What is EZ Gel?
The photo on the right is taken the day after 4 ml EZ gel injections with a cannula to the under eyes and smile creases.
EZ Gel is an injectable gel made completely from your own Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) which is a blood portion made up in-office during your treatment. It is made into a gel by temperature differences - heating and cooling different portions of the PRF, and there are absolutely no chemical additives in EZ Gel. This is a 100% natural alternative to filler. One treatment will add volume for about 6 weeks, two monthly treatments will hold volume about 3 months, and a third monthly treatment will hold volume approximately 9 months. EZ Gel may be used under the eyes, in the cheeks, temples, nasolabial folds, smile lines, lips, chin and jawline. This treatment may be customized for you during your consultation!
What's the difference between PRP &PRF?
We have just upgraded all of our PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) offerings to PRF (Platelet Rich Fibrin). PRF is better than PRP in the sense that it's more regenerative, but your treatment experience with PRF is virtually the sam e as PRP - in the sense that it still involves a blood draw and centrifuge. PRF can be used in the same ways as PRP. It just regenerates skin and hair follicles better! PRF has a longer release of growth factor under the skin than PRP does: 10 days for PRF versus just a few hours with PRP! PRF has higher concentrations of stem cells and beneficial exosomes than PRP. PRF involves absolutely no additives, whereas there was an anticoagulant (sodium citrate) in the PRP tubes. Additionally, PRF is more comfortable when injected - it burns less under the tissue than PRP. Bottom line, PRF is a superior regenerative treatment, and we've brought it to you! Our new microneedling with PRF treatments will involve a modest price increase to reflect the upgraded equipment: $620 for one treatment, and $1450 for the three pack (our usual 22% discount on the three pack!)
Eye Cream. Why? and why med grade?
Why use eye cream? A separate product just for your eyelids?
The skin in that area is thinner and more delicate than the rest of your body, and crepe-y texture and fine lines to the upper and lower lids tend to bother people. Using a quality, medical grade, science backed product (yes, I’m talking about skinbetter science again) is the best way to do something effective for your eyelid skin. If you’re already using an eye cream and you’re happy with it - keep it up! If the product is not effective, it may be a good idea to explore a stronger product line - enter medical grade skincare.
I was recently informed by one of my awesome patients that she loves the $400 Chanel eye cream, but is distressed about the price tag.
let me get on my soap box …. Why pay for a brand name for a product with no clinical studies backing it, which definitely has lower concentrations of the active ingredients because it’s not medical grade when you can get a much lower priced product (skinbetter $120) with higher concentrations of the actives, and clinical studies showing efficacy. Don’t even get me started on La Mer!
Rant over. Skinbetter Science has three effective eye products to choose from: Interfuse treatment cream: eye, Eye Max, and Instant Effect Eye Gel.
Interfuse is an AM&PM product featuring hyaluronic acid molecules that are formulated with a lipophilic coating to get under the skin (psst… that’s what filler does!). It’s a phenomenal hydrator, helps with fine lines, and can go on the upper and lower lids.
Eye Max features all of the good things in Interfuse and includes skinbetter’s famous Alpha Ret: a non-inflammatory retinoid. Eye Max is quite novel in its application of a full strength retinoid for the eye area. It’s PM only. Personally, I cycle Interfuse in the morning and Eye Max at night.
Instant Effect eye gel is a date-night prep product to de-puff and smooth the eye area within a few minutes.
Note: the above rant about expensive luxury NON med grade skincare applies not just to eye cream, but everything. If you’re spending that kind of money, it damn well better be on something with scientific studies proving that it does what it says it will. Step away from Nordstrom’s skincare counter.
VI Peel for spring, Zinc to make your Tox last longer!
Spring is almost here! The first day of spring is March 20, and it's a great time of year to get a series of VI Peels booked to prep for your spring events! VI Peel is indicated and safe all 12 months of the year, and so is a hat, shade and sunscreen to protect your investment in your skin!
Our March Promo:
Add a VI Peel to your Dysport or Botox appointment for $175 (save another $25 off of our usual Toxbooster deal) Don't forget: this comes with an included Elta MD SPF of your choice! Book it on our website as a Toxbooster treatment!
The Skinbeam Beauty Bank is up and running. This is your way to stash away money monthly to make everything at Skinbeam easier to pay for, and comes with 15% off all of your Dysport or Botox, and 25% off all our medical grade skincare (skinbetter science, Elta MD).
Check out the Skinbeam Beauty Bank here:
https://app.patientfi.com/v2/privi/skinbeam-aesthetics/signup
How to take Zinc to make your Dysport and Botox last longer:
The research supports taking zinc supplements prior to, and on the day-of your Dysport or Botox treatment. It helps the effects last longer. The regimen is 50mg (this is a big dose) Zinc Gluconate orally for the four days leading up to your treatment and on the morning of your treatment. In our experience, this dose of zinc can make your stomach upset, so it's a good idea to take it with a meal and chase it with plenty of water.
Skinbeam Gift Cards: 3 ways for Valentine’s Day!
Gift Cards
About Valentine's Day: were you hoping for a gift card to Skinbeam instead of a box of chocolates? Drop this hint: we offer gift cards 3 ways! We have pretty paper gift cards in-office, and your honey can send us a text to coordinate a pick-up. We have electronic gift cards in the booking portal, linked here: https://imory.myaestheticrecord.com/online-booking/giftcards and Aspire gift cards can also be sent within your Aspire app to other Aspire lovers!
Claire
Our wonderful addition - Nurse Injector, Claire Vercammen is on the schedule Fridays, as well as some Thursday mornings! She's available for all of our most popular treatments: Dysport, Botox, VI Peel, and Microneedling with PRP! "Original Injector Jaine" is still here too of course, same schedule as usual. Claire extends our availability! It's a milestone!
Beauty Bank
For our Dysport and Botox regulars - this is intended to get you a better discount and make everything easier to pay for! When you sign up for the Skinbeam Beauty Bank, you accrue $90/month into our online platform, hosted by PRIVI. Your money waits there for you until you come to Skinbeam to use it, and you can use it on anything we have. When you are a member of the Skinbeam Beauty Bank you get 15% off all of your Dysport or Botox all the time. You also get 25% off medical grade skincare (we've never offered this before!), priority booking and a special gift on your birthday annually. Check it out and sign up here:
https://app.patientfi.com/v2/privi/skinbeam-aesthetics/signup
Patient Fi
Were you thinking about a Microneedling with PRP package, or a couple vials of Sculptra? Patient Fi is our pay over time method to spread out the cost of the bigger treatments and packages you've been thinking about! Check it out here:
Skinbeam Beauty Bank
Happy New Year, Beamers! Are you ready to double down on your skincare regimen as one of your resolutions? We're ready to get you a discount, make it easier to pay for, and be your turnkey solution to beautiful skin.
Here's the plan: we've added the Skinbeam Beauty Bank. You get 15% off all of your Dysport and Botox all year, no limits, plus 25% off all of our medical grade skincare offerings when purchased in-office. It's $90/month, which goes into your Beauty Bank which we can both see on a site called PRIVI. You can use your pre-banked money toward any treatment, so you basically will show up to the office with a large portion of your treatment already banked in the Beauty Bank.
Are you in? Check it out here:
https://app.patientfi.com/v2/privi/skinbeam-aesthetics/signup
FYI, The Beauty Bank is in addition to Patient Fi, the pay-over-time option we added in November.
Our new Nurse Injector, Claire!
Claire Vercammen, BSN, RN comes to us with 17 years of nursing experience, and has been trained professionally as an injector and under the mentorship of Jaine as well. Claire is the warmest, loveliest person and we are so lucky to have her, she'll be a big hit at Skinbeam Aesthetics! She will be available for Dysport, Botox, VI Peel, and Microneedling with PRP treatments on Fridays at Skinbeam beginning this month. She is available in our online booking portal if you'd like a Friday appointment!
Support your skin regimen with our new Beauty Bank!
Achieving beautiful skin is a long term process. Just like maintaining your workout routine, or a healthy diet - in order for skin to look great, a long term plan is required, and sticking to a consistent regimen is key. As much as we’d like to solve ALL of your skin and facial aging concerns in one visit - human physiology doesn’t work like that. Consistent med-grade skincare at home and regular office visits for injectables are what create next-level satisfaction and confidence.
As your aesthetic provider, Skinbeam exists to help you achieve your long term skin goals, stay on your regimen and make it accessible and affordable. In 2025, we are striving to provide you a convenient, affordable way to stay on your customized skin regimen, including med-grade topicals and injectables. Enter: the Beauty Bank.
The Beauty Bank is a way for you to electronically set aside money each month to use at Skinbeam, allowing you to break your total spend up into smaller $90 monthly bites. Members of the beauty bank will receive 15% off all of their Dysport, Botox and 25% off all medical grade skincare as well as priority booking, and a freebie on your birthday annually. This will be hosted by PRIVI. Our goal is to help you achieve your best skin by increasing the affordability and convenience of our two most impactful and requested services - tox and medical grade skincare. All of our "regulars" will save money by opting into the beauty bank - AND you can use it in addition to your Aspire and Alle savings.
Link to join Beauty Bank:
https://app.patientfi.com/v2/privi/skinbeam-aesthetics/signup
We are up and running with Patient Fi, which is a pay-over-time feature, and a bit different than the beauty bank. Patient Fi is great to spread out payments on the bigger-ticket treatments, and the Beauty Bank is best when you get regular Dysport treatments (that's almost all of you!)
Link to Patient Fi application for Skinbeam: https://app.patientfi.com/v2/skinbeam-aesthetics/apply
Patient Fi: to pay over time! Sculptra Anniversaries!
We've added something new: Patient Fi!
A simple and in-the-moment way to pay over time for your aesthetic treatments! You can explore this option in our office at checkout time, or in-advance at the link below. If you ever forget the link to our Patient Fi, it's on our website and Instagram bio! Send us a text or an email if you have questions!
https://app.patientfi.com/v2/admin/login
We are also just about to add a Beauty Bank and a Membership option for Skinbeam using PRIVI. More information to come next month!
Sculptra: It's the 25th anniversary of Sculptra this month, and it's been a year since we added Sculptra to our practice! We really really love it - for the ultra-natural effect, gentle volumization, skin tightening and glow, it's really added a lot to the Skinbeam tool kit! My biggest takeaway from this year of treating my people with Sculptra has been that people seem to be more satisfied after two vials than one, which is why we have the 2nd vial permanently discounted (1/$700 or 2/$1250).
Myths About Injectables
Below are some frequently discussed topics in the Skinbeam treatment chair. Have any of these ever crossed your mind?
1. Filler stretches your face out.
The volume of one syringe of filler is about the same volume as a blueberry. It is a small amount, yet enough to make a visible difference in someone's face. Appropriately placed filler aims to replace facial fat pad volume that has been lost to the aging process. So, it's not that filler stretches your face out. It's that filler replaces facial fat that gets depleted with age.
2. You'll look older once you stop.
You will only look as old as you actually are when you stop getting treated. Having been treated with injectables and then stopping does not age the face. Consistent treatment does tend to create the illusion of halting or reversing the facial aging process, but no matter what, we will all continue to age. Discontinuing treatment just allows you to look the actual age that you are, but not older.
3. Injectables aren't for men.
Wrong. We are 100% here for the dudes. We have a growing contingent of male patients. Men have the same concerns that women do but are frequently even more shy about seeking treatment. Male lip filler? Bro-Tox? We've done it.
4. You have to be old or rich to get injectables.
Regarding age: We have treated first time injectable patients with ages ranging from their early '20s to the early '70s. We always tailor the treatment to the patient's goals and create an age-appropriate plan. Regarding being rich: it's cheaper to maintain Botox or Dysport than gel or dip nails on an annual basis. Most people find beauty to be a necessity and you might as well spend your money on something that will actually work, that is pharmaceutical grade and backed by research, than something dumb from a TikTok influencer.
5. I can get a better deal on Groupon for Botox.
Not safe. It's only legal for (legit) injectors in the US to purchase products from about 10 FDA approved pharma companies. It is possible for shady injectors to import cheaper product and sell it, avoiding detection by the medical board for awhile, but there's no way to know about the quality, safety or efficacy of those products. Unfortunately a lot of the great deals to be found on Groupon for injectables are from less than reputable sources.
6. Filler looks unnatural.
The overfilled look we've all witnessed at Fashion Island comes from having a large volume of filler placed in a short period of time, and/or the filler being poorly placed. Filler gets broken down by our bodies naturally over time, and it can also be dissolved completely by injecting dissolver. Great injectors are mindful of accurate and natural placement as well as appropriate timing and volume of filler, and/or dissolving (usually lips) as appropriate.
The Nasolabial Fold: how to reduce shadowing
The crease running between each side of your nose to each corner of your mouth is called the nasolabial fold. Shadowing and/or creasing in this area tends to bother many people, and also tends to become more prominent with increasing birthdays.
Let us begin with setting expectations. Even babies have a nasolabial fold. It is a normal human facial feature independent of age, and it's a mistake to try and get rid of it completely. Trying to obliterate a nasolabial fold with filler makes a puffy-faced appearance like a monkey, so the best goal is to soften but not eliminate creasing and shadowing at the nasolabial fold.
Why does this area become more shadowed over time? There are several factors that play into it. Fat volume loss in the upper face, especially in the cheeks and temples occurs as age increases, and as we lose support in the upper face, the skin hangs slightly lower in the lower face. Think of the fat you have in your upper cheeks when you're young (the "apple" of the cheek) as a tent pole holding up the skin and other structures of the face. When you begin to lose the tent pole, the overlying structures fall a little lower. Skin laxity or looseness increases over time, and plays a role in shadowing at the nasolabial fold. Additionally, the muscle movement of smiling creases the nasolabial fold area, but we're not going to stop smiling!
Can you treat the nasolabial fold with Tox (Botox or Dysport)? No. With the neurotoxins being muscle relaxers, their mechanism doesn't address the root causes of shadowing at the nasolabial fold. Adding volume with dermal filler or Sculptra, and skin tightening therapies like Sculptra or some machine-based therapies will treat the area better.
Dermal filler is a good treatment for nasolabial folds, and it can be used in several ways to reduce shadowing and creasing in the area. The most natural way to begin to address nasolabial folds is to start with optimizing cheek volume with filler or Sculptra. This is because you're putting volume back where it occurs naturally, where you probably had more cheek fat when you were younger. It's true that it only indirectly treats the nasolabial fold, but if you're looking for natural full face rejuvenation, this is the best way to start.
Once cheek volume is optimized, there are two injection points in the nasolabial fold to consider. The first is the pyriform fossae (beside the nose) to treat shadowing. Secondly, the creases in the skin at the nasolabial fold may also be injected in a "fern" pattern with a very light-bodied filler to smooth out the skin crease that your smile makes because you can't stop smiling! Yay!
Biostimulants like Sculptra have a double benefit: they add volume and they tighten/firm skin, both via collagen stimulation. Sculptra helps increase your growth of your own collagen and elastin. It's much more powerful than oral collagen supplementation, and it produces a lovely, gradual, natural result. Sculptra may be injected into the temples, cheeks and pyriform fossae to gradually build volume. In the preauricular area (in front of the ears) it helps to tighten skin and create a subtle pull-back effect in the lower face. Sculptra is also effective for cheek lines which may occur to the side of the nasolabial fold.
It's important to note that dermal filler is visible on the day of treatment whereas Sculptra requires about 3 months to begin to show results due to its collagen stimulation mechanism. Sculptra does tend to have longer lasting results than dermal filler.
Every face is unique, and during an in-person consultation, we can talk more specifically about the best treatment plan for you!
Lower Face Tox: Dysport/Botox
It's true that upper face Tox is usually a starting point for most people. Between the brows is probably the most frequently requested area, but several important injection points also exist in the lower face. Many of them have goals other than smoothing wrinkles. Read on for the rundown of lower face Tox. I am speaking in Dysport units, as Dysport is the office favorite, but Botox is just fine for these injection points, although the number of units for each area would be different.
DAO
Depressor Anguli Oris are a set of down-pulling muscles that pull the corners of the mouth down into a frown. One poke on each side will treat this muscle. I usually use six units of Dysport on each side. The reasons to inject this muscle are twofold in my opinion, the most important reason to treat dao is to prevent jowling and marionette lines in the long run. Injectors also advocate this injection point to help turn the corners of the mouth upwards slightly when the face is relaxed.
Mentalis/Chin
The Mentalis muscle lays over the front of the chin and when activated makes an "orange peel" texture to the chin. Four pokes with 3 units each of Dysport will relax Mentalis, elongating the chin and eliminating the orange peel texture.
Gummy Smile
A wide smile on some people exposes the gums above the upper teeth. While this is certainly a happy, animated smile, some people prefer to relax the muscles that pull up on the upper lip during smiling, and this is the gummy smile treatment. It requires two pokes, one on each side of the nose, and I use 6 Dysport units for each side.
Lip Flip/Radial Lip Lines
This most frequently requested lower face injection point does not add volume to the lip. Four injection points with 3-4 Dysport units each at the border of the upper lip relax the muscle partially, and allow more of the pink part of the upper lip to show during a big smile. It does make your lips feel different to drinking from a straw.
Masseters
Masseters are the big strong muscles at the back of your jawline that allow you to chew and clench your jaw. The purposes of treating the masseters with Tox include reducing the strength of clenching/grinding to reduce jaw pain, and/or slimming the masseters by way of atrophy. The jaw slimming effect takes time to occur, perhaps 2-3 cycles of Tox every 3-4 months and it's more prominent for people who start out with big, strong masseter muscles.
Masseter treatment requires 3 pokes per side with a minimum of 60 Dysport units, and there is variation from person to person.
Jawline / Nefertiti Lift
These injection points treat the upper part of platysma, which is a large, thin muscle that covers the whole anterior neck, and it is anchored on the jawline. Relaxing platysma with Tox using 6 pokes on each side of the jawline reduces the down-pulling effect of platysma off the jawline, allowing the jawline to look sharper. These injection points (as well as DAO) are meant to prevent jowling and marionette lines to some degree over the long run. Roughly 28 Dysport units per side, depending on the person.
Platysma also makes ropey bands all over the neck when flexed, and these platysmal bands may also be relaxed with Tox as desired.
My Pitch for Daily SPF Use
A lot of the concerns my patients come to me with are made worse by UV exposure over time. These include fine lines, wrinkles, volume loss, pigmentation concerns (sun damage, tan discolorations & spots, melasma), and skin laxity. As we all know, UV exposure, and especially sunburn, increases your risk of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Ew.
So many people are turned off by consistent daily SPF use because they don't like the way sunscreen feels. This is why I've brought on several dreamy-textured SPFs that just make your skin look pretty, under or even without adding makeup over the top, and at an affordable price point. The Elta MD SPF line is lovable, and I want you to love SPF and use it every day. Not just "when you're going out in the sun." We live in So Cal, the sun is everywhere - cover your skin!
We are carrying some new Elta MD sunscreens in - office we'd like to highlight.
Elta MD Deep Tinted UV Clear SPF 46 $45. This is a deeper tan tint than the classic Elta MD tinted SPF, great for deeper skin tones.
Elta MD Sport SPF 50, 8oz, $51. This is a smooth/sheer textured active outdoor sunscreen with 80 minutes of water resistance. Great for sports or the beach!
Elta MD AOX mist SPF 40, $45. This full body spray on has a very light, sheer texture and includes antioxidants. Upgrade your Target spray on sunscreen with this!
If you love the way your sunscreen looks and feels, you’ll be much better at using it every day. Send us a message or stop by for an SPF tune up this summer!
Dysport vs Botox: what's the difference? The various brands of neuromodulators, or "tox."
At Skinbeam Aesthetics, we offer Dysport or Botox as our choices of neuromodulators, or "tox," but these days there are 5 brands of tox on the US market: Dysport, Botox, Jeuveau, Xeomin, and Daxxify. What's the difference between Dysport and Botox? What about the others?
Truly, they are all just different brands of injectable medication that all relax muscles to alleviate wrinkles and accomplish other goals as well, but they are each subtly unique.
It's no secret that we prefer Dysport at Skinbeam. When comparing Dysport to the other brands, (with the exception of Daxxify) it tends to set up a few days sooner and last a few weeks longer, and this is because Dysport has more active neuromodulator molecule per unit than Botox, Xeomin or Jeuveau. Nice!
Daxxify is a new product that joined the market in 2023, and was introduced as longer acting product. We may eventually add this to the Skinbeam lineup, but at this time we're in watch-and-wait mode on Daxi as they further clarify the actual duration of the product in the wild, especially with the pricing of the new drug being higher.
Some experts advocate rotating products as a strategy to (potentially) increase the body's responsiveness to neuromodulator over many years (decades).
Every person's physiology is unique, and occasionally we run across a patient who just responds better to one neuromodulator or the other, and of course, personal preference applies. Truly, it's up to you and we are here to consult. We practice patient centered care!
Toxbooster: VI Peel + Dysport or Botox
The Toxbooster
This terrific combination treatment includes a VI Peel followed by Dysport or Botox ('Tox') in the same sitting. At Skinbeam Aesthetics, we package our Toxbooster treatments with one full size Elta MD sunscreen product included for free. (We want you to wear daily mineral SPF!)
In the first week after a Toxbooster treatment, the VI Peel is resolving. At day 7, expect fresh, glowing skin, improvement of pigmentation concerns like sun damage, and a reduction in fine lines and dullness. 14 days after the Toxbooster, in addition to the fresh-skin results from the VI Peel, the Tox will be fully set up which means any lines and wrinkles in the treated areas will be relaxing away, and the brow lift will be hitting. Magical! To further enhance the pigmentation-correcting results, a toxbooster may be followed with two more VI Peels, spaced one month apart each.
A note about Brown Skin: VI Peel is unique in the medical depth chemical peel market for its safety for all skin colors. As you may or may not be aware, the more color a person's skin has, the more caution must be exercised when using chemical peels and light and energy-based treatments due to the concern for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. VI Peel is great for all skin colors and types and it's safety has been proven for all skin colors. No worries for brown skin!
Toxbooster is a pertinent topic right now because new research has just been published in the prestigious medical journal, The Journal of Drugs in Dermatology proving the enhanced dermatological and aesthetic benefits of the Toxbooster treatment over just the peel or the tox alone. No surprise. But this research makes official what patients and injectors have already experienced with Toxbooster treatments. For my fellow science lovers, the study is linked below.
https://jddonline.com/articles/optimized-patient-outcomes-with-the-novel-modality-of-corrective-chemical-peel-and-neurotoxin-on-same-day-treatment-S1545961624P1349X/
Longer, darker, thicker eyelashes with Latisse
Many people desire longer, darker, fuller eyelashes. There are many eyelash serums on the market, but Latisse is the first and only FDA approved (research proven) eyelash booster on the market. Originally, bimatoprost, which is the generic name for Latisse, was used to reduce pressure inside the eye for people with glaucoma. It was then found that bimatoprost also produced longer, darker, thicker eyelashes, and Latisse was born in 2008. Latisse is proven to work after 16 weeks of nightly application above the top lashes. Blue or green-eyed people may experience eye pigmentation changes (primarily enlargement of any brown flecks in the iris). Most likely not, but during your initial consultation, prior to initiating Latisse we will discuss this further if you have blue or green irises. Dark brown-eyed people - no pigmentation precautions.
When applied nightly, the 5 ml Latisse bottle lasts about 4 months. It should be applied nightly initially to produce a good result. Afterward, once in the maintenance phase, Latisse may be applied every other night, thus making that bottle last twice as long.
From Jaw Clenching to Jaw Slimming: A Look at Masseter Muscle Treatment
The masseter muscles are likely the biggest strongest muscles in your face, residing right at the corner of your jawline, below your ears. You can probably feel them flex when you place your hands over the rear corner of your jawlines and bite down. Maybe you wake up every morning to a painful pop as you stretch your jaw upen for the first time. Masseter Tox can help provide relief from this problem (bruxism).
Tox, or neuromodulator such as Dysport or Botox can be injected into the masseter muscles for two purposes: to reduce the strength with which you clench or grind your teeth in order to reduce jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, or to slim the muscle in order to reduce the width of the lower face in the area of the masseter muscle. Truly, both of these effects occur at the same time when the masseters are treated with Tox.
Every person is different, but usually 3-4 injections are needed on each side of the face, totaling roughly 40-75 Dysport units, or roughly 16-28 Botox units. Masseter tox may cost up to $350 a treatment on the high end (28 u Botox).
Masseter tox should be re-treated about every 3-4 months to maintain results, especially if the desired result is jaw slimming, as this result relies on muscle atrophy. It's a good idea to discuss jaw clenching and grinding with your dentist as well. Your dentist may also offer treatment for relief of bruxism on top of what masseter tox provides.
Microneedling with PRP using Skin Pen: all the details!
Microneedling with Skin Pen and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) remains one of our most popular treatments at Skinbeam. The natural, regenerative and nearly non-pharmaceutical aspects of the treatment appeal to many people, and this treatment cannot be beat for improvement of acne scars.
Microneedling with PRP is magic if you are concerned with skin texture or quality. Acne scars, other scars, pore size, stretch marks, and dull texture all improve beautifully after this treatment.
People love the fact that this treatment involves no pharmaceuticals other than the numbing cream (Lidocaine and Tetracaine). We always begin this treatment with strong numbing cream for comfort, and then take a small blood draw to make the PRP by spinning down whole blood in a centrifuge to separate the red cells. The golden PRP is separated, then goes onto the face in sections, and the Skin Pen is used to microneedle over it, allowing PRP to enter the microchannels made by the Skin Pen.
Both the microneedling and the PRP provide their own set of benefits to improve the skin. Microneedling is a research-proven collagen induction therapy. The Skin Pen is FDA approved to treat acne scars as well as neck lines. The thousands of tiny microchannels created by the Skin Pen device vary from 0.5 mm up to 2 mm, depending on the area of the face, and the skin's response to treatment (each face is unique). By contrast, the microneedling you'd receive during a facial from an aesthetician is also beneficial, but not medical depth, as microneedling done by aestheticians is limited to 0.3 mm in California. Deeper medical grade microneedling is capable of making more change in the skin texture. The microchannels activate the body's healing response at an even depth in the skin, and all at once, and this is part of what remodels the skin texture, in addition to collagen and elastin production, growth factor release, and fibroblast stimulation.
PRP also provides a unique set of benefits. PRP is used in many regenerative therapies, ranging from orthopedic applications like joint injections, to wound healing and even some reproductive therapies. PRP contains growth factor, stem cells and activated platelets, and stimulates fibroblasts to create collagen as well.
People without acne scars also enjoy benefits from microneedling with PRP, and these include pore size reduction, glowing youthful skin, reduction in fine lines, and improvement in overall skin quality.
During a microneedling with PRP treatment at Skinbeam, you may choose whether you'd like to have PRP injected under your eyes as well during the treatment at no additional cost. While the skin is numb and we're making PRP - might as well treat the under eyes as well, right? Neck and chest microneedling may also be booked as desired.
Under eye PRP injections smooth the under eye area, reduce fine lines and crepey skin, and improve the skin quality around the eyes. When PRP is injected under the eyes, there is a temporary puffiness for a few hours, and then the liquid portion of PRP is reabsorbed into the circulation, leaving behind the important growth factors, and activated platelets, to rejuvenate the undereyes. Improvement in skin appearance occurs mainly through stimulation of fibroblasts in the skin, whose job is to build connective tissues such as collagen and elastin. There is a chance of bruising, as with any injectable treatment, but this is usually minimal due to use of a very small needle, and avoidance of potentially vascular areas. When under eye PRP injections are requested, we do them at the beginning of the session, when the numbing cream very active, and discomfort is truly minimal.
Downtime from Skin Pen microneedling with PRP is really about 24 hours. We request you leave the mask of dried PRP on your face for 18 - 24 hours, which is the length of time it takes for the microchannels to close. Dried PRP has a slight yellowish-orange hue which has to do with it mixing with a little bit of pinpoint bleeding generated by the microneedling. After 24 hours, you may wash the dried PRP off, and light flaking usually occurs for the following week. Sunscreen and makeup may be applied after 24 hours, but retinoids should be avoided for another 72 hours.
Key Point: strict avoidance of UV is mandatory following this treatment. While the skin is healing and remodeling, it is vulnerable to hyperpigmentation and discoloration from UV. Daily mineral high-SPF is a must, and we recommend Elta MD - you can buy it in our office or on Amazon. When evaluating sunscreens, look for a physical (mineral) SPF with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide on the back. Not avobenzone or oxybenzone which are shorter-acting chemical sunscreens.
Let me say it again: just wear the sunscreen. Even if you're not going to the beach. Even if it's raining. Even if you're just running errands. And absolutely no tanning beds. Ever.
Got it? Haha
Skin Pen Microneedling with PRP is a natural, regenerative, collagen inducing treatment that benefits all skin types, and is permanently transformative for acne scars and other scars. Let us know if you'd like to give it a try!
Lip Filler: Keeping it natural, numbing for comfort & what to expect before and after
Lip filler is one of our most frequently requested treatments. Virtually every person seeking lip filler feels nervous prior to the treatment, saying something like this:
" I want my lips to look fuller, but not too full. I want to notice it, but I don't really want it to be obvious to other people. I'm afraid the treatment will be painful, and I'm afraid of having huge lips afterward, but also... I want my lips to look better."
Got it, no problem!
Regarding maintaining a natural appearance, the two biggest factors in looking natural vs. over-injected are the amount of filler, the placement, and the time frame that it's injected in. Everyone's lips and facial balance are unique, so the amount of volume each person can accommodate while still looking natural varies. If you are someone who plans to have lip filler every year, it's probably a good idea to discuss dissolving all the filler periodically, and re-starting from scratch as a strategy to keep the filler in the pink body of the lip only, and avoid over-projected, unnatural looking lips. Dissolving old lip filler doesn't harm your lips or leave you "deflated," in fact, you'll just see how your lips would have been at your current age, had you never had filler. The dissolving agent, Hylenex, can't dissolve your own tissue, just the filler, and it is actually an enzyme you have in your body already (hyaluronidase). Getting an annual syringe of lip filler does look natural on most people, and reassuringly you can always dissolve and start from your baseline if needed. Additionally, very soft filler products, like Restylane Refyne for example, tend to be hydrating and very soft and natural appearing afterward. Products like Restylane Kysse have a little more body, and are great for perking a cupid's bow, or for a bit more defined lip look.
Regarding comfort during lip filler treatments: the lips are very well innervated with sensory nerves, and because of that, adequate numbing is a top priority at Skinbeam. We offer a nerve block, (injected lidocaine), at no additional cost at the beginning of each lip filler treatment for people who want it. The vast majority of our patients opt for the nerve block. However, the nerve block makes you very numb, and some people don't like that feeling and opt for topical numbing cream instead. We have a good strong topical numbing cream as well for those who prefer it. Our background is in anesthesia, so of course we're concerned with your comfort!
Prior to a lip filler treatment there are several considerations to think about. Be sure to schedule your lip filler treatment knowing that lips love to swell for the first 24-48 hours. They'll be much bigger than they’ll end up eventually in the first couple days, due to swelling. Please repeat after me: “it's just swelling, it will definitely go down on it's own!” Being prepared with over-the-counter Pepcid, Benadryl and ibuprofen as well as an ice pack on hand is a good idea to help reduce swelling and inflammation after lip filler.
If you've ever had a cold sore, be aware that lip injections can trigger a new outbreak, and it's a good idea to take your antiviral prescription the night before your treatment. Don't schedule any dental appointments two weeks before or after any filler appointment, as this increases the risk of infection.
Bruising is common with lip filler. The lips are very vascular and it's nearly impossible to avoid all vessels. Lipsticks are great for covering bruises in the first couple weeks, both nude lipstick for the area surrounding the lips, and regular lipstick for the pink body of the lips.
It's not a good idea to schedule lip filler within two weeks of any important events in your life. You'll need two weeks to allow for swelling and bruising to resolve, so you can be totally photo-ready!
Arnica (oral or topical) can be purchased from vitamin and supplement shops (or Mother's Market in OC) and helps inflammation and bruising resolve a little faster.
Goals and expectations: Prior to your lip filler appointment, think about what your lip goals are. Are there any asymmetries you're concerned with? Do you want your cupid's bow to be more defined, or not? What about the ratio of your top lip to bottom lip? Does your top lip disappear when you smile widely?
Keep in mind, your lips are your lips, and we can only work within the canvas you have. It's not realistic to expect a thin, M shaped lip to turn into Angelina Jolie in one session, or maybe ever. Your lips will remain your lips for the most part after lip filler, but a more hydrated-appearing and volumized version.
After your lip filler treatment (I'm going to repeat it!) lips love to swell for the first 24-48 hours. If you're just thinking about having lip filler, your lips may already be swelling. (haha). Be prepared with ibuprofen, pepcid, benadryl to treat histamine/inflammation, and you may ice the lips once the numbing is worn off: 20 mins on/20 mins off. Don't ice your lips before the numbing has completely worn off because its possible to cause a frostbite injury to the skin when you can't feel the ice.
Do you feel reassured? You should. We'll take very good care of you.
Sculptra! A collagen stimulator
We have just added a new product to our lineup: Sculptra Aesthetic! Whether you are one of the people who pushed us to add this product (thanks!) or you are wondering what Sculptra is, let us go into detail!
Sculptra has the ability to produce long lasting facial rejuvenation results that look incredibly natural. Results from Sculptra injections develop gradually over a few months, so this is a great product if you’re a natural honey who doesn’t want to look “done.” (P.S. that’s all of you!)
Sculptra Aesthetic or poly - L - lactic acid (PLLA) is an injectable biostimulant which stimulates collagen production. Although it achieves some similar goals to filler and is injected similarly to filler, this product is not the same as dermal filler (hyaluronic acid). Sculptra gets under the skin and tells your fibroblasts to make types 1 and 3 collagen. This has many benefits for a youthful appearance including volume restoration, glowing skin, increased skin firmness, improved skin quality and reduction of lines in the cheeks and lower face.
Many of you sit in the Skinbeam Throne and use your hands to pull your lower face back towards your ears when describing your main concerns. Sculptra, *although it is not as powerful as surgery*, can help you achieve some of those goals: smoothness and tightness in the lower face, and reduction of shadowing at the nasolabial fold and marionette line areas.
During a recent Sculptra training, an injector named Francine who is a Newport Beach expert injector and was giving the training said Sculptra is being young while filler is looking young. That’s what a good strong collagen builder can do.
This is not an instant gratification treatment. Early results from Sculptra injections are seen around 8-12 weeks. Since this product harnesses your body’s own collagen production infrastructure, the results take time, but also last a long time. Sculptra results last at least two years.
How many vials are needed depends primarily on your age, and what other treatments you’ve already had. A rule of thumb is one vial per decade over 20, so a 40 year old would get two vials. Several vials may be injected in one sitting, or may be injected one at a time every 6-8 weeks. It’s also fine to try one vial to see how you like it and go from there.
Although Sculptra isn’t new to the aesthetics market, it is new to Skinbeam, and we are so happy to have something in our lineup that firms and tightens skin. Joy!