Beauty Fad: Bust or Benefit?

 


Beauty fads come and go. When I was in NP school I had to take an entire course called Evidence Based Research. A class that taught us how to tell great research from not so scientific research and how to apply it to our practice. At the time it annoyed me but now I appreciate having that knowledge. With all the fads people ask me about I am forced to do a lot of checking into things I’ve never heard of before. I’ve had to research topics like using urine to treat acne, red light tanning beds, blue light devices, home lasers and all kinds of things patients have previously asked me about. I wanted to do a little post about beauty fads, whether or not I like them and what I recommend to get results.

  1. The vampire facelift. This is a procedure where they draw your blood and separate the plasma to be injected back into your face. Although some people may have results with this the science isn’t quite behind it yet. I would recommend filler which we know works immediately and does have science to back it up.
  2. Microneedling. This isn’t new but for some reason over the past year, it has become popular again in the skin world. This is a procedure where needles penetrate the skin to stimulate collagen. This  results in tighter and smoother skin. Microneedling is not recommended for persons who have a history of keloid, but this procedure could benefit you. The level of pain and healing time depends on the type and depth of the needles. There is risk for infection deeper in the skin which makes me a little nervous. If you want even texture and less fine lines I like laser resurfacing or sublative which is radio frequency over microneedling.
  3. Painful peel off masks. One video in particular has gone viral recently of a young girl painfully peeling off a mask. If it hurts that bad to peel it off and you’re bright red afterwards it’s probably not a good idea. That inflammation and irritation can cause redness, acne flare and rashes. If you want smooth and radiant skin I recommend SkinMedica retinol. Retinol is the most researched, tried and true antianging product. Use for at least two months before deciding if you like it and add HA5 if you are impatient or have sensitive skin.
  4. 24k gold. I’m not going to lie, I laughed the first time I heard about these gold mask and real gold products. I was thinking “If I’m buying gold it better be timeless!” As in better not wash down the drain! In my opinion, the gold in primers and masks will cause a temporary shimmer on the skin but I doubt you sweat gold glitter after you use it. I think of the gold skincare products more like make-up, a temporary way to make your skin look good. Different metals have been researched quite a bit on the skin. Some of you may have even used a cream often prescribed for wounds and burns called Silvadene. As far as anti aging and lasting results go,  gold as a permanent skin glow doesn’t have the research to back it quite yet. If you are looking for an illuminating cream or you want a natural glow, then I recommend SkinMedica HA5 with TNS essential serum.
  5. The Kylie Jenner lip challenge. Honestly, I thought we left this in 2016 but I saw a beauty blog last week in which a girl picked up a shot glass, inserted her lips and sucked as hard as she could then applied her lipstick. To plump that pout? Really? Not only could this cause temporary pain, swelling and bruising but repeated attempts could cause discoloration and scarring. Just no. Try our TNS lip plump system for a topical (which gets you $100 off any syringe of filler the month of February) or my favorite lip fillers Juvederm Ultra Plus or Volbella and make that plump pout semipermanent!

Overall trends will come and go. Some that prove results will even stay. Before you jump on the bandwagon consult your dermatologist. I try to remind people that you probably have hundreds of dollars sitting in your bathroom drawer when you add up all the stuff you’ve bought over the years that didn’t work. See a derm and invest in good skincare and you will more likely save money in the long run and have visible results.

The month of February we are lightening up and puckering up at Johnson Dermatology. If you buy a Lytera system you will get a free chemical peel valued at $300(February only)! Plus the lip plumping special mentioned above so you better hurry in!

Keep your food, skin, and thoughts clean,

xoxo, Nina

FacebookTwitterGoogle+PinterestTumblrShare

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *