No matter what your age, sometimes looking in the mirror can be disheartening. We all see imperfections staring back at us and these only amplify as we age. Call Franklin Skin and Laser in Franklin, TN to discuss how the combination of dermaplaning and chemical peels could be the anti-aging solution you’ve been looking for.
What Causes the Signs of Aging?
Fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration can take a toll on our self-confidence and cause us to shy away from pictures and social situations. While time waits for no one, why does it have to bring signs of aging with it? There are several factors that go into the changes that we experience with aging.
Time
Yes, just the passage of time causes our once firm and smooth skin to show wrinkles and sag around the neck and chin. These changes happen because in our 20s our production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid starts to steady decline.
What Are Collagen and Elastin?
Collagen is a fibrous protein that makes up the foundation of our middle and deep layers of skin. When we’re young, we have plenty of collagen, so our skin has a firm anchor to our facial muscles. Our skin is smooth because the underlying layers are smooth. Collagen holds all of our skin cells together, from layer to layer, and when its bond is strong, so is our skin.
Elastin is another protein that, as its name suggests, is responsible for our skin’s elasticity. When we’re young, we can pinch any area of our skin and it will bounce back when we let go. On our faces, elastin allows our skin to keep its shape as we make expressions, lean our faces over smartphones and computers and rub the skin around our eyes.
The Role of Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a sugar our bodies produce to keep our skin and other soft tissues hydrated and lubricated. Young skin looks soft, dewy and glowing because it’s able to attract and retain moisture. Hyaluronic acid can hold 1000 times its weight in water, so it’s essential for healthy skin.
The Decline of Age
As we get older our production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid declines. This is when we start noticing imperfections on our faces. When collagen breaks down, the once smooth foundation our skin relied on will develop ruts and longer crevices. Gravity forces our surface skin to fall into these areas, causing wrinkles, lines and folds.
Losing elastin means our skin loses its ability to bounce back and can’t fight gravity the way it used to. Our skin will sag, and the skin around our eyes can look lose and crepey. Losing hyaluronic acid means we need to invest in heavier and more nourishing moisturizers because our skin won’t hold moisture the way it used to. Our skin can look dry, flaky and dull because there isn’t enough moisture to plump up our cells.
The Sun
All those years in the sun will catch up with you if you haven’t been diligent about applying sunscreen and protecting your face with sunglasses and hats when possible. UV rays increase the rate we lose collagen and change the pigment of our skin. Collagen keeps your skin renewing fresh cells, but the sun will start to change the pigment of those cells so you’re left with sun or age spots and freckles.
Lifestyle Choices
There are several lifestyle choices we make that can damage our skin. Many of them we do when we’re young, so we don’t see the negative effect these have on us until we’re older and the damage is already done. These are just a few of the lifestyle choices that will speed up the breakdown of collagen and damage our skin with pollutants and toxins:
- Smoking
- Consuming a diet high in processed foods and sugar
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Not drinking enough water
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Unmanaged long-term stress
Treatments
Luckily, there are many innovative solutions to our anti-aging concerns one of them is Dermaplaning facial. There are treatments and procedures to address any concern you have, but if you’re looking for a great, overall brightening, anti-aging, firming and rejuvenating treatment, we suggest the one-two punch of combining dermaplaning with a chemical peel.
What Is Dermaplaning?
Dermaplaning isn’t a new treatment, but it is becoming incredibly popular because of the amazing and immediate results it produces. Dermaplaning treatment involves your skincare specialist using a medical-grade scalpel and, holding it at a 45-degree angle, gently “scraping” the top layer of dead and dull skin cells, debris and peach fuzz from your face.
Dermaplaning benefits result is baby smooth and bright skin that absorbs products better and allows for better makeup application. When the layer of dead skin cells that acted as a barrier to product absorption is gone, your skin can accept all the nutrients and hydration it needs from your topical treatments.
Get Rid of Peach Fuzz
Face shaving has been a Hollywood secret for decades because of the smooth and soft results it gets. We want to debunk the myth that if you shave your peach fuzz it will grow back darker and/or thicker—it won’t. The hair that is shaved off will grow back exactly the same as it was.
Removing this layer of peach fuzz provides amazing results. Clients rave about how much better their makeup looks because all those fine hairs aren’t impeding its application and wear. Makeup comes off easier, too, because you don’t have a layer of peach fuzz that absorbs makeup and makes it difficult to remove.
What to Expect
Dermaplaning is non-invasive and requires no preparation or downtime afterward. When you arrive for your appointment, your face will be cleaned so your skincare specialist will scrape off cells and not just that day’s dirt or debris.
Your skincare specialist will then scrape their tool gently along your face, picking up everything that was dulling your complexion. Afterward, you may be given a layer of sunscreen and moisturizer to make sure your skin is protected.
Results
Results are immediate. Many clients come in with a dull and tired complexion and leave glowing and radiant. Often, clients will not need makeup after treatment because their skin looks so good. Cells take about 28 days to regenerate, so it’s recommended you come back for follow-up treatments once a month to maintain your results.
Results can be magnified if you couple this treatment with a chemical peel. If you want to increase your results or have more severe issues like moderate lines, sun damage, age spots and skin laxity, this is an amazing first step before receiving a peel treatment.
What Is a Chemical Peel?
A chemical peel is one of the most versatile treatments offered because it can be specifically tailored to each client’s needs. Dermaplaning and chemical peels work so well together because the removal of dead cells and peach fuzz allows for deeper penetration and more effective use of the chemical peel.
There are several ingredients that can chemically resurface your skin, like glycolic, trichloroacetic and lactic acid. These can be diluted or combined to form peels that range from very light and superficial to deeper treatments. Your doctor will determine the best peel to meet your needs, learn about your areas of concern and align your treatment with your expected results and aftercare tolerance.
Light Peels
Light peels are used to treat superficial imperfections and give skin a boost when it looks tired. Because these are so gentle, they can be done as often as every two weeks.
Illuminize Peel
This light peel treats superficial sun damage, dark spots, fine lines, and other common aging concerns. Salicylic, phytic and alpha-hydroxy acids work together to brighten and smooth skin. There’s no downtime with this light peel, so it’s perfect for a little pampering before a big event because you don’t have to worry about red or flaky skin.
Medium Peels
If you have concerns like wrinkles, moderate sun damage and uneven texture and tone, your doctor may recommend a higher level of peel. These may produce some flaking, which just means the damaged skin cells are being replaced with fresh and healthy cells.
Jessner’s Peel
This treatment contains lactic and salicylic acids and is perfect for oily and acne-prone skin. You can enjoy an improvement in the appearance of sun damage, uneven tone, fine lines, and wrinkles. It will also lessen the appearance of acne scars.
Vitalize Peel
This treatment is a great choice for clients wanting to undo some of their time in the sun. Ingredients like alpha-hydroxy, beta-hydroxy and retinoic acids make it suitable for all skin types. Once the damaged layer of skin has sloughed away, a vibrant and rejuvenated complexion is revealed.
Rejuvenize Peel
If you want to combat sun damage while tackling fine lines and wrinkles and even minimize scarring, this is the peel for you. The treatment contains a penetration enhancer and an anti-irritant to soothe the skin. You’ll see immediate results that will improve over several days after treatment.
Deep Peels
These are the heavy hitters of the chemical peel world and will require a bit of downtime. If you have moderate to severe lines, wrinkles and folds or a lot of discoloration, your doctor may recommend this type of peel. If done in one treatment, it is only recommended clients receive one deep peel per year.
TCA Peel
This trichloroacetic acid peel is the most potent of all peels offered. Your doctor can control the dilution of TCA to fit your areas of concern and skin type. This peel was created to address the most severe aging concerns. Your doctor will determine the best strength to safely and efficiently help you achieve your goals. While you may experience a little downtime, the results can be life-changing.
What to Expect During a Chemical Peel
Your doctor will apply the chosen peel to your skin using a cotton applicator. As the peel does its job, your skin may whiten, but don’t panic! This just means the exfoliation of skin cells is happening. Your doctor will neutralize the peel or just rinse it off depending on the level of peel being used. A protective cream will be applied to your skin, and then you’re ready to go.
Results
When you’ve had a combination of dermaplaning and chemical peel, your results will be amplified because your skin can better accept the peel treatment. You can expect a glowing, younger-looking and rejuvenated appearance.
Why Wait?
If you see signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles, uneven tone and texture or skin laxity when you look in the mirror, why put off making an appointment? Call Franklin Skin and Laser in Franklin, TN to schedule a consultation. We believe looking young never gets old and want to help you look and feel your best.
