By Dr. Frank Lista, MD., FRCSC., Medical Director and Founder, The Plastic Surgery Clinic
I know, I know—we haven’t even survived New Year’s yet. Is it a bit premature to be talking about our fan favourite post-holiday treatments? Hey, if I can give you a head start on a few New Year’s resolutions, all the better. And since the holidays mean we get to slow down a little at The Plastic Surgery Clinic, it’s the perfect chance for me to take a minute to share this December hot topic.
Over the past few weeks we’ve been enjoying tons of treats brought in by our amazing patients and that’s what the holidays are all about. Maybe you’ve just wrapped up a nonstop marathon of big family dinners, Christmas baking and eggnog, maybe a few extra glasses of wine here and there, and a few extra early mornings with kids and late nights with friends and family.
But after all that fun (and who knows what New Year’s Eve is about to bring), sometimes we come out the other side no longer feeling our best. We wake up with bags or dark circles under our eyes, we notice an extra pound or two has snuck up on us and we lose that fresh-faced, energized feeling. Wanting to give yourself a little boost as you enter 2019? We’ve got a number of solutions that will help you on your way.
How to Treat Dark Circles or Bags Under the Eyes
You might not have time to catch up on all the sleep you’ve missed (if you do, please tell us your secret). But if you have dark circles that you’ve inherited genetically that don’t go away no matter how well rested you are, under eye filler could be a great option for you. It’s a treatment specially designed to treat the tear trough area with essential nutrients that are naturally present in the skin.
When you notice dark circles under the eyes, typically what you’re seeing is caused by a hollowness or lack of volume that casts a shadow beneath the eye, which makes it look darker. By carefully injecting filler into that affected area, we fill in the hollowness and help the dark circles disappear. Best of all, it only takes around 15 to 30 minutes and the result is instant and noticeable. Some patients have found that it even lasts up to 2 years.
Freeze Away Those Turkey Dinner Memories
We’re not talking about saving your leftovers here. We’re talking one of our all-time favourite treatments for patients and staff alike: CoolSculpting. CoolSculpting helps you eliminate stubborn, unwanted pockets of fat from almost anywhere on your body without surgery or downtime.
This non-surgical procedure works by using a special applicator that exposes your fat cells to temperatures that are cold enough to kill them but not cold enough to harm skin cells. During treatment, you can sit back, relax, check your email, watch Netflix on one of our iPads, or catch a quick nap. After your body processes the dead cells, you may start to see a result in as little as three weeks after treatment, although your most impressive results will likely be apparent after about two months.
CoolSculpting is an ideal solution for treating stubborn bulges that resist diet and exercise. So if you make those changes as part of your resolutions and find that you still have that resistant pockets of unwanted fat, it can help you eliminate them for good.
Revitalize Your Skin with Peels & Laser Treatments
Want to greet a new year with a bright and glowing complexion? Slough off last year’s skin cells with one of our revitalizing dermaplaning peel treatments.
As time passes, lifeless cells build up on the skin’s surface. This can not only make your complexion appear dull but can also prevent your skincare from working as hard as it can—a big disappointment if you’re investing in quality skincare with lots of active ingredients. With dermaplaning, we manually exfoliate the skin’s surface by gently scraping away dead cells and fine hairs with a surgical blade.
After that, the solution of your peel treatment can penetrate more deeply and work more effectively. In fact, any skin treatment you receive after dermaplaning is going to be more powerful since it will be able to reach a deeper dermal level.
We generally recommend a dermaplaning peel treatment right before an IPL laser treatment to maximize results, with a follow up peel treatment a week or two later to help even skin tone, reduce age spots and improve discolouration caused by acne scarring.
We offer a number of different peel treatment and laser options, so if those aren’t among your top skin concerns, we can put together a special treatment plan that will achieve your goals and knock out your 2019 skin resolutions in no time.
Did we answer all your questions? Our goal is to ensure you have the best information possible to make your decision. If you still have questions, we’re here to help.