Our Guide to Your Common Skin Care Concerns

by Laurel Glenn, Master Aesthetician at Sonata

The common denominator for healthy skin is the use of topical vitamin C in the morning and Retin-A at night. The regular use of these two simple, medical grade products combats almost all skin care issues.

In addition to the below, we’ve created an amazing Skin Care Guide for all of your questions, needs, and concerns!

Fighting oily skin: 

Acneic and oily skin are two of the most common skin issues I see. We recommend the Clenizderm kit made by Obagi. It combines Salicylic Acid with other ingredients designed to control oil production throughout the day. Using Retin-A at night improves cell turnover to help prevent breakouts, and doing an Obagi peel monthly immediately kills acne bacteria for beautifully acne free skin.

Dealing with dry skin:

Healthy skin is rarely dry so, if your skin is dry,  we need to make it healthy! Skin Ceutical’s Triple Lipid formula is incredible for restoring your skin’s natural moisture barrier. In the office, we love plasma facials (which combine microneedling with your own PRP). That is because PRP is so healing for your skin. Light chemical peels encourage proper exfoliation which can also keep your skin taut and healthy. At home, the regular use of topical vitamin C in the morning and Retin-A at night will keep your skin healthy.

Fighting wrinkles:

You can fight wrinkles with great skin care. Nothing will replace Botox® or fillers, but you can create healthy, beautiful skin with at home use of topical vitamin C in the morning and Retin-A at night. I also recommend medium to heavy chemical peels done 3- 4 times per year. The exfoliation helps recondition your skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines. Plasma facials (which combine microneedling and your own PRP) are amazing because microneedling massively produces collagen over time, and microneedling is one of the only ways to reduce those pesky eye wrinkles.

Dealing with and fighting acne:

One of the main causes of acne is the build-up of dead skin cells. In addition to the use of products with Salicylic Acid and Retin-A in the evening, chemical peels and microdermabrasion treatments that exfoliate your skin will help with the prevention of acne. If you have acne scars, they can be softened with microneedling treatments or filled with fillers, like Bellafill. Lasers can also be used to resurface the skin and soften the look of troublesome acne scars. We also love the Vi Peel for intensive acne treatment and prevention.

Preventing and treating melasma:

While I don’t think you can prevent melasma, you can control it by using the Obagi NuDerm Kit which uses hydroquinone to supress pigment production. It is critical to always protect your skin with sunscreen, and to reapply sunscreen often (every 2-3 hours). Regular IPL Photofacials and chemical peels designed to fade brown spots and pigment will keep melasma at bay when it starts creeping back in the summer or due to hormonal changes.

Adopting a daily skincare routine:

The foundation for any daily skin care routine is topically applied medical-grade Vitamin C in the morning and regular use of Retin-A at night. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects your skin against all environmental factors.  Retin-A is a critical part of any skin care regimen. It is applied only at night because it makes your skin more sun sensitive. Using Retin-A regularly is like giving yourself a mini chemical peel each night because it encourages proper cell turnover. With these two foundational products, you are well on your way to having your healthiest skin. Any other product you choose to add in should depend on your age and/or a targeted skin care concern.

Getting the most out of medical aesthetics for skincare:

The key to beautiful healthy skin is prevention.  Coming in every other month for a medical-grade service is ideal. It’s best to address concerns before they start. Regular use of good quality sunscreen, reapplied often, is critical as most of our skin aging is due to sun damage. You can prevent the majority of deep wrinkling with regular Botox®/Dysport® treatments repeated every 3 months. And fillers, especially collagen stimulators like Sculptra, actually encourage you to grow your own collagen – which keeps your skin taut and healthy.

Treating scars:

Microneedling treatments using your own PRP are one of the best ways to soften the look of acne scars. Microneedling, also known as Collagen Induction Therapy, produces massive amounts of collagen and pushes those scars to the surface which helps them to fade. Some acne scars can be filled with filler, especially a collagen-stimulating filler like Bellafill, which helps improve skin quality while it fills.

How diet affects skin:

There is much controversy surrounding the subject of diet and skin health, and many differing opinions on the issue. While my personal experience points to a link between acne and dairy, the majority of research in the field of aesthetics cannot confirm a correlation. Overall, taking care of yourself and drinking enough water will improve your skin health.

Natural and/or at home remedies:

There is nothing wrong with over the counter devices like dermarollers or mini microderm machines, so if you love them, do them! Natural and at home remedies are fine as long as you do your research and know what you’re doing. Remember, any skin care product or at home device not sold in a medical office by law cannot penetrate your dermis. Penetrating the dermis (skin) is the key to effective skin remedies, and is why medical-grade products sold in a physician’s office are going to give you the most bang for your buck.

Skincare for men:

Men have the same skin care concerns and issues as women, but often times, do not want to commit to a skin care regimen. We do lots of chemical peels and laser treatments of men, and often see that men want to do more intensive but less frequent treatments. A great place to start for any man is the regular use of quality sunscreen – not just when you plan to be outside, but every day. Men can also do themselves a great service by cleansing their face and using Retin-A at night to encourage proper exfoliation and keep skin clear and healthy.

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