Before and After Thermage CPT

PHOTO CREDIT: www.thermage.com

Interested in looking younger? Younger in a fresher – wow you had a great relaxing vacation- sort of way, not – wow you had a scary face lift – kind of way?

Thermage is the answer to your prayers.  Thermage is not like a face lift.  It will not dramatically change the way you look.  Instead, it will help make your face/eyes/abdomen look the way it used to.  Thermage can help smooth and tighten your skin for an overall naturally younger looking appearance, without surgery or injections.  Sounds too good to be true?  There is more.  Thermage requires no downtime, none.

As you age, the collagen in your skin breaks down, resulting in wrinkles and sagging.  Thermage helps tighten and renew your skin’s collagen through all three layers of skin: the epidermis, dermis, and the deep subcutaneous (fat) layers.  Your skin looks and feels noticeably smoother, tighter, and firmer, almost immediately, with results improving over a couple of months.

The preparation for the treatment is simple, you need to do nothing other than show up for your appointment.  This treatment is effective and safe year round, and  since there is no need to avoid the sun like after laser treatments, you can make your appointment whenever it best suits your schedule.

The treatment starts with a gentle cleansing of the area to be treated, and then the doctor will apply a washable grid on it.  This grid tells the doctor exactly where to place the small, hand held device to insure maximum results.  The doctor also uses a cooling gel to minimize any chance of burning or bruising.  The hand held device emits a unique radio frequency which safely heats the deeper layers of the skin, stimulating existing collagen, and promoting new collagen growth. The doctor makes numerous passes across, up, and down this grid. For the most part, there is no discomfort whatsoever.  The goal is to feel a warm, heating sensation, without a burning sensation or pain. It is an interactive treatment in that you are expected to give the doctor feedback , so they can adjust the frequency if needed.   For example, the frequency you can tolerate on your cheeks may be different that what you can tolerate on your temples. Everyone is different, and the beauty of this new hand held device is it gives the doctor complete control and flexibility to best treat eyes/face/abdomen, adjusting the frequency as they go.

The treatment lasts about an hour, depending on body site, and prices vary accordingly.  Following treatment, you can immediately apply make-up, and go on your merry way.

In Chicago, Dr. Carolyn Jacob  and her staff at  Chicago Cosmetic Surgery & Dermatology offer the newest Thermage treatments in their soothing, relaxing office.  They conduct business in a spa-like environment and employ true professionals.  When you go, ask for Nirali. She is incredibly gentle and experienced. Exactly what you want when you go for any kind of treatment like this.

FINAL VERDICT: RDW (Run Don’t Walk) An hour or so of time to bring back younger, tighter, smoother skin? I can’t think of a better way to spend the time.

* Gifted*

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 Photo credit: www.bioelements.com

BIOELEMENTS TWICE DAILY BAR – In an ever growing supply of facial cleansers, this is a tried and true favorite of mine. I have been using this bar, and many other products from this line for the last 10 years. Gentle cleansing agents blended with natural plant extracts produce a soap-free lather that leaves your skin sparkly clean, soft, and comfortable. The bar comes with a small round sponge that when used (wet) with the bar, provides a gentle massage and light exfoliation. One great advantage of this bar over other soap-free cleansers, is that your skin never feels tight or dull after you wash.

This bar contains ginseng, sumac, gotu kola, dong quai, and watercress, all to support and strengthen your skin.  Other natural plant botanicals in this bar include lavender, sage oil, and clary sage oil, all to promote healing and soothing of skin.

Like a glycerin bar, if continually exposed to water, this bar will disappear in a hurry. Also, the size of it when it is brand new is a bit too large for my hands, making it unwieldy for me. When I get a new bar, I use a knife to slice off a small amount of the bar. I use that smaller piece until I need more, and this way, the bar lasts a really long time. It also makes it handy for traveling.

This is a staple in my facial cleansing routine. It has two partners in crime.  They are BioElements Moisture Positive Cleanser for when my combination skin is feeling a it more on the dry side, and the Flash Foam Cleanser, for when I need a deeper clean with more exfoliation. The latter uses pumpkin, papaya, and pineapple enzymes to pump up the cleansing, and as you can imagine, smells fantastic.

Bioelements professional formula integrity insures their products contain no artificial colorants, no synthetic fragrance, they are never tested on animals, and they contain organic botanicals.

FINAL VERDICT - GGI (Gotta Get It) - this product is fabulous on its own, and incredible when partnered with other products from this line.

6oz Twice Daily Bar $21.50; 6oz Moisture Positive Cleanser $28; 6oz Flash Foam Cleanser $33

*Purchased*

PHOTO CREDIT: amazon.com

DERMALOGICA BARRIER REPAIR - My love affair with Dermalogica Barrier Repair started years ago in the wilds of Minnesota, where brutal winters and a bachelorette pad with very dry radiator heat did a complete number on my face.  Barrier Repair was a revelation delivered by a wise esthetician who tipped me off to the waterless, silicone-based moisturizer that was way ahead of the curve.  Formulated to ward off damage from pollution and extreme temperatures, it also calms down stressed-out, hormonal skin… all of this with no artificial fragrance and an amazing texture.  I don’t mind a heavy night cream, but I hate feeling gooped first thing in the morning.  Barrier Repair makes my skin feel like velvet, and before cosmetics companies were even marketing primers, Barrier Repair was the best primer around, moisturizing and reducing the appearance of pores and fine lines.  Now the market is saturated with primers, but I have yet to find one with the same benefits.  On blustery winter mornings, Dermalogica Barrier Repair is the first thing to go on my face, and I won’t fly without it.

FINAL VERDICT - GGI (GOTTA GET IT) – The one ounce tube costs $36, lasts forever, and is small enough to fit in the teeniest bag.  I started using it in my 20s and know women of all ages who swear by Dermalogica Barrier Repair.  I’m happy to buy and try other products of its kind, but Dermalogica’s quality, performance and value keep me coming back.