Preparing for spring and summer months means anticipating brighter complexions, healthier glows, and plump and contoured faces. Many treatments including, Botox, fillers, and micro needling can all contribute to an overall youthful look during these sun-filled months. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Earl Stephenson sat down with Haute Beauty to discuss the hottest procedures for patients this season and how soon they can see results.

Which procedures/treatments are most common during this season?

Spring time represents rejuvenation. There are two common rejuvenating treatments that are perfect to for vibrant skin and elegant facial contours. Dermal fillers such as Juvéderm, Restylane and Radiésse are excellent non-surgical treatments to improve facial contour. Specifically, dermal fillers are used to improve the contour or plump up standing non-active lines(wrinkles) and/or contours. Common locations for their use include lines that are around the mouth and nose are known as parentheses lines or lines that extend from the corner of the mouth down to the jaw line which also known as marionette lines.  Additional areas of treatment include the cheek, the lower eyelid/cheek junction and the lips.

The second treatment, Microneedling with platelet rich plasma (PRP), is an excellent way to improve texture and visual appeal of the skin.   Mistreatment stimulates collagen to repair it self to boot to smoother skin. The PRP has a growth factors that help rejuvenate by further enhancing collagen production. This is total treatment of the face, but it can be used for specific issues like acne scarring, large pores, reducing pigmentation and poor skin tone.

How soon can patients see results with the above treatments?

Results for dermal fillers are immediate, which is fantastic! There is little to no downtime for these types of procedures. If downtime does occur, it may be due to some minor swelling. The swelling usually resolves within 48 to 72 hours. The results may remain consistent anywhere from six months to up to a year and a half depending on which type of filler is used.

Microneedling and PRP the results start to appear after two days thus downtime is about 48 hours.  This is a very small tradeoff for the powerful results from a series of Microneedling and PRP treatments.  The longevity of the results doesn’t occur by the use of Microneedling alone. A strong regimen of skin care including sunscreen and scheduled facial treatments aid in the longevity of Microneedling and PRP results.

Which procedures/treatments should patients consider to achieve a youthful look in time for summer?

Timing is everything. In our busy lives we continue to squeeze/compressed time.  To meet the needs of our clients we’ve come up with treatments and sequences that can fit various lifestyle time constraints.

Categorizing treatments into non-surgical and surgical treatments to helps our clients decide if a specific treatment fits in with demands on their time. Non-surgical treatments I have minimal downtime. Surgical treatments on the other hand required downtime for recovery for optimal results.  The length of recovery time varies with the nature of the procedure.

Nonsurgical treatments:

1. Active Wrinkle Reducers- BOTOX, Xeomin or Dysport
2. Dermal fillers- Juvéderm, Radièsse and Restylane
3. Superficial (exfoliative) peels- Retin-A/Jessners
4. Microneedling/PRP

Surgical treatments:

1. Neck liposuction
2. Lower/upper eyelid surgery

Which preventive treatments should patients opt for during the spring to prepare for the coming seasons?

Preparation is key for anything that will be successful. Skin care and facial aesthetic surgery is no different. To build a good foundation for any subsequent treatments/procedures the skin must be adequately prepared and maintained.

Key preparatory elements include:

Sunscreen:  protects skin from damaging sun rays that can lead to a weathered/aged appearance. Most importantly it reduces the risk of developing skin cancers. Recommend at a SPF of 30 or higher.

Moisturizers:  help lock in moisture to aid in hydrating the skin. Lighter weight moisturizers are ideal for the Spring/Summer months.

Topical Retin-A: stimulates collagen and speeds up exfoliation of old skin cells for smoother and more vibrant skin.

Which treatments are most common amongst men during these months?

The nature of our male client is slightly different in the aesthetic arena. Today’s man wants to be well groomed but masculine. To that end, one of the more common facial treatments for men involves wrinkle reducers. The commonly know as wrinkle reducers such as Botox as previously discussed but the degree of wrinkle reduction is slightly less as to not to produce a smooth feminine look. Secondly, well groomed hair and beard equates to masculinity and youth. Laser Hair Reduction for unwanted hair is a very popular procedure. Another compellingly use of PRP for the stimulation of hair growth in areas that that hair is thinning.