Facial Treatments for Glassy Skin and Anti-Aging

For those looking to avoid aging and to truly achieve a “glass skin” look –– poreless, honey-smooth, even-toned, dewy, and lustrous –– it is important to allot time to deeply nourish the skin with aesthetic treatments, just as you take your car to get inspected and cleaned. The term “glass skin” comes from the Korean beauty world, where getting facials and other aesthetic treatments done by a professional is considered regular skin maintenance.

Why should treatments be part of your regular skin maintenance?

In a perfect world, we would be able to achieve our dream skin with products alone. However, modern skin was much different than skin even 100 years ago. Our skin is constantly fighting a battle against pollution, environmental toxins, and UV radiation –– which according to NASA scientists, has markedly increased in the last three decades. More than ever before, our skin is fighting against not just aging, but damage to the skin barrier as well.

Although products and a consistent skincare routine are vital to flawless skin, investing in medical-grade aesthetic treatments provides powerful results that even the best moisturizer or serum can’t achieve by themself. In order to achieve glassy skin, you must be nourishing the deeper layers of your skin, where collagen and new skin cells are made.

Medical-grade treatments protect, maintain, and nourish your skin barrier.

What is your skin barrier? Very small amounts of products will make the journey past the 5 sub-layers of the epidermis –– the top layer of the skin –– to penetrate the dermis. Most moisturizers and gels stay confined to hydrate the top stratum corneum, which is composed of tough cells (called ‘corneocytes’) that act as a brick wall to form our skin’s barrier. This layer is slightly acidic, to protect against bacteria and other foreign invaders. Inside the stratum corneum, protein-derived products break down, along with sugars and electrolytes, to form natural moisturizing factors (NMF) that keep our skin feeling and looking moisturized, plump, and healthy throughout the day.

The “bricks” are held in place with a lipid membrane made up of cholesterols, ceramides, and free fatty acids that also maintain the hydration of our skin barrier and the ability of our products to penetrate the skin. Lack of natural moisturizing factors and lipid production create a “damaged skin barrier” that may result in redness, inflammation, acne, dry and itchy skin, fine lines, and accelerated aging.

Why is this important? Many of my patients have damaged skin barriers without even knowing it. A damaged skin barrier can be caused easily by disrupting the skin’s pH level or stripping the skin of its natural moisturizing factors. Too many active ingredients, too harsh of products or cleansers, too many products, and/or a lack of proper hydration and application can easily start to damage the skin barrier. When the skin barrier is damaged, your products won’t work as efficiently, and you’re more susceptible to skin aging and a lack of luster. 

Nourishing the skin barrier, not just healing a damaged one, is the key to lasting, radiant skin.

The top three treatments I recommend to achieve glassy skin and prevent skin maturation all work to do this by penetrating the middle layer of the skin –– the dermis –– to revive and reset the skin at a cellular level. These treatments detox the skin of pollution, excess oil, and built-up grime, reduce inflammation and stagnant lymphatic fluid, remove impurities, and add protective nutrients to feed and hydrate the freshly cleaned skin. They not only help a damaged skin barrier but nourish and keep a healthy barrier glowing.

My Recommended Treatments:

HydraFacial: as one of my most popular treatments, HydraFacials are a quick and efficient way to achieve glass skin.

HydraFacial benefits any skin type by cleaning the epidermis, pulling oil and dead skin cells from deep within your pores, and replenishing nutrients to the dermal layer of your skin. The Hydrafacial machine uses a wand with a unique, spiral interior design that utilizes vortex technology to temporarily open and clean your pores — the space around hair follicles that can be stretched and appear “enlarged” from sebum, sweat, and bacteria. The wand exfoliates and extracts before replenishing the skin with serums to nourish and moisturize specific to your needs.

The HydraFacial is a non-invasive all-in-one solution for replenishing and boosting the skin’s natural luster. I recommend HydraFacials to my younger patients, although it is effective for any age or skin type, and it helps repair damage to the skin barrier. It is more effective than any traditional facial for all-in-one skin nourishment, as this one treatment alone reduces fine lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores, and hyperpigmentation, and improves skin tone and texture.

See more information on the various types of HydraFacials I offer here.

DermaPeel: This is a 3-step treatment customized specifically to your needs. The DermaPeel treatment starts by removing dead, dull skin with derma planning or mechanical exfoliation. A micro-thin layer of skin is removed painlessly, to give way to the enzymatic exfoliation that follows –– clearing built-up sebum, dirt, and debris out of the exposed pores. Manual extractions of blackheads and milia are also done here.

After the extraction/ exfoliation, the third step uses cryotherapy to relieve inflammation and shrink the freshly cleaned pores. Cryotherapy uses cooled carbon dioxide that is wrapped in a specialized cloth that gets applied to the face in small, circular motions. This not only soothes the face but leaves the skin appearing poreless and smooth.

This treatment is ideal for anyone, as it promises instant results to have the skin radiating. It does not require any downtime, so it is the perfect treatment before an important event for skin that will glow in every picture. The combination of dermaplaning, a light chemical peel, and cryotherapy creates an instantly radiant skin surface. Learn more about DermaPeel here.

Light Chemical Peels/  Elite Petite Peel: Like HydraFacial and DermaPeel, chemical peels penetrate past the top layer of skin to deliver deeply radiant results. The biggest difference is that chemical peels completely shed the epidermis, and possible parts of the dermis, depending on the strength of the chemical peel to improve tone and texture and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Unlike Hydrafacial or Dermaplaning, no outside tools are needed. After the skin is cleansed, a solution composed of either glycolic, salicylic, lactic, retinoic, or hydroquinone is brushed onto your face, depending on your specific needs and goals. The skin may begin to tingle and burn slightly, but the procedure is not painful or harmful to your skin when done correctly. A cool compress will be applied after a few minutes to soothe the skin. The removal of the outer layer of the skin prompts the body to generate a new layer of skin cells that come back smooth, vibrant, and clean.

The strength of the chemical peel depends on your individual skin concerns, sensitivity, and age. At Elizabeth Roche Medspa, we offer Superficial to medium-strength to strong chemical peels. For my younger patients, I recommend the Elite Chemical Peel, as it is a light-strength option that won’t irritate the skin too much but provides rejuvenation of the skin. Multiple treatments may be needed for the desired results, however.

Unlike DermaPeels, the skin will take anywhere from a few days to two weeks to completely heal. As the skin heals, you will notice the old skin layer flaking off, which is normal and part of the process!

I recommend Chemical peels for those suffering from acne scarring, sun spots, hyperpigmentation, and fine lines, as it is a great way to remove the old and start completely fresh. Chemical peels are not for someone who is currently experiencing an active skin infection or acne, as this treatment may exacerbate the irritation. Learn more about chemical peels here.

See more of my results here.

Why Choose Elizabeth Roche, M.D. Medspa?

Treatments at Elizabeth Roche Medspa are more than your basic facial. We closely evaluate your skin after fully understanding your skin’s history. We combine potent, effective products with cutting-edge technology that allows deep penetration and nourishment of your skin barrier to produce your most radiant skin. Investing in these treatments provides more bang for your buck in the long run, as they not only remove dirt and dead skin which may be interfering with the absorption of your products but also rejuvenate the skin at a cellular level.

As a physician-run medical aesthetic office, we offer medical-grade services that aren’t available in the average day spa. This means their benefits are extensively studied and won’t damage your skin’s integrity. Medical-grade skincare treatments deliver deeply penetrating results, decreasing the frequency of treatments needed to maintain your results and the amount of product needed in your skincare routine. In the long run, they are the best option to maintain the skin’s longevity and achieve flawless skin while saving you time and money.

Supplemental Products I recommend:

Although treatments are the meat to lifelong radiant skin, having the right repertoire of products ensures lasting results and protects the skin from further damage. I recommend my: Solar Eclipse sunscreen to prevent collagen damage from damaging UV rays, Retinol-50 Serum to maintain collagen and prevent signs of aging, and my Sustenance Serum to feed the skin with antioxidants (including Vitamin C and E) to protect against environmental toxins.

If you are interested in inquiring about any of our facial treatments, call Elizabeth Roche, M.D. MedSpa to schedule a consultation at 201-505-1020