With all of the ways we have achieved instant gratification in recent history, it is not surprising that we like the idea of one-and-done beauty. We can pick up our phone and have that new book from Amazon within a day or two, or have a movie available right at our fingertips; why wouldn’t we expect to see a difference in our appearance right away after investing in professional care?
When patients visit our Chicago medspa, they often want to know what their selected treatment will achieve. In that, what we sense is something more like “what can I expect from this single appointment?” Many people express a bit of disappointment when a skincare specialist, nurse, or physician informs them that they need a series of 2 or more treatments to begin seeing the results they want. We wouldn’t expect the same if we were to approach weight loss using traditional diet and exercise. Likewise, we cannot think that beauty will come the way we’d most like it to. Here, we discuss why that is.
Our skin doesn’t change for all of our childhood. It barely changes during our early adult years. With the exception of a rogue breakout here and there, we see smooth, firm skin when we look in the mirror. Things don’t begin to change until about age 30, when the cells that keep our skin looking smooth and firm go to sleep. This is a change we don’t see. And if we don’t know about it, we do nothing to stop it. After fibroblast cells go to sleep, the skin no longer gets the consistent infusions of collagen and elastin it has throughout life. Without collagen and elastin, as you know, the skin eventually starts to loosen and sag.
Waking Up Sleeping Fibroblasts
If you’re over the age of 30, chances are your fibroblasts are well into a good nap. To manage the signs of aging, they must be woken up and stimulated to keep producing collagen and elastin. Fortunately, there are several ways to achieve this goal. Microneedling, with or without Platelet Rich Growth Factor (PRGF), is one way. Laser treatments can also help. The intent is not to find the “perfect” treatment but to find the ideal timing. When fibroblasts are stimulated by professional techniques, they remain active for up to four to six months. However, some people do need a series of initial treatments performed more frequently to achieve the adequate “reset” that the skin needs.
Explore the treatment options that can reset your skin and set you on a new path of beauty maintenance. Call (312) 266- 6240 to schedule a visit to Northwestern Med Spa.