5 Proven Ways to Glowing Skin This Holiday Season

The holiday season can be a stressful time where self care is put on the back burner. As family gatherings loom, though, you want to look and feel your best. Luckily, there are several popular solutions—both surgical and nonsurgical—that can help you obtain a youthful, healthy glow and boost your confidence.

Botox and Dysport injections

Botox and Dysport are medications that relax muscles to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Collectively, they treat eyebrow and forehead creases, crow’s feet, dimpling of chin, platsymal bands, downturned corners of the mouth, upper lip wrinkles, and excessive sweating. Both injections are minimally invasive and only require 10 to 15 minutes to administer, making these the perfect lunch break treatment. Patients see results around four days to two weeks, and the benefits last three to four months. (Botox and Dysport injections remain the most popular minimally invasive procedure with 7.2 million treatments in 2017 alone.)

Soft tissue fillers

Another facial wrinkle treatment, soft tissue fillers can restore volume and fullness to your face using hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance that keeps skin hydrated and healthy. Five recommended hyaluronic acid fillers include Restylane, a clear, injectable gel that offers immediate results; Restylane Lyft, a gel with larger gel particles to tackle deeper skin wrinkles; Juvederm, a gel infused with a small amount of lidocaine for a more comfortable application; Voluma XC, the newest FDA-approved filler specifically designed to lift the cheek area and clinically proven to last up to two years; and Belotero, a gel dermal suited for superficial fine lines.

Chemical peels

Chemical peels remove layers of dead skin; during treatment, an acid is applied to the skin to induce exfoliation, tightening, and collagen stimulation. These can reduce the appearance of fine lines, improve acne scarring and age spots, and remove precancerous lesions like actinic keratosis. Superficial peels are a milder form that is suitable for all skin types, removing the epidermal layer of skin in 15 to 30 minutes. Medium peels are more severe, penetrating the papillary dermis of the skin and taking about an hour for the full treatment with a more intense skincare routine required post-peel. Both peels reveal smoother and fresher skin for the long-term.

Facial liposculpture

This minimally invasive surgical technique helps sculpt the face and neck with the targeted removal of fat from the chin, cheeks, jowls, and neck. During a facial liposculpture, small incision is made to the desired area; for the chin and jowls, specialized facial aspiration cannulas remove unwanted fat; for the neck, cannulas of different lengths and width contour the front and sides of neck; and for the cheeks, the buccal fat pad is removed to subtly thin the cheeks and highlight cheekbones. Mild bruising and swelling can occur immediately post-procedure, but recovery only takes a few days with improved results over several months as skin tightens.

Facelift (or mini-lift)

A facelift is the best and most trusted combatant against the dreaded signs of aging like sagging skin, flat cheeks, deep creases, and a soft jawline. Mini-lifts are smaller surgical procedures that can be performed in a surgeon’s office, while full facelifts require a hospital visit. During the procedure, an incision is made within the hairline at the temple, around the ear and earlobe, and into the hairline behind the ear, with length and position determined by the degree of the facelift. The skin is separated from the underlying fat and muscle to reposition deep tissues and remove excess skin and fat. Stitches are moved in five to seven days following surgery, and patients can return to work and social activities only one to two weeks post-treatment.

For more information on anti-aging solutions and treatment options for you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Jeannie Chung, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon. Offering a list of cosmetic surgery services for the face, head, and neck regions, body liposuction, and skin rejuvenation, Dr. Chung’s office is located in Wellesley. Call 781-235-FACE or visit drjeanniechung.com.

This is a paid partnership between Dr. Jeannie Chung and Boston Magazine