FEBRUARY 4, 2022
BEAUTY• BY: KAREN KLOPP AND HILARY DICK
Does anyone else get confused about proper skin care these days? With the colder weather upon us in the north and the relentless sun for snow birds down south, we were in need of some clarification and advice. And when talking to our younger friends, they too were confused!
So we went ahead and consulted Dr. Jon Turk, one of the loveliest surgeons in town, for some answers. It was into Jon’s hands, who is known as a “neck up” guy, that I put my neck and my upper eyelids several years ago (I believe in sharing).
We specifically asked Jon to clarify and sort out what skin care should look like through the ages. As far as we can tell, the necessary tenants of good skin care require us to cleanse, exfoliate, hydrate, protect and stimulate collagen. Let’s get started on the specifics.
Important at any age is sunscreen, apply every day — rain or shine …
What is basic skin care Under 30?
Dr. Turk: Under 30 starts with the dreaded teenage condition of acne. Controlling the comedones and cysts are paramount to clear skin in patients from 13 to 25 and sometimes beyond. It is extremely important to treat active acne so that acne scarring, which has long term ramifications, does not occur. There are myriad treatments and several novel strategies for acne that are outside the scope of this discussion. But early intervention and skin hygiene is essential.
This cleanser is gentle and thorough …
From the mid 20s to 30 the emphasis shifts to aesthetic skin care for luster and complexion and prevention of aging. This is coupled with skin protection including UV protection and anti-oxidants which is applicable to all generations. Complexion issues can best be addressed by procedures such as Hydrating Facials, Aquagold Pore Reducing Treatments and Microneedling. These are coupled with smart topical home skin care that emphasizes free radical scavengers such as Retinols and Moisturizing Serums.
Note: While these items are pricey, you only need to use a small amount and they last for ages.
Recommended Skin Care in Your 30s & 40s?
Dr. Turk: Between the ages of 30 and 40 there is a shift from prevention and routine skin care to therapeutic intervention and “Prejuvenation.” The Pre-30 treatments continue but in addition we start to wean patients from Retinoic Acid which can thin the skin to Vitamin C and E which are excellent antioxidants without the side effects of Retinoids.
Sun protection and hydration remain critical but more needs to be done in the office with the medical aestheticians as topical home care is mostly supportive and not primary. Early non-invasive energy based skin tightening promotes collagen health and slows the aging process. It is the single most important strategy for skiing rejuvenation and maintenance in these transitional decades.
Treatments: Microneedling, Aquagold, RF Microneedling and RF Non Invasive Skin Tightening.
Vitamin C, apply 3 to 4 drops on skin, not for eye area.
Biologique Recherche has a devoted following who extol is virtues — erasing dark spots, balancing complexion ph and shrinking pores. It is applied after cleaning, and before serums and moisturizers. Pat on face and allow a few minutes between layers.
Recommendations for Over 50?
Dr Turk: By 50 we are hoping that much of the prevention and early therapeutic treatments are already paying dividends but now we must make up for the ever increasing drop in collagen and elastin content of the skin. It now becomes essential to not only protect the skin from breaking down but to begin to firm and plump the skin by stimulating collagen and elastin fibers with a process called dermal remodeling. A variety of strategies can induce collagen production and the combination of non or minimally invasive skin treatments and a new generation of skin serums and products for true rejuvenation.
Treatments: Morpheus RF Microneedling is the work horse for skin rejuvenation beyond one’s 50s.
On days you need a little more moisture — Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a potent hydration-attracting molecule, naturally found in skin that can attract up to 1,000 times its weight in water.
Does Skin Care Change After 60?
Dr. Turk: After 60, the continued use of the aforementioned strategies should be routine for patients well into their 70s and 80s. They are all safe and minimally invasive and can pay dividends over decades of use.
Hilary suggests her tried and true skin care products: “I have always kept it pretty simple with my skin care. I like the no7 products and have used them for many years. I have always used eye cream and have now added the glycolic pads and vitamin C products at the recommendation of my dermatologist. And of course, sunning days are long gone … so using a ‘suntan lotion’ as I call it … is a must.”
Here is a description of some of Dr. Turks’ recommended treatments:
Aquagold is a device consisting of a chamber for various topical skin products and an array of 24 gold plated needles each no larger than a human hair. The Aquagold procedure targets fine lines, wrinkles and enlarged pores in order to improve skin tone and texture and boost hydration leaving your skin with a luminous glow that will last for weeks.
Collagen P.I.N is a Percutaneous Induction Therapy Microneedling Device with controlled depth of penetration that improves skin texture and tone, erases fine wrinkles and stimulates dermal collagen. The Collagen P.I.N. acts much the same way a Fraxel laser does, but without the downtime or complications.
Evoke™ The Double Chin and Jowl Buster. It is as safe and as non-invasive as Forma but adds the ability to remodel fatty tissue and tighten skin of the lower face.
Forma™ The Skin Tightener tightens lax skin of the face and neck with no down time at all. Forma has less effect on the skin texture but is a potent stimulator of collagen and elastin and is painless and without risk. It can also be used safely on all skin types. Patients typically sign up for 6 weekly sessions lasting 30-40 minutes each.
Fractora™ The Skin Smoother can resurface, tighten and rejuvenate the face. It does not cause pigment problems, scarring or weeks of down time. It is also the only device designed to resurface the skin of the neck. Treatments take 40 minutes to an hour and are performed as a series over 3 months. Downtime is 2-3 days. A single higher energy treatment can be performed under light sedation, requiring a slightly longer healing period.
HydraFacial™ helps improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, acne, hyperpigmentation, and under-eye puffiness, leaving behind polished, radiant skin. It is the only skin care treatment that simultaneously integrates exfoliation, extraction, cleansing, and hydration for beautiful results.
Lumecca™ The Skin Brightener is a state of the art IPL (intense pulsed light) device that targets red and brown pigment on the skin. Photo-aging of the face, neck and chest can be rapidly and painlessly treated with minimal down time and incredible results. Freckles, macules, broken blood vessels and other pigment issues can be addressed in 1 or 2 sessions.
Morpheus™ The Queen of RF Microneedling combines the best of forma, Evoke and Fractora with the ability to treat the entire face and neck with dramatic results. It is the “IT” treatment that patients over 50 are finding indispensable for state of the art skin rejuvenation.
Platelet Rich Fibrin Microneedling, PRF, is derived from the patient’s own blood. The resultant serum is extremely rich in growth factors and stem cells that signal the body to produce new collagen, elastin and an abundance of new blood vessels to improve circulation to the skin. It is one of the single most important procedures to harness the body’s ability to repair itself. PRF can be performed with Collagen Pin or RV Microneedling to boost the efficacy of these skin care treatments.
For this article, we have stepped outside of our usual What to Wear beat because we felt it was important to share this information. Please note that the products we recommend are our personal choices. You can find them in our Amazon Store, where we will receive a commission from sales. Of this some percentage will be donated to our Charity of the Month.
Karen Klopp & Hilary Dick Founded What2WearWhere to help today’s busy women, take the guesswork out of dressing, the legwork out of shopping and the panic out of packing.
