C L E A R I N G U P COSMETIC CONFUSION

Article Provided by Dr. Mathison at Catalyst Medical Center & Clinical Spa and immune function. Eating a clean, lowglycemic diet decreases inflammation and helps skin maintain collagen and minimize breakouts. Check out supplements that enhance skin quality like omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid smoke and other environmental toxins. Create beautiful habits that lead to health and happiness.

We need to think about our total look, not just focus on an isolated fold or wrinkle.

Skin Care Basics

Start with skin care basics. Always start with a clean face. Ideally use a liquid cleanser, not bar soap which can be too drying. You can uplevel your cleansing regimen with one of my favorites, the Clarisonic

Cleansing brush

Next, you need to make product choices that work for your skin. GRASS is an easy way to remember. Each letter represents a product category. Combine products from these categories to create your personal regimen. It's that simple.

The "G" i n GRASS represents products with GROWTH FACTORS.

These are proteins that regulate cellular growth, proliferation and differentiation. They play an important part in maintaining healthy skin structure and function. The products contain naturally occurring GROWTH FACTORS like EGF as well as antioxidants, soluble collagen, cytokines and matrix proteins. They help minimize the appearance of wrinkles and help improve skin texture and tone.

The "R" i n GRASS represents products in the

RETINOLS c ategory. These are derivatives of vitamin A.

RETINOL a nd the more powerful prescription RETIN-A help enhance skin texture, and diminish the appearance of wrinkles and skin discolorations.

The "A" i n GRASS represents products with ANTIOXIDANT properties.

Our skin is exposed to damaging free radicals every day. Products with vitamin C, vitamin E and other ingredients like green tea extract ECGC help protect your skin.

The first "S" i n GRASS represents SPECIALTY PRODUCTS.

A number of products to address specific skin conditions or areas of concern. Maybe you need an eye cream or a neck smoother, or topical peptides which have wrinkle smoothing effects.

The last "S" i n GRASS represents SUN PROTECTION.

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends choosing an SPF with broad spectrum UVA/ UVB protection. Choose one that fits your needs best. I like physical sunblocks with Zinc and Titanium.

Professional Treatments

Next on the spectrum are professional treatments. While it’s still important to maintain home practices for maintenance, there’s nothing like having someone take care of you!

Facials are great for cleansing and relaxation, but for more dramatic results consider a microdermabrasion, chemical peel or microneedling like the Skin Pen.

Laser and light-based treatments are used for a variety of reasons, like hair removal, pore reduction, skin smoothing, wrinkle reduction, decreasing brown pigment and sun spots, clearing redness and rosacea, tightening and contouring. Next, you might be interested in injectables like fillers and Botox. As cosmetic procedures have evolved, we now look at the face in three dimensions, which is something that you can never actually do for yourself. The injectables can help sculpt and refine our looks in a 3D way. Botox and similar products such as Xeomin and Dysport help to relax dynamic lines, like the 11s that form between your brows when you concentrate, and may make you look crabby.

Filler can be used to soften creases and fill valleys like the folds that create parentheses on either side of your face from your nose to the corner of your mouth. These are called dermal fillers and include Juvederm and Restylane. Even more importantly, volumizing fillers like Voluma and Radiesse can be used to restore structure, volume and suspension to the face by injecting in deeper layers, thus using it to support the cheekbones. Adding back what we lose restores our natural good looks and can turn the hands of the clock back in a minimally invasive way. We can even use fillers to keep your earrings in if your earlobes have gotten floppy and thin! I also can harvest and use your own fat can as a filler in some situations.

Surgical intervention is a reasonable option for some. Brow lifts, eye lifts, nasal surgery and facelifts can help to take away extra skin and sagginess and make a dramatic impact on you. But it’s nice to have more options before we get to the scalpel to look our own personal best.

And never forget that your mindset is the most important tool in your beauty box! You shine!

MATHISON MD, IS THE OWNER AND PRESIDENT OF CATALYST MEDICAL CENTER