Like the old adage about death and taxes, aging is inevitable.  But women are starting to think about the care of their skin at a younger age.  Dr. Roxanne Guy agrees that while you can’t stop the aging process completely, you can slow the process down, especially if you start young.  Dr. Guy and her staff work with patients through all their life ages and stages to ensure the best results for each individual.  But it’s never too late to improve!  There are many offerings to rejuvenate the face….at any age.

Surgery: One Size Does Not Fit All

Facelifts are performed to tighten sagging facial skin of the cheeks, jowls and neck.  A full facelift involves not only tightening, but recontouring of fat and repositioning of muscles and soft tissue, to build a true scaffold for redraping and removing the loose skin and to ensure a natural, non-operated look.  “A full facelift can turn the clock back 10 years or more,” says Dr. Guy, and can be performed in conjunction with a forehead lift or eyelid surgery (to tighten eyelids and remove bulging fat bags) and even with laser resurfacing to smooth skin surfaces.  Dr. Guy cautions both women and men who believe that a “mini” facelift may work in all circumstances.  “Mini” procedures can result in “mini” improvements.  Each patient should see more than one surgeon before making a decision on something as important as their face.   “It’s not like going out and buying a pair of shoes,” says Dr. Guy.  And don’t fall for the “drive-through” facelift approach.

Non-Surgical Options

Dr. Guy believes most patients can begin with a good skin care regimen, using medical grade skin products that have sound, scientific evidence for their effectiveness.  For example, “virtually everyone should be on Retin-A” she says.  “We have solid science behind that product as a collagen builder and skin rejuvenator; it’s just that some patients need help in how to use it, so that they don’t experience unnecessary redness and flakiness.  That’s where our aesthetician skin-care specialists come in; to help supervise the use of the different products and tailor the treatment to the individual.”

Next in line, come the injectables.  The toxins, like Botox or Dysport, relax the muscles, so the wrinkle lines relax.  The fillers, like Resylane or Juvederm or others, fill in lines that have deepened over time.  Sculptra, one of the newer products, actually helps build collagen and volumize the face, making it younger, fuller and plumper.  Although the injections usually require upkeep about twice a year, the results can be astonishing for just a simple office procedure with little to no downtime.

You’ve heard it before but it’s worth repeating!  These are ALL about damage to skin:

Don’t smoke

Protect with sunscreen everyday

Exercise regularly (what a great way to bring fresh blood to the surface of the skin and carry away impurities)

Eat a healthy diet – fresh foods, “good” fats (like olive oil and omega fatty acids) and lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains

Drink alcohol moderately

Before deciding on any procedure, surgical or not, do your homework

Make sure your surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  If they are a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, board certification is required for membership.  They also require continuing medical education and maintenance of board certification, as well as operating only in approved facilities, adherence to a strict code of ethics and patient safely requirement study.