cultivate
Radiance YOUR INNER AND OUTER
By Dr. Christina Plaskos
My patients often come to me with a specific issue in mind they want to correct. They may start the conversation about a line or wrinkle on their face, or increased redness due to acne and rosacea. However, when we sit down to fully understand what they’re looking for and create a treatment plan, what I find is that it’s not about the line or wrinkle, it’s about looking and feeling more youthful, less tired, and ultimately gaining a greater sense of self-confidence so they can feel better in relationships, work, or family life. As a physician of 29 years specializing in helping people look and feel their better, I have adopted a multi-layered approach that I refer to as ‘the seen (tangible) and the unseen (intangible) elements’. The seen are the services and at home skin care products we provide to enhance skin health and luminosity. However, in order to receive the full benefit of the services and products, we must also embrace the unseen, which is the internal work we do on our mindset to be more positive, energetic, and loving of who we are. This approach is used for all ages - whether the goal is beautification or rejuvenation. Botox and Filler are excellent treatments to enhance our overall appearance, however the treatments I am discussing here are about enhancing skin to look its best at a foundational level, meaning that it is clear, smooth, tight and luminous. These treatments are also noninvasive, can be done in the office and require minimal to no downtime. Radiofrequencing microneedling known as Fractora is an excellent multitasking option for a non-invasive approach to resurfacing the skin, resulting in significant skin tightening, improved complexion, and a reduction in acne and acne scarring. This treatment causes our body to manufacture its own collagen to create a more youthful appearance. Intense Pulse Light (IPL) is a laser treatment that also has multiple benefits such as improving the colour, texture, and tone of the skin by fading brown spots, reducing redness and blood vessels, and tightening the skin and reducing pore size. Dermalinfusion facials exfoliate old skin cells while simultaneously infusing an antioxidant serum to feed the skin vital nutrients and restore hydration. Repeated dermalinfusion facials produce excellent results in
people with acne, acne scarring, skin discolouration, and fine lines and wrinkles. Finally, a new class in skin rejuvenation is referred to as Skin Boosters which are intra-dermal injections of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and hyaluronic acid that refresh and illuminate the skin for 6 to 9 months. In addition to these treatments, changing our attitude, thoughts, and beliefs has a significant impact on skin health. Through my experience over the last 29 years, I have seen a clear association between having a positive attitude and looking more youthful. Why would this be? Maintaining a positive attitude is associated with reduced levels of cortisol (stress). Cortisol has been shown to damage collagen and elastin resulting in fine lines and wrinkles. In addition, cortisol can weaken our protective skin barrier resulting in eczema, acne, and rosacea. Ultimately, our thoughts have the power to alter the chemistry within our body to shift genetic expression to either an aged or youthful state which is reflected in how we look and feel.
AEGIS Pro-Aging: A simple shift in mindset which focuses on improving oneself each day. By moving from ‘Anti-Aging’ to ‘Pro-Aging’ we actively welcome each day with positivity rather than from fear and resistance. When taking our skin’s health and appearance from good to great we must embrace the power that science has provided in the latest treatments available, but we must also embrace the power that lies within each of us in choosing our mindset to create the absolute best version of ourselves… and why would we settle for anything less? TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 73
