Very often, the men and women who elect to have cosmetic surgery arrive in my office with either a very undisciplined skincare regimen or none at all. Inevitably they are resistant when asked to address the issue. They simply want a quick fix that will turn back the hands of time.
I am a proponent of medical grade skincare products, also known as cosmeceuticals, for a variety of reasons. Among the most important reason is that once someone has had a face lift, neck lift or had their eyes done, a true cosmeceutical will work wonders in prolonging the benefits of those procedures. And, if begun at an early age, these kinds of skincare products may even prolong the need for surgery.
The mark of a true cosmeceutical is in the active ingredients. Typically an over-the-counter skincare product that is marketed as a Vitamin C product will contain roughly 1% Vitamin C. However, in a medical grade Vitamin C skincare product you will see upwards of 14%. Medical grade skincare products are not simply moisturizers. They are clinically proven to work on correcting the skin and they are often endorsed by or created by cosmetic physicians.
Learning how and when to apply these types of skincare products is important as well. There is a specific sequence for applying each product and some products are made for use during the day while others are specifically designed for nighttime use. We educate our patients on the proper application of the products we recommend. We also strongly discourage the comingling of products. Using different brands of skincare products can actually be more damaging than helpful.
Whether you’ve had a procedure or plan to have one, take a serious look at your skincare regimen. Call our office and we’ll help you with a recommendation.
