Ready for a Spring Refresh?

BY KAREN M. HORTON, MD, FACS

AFTER A WINTER OF INDOOR RELAXATION, WARMER SPRING weather and sunshine motivate us to reemerge from our cocoons, making spring a perfect time for personal evaluations.

Let’s start with health: it’s no secret that physical well-being is paramount. So, spring is the ideal season to review nutrition and exercise habits. Are you drinking enough water? Are you consuming the recommended daily serving of green vegetables? Are you moving your body, either through gentle walks through hiking trails or via a more intense training program suited to your abilities?

Once you establish a basic physical health routine, perhaps it’s time to consider some aesthetic treatments.

I spoke with our asesthetic nurse practitioner, Emily Sespaniak, about some of the latest techniques that give our patients a naturallooking spring “beauty refresh.” Emily has been treating me personally as a patient for eight years now, including quarterly neuromodulators such as Botox® and Dysport® and annual fillers like Voluma® and Restylane® . Emily truly is an expert at evaluating patients’ personal skin conditions and developing personalized treatment plans to help them achieve their aesthetic goals. She also specializes in complex applications of Botox treatments for medical conditions such as migraines, excessive sweating, and teeth grinding and clenching, which involves a different skill set than just softening forehead lines. Through her aesthetic eye, knowledge of anatomy, and decades of experience, Emily has gained the trust of women and men in the Bay Area to deliver consistent, reliable, and beautiful results.

HL: What are the latest trends in aesthetics?

ES: Plastic surgery is no longer taboo, whether it be minor or more extensive aesthetic procedures. These days, procedures are as customary as applying makeup or getting your hair done. The trend is more about upkeep and prevention than waiting to have extensive work done all at once.

HL: What if a patient isn’t ready for major plastic surgery?

ES: While Dr. Horton is an expert at more extensive procedures, for those who are not quite ready for surgery, I first like to advise patients on our less invasive yet highly effective, non-surgical aesthetic treatments. Options include laser skin rejuvenation, dermal fillers, injectable wrinkle reducers, and medical grade skin care products that provide great results without the downtime.

HL: What areas of the face should be considered for a bit of a spring recharge?

ES: The aim of any non-surgical rejuvenation procedure is to treat the noticeable features of aging to produce a brighter and refreshed look to the eyes, face, brow area, neck, chest, and skin. However, no treatment should ever change your appearance or make you look unusual or unlike yourself! The best minimally invasive rejuvenating procedures create beautiful, subtle, and natural results without looking surprised, frozen, or unable to move your face.

HL: Do over-the-counter products help stop aging?

ES: While some over-the-counter drugstore products can be a staple in a well-rounded skincare lineup, I recommend that patients start with a regimen of medical-grade skincare products once they begin to notice the visible signs of aging (like fine lines and hyperpigmentation). As devoted medical-grade skincare users, Dr. Horton and I can vouch for the efficacy of these products. While nothing from a bottle will turn back the hands of time, there are prescription and medical-grade products that can stimulate collagen and remove the visible signs of sun damage to create a smoother and more even skin tone.

HL: Can you tell us about dermal fillers?

ES: The goal of fillers is to restore some of the volume lost through the aging process to restore contour, minimize hollows, and smooth lines we cannot address with Botox or Dysport. The result is a softer, less harsh, and refreshed appearance. Depending on the type of product used and area of the face treated, fillers last about a year, so the maintenance is relatively minimal.

HL: Is Botox out?

ES: Injectable wrinkle reducers like Botox and Dysport aren’t going anywhere in 2023. In fact, the demand for these treatments is growing! A new FDA-approved injectable wrinkle reducer is hitting the market in late spring/early summer 2023, and it is expected to last longer than any of the injectable wrinkle reducers currently on the market. We are excited to be among the first to get our hands on it!

HL: What would you recommend for dull skin?

ES: Spring is an opportune time to start a Clear + Brilliant® laser treatment series. This treatment stimulates collagen to restore life to dry winter skin. Each session lasts about 30 minutes and involves targeted technology that produces a radiant glow. Another favorite skin rejuvenation treatments, called IPL, can address sunspots, age spots, hyperpigmentation, redness from rosacea, and broken capillaries. The most popular areas to treat are the face, neck, chest, and hands.

Rooted in California and having earned her degree in UCSB, Claudia Ross is living her best life in Knights Valley after leaving behind a career in public relations as the founder of Cross Marketing and former director of Harper’s BAZAAR and Marie Claire. She has worked with the world’s most iconic luxury brands. The owner and vintner of Ross Ranch, a working farm and vineyard producing a farm-totable experience, Ross now enjoys sharing thoughtful insights into the world of wine country life, both socially and agriculturally.