If you are interested in getting some “work” done to improve your skin or get a little glow for the holidays and beyond, but just cannot find the time, you are not alone. We all live busy lives. From work to kids' activities to caring for our loved ones, there never seems to be a suitable time to make ourselves a priority. As nurturers, mothers and wives, women are especially prone to postponing their selfcare while constantly prioritizing their family and friends.
Around holidays and big events such as weddings, birthdays, and bar mitzvahs, or even get togethers when you need to look your best, things are busier than ever! Then there is golf, tennis, horseback riding, boating and all the other outdoor activities that most of our patients enjoy on a regular basis, making them very hesitant to take part in procedures that would require any time away from the outdoors and associated sun exposure.
Alas, over the years, I have learned that everyone wants beautiful skin, but very few are willing to put in much social downtime or even office visit time to achieve their desired look. While quick procedures with minimal down time may not be the answer to all your skin and aging concerns, there are many that can bridge the gap between a major procedure with days to weeks of down time and some that I simply call “fluff” work!
Here is a guide to the most sought-after and effective aesthetic treatments for the holidays and beyond, to look your best with the least time commitment.
1. Botox or Dysport
Neuromodulators such as Botox and Dysport have been used in the beauty industry for more than 2 decades. These popular injections have become a staple of the ani-aging industry due to their extremely high rate of positive results while remaining a minimally invasive procedure. When injected by a professional in a proper setting, Botox and Dysport are safe and effective, while requiring zero down time. They treat existing wrinkles and prevent new lines from forming. However, in expert hands, they can do much more! With proper evaluation and advanced techniques, we can now use neuromodulators to create a brow lift or a lip flip, treat gummy smile, improve skin texture, treat neck bands, and necklace lines, tighten the jaw line, decrease pore size, heal rosacea, improve acne, eliminate grinding teeth, decrease sweating and much more.
We used to think that the only action of Botox and Dysport is to block signals between nerves and muscles to prevent muscle contractions for three or four months. While this is the main mechanism of action responsible for treating lines and wrinkles and redirecting energy in facial muscle groups that can be very “lifting,” we now know that these injectables can have a lot of additional benefits. There are anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and mood boosting changes to name a few. Injections can range from a few hundred to a thousand or more depending on the brand, the amount needed, the number of areas treated, and the geographic location(s) of your provider.
One of my favorite side-effects of Botox, is that not only does it have an immediate impact on your looks but with consistency you can really stop the clock on wrinkles! This one of the secrets why many celebrities still look in their 30s while well into their 50s. Whether for prevention or correction, Botox and Dysport injections are an amazing treatment suited for even the busiest amongst us. The office appointment takes no more than 30 minutes, and there is zero down time. You can do this easily on a lunch break, and minus a small chance of a bruise, no one can tell you had anything done! The results tend to slowly kick in over the next few days with the full effect noticeable in 10-14 days (about 2 weeks).
2. Lip Filler
Lip fillers, or dermal fillers, are one of the most practiced beauty treatments in the United States. In 2017, nearly three million injections were performed to enhance the lips. Dermal fillers used in lip injections are made from hyaluronic acid, a sugar derivative that naturally exists in the skin. Fillers act as a cushion beneath the lips, creating a better shape and enhancing lip size, shape, and definition. The procedure is minimally invasive, and yields results immediately. A little less than a quarter of the immediate reaction is mild swelling that will go down in a day or two, leaving you with plump lips for up to a year or more.
The entire procedure between numbing time to injection and post care takes no more than an hour. In addition, the good news is, the newest generation of lip fillers such as Restylane Kysse or Versa cause much less swelling after injection, and as such have a lot less down time. At the most you can expect mild swelling for a day or two, although there is some individual variability. Dermal fillers can also be used to fix sagging cheeks, folds from the nose to the mouth, and under-eye hollows. Injections cost between 600 to $1000, also based on product choice, location, and your injector’s experience and expertise.
There has been a big boom with lip enhancement requests in the last 5 years, most of which can be attributed to social media. While many images on social media are exaggerated, and often filters are used to publicize the results, in reality with proper technique we can expect natural and beautiful lip augmentation with just one syringe of filler. This avoids excessive swelling and allows the lips to adapt and assimilate the product. The ExpressHan technology in the new Restylane Kysse utilizes a more flexible gel with particles that gently integrate into the lips and surrounding issue, resulting in a natural, softer look and expression. This filler is also less hydrophilic, meaning it absorbs less water, thus causing much less delayed swelling. If bruising is a major concern, we can inject using a blunt tip cannula instead of a needle, which almost eliminates the possibility of a bruise.
Overall, lip fillers and injection techniques have come a long way, and we can now give you the most natural feeling and looking lips ever, with almost no down time. I always pride myself on natural looking lips that should be proportional to a person’s features. Patients tend to love this treatment and always come back for more. My only complaint after lip filler usually is: “why didn’t I do it sooner?!” 3. HydraFacial
HydraFacials are quickly becoming one of the most popular treatments for a myriad of skin problems. What sets Hydrafacials apart is its patented Vortex-fusion delivery system to exfoliate, extract, and hydrate the skin in 3 simple steps. The spiral design delivers painless extractions, cleaning even the largest, most clogged pores, while exfoliating and removing impurities and environmental pollutants.
HydraFacials are completely customizable to individual skin care needs and can therefore treat both oily and dry skin, acne-prone skin, or even the most sensitive skin types. They are effective in plumping file lines and wrinkles, improving discoloration, age and sunspots, and distended pores. This all-healing facial offers an incredible blend of hydration, exfoliation, and cleansing while removing dead skin cells that can make the skin look dull and lifeless. Your aesthetician will use a specialized HydraFacial wand to vacuum out pores, while simultaneously infusing a customized cocktail of hydrating, exfoliating and antiaging serums that can contain peptides, growth factors, various vitamins, nutrients, and serums deep into the skin. This thirty-to-forty-minute procedure will leave your skin refreshed, glowing, smooth and healthy, with absolutely no down time. What is more, it is a relatively inexpensive treatment, costing between $150 to $300, making it a great monthly maintenance procedure that will make sure your face glows with or without make up! 4. Lifting PDO Threads for The Jawline
Want to avoid going under the knife for a facelift? Try out PDO threads for a sculpted jawline without anesthesia. Synthetic threads are implanted into sagging or bumpy skin to smooth out the surface and tighten the area by stimulating the body's natural collagen and elastin production. PDO threads are made from an absorbable polymer called polydioxanone that is completely safe to use on the human body. In fact, PDO threads are often used in cardiovascular surgery performed on children and adults alike. The body fully absorbs the threads in four to six months, laying collagen and elastin down around them during this time that will maintain results up to a year.
These non-surgical facelifts can vary widely in price based on location, areas treated, and number of threads used, but typically start around $800. PDO threads can be used to correct sagging jowls, lift the cheeks, and improve loose skin in the neck. While a full PDO face and neck lifting procedure can be more time consuming and create swelling and potential bruising, I often add a few lifting threads during existing Botox or filler appointments to give a little “oomph” to the skin, lift jowls and define the jawline quickly without much downtime.
Given the fewer number of threads used and less manipulation of the skin for these quick “mini” thread lifts, there is also less swelling post procedure, which typically resolves in a few days. In addition, there is less chance of bruising because the threads are inserted via blunt tip cannulas and as such are unlikely to rupture blood vessels and cause hemorrhage. An added benefit is on-going collagenesis induced by the threads which will surely improve skin quality over time. I have seen impressive results with PDO threads a few months down the road with improvement of crepey skin and even acne scarring.
PDO threads are a wonderful complement to fillers and neuromodulators like Botox or Dysport. By combining these procedures during the same treatment, you can wonderfully augment your results in the most natural way without adding much down time or need for repeat appointments! 5. Clear and Brilliant Laser
Our skin can show signs of aging prematurely despite skincare routines. This is more common in sunny and warm environments such as Florida where people spend a lot of time outdoors year-round, being exposed to Sun’s harmful and aging UV rays. If you are looking to rejuvenate your skin, sand get a beautiful glow, the Clear and Brilliant laser skin resurfacing treatment may be the ideal procedure you have been looking for.
The procedure works by creating micro-thermal injuries to the skin's top layer to induce the skin's natural healing process. At VBoutique we use the latest iteration of this cult-favorite device, called the Clear + Brilliant Touch, released in 2021. This device provides a more versatile and efficient treatment for preventing and treating the signs of aging, by delivering a customized and more comprehensive treatment protocol. The thousands of microscopic channels in the skin created by the device, allows penetration of your skin with personalized topical skin care ingredients designed for your individual skin needs during the treatment, such as vitamin C, peptides, growth factors, and Regenerative Medicine ingredients such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Exosomes. The later has been an absolute game changer in not only seriously boosting the results, but also further decreasing the down time of Clear and Brilliant Touch! When the skin heals, collagen and elastin production is enhanced. The upper layer is smoother and tighter with less-visible discoloration, fewer wrinkles, fine lines, and pores. When used properly it is a safe and quite effective treatment for stubborn discoloration such as melasma.
Although this is a very tolerable treatment, the application of topical numbing cream to treated areas prior to treatment is helpful to provide additional comfort. The complete treatment requires about an hour for a session, including time for preparation with numbing. The super busy are given numbing cream to apply ahead of time at home to decrease in office time. There’s minimal downtime after your treatment. You can get back to your routine the same day. Your skin will feel a bit rougher for a few days as the old and weathered skin gently sloughs off to reveal the new and more youthful and radiant skin below, which ends up being very, very smooth. You might also experience a bit of pinkness or redness, for a day or two. To avoid hyperpigmentation, you must stay out of direct sun a few days and be diligent about sunscreen use. Treatments start from $500-$700 but can vary depending on the areas you choose to treat and the add-ons you decided on.
6. AquaGold Microneedling
This is one of my all-time favorite quick and easy, no down time, major glow inducing treatments that Is perfect around any special event or the holidays!
AquaGold is a 24ct gold-plated micro-injection system that painlessly delivers custom solutions into the skin. The reservoir can be filled with ingredients tailored to your specific skin needs – such as vitamins, fillers, PRP, Exosomes, peptides, and Botox. Using a stamping motion, the ingredients are gently injected beneath the skin's surface, effectively delivering all the ingredients into the skin. The gold-plated needles are finer than a human hair, making the procedure quick and painless, while allowing for it to achieve whole-face rejuvenation. “Microtox” or “Mesotox” is a term used for the application of botulinum toxin injection into the dermis of the entire face rather than individual muscles, decreasing oil production, improving acne, enlarged pores, fine lines and wrinkles, and creating a celebrity coveted "red carpet glow". Each patient receives their individual cocktail selected based on their age skin care needs. Ingredients typically include but are not limited to Botox/Xeomin/Dysport, Restylane or other hyaluronic acid fillers, pep factor (a medical grade injectable containing growth factors), Peptides, Vitamins, PRP and Exosomes. A tiny bit of lidocaine is added for added comfort. There is no downtime, and in fact, this is a perfect pre-event treatment due to it Glow inducing and pore shrinking action! The treatment results last 3-4 months, and include: Pore reduction, overall glow and brightness, softening of fine lines, collagen stimulation, improving acne, decreased redness including rosacea, and decreased oil and sweat production.
The holidays can be stressful. Why not treat yourself to a refreshing facial or add some volume to your lips? We all want to look and feel our best, especially during social events. Take some time for yourself and try out these highly popular beauty treatments before the holidays become your top priority.
Learn More at Your Complimentary Consultation
If you've noticed any of the signs and are interested in learning more or would like to discuss treatment or budget, contact us today by calling (561)357-2020 at VBoutique Aesthetics & Wellness in Lake Worth, FL to schedule your initial complimentary anti-aging consultation with Dr. V. At this consultation we typically will go over your priorities, what solutions will give you the best return on your investment and come up with an individualized treatment plan and skincare routine. We look forward to seeing you!
Meet Dr. Vanden Bosch!
Dr. V - Neda Vanden Bosch is the primary cosmetic physician at VBoutique. She is an accomplished physician with extensive training and experience with dermal fillers, collagen stimulators, laser and radiofrequency treatment, as well as skin care. Dr. V is licensed in 10 states. She is board certified by the American Board of Radiology and American Board of Antiaging and Regenerative Medicine.
Dr. V combines her artistry and deep understanding of facial aging with expert technique, and a variety of cutting edge laser devices to craft individual treatment plans for facial rejuvenation and body contouring. She also has exclusive access to the latest and most innovative aesthetic treatments available in the United States.
She is a highly-trained physician and sought after injector of dermal fillers and neurotoxins. With 15 years of experience in aesthetic medicine, she is a faculty member of the prestigious Galderma Injection Training Network (GAIN) and trains physicians how to perform cosmetic procedures. Dr. V was recently named to Galderma's Top 100 Injectors.
Dr. V has treated thousands of patients with injectables and has numerous of hours of experience perfecting specialized injection placement to correct facial volume loss and facial asymmetries. Preciseness with a woman's deft touch means the best and longest lasting results from volume replacement treatments.
Merz Aesthetics recognizes her as a highly regarded "Elite Provider" of Radiesse and Belotero dermal fillers, as well as neuromodulators. Dr. V is a participating physician in Allergan's Brilliant Distinctions Program for its Botox, Juvederm and Latisse products, and Galderma’s “Aspire Rewards” Program.
Most recently, Dr. V was named a "Top Doctor" by online, aesthetic and cosmetic treatment community Realself.com. This recognition is awarded to less than 10% of doctors on the website.