When I was in kindergarten, I distinctly remember my first school assembly. When the 8th graders walked in. I was star struck. To me, they were as big and as OLD as any grown up I knew. People in their 40s and older, well I wouldn’t have been surprised to see them as guest stars on “The Golden Girls”
Fast forward a “few” (ahem) years to today. I most certainly do NOT feel or look ready to star in any reboot of “The Golden Girls”. Generations of the past seemed to embrace “seniority” far sooner than we do today. Predictably, more and more people are turning to help in effort to accomplish this. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, this is “MY LANE”. I am here to tell you, THERE. IS. HELP.
If you do nothing else for yourself, invest in your skin. In Florida you are constantly being exposed to the sun. NOTHING ages your skin more than the effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The majority of damage was done years ago, back when you thought you were invincible, and also did all that other stuff that we don’t need to discuss...
Apply SUNSCREEN every morning. EVERY morning. Many makeups now have UV protection in them. SPF 15 at least, more if you plan on being outside for any extended period.
For damage already done, Physician grade skin care is a must. The effects of sun damage, smoking, dehydration, soap, etc., can make your facial skin appear older than it actually is. Outrageous! The skin care treatments you can buy online or over the counter may have worked in the past but are no longer doing what they once did. Prescription strength (that you can only purchase at a physician’s office, or medical spa with a physician as a medical director) skin care products will actually restore your skin, on a cellular level, back to that of a more youthful state. Your skin doesn’t just look healthier, it IS healthier! Granted, these changes don’t happen overnight. A good skincare will take at least 8 weeks (realistically 12-16 weeks) to see actual changes. This is because it’s only affecting the newly growing cells. Coincidentally, it takes approximately 8-12 weeks for the skin cells you have to be completely replaced by new cells.
If you don’t have 8-12 weeks to spare, consider a jump start with a resurfacing procedure. The most common ones are either a chemical peel (glycolic, salicylic, or TCA), or laser resurfacing. Many of these can be performed in an office with minimal (0-2 days) downtime. There are more aggressive peels/lasers/plasma resurfacing procedures, which can show results in just one procedure, but you will have to plan for more downtime from work/exercise/sports. Keep in mind, the quicker the downtime, the less aggressive the procedure will be and the less dramatic the results. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just be prepared to have more than one.
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