Can Beauty be a One and Done Event?

Many of the people who visit our Seattle and Renton offices ask the same question. “Will I see results after one treatment?” This can be a tricky question to answer. In some cases, yes, results are immediately visible (oh, how we love you, dermal fillers!). However, even in this case, it is necessary to repeat treatment at some point.  Here, we discuss why beauty is not a one and done event.

It is easy to say that we need to keep up with our skin because it is constantly aging. This is true. Studies suggest that our fibroblast cells become nearly dormant after age 30. We don’t see or feel this at first because the body has built up the skin-firming proteins these cells have provided since childhood. About age 40, however, we begin to see the effects of the 1 to 2% annual breakdown of collagen and elastin. Knowing this, we can see just why the skin requires ongoing support. The question is not whether or not treatments should be repeated, it is how many treatments are needed at what intervals.

Several nonsurgical treatments have been developed in recent years to target fibroblast cells; to wake them up, so to speak, so they continue producing collagen and elastin. Each time a treatment is performed, fibroblasts may activate for up to 6 months. Then they will go dormant once again. To rebuild a tissue foundation that has degraded over a few decades may take several collagen-building treatments. Generally, patients can expect to need one treatment for every decade they have lived. The average 50-year-old may need a series of 5 skin-tightening treatments to reset their baseline. After this point, one or two treatments a year may be sufficient.  Of course, this can also depend on the type of treatment that a patient chooses.

Now is a Great Time to Manage Beauty

Whether you are a 30-year-old who wants to begin addressing collagen-loss before the signs of aging develop or you are a 70-year-old who wants to correct mild to moderate tissue laxity and discoloration, we have treatment options that can help you. Come talk with us about your beauty goals and we will develop a treatment plan to achieve them. Call 206-859-5777 to schedule a visit to our Seattle or Renton office.