A week in my life doesn’t always include treatments from the talented ladies here at Body Tonic, but this week it sure did! I got lucky and got a few things done…
I had some milia removed
I got a glycolic peel - sometimes known as a “party peel”
And I got my lips done! Lip enhancement is definitely my obsession. In fact, Kit Kivell came in right before we started and asked, “How many times have you had your lips done since you’ve been here?!?” (This was my third time…hey! I metabolize quickly!)
Let’s start with talking about the tiny white bump over my eye that I couldn’t pop. I had no idea what that was until recently. The white bump looked like a whitehead but wouldn’t pop, and didn’t go away on its own, even after months. It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and I sure as heck don’t want some white bump detracting from any soul gazing….so I asked one of our aestheticians, Leslie Sazon, what it was. Milia was her answer. Milia is a kertain filled cyst, usually found around the eyes or nose.They’re not painful, and trying to extract them yourself will not help (don’t think I didn’t try though!). They occur when your skin doesn’t exfoliate properly. Sun damage is also a contributing factor to milia because it makes skin tougher, so it's more difficult for dead cells shed normally.
How do you get rid of it? Milia can easily be removed in-office with a small needle. The milia is hard and a needle is used to make a small opening in the skin to remove the keratin cyst. Does it hurt? Not really. And I’m glad my weird white spots are gone.
After I had my several milia removed, Iris Taylor, our injection and skincare guru/wonder woman recommended that I get a glycolic peel. I have to admit, my skin was looking fairly congested. The peel was quick, fairly painless, and has no downtime - your skin does not continue to peel afterwards. I was glowing right away! And my skin looked amazing the next morning as well. Glycolic peels can be done once a month.
And now to the lips! Holy moly I was excited! I have naturally thin lips which are also a bit asymetrical. Lip asymetry is something that dermal filler can correct, as well as providing fullness, definition, and shape. Gina Jones did my lip injections, and she started with a dental block instead of topical anesthetic. I highy recommend this! Although the injections of lidocain do sting, it was pretty amazing to not a feel a darn thing while she did the actual procedure.
Gina knew the fullness I was after, and so we used Juvederm UltraPlus this time. Juvederm is the most popular dermal filler available. It is made of hyaluronic acid (HA), like most dermal fillers on the market. HA is a basic element in connective skin tissue, in spinal fluid, in the eyes, and in joints. HA has the ability to draw and hold water and it helps to nourish and moisturize the skin. Unfortunately, hyaluronic acid in the skin, like collagen, diminishes as we age. Because it is a natural substance, when used in a dermal filler, it integrates smoothly into the skin with a minimum of side effects.
The Juvederm products have a patented technology called Hylacross, that produces a smooth, long lasting result. Gina injected the product in such a way as to define and enhance my lip shape, enhanced the corners of my mouth so they appear to be more upturned, and she was able to remedy the asymmetry that I have on the right side of my bottom lip. The procedure took about an hour.
How long do the results last? Results are immediate and Juvederm can last up to a year. However, the length of time your filler will last is dependent upon your metabolism, as well as the area in which it is placed. Becuase the mouth moves almost constantly, filler can metabolize in this area more quickly than other areas.