Your neck skin is different from your face and here’s why: There’s no fat on your neck - pinch your neck then your face. Neck skin is like the skin on your eye lids - sensitive & thinner Very few oil glands in the neck, less oil & moisture means skin gets drier faster When collagen decreases - as you age, or prematurely from sun damage and smoking, you lose moisture & firmness and horizontal lines start If you are starting to see horizontal lines, sagginess or a less defined jawline, a neck cream is the right way to go if you want to prevent the signs of aging. But not all neck creams are created equal. And price doesn’t always equate to better performance. I researched eight popular neck creams and found a wide variety of ingredients. Interestingly, most of the products will hydrate and soften the skin, some also brighten, but many lack active ingredients to stimulate or protect collagen & elastin, which is essential. Several have proprietary ingredient technology that provides a mesh type lift, which I think is good. When evaluating what ingredients to look for here are some good ones: Griffonia Seed Extract Palmitoyl Tripepetide - 38 Palmitoyl Tripeptide -5 Matrixyl 3000 Alaria Esculenta Sea Buckthorn In addition to using effective products on your neck, include these steps: Apply neck cream or skin care products morning & night using upward strokes Use sun protection every day, all year Regularly exfoliate, for normal skin two to three times a week Consider professional treatments to accelerate the effectiveness of your home care products and provide deeper results. Stay tuned next month when I focus on the neck muscles with a video on neck exercises.

The answer is how could you not with all the time we spend looking down at our phones and computers. One day I looked down and my camera was accidentally on. I was traumatized at how my neck looked!!!! Tech Neck is a condition that affects the skin and muscles of the neck and upper back. Maybe you’ve felt increased tightness especially in the upper back. There are great exercises online to help manage that. And with Tech Neck skin is developing horizontal lines faster. That skin, as your eyes, ages 30% faster than your face and we are accelerating that more with our lifestyles of looking down. When you talk about the neck you have to talk both skin and muscles. My goal is to help you stop the effects of tech neck. The first recommendation is to treat your neck skin just like your face. Bring down all the products you are using to your neck and chest. And use sunscreen on those areas every day, all year long. To learn more about caring for your neck skin, check out the blog “Care for you neck skin”.

Dermaplaning like Micro-dermabrasion is a mechanical exfoliation. However, Dermaplaning is more gentle and removes the baby fine hairs on your face. (They will NOT grow back coarser.) Both of these treatments remove the dead skin build up. That’s important because as we age, we take longer to naturally slough off the dead skin cells. After Dermaplaning I use an exfoliating treatment & mask customized for your skin. Your face is glowing, and your makeup goes on smoother. This treatment improves the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and acne scaring. Skin care products are more effective because they are not blocked by the buildup of dead skin cells or oil/dirt in the follicle. And the best result is it makes skin younger. It triggers increased cell turnover and the cellular repair process that makes skin behave younger. Many women may wax their faces to remove the fine hairs but this is prone to many problems. The hair is so fine that gentle facial waxes may not pick it all up. A mature women’s skin may be more susceptible to burning and tearing, therefore dermaplaning is a wonderful alternative with many more benefits. Many clients will also shave in-between dermaplaning treatments which is fine. But remember shaving only removes the hair. There is no exfoliation with shaving, and you do need to be careful of ingrown hairs. This is my favorite treatment to give & to receive. And it is the most popular treatment at SkinTrust.

In this video see the procedure and the results.

Increasingly I have clients who are concerned about the size of their nose pores. If you are concerned here’s some info that might help. When you squeeze something out of a nose pore usually it is not a blackhead, but a sebaceous filament. The filament is made up of sebum & dead cells. Although similar in appearance to blackheads, the purpose of the filaments is to direct oil. You cannot get rid of these filaments as they are part of your skin, but you can minimize their appearance. What causes increased pore size? Oil in the pores Change in elasticity/collagen - pores start to sag. This is caused by aging & consistent sun damage. Too many hairs in the pore It runs in your family & you inherited the pore size Picking & squeezing- it's bad to squeeze pores because any kind of picking, squeezing, or pulling stretches the elastin around the pores which can enlarge them. With constant squeezing, the pore can remain more stretched and enlarged over time without the ability to bounce back. Squeezing pores can also cause damage to the surrounding tissue leading to scarring, and the enlarged pores can make sebaceous filaments appear even larger. What can you do about the pore size? First, you can help make them look smaller. Clogged pores - ones consisting of oil & dead skin, need to be unclogged so they don’t create a hard plug that makes the pores larger. Filaments also need to be treated. Tips: Remove makeup before bed Cleanse twice a day Exfoliate dead skin cells with alpha (glycolic) or beta-hydroxy (salicylic) acids Deep-clean your skin with a clay mask After cleansing apply cool water to constrict the pore Second, treatments to reduce the size of the pores because they stimulate collagen & elastin. These include: Use a retinol product (also has an exfoliating action) Chemical Peels Micro-needling Radio frequency Topical product with ingredients to stimulate collagen & elastin I see many clients that had oil in their skin when they were younger, so they have larger nose pores. Now their pores are sagging because of sun damage. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of help at this point. Remember, at any age, protect your pores by wearing a sun screen every day, all year long.

Recently several clients expressed concern about dry skin and this time of year that is so true. Winter is harsh & extremely drying to skin. Sometimes it’s obvious if your skin is dry, but if you are not sure, here is a test: Pinch your cheek. If you wrinkle with gentle pressure instead of your skin holding its shape, you are dry. It also may feel tight, look dull, and you may find wrinkles in places you don’t remember. In addition to our facial special Dermaboost this month that gives your skin a boost of moisture, here are some tips on how to bring your moisture level up: Use a gentle cleanser, one that does not strip the oil In the morning, use a hydrating toner instead of cleansing, but if you work out you must cleanse. Apply products to damp skin specifically serums that contain hyaluronic acid or glycerin. They cling to moisture in your skin and kick start the hydration. Layer on an emollient cream to lock in the moisture. Use an emollient cream that contains shea butter, jojoba or organ oil. Take hydrating supplements. Jane Iredale fish oil is one of my favorites Use a sleep mask regularly to lock in moisture and other good ingredients when your skin is being repaired. Not sure if your products are working for your skin, give me a call at 708-541-9191 and we can chat about them.

Facial fillers, specifically Hyaluronic Acid Fillers, started to be used in the 1980s. That gives us roughly 30 years of experience with these fillers that are FDA approved. Now comes the controversy - can you get filler fatigue from continued use? Filler fatigue is defined as getting too many fillers over extended time and your skin not bouncing back because it is stretched while aging is happening. Both opinions are on the internet. Facial fillers are used to fill - replace volume loss and lift - when you fill your skin lifts up. There are Hyaluronic Acid Fillers, the most popular, which fill and may slightly stimulate collagen & elastin, although not validated. Then there are fillers such as Bellafill or Sculptra that do stimulate collagen & elastin. I have worked in the skin care world, or the esthetics industry for over 12 years, and certainly see changes. Most of these changes are improvements in products & treatments. As a 65-year-old, who is a strong believer in aging beautifully on my own terms, I believe the best approach for injectables is be conservative and implement a hybrid approach. By that I mean, use fillers & Botox, but also alternating with treatments that will produce collagen & elastin and always use products that will do the same. That way you will not always be dependent on an injectable - they can be important, but don’t forget about all the other wonderful treatments available. I have not had a filler in over three years, and this doesn’t mean I won’t. My decision was to use other treatments to stimulate collagen & elastin. To meet that goal, I have done 3 micro-needling treatments with PRP, a thread lift in my mid-face and regular micro-current treatments to lift and reprogram my facial muscles, and occasional SWICH treatments to firm & reactivate my cells. Plus each day and night, I use products to provide moisture plus stimulate collagen & elastin - a must to slow the aging process. For best results, together with treatments, you have to use good products each day. If you are over 50 and have not tried to stimulate collagen & elastin, then repeated fillers could be an issue. Your skin is not conditioned to “bounce back”. However, if you do get a filler, then try a treatment such as micro-needling or threads while using skin care products that stimulate collagen & elastin. At SkinTrust, we offer injectables including fillers and Botox, and we also offer Micro-needling, Platelet Rich Plasma(PRP) Injections, and threading. Each of these treatments stimulate collagen & elastin. Ultimately the result you want from injectables, treatments and effective skin care products is for someone to say “you look great” and not know why. Be conservative with your approach and continue to slow down the aging by rebuilding what aging is taking away with effective products & treatments. Then, you will age beautifully, on your terms!

Is an Eye Brow Thread Lift the answer to your saggy eyelids? Wrinkles and sagging skin near the eye area are a result of natural degradation from aging. The degradation of our bodies as we age affects our muscles and skin – the muscles weaken, and the skin loses collagen and elasticity. The skin near the eye is extremely thin and, as the muscles in this area decrease in strength from age, noticeable drooping occurs. If you just google droopy eyes lids you find a plethora of options of many different types of eye creams to surgery. Many of the eye creams help firm the skin and reduce wrinkles but cannot lift the muscle above the eye to minimize the saggy skin. And don’t get me wrong, it is essential to wear an eye cream, but when dealing with saggy eyelids more is required. At SkinTrust, when discussing raising the eyelids or improving the saggy skin of the eyelids, I give my clients three options. First, micro-current treatments that gently reprogram the muscle to lift the eyebrow. Second, threading, to lift and stimulate collagen. And lastly, surgery, which we do not perform. What is a Thread Lift for Hooded Eyes? A PDO (Poly-Dioxanone) Thread Lift is a non-invasive procedure that lifts and tightens sagging skin and tissues using a thin molded suture or thread. This treatment method is a terrific option for resolving the wrinkled, collagen-depleted, saggy skin near the eye and eyebrow region of the face. These threads mechanically lift and tighten the skin while stimulating the body’s natural healing response to the sutures, thereby triggering an influx of collagen to the treatment area. In this way, the PDO Thread Lift’s results go beyond the lift, which lasts an average of twenty months, to help the body naturally produce the collagen that combats further effects of aging. Four years ago, I had the PDO thread lift done on my eyes. Here is a video showing you some of the procedure. I was very pleased with the results and they lasted almost two years. Currently I keep my eye lids lifted with micro-current. To view some of the procedure, watch the facial threading video below. To conclude, here’s a couple of tips if you want to start working on your eyelids and don't want a thread lift for hooded eyes: Apply cucumber slices. Cucumbers contain ascorbic and caffeic acids, both of which reduce saggy eyelids. They decrease inflammation and naturally tighten skin. Cucumber slices help make your skin look healthy, smooth and glowing brighter than before. Resistance workout. According to the National Stroke Association, forcing your eyelids to work out every hour may improve eyelid droop. You can work eyelid muscles by raising your eyebrows, placing a finger underneath and holding them up for several seconds at a time while trying to close them. Here are before and after photos: Mint Threads Before & After Photos

Learn more about lifting your skin.

Does the Covid Vaccine from Moderna adversely affect people with dermal fillers and botox? Based on several articles I have read, and they are all posted on the SkinTrust FB page, here is the information I think will be helpful to understand this issue. Let me break it down simply: There were 3 people in the Moderna study that have swollen at the site of their Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Filler. That means you have a 1 in 10,000 change of it happening to you. It only happened with hyaluronic acid fillers - Bellafill and Scuptra are not affected. All three people who had the swelling also had the side effect resolved by taking antihistamines or steroids. There was no lasting side effect. It is only the Moderna vaccine that has this side effect not the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccine will not adversely affect anyone with Botox. For more information, please see the three articles we have on the SkinTrust Facebook page.

In a normal world, we do not care for our hands like are faces. Thus, our hands do tell our age. But more important than that, our hands are not cared for or protected resulting in exposure to damaging sunlight, cold, wind, harsh soaps, for some chemical substances and now, hand sanitizers. Neglected hand care can cause: Discoloration including splotching of darker spots, large liver spots (nothing to do with your liver, just the color of your liver), Sun Freckles Rough, hard, dry skin Wrinkles, sagging, crepey appearance Here’s some tips to help your hands age beautifully: Consistent use of a hand cream - several times during the day, and night. Apply a thin coat of hand cream then cover with lightweight cotton gloves at night while sleeping; helps absorb the products. Carry a small hand cream in your purse or keep at your desk to use throughout the day. Wear a water-resistant sunscreen during the day - most sunscreens for the face are not resistant to the water. Wear gloves outside in this cold windy weather. Hand skin is not like the face and needs special ingredients. Try a product with some of these: To stop moisture loss- shea butter, natural oils such as jojoba, sunflower or grapeseed, and silicones To add moisture - glycerin or sorbitol To repair barrier function of the skin and help with wrinkles - ceramides The most important thing to remember about hand care is be consistent — especially now! Special Surprise At you next SkinTrust treatment say, “Hands Please” and receive a complimentary hand massage using at the wonderful Guinot Hand Cream. If you like it, you get a 15% discount off your first order!

We work out to keep our body’s toned and in good shape, especially as we age. The same hold trues for our face. Our skin changes at a cellular level which expresses itself through sagging skin, wrinkles, dullness and dryness. All resulting from the loss of collagen, elasticity, and moisture, the main issues of aging skin. Micro-current is a small dose of electrical current that is a natural means of rebuilding skin integrity and strengthening muscle fibers. The main benefit of micro-current treatments is to reprogram muscles - lift muscles, prevent or correct saggy skin. Along with an effective skin care program, micro-current treatments also provide these benefits: Increases fibroblast production, the base of collagen and elastin, which helps reduce fine lines and increase skin health. It simultaneously tones and rebuilds the muscles, regaining mass and facial firmness. Stimulates collagen without producing a controlled injury as a chemical peel or laser treatment does. Frequent treatments creating an injury can leave your body without any help in the long run. Increases blood circulation which increase nutrients and oxygen flow that helps increase the body’s natural production of ATP, which produces skin radiance. Helps to brighten the skin and reduce the appearance of dark circles and other skin discoloration. It reduces puffiness and bags under the eyes. Does not damage the dermal layer. The continued use of micro-current reduces the signs of stress and fatigue by increasing the body’s own healing ability, resulting in total skin health The use of micro-current prior to makeup application enhances the facial features by lifting, defining, contouring and significantly increasing makeup overall effects. For the best results be sure to be well hydrated. For lasting results, repeated treatments are needed, and the number is based on the condition of your skin, and your lifestyle choices. Remember your face is part of your body and just as you repeat work outs to tone your body, you need to repeat micro-current treatments to tone your face. At SkinTrust we offer Micro-Current technology in these treatments: As an add on service to any treatment - $45 Micro-current Lift Treatment - $95, package pricing available for a series of treatments Luxury Micro-current Facial - $155 Vital Energy Facial - $200