photos by JASPER & FERN
Your skin – your body’s largest organ system – is as individual as you are. Most of us have at least one feature we would like to improve, whether it is sun damage, those pesky “11s” between the brows or age spots on the face or hands. Science tells us that UV exposure on unprotected skin is a major factor in skin aging, and it’s true that a good quality sunscreen and other skincare products can be helpful. But, the bottom line is this…skin changes will happen as we age. Until the early 30s, cells turn over every month, revealing a fresh layer of pristine skin. As we age, however, our skin’s ability to repair itself slows down and collagen production decreases, leading to dullness, reduced volume and a loss of firmness. Dr. Leigh Summer, owner and medical director of Lewisville Laser & Aesthetics, is refreshingly candid about this. “Aging will catch up to you,” she says. “The good news is you have some input into how quickly this happens.”
Dr. Summer believes that prevention is a key component in slowing the more prominent signs of aging skin. “In addition to a quality sunscreen, we all can benefit from products like retinol (a form of Vitamin A) and peptides (proteins that naturally occur in the skin) to help boost the production of collagen for firmer, younger-looking skin,” Dr. Summer says. And, while these products do indeed help, when the signs of premature aging have gotten to the point where they are bothersome, it is time to make an appointment with the certified professionals at Lewisville Laser & Aesthetics.
The LLA team offers a plethora of anti-aging skincare treatments to improve your cosmetic appearance. From Botox and dermal fillers to microneedling and fractional CO2 laser skin resurfacing, Dr. Summer and her highly skilled staff will help you achieve your desired outcome with minimal downtime and maximum results. Their services are designed to help improve the skin’s appearance, health and function without looking “fake” or “overdone.” With a range of treatment options, they can create a tailor-made plan that is effective for your unique needs and budget.
Education is an important aspect of Dr. Summer’s patient care philosophy. “I think it’s so helpful to know what’s happening in our bodies as we age and the ways those changes affect our appearance.” The goal of good facial aesthetic care is to subtly address these changes, which Dr. Summer puts into four categories: volume loss, the effect of facial muscles repetitively pulling on skin, loss of elasticity, and pigmentation and texture issues. Below is her summary of these factors and recommendations for treatment:
Four Areas of Aging and Treatment Options
- Volume Loss
- bone mass shrinks around mouth, chin and cheek bones
- gravity pulls down fat pads – sunken cheeks, nasolabial lines
- disconnection of soft tissues – marionette lines, jowls
- thinner and less elastic skin – wrinkles and uneven texture
Treatment
- dermal fillers (e.g. Juvederm and Restylane) – restores volume to cheeks, lips and around the mouth, smooths away “smile lines” or “parentheses”
- Sculptra – turns collagen back on to preserve skin, improve volume loss in the cheeks, improve hollowness in the temples, improve lines and wrinkles
- Muscles Pulling on the Skin
- repetitive contraction of muscles – horizontal lines on forehead, deeper aspects of crow’s feet
- lines form between bulk of muscle – deeper curved lines on the temples, upper cheeks and around the mouth
Treatment
- Botox – blocks neurotransmitters from engaging with facial muscles to smooth fine to moderate lines (e.g. glabellar lines – the “11s”, corners of the mouth)
- Dysport – relaxes the muscles in the face to reduce moderate to severe lines and wrinkles (e.g. crow’s feet, forehead lines, horizontal forehead creases)
- Loss of Skin Elasticity
- decline in estrogen in women – skin becomes slack; “frosting melting off the face”
- ability to produce collagen and elastin decreases with age – skin wrinkles in the dermis layer
- decrease in production of natural oils – drier skin and more pronounced lines and crevices
Treatment
- regular microneedling – creates new tissue and stimulates collagen production to tackle acne scarring, sun damage, fine lines and wrinkles
- RF microneedling – radio frequency energy delivered to deeper layers of skin to tighten loose skin and address deeper sun damage, scarring and wrinkles
- PicoWay Resolve – bursts of laser energy deep within the skin stimulates production of collagen and elastin for smoother, firmer, more radiant skin
- fractional CO2 – energy stimulates healing deep within the skin and creates new collagen to treat crepiness and diminish deeper lines (e.g. pillow face)
- Ultherapy – ultrasound-based treatment helps produce new collagen growth and tightens the skin; perfect for lifting skin on the neck, chin and face
- Superficial Pigmentation and Texture of Skin
- degradation of elastin and collagen – pores become larger, skin texture is coarse, dry and dull
- pigment-containing cells (melanocytes) decrease – skin discolorations and age spots
- buildup of dead skin cells – dull skin and clogged pores
Treatment
- Hydrafacial – a unique combination of powerful treatment modalities to remove dead cells at the skin’s surface and downy hairs on the face
- IPL (intense pulsed light) – targets melanin without damaging top skin layer to address “leather skin,” sunspots, freckles, age spots and blotchy skin
- PicoWay Resolve – bursts of laser energy deep within skin stimulates production of collagen and elastin – helps with dark spots, melasma and acne scarring
- fractional CO2 – resurfacing laser treatment precisely removes thin layers of skin to improve skin’s tone and texture, and reduce signs of aging
“The same treatments, with a few exceptions, are recommended for women of all ages with one caveat: If you haven’t done prevention across the years, you will require more products and procedures across more time to get the results you want.”
~ Dr. Leigh Summer
To learn more about how you can benefit from the products and treatments offered by Dr. Leigh Summer and her highly respected staff at Lewisville Laser & Aesthetics, visit the website at lewisvillelaser.com or call 336.945.2076 to schedule a free consultation. They are conveniently located at 6580 Shallowford Road, Suite 130 in Lewisville, only 10 minutes away from Winston-Salem. Shop for products at shoplewisvillelaser.com, and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates and events.
