigment, or hypopigmentation.
Keep in mind that your body is half of the chemistry. You need to do your part in prepping for these treatments and you might have to spend a little time and money before you find what works best for you.
Remember to enjoy your body and be grateful for it everyday. Be gentle and loving to yourself, knowing that living a vital lifestyle is truly a beautiful venture.
-Mia Belle
Photo courtesy of LVBX Magazine
