Non-surgical cosmetic treatments have a number of benefits over surgery. They are quicker, they tend to be less expensive, and they don’t require much, if any, downtime. The big drawback when it comes to choosing non-surgical treatments is that the results aren’t designed to last nearly as long as the results you would get from a surgical procedure.
While you can’t make your results from a non-surgical procedure, such as fillers or Botox, last forever, there are a few things you can do to extend how long your results last.
Avoid the Sun
The sun’s rays do more than just cause painful sunburns. They also accelerate the aging process. It’s recommended that you avoid or limit sun exposure in your daily life. Doing so becomes particularly important after a non-surgical treatment if you want to maintain or extend your results.
After a treatment like Fraxel or a chemical peel, your skin is particularly sensitive to the UV rays emitted by the sun. The skin is trying to heal itself to reduce spots, uneven texture and fine lines. But, if you go out without sunscreen on, your delicate skin is more likely to absorb and be affected by the sun’s UV rays.
It’s a good idea to limit sun exposure as much as possible immediately after any non-surgical treatment. If you do need to go outdoors during the day, always remember to wear a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
Start a Skin Care Routine
A good skin care routine can help make your results last longer. Your surgeon will most likely recommend using a moisturizer on your skin and might recommend a skin care product containing ingredients such as vitamin C, retinol or peptides to continue to fight wrinkles, dark sports or increase cell turnover.
Although you might see some results using a drugstore or beauty counter product, your surgeon may advise switching to a medical-grade skin care routine to prolong your non-surgical results. Medical-grade products typically contain higher concentrations of the active ingredient so you see better, more visible results when using them. They also tend to be free of irritating ingredients, such as fragrance, which are commonly found in drugstore or beauty counter products.
Watch Your Diet
Keeping an eye on what you eat is particularly helpful if you have a non-surgical treatment designed to remove or reduce fat, such as Coolsculpting. The treatment takes about an hour and effectively removes fat by freezing it. While the destroyed fat is gone for good, it is possible for the remaining fat cells to increase in size if you gain weight. Keeping an eye on what you eat, and resolving to eat whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein instead of packaged or processed foods, can help you maintain and extend the results of your Coolsculpting treatment.
Eating well can also help fillers and other treatments last longer. Limiting the amount of sugar in your diet, for example, reduces the production of advanced glycation end products, or AGEs. AGEs damage collagen, accelerating the aging process and making you look older before your time.
Choose Longer-Lasting Non-Surgical Options
Some non-surgical treatments naturally provide longer-lasting results than others. This is particularly true when it comes to dermal fillers. For example, the thinner the filler, usually the less time it lasts. Juvederm, which is made from hyaluronic acid and used to treat nasolabial folds and other types of wrinkles, lasts for a much shorter amount of time than Juvederm Voluma. Voluma is made from a thicker, more viscous form of hyaluronic acid. It’s used to plump up the cheeks and to revolumize the face. Results can last for up to two years, compared to six months to a year for standard Juvederm.
Placement of the filler also affects how long results last. For example, Juvederm and other hyaluronic acid fillers tend to last for less time when they are used as lip fillers. You might get between four and six months of results when you have lip injections, compared to six months or more when those same injections are used in other areas of the body.
Repeat Non-Surgical Treatments
Along with improving your diet and skin care routine and choosing the most appropriate filler option, one way to extend the life of a non-surgical treatment is simply to repeat the treatment. Pretty much any minimally invasive cosmetic treatment can be repeated just as the results are about to wear off, or before they wear off, to maintain them. For example, you can schedule Botox injections every quarter to keep your crow’s feet and frown lines at bay. A benefit of repeating Botox on a schedule is that eventually you might need fewer and fewer treatments as your body gets used to not making the movements that lead to crow’s feet or frown lines.
The staff at Mirror Mirror Beauty Boutique in Houston, Texas, offers a range of non-surgical treatments to help you look and feel your best. To learn more about your treatment options and what you can do to extend the life of your results, call (281) 810-9083 to schedule an appointment today.