9 Skincare Tips for Every Decade of Life

November 7th, 2011

It’s no secret that our skin changes as we move through the early stages of life, from childhood to our teen years, and then into young adulthood. It is less commonly known that even healthy skin continues to change as we move beyond young adulthood into the prime of life and that our skincare needs change along with our skin. That said, there are some skincare tips that are as important when you’re 55 as they were when you were 25. Would you be surprised to read that youthful, beautiful skin in every decade of life starts with good old fashioned healthy habits? It turns out that the basics of beautiful skin are the same at every age. Here are our favorite skincare tips for women and men from ages five to ninety-five:

1. In 2011, we shouldn’t have to say it, but if you smoke, quit. And if you spend a lot of time around secondhand smoke, stave off some of the damage with products containing antioxidants. These will neutralize the free-radicals that prematurely break down the skin’s collagen and impede its ability to heal.

2. Take a cue from the stars and wear big sunglasses with UV protection. Besides keeping irreversible sun damage at bay, sunglasses stop you from squinting – which can deepen wrinkles – and may even prevent cataracts.

3. Never, ever pick. As tempting as it can be to perform a little at-home surgery on that irritating blemish, keep your fingers away from your face. Popping a pimple can leave a scar that looks a lot like a wrinkle and may even result in an infection that does further damage to your skin.

4. Exfoliate weekly using a gentle chemical exfoliator designed for at-home use. Alternately, a series of microdermabrasion treatments can improve superficial skin problems and is one of the safest skin rejuvenation procedures available.

5. Stay hydrated! While your Brita isn’t a fountain of youth, taking care of yourself inside is a big part of fostering beauty on the outside. We also recommend getting plenty of sleep and reducing your stress levels.

6. Wear sunscreen. We mean every day, we mean plenty, and yes, even in the wintertime. Sun damage is the number one cause of premature aging because UV rays break down collagen and elastin.

7. Don’t neglect the rest of your body. We’re all a little guilty of focusing on the skin on our faces above all else, but did you know that many cases of malignant melanomas are found on people’s legs? Sunscreen and moisturizer are for more than just faces.

8. Cleanse with alpha hydroxy acids to remove dead skin, unclog pores, and leave your skin looking younger, fresher, and smoother.

9. Care for your skin like it’s the first day of the rest of your life, because it is. It’s never too late to begin taking good care of your skin. It’s also never too early to start! Don’t assume that you’re too young or too old for skincare to matter.

Want to learn more? In upcoming blog posts, we are going to discuss how skin changes as you age and how your skincare regimen should change as you celebrate your 20th, 30th, 40th, and 50th birthdays. Elizabeth Roche MD MedSpa believes in beauty at any age, and we’re looking forward to talking with you about how to achieve it.

The New Face Lift: Why Dermal Fillers are Here to Stay

September 14th, 2011

Wrinkles are the road map life writes across the face, a living record of a person’s joys and sorrows. But while fine lines and other signs of aging are natural, our faces don’t have to be a reminder of the distance we have traveled. Today there are safe youth-enhancing solutions to the toll life takes on our appearance – most of which are quick, close to painless, and much less expensive than invasive procedures like cosmetic surgery. Dermal fillers, for example, have grown in popularity as women and men alike have realized that the changes that come along with growing older aren’t all inevitable.

What are Dermal Fillers?

Dermal fillers are non-allergenic injectable compounds that instantly fill and plump the skin at the injection site, leaving smooth, wrinkle-free skin behind. Many of the types of dermal fillers on the market today are created using substances found naturally in the human body, making them gentle and easily absorbed into the body over time. While the effects of dermal fillers are not permanent, the results are striking and nearly instantaneous.

Finding the Best Dermal Filler for You

When you make the decision to use a dermal filler to refresh and soften your appearance, choosing a specialist who will take the time to research which type of dermal filler will accomplish your goals. At Elizabeth Roche MD MedSpa, we offer a selection of Juvéderm™, Radiesse®, and Restylane-Perlane dermal fillers because our clients have a diverse range of goals and lifestyle concerns. After a personal consultation, we select the best dermal filler geared toward one or more of the following outcomes:

  • Restoring fullness in the face
  • Adding volume to the face
  • Reducing fine lines and wrinkles
  • Removing frown lines
  • Filling acne scars
  • Reducing crows feet and naso-labial creases
  • Plumping hollowed cheeks
  • Enhancing lip fullness
  • Reshaping the nose tip or chin
  • Contouring the face

A Gentle Solution to Aging Concerns

Dermal filler injections require virtually no downtime, making them an ideal choice for busy women and men who want to maintain a more youthful appearance and make small changes to the contours of the face. There’s a good reason this non-surgical, simple, and fast procedure is now one of the most popular aesthetic treatments available today. After you visit us for dermal fillers, you can immediately return to your normal routine, feeling and looking like yourself, only better.

Our Post-Summer Beauty Secret: Laser Resurfacing

August 15th, 2011

With summertime comes outdoor fun, and that means being out in the sun. Hopefully, you experienced the glory of the sun’s rays with sunscreen, sunglasses, and a chic wide-brimmed hat, but did you know that even these precautions don’t mean you’re 100% protected from sun damage? In addition to the sun damage of summers gone by, even the miniscule damage caused by tiny amounts of sun from a dash from the house to the car or hauling your beach umbrella to the sand sans sunblock can add up over time. That means when autumn does finally roll around – hopefully after plenty of blissful summer relaxation – your skin may not look as fresh or as youthful as it did in the spring.

So what’s a safe sun worshipper to do when the glow is gone?

When our clients come to us for a little post-summer skin refreshment, we often recommend laser resurfacing as a great way to regain beautiful texture and youthfulness. Specifically, we suggest laser resurfacing with the Deep FX and Active FX Fractional CO2 treatment from Lumenis. This is a non-invasive procedure that uses an incrementally adjustable high-energy beam of light that penetrates deep into the skin to stimulate the formation of new collagen, giving the skin greater support and elasticity.

Deep and Active simply refer to the setting strength. We like Active FX Fractional CO2 treatments for post-summer skin care and rejuvenation because it’s a great pick me up. There isn’t a lot of downtime or aftercare to interrupt your busy fall schedule, and significant results may be seen after just one treatment. The more intensive Deep FX Fractional CO2 treatments are similar, but target the deeper collagen and help with collagen re-modeling and stimulation, allowing your skin to repair itself internally. The Deep FX treatments come with slightly more downtime, but the results are even more stunning after a summer spent in the sun.

What kind of results can you expect? After a summer of fun that was less than skin-friendly, both Deep FX and Active FX Fractional CO2 treatments can reduce and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, dark brown spots, and other skin irregularities, whether they were caused by this summer’s sun or the sun of years past. The loyal patients at our practice say they love how laser resurfacing restores a more youthful appearance to skin that’s been sunkissed.

Whether you’ve spent this summer lounging on the beach or playing on the golf course, sunning yourself pool side or even inside at work, the stronger sun of summer can and does take its toll on your skin. But sun damage doesn’t have to become a life sentence! Active FX and Deep FX Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing treatments are here to undo the damage and promote long-term rejuvenation so you can be your most beautiful you this autumn.

Is Acne Forever?

July 19th, 2011

Women and men alike often assume they will leave the embarrassment and irritation of acne behind when they say goodbye to the tumultuous teen years, only to find out that acne has followed them into their twenties, thirties, and beyond. It’s an unpleasant reality, but one faced by many: adult acne afflicts roughly 30-50% of women and 20-25% of men between the ages of 20 and 60.

While teens with acne are almost the norm and so not judged terribly harshly by society at large, adult acne can be the bane of one’s existence. Some sufferers find that they are unable to feel totally comfortable in social situations or worry that their professional advancement is being negatively impacted by adult acne. Photographs may be a cause of stress instead of cherished keepsakes, and lasting adult acne can even become a catalyst for serious anxiety.

But if you’re coping with adult acne, the answer to the question “Is acne forever?” is “No, it doesn’t have to be.”

Adult Acne Doesn’t Have to Define You

One piece of good news is that those people coping with adult acne are certainly not alone. The statistics prove that many, many women and men will experience at least one bout of adult acne and epidemiological studies show that rates of post-adolescent acne are apparently increasing in people up to age 40. And yet, even though the sudden appearance of adult acne is common, it can still cause lasting embarrassment, shyness, worry, and depression.

A second piece of good news is that adult acne is entirely treatable. While the underlying causes of adult acne aren’t well understood, more and more treatments designed for mature skin are being developed. In my offices at Elizabeth Roche MedSpa, we carry a full product line for treating acne and a peel called Elimine designed just for acne-prone skin. Additionally, many of our products and treatments promote healthier, youthful skin that may be less prone to acne.

Innovation and Beauty at the 2011 Aesthetic Show™

June 21st, 2011

Because Dr. Elizabeth Roche believes that innovation and beauty go hand in hand, the Elizabeth Roche MedSpa philosophy has always included a commitment to ongoing education. As aesthetic tools and technology evolve, so does Elizabeth Roche MedSpa.

With that in mind, Dr. Roche, representing Elizabeth Roche MedSpa, recently attended the 2011 Aesthetic Show™ in Las Vegas, a multidisciplinary conference that brings the latest aesthetic procedures, products, and technologies together in an intensive and interactive educational format. There, she met keynote speaker and special guest, plastic surgeon and reconstructive surgery expert Dr. Andrew Ordon of the CBS television series The Doctors.

But as thrilled as Dr. Roche was to meet Dr. Ordon, she was equally excited to learn about the latest procedures, products, and technologies emerging in the field of aesthetic medicine. Some of the most interesting innovations Dr. Roche encountered at the Aesthetic Show™ were:

  • The use of cannulas (blunt needles) to reduce bruising during dermal filler injections. The needle-less filler injection is one of the most monumental changes that has emerged in the field of dermal fillers in the past few years because cannulas have been shown to deliver better results, more safely. Overall, dermal filler injections performed with cannulas require less downtime, making this a major advancement.
  • New Zerona techniques that obtain better results. Zerona uses pointed laser technology to painlessly target fatty deposits, heat them, and release the stored fat, and new methods of applying the technology are making this fat loss treatment even more effective.
  • The unique benefits conveyed by a Platelet Rich Fibrin Matrix (brand name Selphyl). Selphyl is a safe and quick way to smooth out wrinkles and give skin a more youthful, appearance. What is unique about this system is that the filler used is the patient’s own platelets, which may stimulate new collagen production for true, natural skin rejuvenation.

Dr. Roche is pleased to be able to bring her patients the most ground-breaking advancements in the field of aesthetic medicine, and will continue to research new procedures, products, and technologies to ensure that Elizabeth Roche MedSpa is always on the leading edge.

For Melanoma Awareness Month: A Word About Sunscreen and Beauty

May 17th, 2011

Did you know that May is Melanoma Awareness Month? Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, and rates of melanoma diagnosis are rising each year. It’s not a pretty fact, but it’s an important one to take to heart – especially now that summer is just around the corner. May is the perfect month to reassess your skin care routine, and to add sunscreen to your stash of must-use beauty products (if you haven’t been wearing it all winter, that is). So with Melanoma Awareness Month in mind, we’ve compiled a list of skincare tips designed especially to counteract the harmful effects of the sun’s rays and to keep your skin looking beautiful for years to come.

  • Many wonderful lotions now contain sunscreen, making it even easier to apply your daily dose of UVA and UVB blockers. While it make seem counterintuitive, apply sunscreen as if you were going to the beach even when you’re just going to work. Don’t forget your hairline, eyelids, ears, and neck!
  • Unless you practice the tradition of donning light gloves as daywear, do not neglect to apply sunscreen to the hands. So-called liver spots can be avoided to a great extent by keeping hands and arms protected from the sun year round with the liberal application of sunscreen.
  • Sunburns, particularly sun damage that happens early in life, are associated with an increased lifetime risk of melanoma. You can’t go back and put sunscreen on your younger self, but you can start applying sunscreen daily even if you’ve never worn it before. It’s never too late to protect the skin you’re in.
  • Make sure that your sunscreen or sunscreen-containing lotion is what is known as “broad spectrum.” Ideally, you should always use sunscreen that includes both UVA and UVB protection. UVB rays cause sunburn, while UVA rays cause premature aging – neither of which is conducive to beauty.
  • When sunscreen is part of your daily beauty routine, you may be applying it after your morning shower. Keep in mind that sunscreen is most effective when applied to dry skin, so towel off before you apply.
  • The sunscreen that’s right for you may not be right for your best girlfriend, so sometimes trial and error is involved in finding the perfect formula. If one brand makes you break out, toss it and try another.
  • Makeup with sunscreen is great, but should be used over a moisturizing sunscreen lotion. The two-in-one approach is better from a protection standpoint because layering lotion over or under a high SPF sunscreen diminishes the effectiveness of the sunscreen. You’re better off going for a lower SPF broad spectrum lotion+sunscreen and reapplying frequently.
  • Sunscreen, of course, is not a magic bullet, so don’t think that applying sunscreen in the a.m. means you’re still protected from melanoma-causing rays during your afternoon beach outing. Common sense is your friend when it comes to sunshine and beauty. In addition to applying and then reapplying sunscreen, buy some stylish sun protective clothing and a gorgeous classic sun hat to ensure that you’re as protected as possible.

Happy summer, and please pass on the Melanoma Awareness Month message!

Latisse: Longer and Thicker Lashes, Naturally

April 12th, 2011

If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then the lashes are the drapes that give those windows their allure. Thicker, fuller eyelashes are desirable precisely because they provide such a dramatic and dynamic frame for the eyes. And that’s where Latisse eyelash enhancement comes in.

Whether your favorite look is one of doe-eyed unassuming beauty (think Audrey Hepburn and Natalie Portman) or sensuous heavy-lidded languor (à la Angelina Jolie or Marilyn Monroe), there’s only so much that mascara and eyeliner can really do. Even the false eyelashes that celebrities use don’t give a truly natural look.

For truly spectacular lashes that last, eyelash enhancement is a must. Latisse is a prescription treatment that actually lengthens, thickens, and darkens your own eyelashes. Not cosmetically, but naturally! Latisse works in two ways: by extending the growth phase of your eyelashes and increasing the number of individual lashes that grow.

Eyelash Enhancement With Latisse Is Worth It

In a matter of weeks, sparse eyelashes become noticeably lush, longer, and more beautiful. In clinical studies including 278 women, 78% saw positive changes in their lashes. After sixteen weeks of using Latisse for eyelash enhancement:

  • Average eyelash length increased by 25%
  • Average thickness and fullness increased by 106%
  • Average lash color was 18% darker

How is Latisse Eyelash Enhancement Treatment Applied?

Latisse comes with its own single-use sterile applicators and is easy to apply. Each night after you remove your makeup, you simply dab Latisse gently on your upper lash line, and it spreads to the lower lash line naturally when you blink. Most women begin to see results after two months of nightly use, and after three or four months, you may be able to maintain your results by using Latisse only every other night.

You can still wear mascara while using Latisse, but you may find that you no longer need to!

Latisse Eyelash Enhancement For a More Youthful Beauty

Many women, when considering non-surgical beauty treatments, never think about how their eyelashes impact their overall look. But like many other unconscious physical signals, long and lush eyelashes are a signifier of both youth and health – which are, of course, the foundations of true beauty.

Every woman will embrace a different look when it comes to the eyes, from dark and sultry to bright and glamorous, but Latisse can be a part of every woman’s beauty routine. So if you’re ready for a little update in the ‘windows to the soul’ department, consider giving Latisse a try.

Fractional CO2 Laser Resurfacing

March 18th, 2011

Active FX & Deep FX

Skin changes over time, due to the natural aging process and environmental contributors such as the sun, resulting in skin losing its youthful appearance, developing brown spots, wrinkles, and laxity.  Rejuvenating your skin with Fractional CO2, is fast becoming the gold standard in laser facial rejuvenation.

Active FX and Deep FX Fractional CO2 Laser Skin Resurfacing reduces fine lines and wrinkles, causes immediate skin tightening and noticeably improves skin tone and texture. The Active Fx is a new, less invasive version of the CO2 resurfacing laser. As a CO2 laser, the Active Fx uses the same technology that is considered the gold standard for reducing wrinkles, lines and pigmentation. The critical difference is that the Active Fx is a fractionated laser, like the Fraxel.     Fractionation is a technique developed by R. Rox Anderson, M.D. that makes dermal lasers less destructive while preserving their effectiveness. Instead of emitting a solid beam of energy that destroys a large area of skin tissue, the Active Fx puts out tiny, high energy beams that target pigmentation issues, wrinkles, texture problems, and acne scars, leaving bridges of untouched skin to aid in the regeneration process. It also stimulates the growth of collagen resulting in skin that continues to improve over the next 4 to 6 months. Since this procedure involves treating only a fraction of the skin’s surface, it promotes faster healing and results in an easier recovery period. The results, however, are really fantastic.

In one 30 minute treatment, the Active Fx laser improves lines under the eyes and around the lips better than any other laser on the market today. Even multiple Fraxel laser treatments are unable to deliver good results in those areas. During the same treatment, Active Fx will shrink pores, reduce pigmentation and eliminate lines throughout the rest of the face. After three to five days of mild swelling and about a week of sunburn-like redness, the skin is dramatically improved. The treatment also stimulates collagen growth so improvements continue for several months after the procedure. The treatment can be repeated after 6 months, but most people are satisfied with the results of their first procedure.

Pre-Procedure

Continuously Adjust Healing Zone

By carefully choosing the volume of skin left untreated, Dr. Roche will tailor treatments to the indication and the patient’s tolerance of downtime. Only the UltraPulse gives you the flexibility to leave 95% to 0% of tissue intact.

Select Volume Treated

Superior treatments balance spot size and treatment depth. As the spot size is reduced, depth can be increased without increasing downtime.

Ablate, Contract and Remodel

Each pulse ablates a column of tissue, eliminating discolorations at the surface and causing volumetric skin reduction. As ablation occurs, deep heating stimulates immediate collagen contraction and long-term collagen remodeling.

Deeper wrinkles and scars have a dermal component and are most effectively treated by penetrating deep into the problem areas. Higher percentage of untreated skin enables quicker healing. Dyschromias are superficial and respond best to near complete coverage. Less untreated skin, a larger spot size and less penetration are ideal for this indication.

Pain or discomfort are minimal – less than the Fraxel. We find that topical numbing cream and a pre treatment protocol before and cold air during the procedure are almost always enough to make the procedure painless. If necessary, we do have oral medication for pain and anxiety control available.

The benefits of Active Fx last for several years, however patients with acne and scars may require 2 treatments.  As the aging process continues, many people find that they would benefit from a repeat treatment about 4 years or so after the original procedure.

Side effects are few and rare. Because the Active Fx is fractionated, we do not see the kinds of side effects that we see from ablative CO2 laser. We do not get the waxy cast to the skin or the pigmentation changes that are sometimes such an unfortunate adverse effect of the more invasive laser treatment.

Fractional CO2 Resurfacing Benefits:

•  Removes sun damage

•  For moderate wrinkles

•  Great for smokers lines

•  Effective for acne scars

•  Stimulates collagen

•  Great for face & neck

•  Minimal down time

Neck Rejuvenation: Non-invasive Treatments to Improve Your Aging Neck and Décolletage

March 18th, 2011

While we tend to concentrate on keeping our face looking youthful, we sometimes neglect our neck until one day we suddenly notice loose skin, wrinkles and changes in the skin tone and texture.

The neck is as aesthetically important to keep rejuvenated, as is our face in concealing one’s age.
The neck is subject to many degenerative changes such as loss of collagen and elastin, the accumulation of fat, and external contributors such as premature aging due to sun exposure.

Instead of hiding your aging neck under turtlenecks and scarves, Dr. Roche suggests that patients take advantage of our non-surgical neck rejuvenation procedures which address sagging and wrinkling in the neck area and improve jaw line contours.

Non-Surgical Neck Rejuvenation

Traditionally, surgical neck rejuvenation has been performed to help tighten lax skin, reduce wrinkles, and to reduce fatty tissues. However, some patients opt to seek non-surgical neck treatments, which usually provide a more youthful appearance and often prolong surgical procedures.
Non-surgical procedures are an alternative and have the additional benefits of addressing the skin texture, tone and pigmentation of the neck, whereas surgical procedures are unable to address these issues.

What Treatments Can Be Used To Rejuvenate The Neck?

Various methods can be used to rejuvenate the skin and underlying tissues in the neck.  All of the following treatments can be used alone or in combination depending on your needs and goals.

Toxin injections, such as Botox or Dysport can be used to help reduce platysmal muscle bands, or the bands of wrinkles that can become etched horizontally in the neck as you age.  These injections effectively smooth away neck wrinkles, especially in patients who have elastic skin.

Non-surgical neck rejuvenation with Skin Tyte, which utilizes infrared energy to deeply heat dermal collagen.  Following treatment, a new foundation of collagen is created leading to increased skin firmness.  A series of 5 treatments is recommended for optimal results to reduce skin laxity.

Selphyl®

Selphyl® is patented system for the safe and rapid preparation of platelet rich fibrin matrix used to correct the effect of skin aging.  Dr. Roche collects a small volume of your blood, your platelets and fibrin are separated from the red blood cells and the platelet rich fibrin matrix is injected back into your skin to stimulate cell proliferation.  This promotes the increase of volume and rejuvenation of the skin through a process of targeted tissue re-generation.  Growth factors are released into the skin, triggering the production of new cells and collagen. In just 8 weeks time you’ll see the visible improvements of the skin and a more youthful you.

SKINCARE

The skin on your neck and décolletage is vulnerable to the sun and environmental elements, leaving behind hyperpigmentation, age spots and freckles.
Properly caring for your skin before, during and after treatments is essential and also maintains your results. The Obagi ELASTIderm Décolletage System consists of 2 patent-pending technologies to restore healthy skin:

The Skin Lightening Complex

•    Formulated with 4%, hydroquinone, a treatment well known for reducing hyperpigmentation (discoloration) and age spots on the skin

The Wrinkle Reducing Lotion

•    Formulated with ELASTIderm’s Restorative Elasticity Complex
•    Contains a unique bi-mineral complex to help replenish elasticity and build collagen for increased skin strength and resilience
•    Includes malonic acid to help stimulate the production of healthy skin cells
Used together, this clinically proven therapeutic system diminishes the signs of aging, helping revitalize vulnerable skin, contributing to more flawless, youthful-looking skin.

Sunscreen

To prevent further sun-damage, sunscreen is recommended at all times.  A sunscreen should have both an SPF 30 to protect against the UVB rays and zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to protect against the UVA rays.   We recommend SolarEclipse, SkinMedica Environmental Defense SPF 30, Obagi Healthy Skin SPF 30 or ColorScience Sunforgettable Products.

Undetectable Anti-Aging With a Non-Surgical Neck Lift NJ

March 18th, 2011

A guide to beauty published in 1924 declared that the “falling contour of the chin is one of the first evidences of age, but it can be prevented with faithful care,” and it’s absolutely true. The neck, of course, doesn’t age any faster than the face, but it is a neglected part of many women’s beauty routines and consequently shows the passage of time more acutely.

In the past, hydration and facial exercises were the only ways to combat loose, sagging skin, wrinkles, and changes in skin tone. Then came cosmetic surgery, which produced tight results, but didn’t address the underlying skin and muscle changes that lead to aging of the neck. Today, we offer our clientele the best non-surgical neck lifts and other non-invasive methods of neck rejuvenation in NJ.

What is a non-surgical neck lift?

There are numerous non-invasive neck rejuvenation options available in NJ, but we believe that the ones we offer at Elizabeth Roche M.D. MedSpa are the best. These include:
•    Botox® injections
•    Dysport® injections
•    Infrared Skin Tyte™ treatments
•    The Selphyl® system
•    Laser resurfacing

Each type of non-surgical neck lift we offer in our NJ medspa has unique benefits, but all require minimal to no recovery time and result in younger looking, more beautiful, and even healthier skin.

Why opt for non-invasive neck rejuvenation in NJ?

Simply put, because a non-surgical neck lift will make you look younger and more attractive without the expense and invasiveness of traditional cosmetic surgery. The results you achieve with a non-surgical neck lift often last longer and look more natural than a surgical procedure, while also addressing secondary issues like your skin’s texture and tone. It’s not just about tightening – it’s about total neck rejuvenation. And while you’ll look refreshed and youthful after one of our rejuvenating procedures, no one will be able to tell you’ve had anything done.

The cures we look to today for aging skin may be very different than those women turned to in 1924, but our dedication to a regime of “faithful care” hasn’t changed a bit. Call us at 201-505-1020 to learn more about non-surgical neck lift options in NJ.