Looking Your Best, Above and Below the Mask

As an Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner at SkinSpirit Long Beach (2nd & PCH), Jen Kang finds her patients are looking for new ways to look great and feel confident in a mask.

Her advice to clients is this: use this time to focus on areas you may have been neglecting - like your upper face, neck, and decollete - as well as on boosting your collagen overall.

6 ways to give yourself a confidence boost in a mask

Here are Jen’s top six ways to give yourself a boost this season:

Erase Your Lines: Botox

botox

“My number one favorite treatment for the upper face and neck is a neuromodulator like Botox,” says Jen. “Products like Botox and Dysport are muscle-relaxing injections that are used to treat wrinkles, frown lines and crow's feet in the upper face.”

So how does it work? Botox essentially relaxes the muscle and in turn, the skin has a chance to heal the lines and wrinkles. ⁠Its effects take 3-7 days to start working, with the full result visible around 14 days post treatment, and lasting between 2-4 months (depending on your metabolism).

“I also love Botox in very small doses, known as micro-tox,” adds Jen.

Micro-Botox is a great way to treat the horizontal bands on the neck. Also known as “tech neck”, these lines can be caused by the strain of looking down at our phone screens - something we’re all doing even more of this past year! Working in the same way on the neck as it does in the face, Botox smooths lines in the neck by relaxing the muscle under the skin.

Replace Lost Volume: Fillers

filer-jaw

While Botox is used to smooth away wrinkles and fine lines, dermal fillers help to restore lost volume in the face and neck.

“Botox and fillers work really well together to turn back the clock!” says Jen. “Think of your skin as a partially deflated balloon that has lost volume and, as a result, also has a little loose material. To restore smoothness to the balloon, you can blow it back up by adding volume which is essentially what fillers do.”

As you’re looking to look your best above the mask, consider fillers for the under eye area and the temples on the upper face.

“I love how fillers can work well with Botox in those regions to create a natural, rejuvenated look without ever going under the knife or having any downtime!” says Jen.

Replace Lost Collagen: Sculptra

On the neck and decollete, Jen recommends Sculptra.

Sculptra is an injectable that helps gradually replace lost collagen — the most common protein in the body that is used to form a framework to support cell and tissue. And boy is this one worth it - results can last more than two years!

The Ultimate Collagen Booster: Ultherapy

ultherapy

If you’re looking for the ultimate collagen booster from forehead to decollete, Ultherapy is the gold-standard.

Our brow and necklines are some of the first areas to start showing their age, mostly by sagging. Using ultrasound energy, Ultherapy promotes the growth of new collagen to tighten and tone this skin, lifting the brows, smoothing the lips, and tightening the under eye for a more refreshed appearance.

According to Medical Director, Dr. M Dean Vistnes, “Ultherapy is probably the strongest non-surgical procedure that we have that is able to tighten the skin to a visible degree.”

Our Best Skincare Maintenance: DiamondGlow

“I love the DiamondGlow to keep the skin healthy and fresh - which is especially important when we’re wearing our masks as they can cause so much skin congestion,” says Jen.

The DiamondGlow is a skin rejuvenation treatment that exfoliates, extracts impurities, and infuses medical grade serums into the skin all in one 30-minute session. Plus, it's tailored entirely to the patient and their skin concerns, with serums for hydration, anti-aging, acne prone skin, and more.

Jen recommends the DiamondGlow paired with medical-grade skincare products (ask your provider for help setting up a regimen!) to treat dull and congested skin.

Keep It Up At Home: Skincare

Keeping a regular home care routine, with the best medical-grade skincare products for your skin type and concerns, is critical to maintaining and even improving the results from your medical-grade treatments. Plus, it’s the best way to keep mask-ne at bay when you can’t come in for regular facials!

For tips on how to adjust your home care routine for mask season, check out Karen Fernandez’s guide to skincare for mask wearing.

Schedule a Complimentary Consultation in CA, NY, TX, UT & WA

Get glowing above and below the mask with treatments tailored to you.

Schedule a product consultation with one of our aesthetic experts in California, New York, Washington, Texas, or Utah, and get on the best home care routine for your skin by calling (855) 383-7546 or book online.

To learn more about the best treatments to keep you looking and feeling your best while wearing a mask, give us a call at (855) 383-7546 or find contact information for your local clinic here.

In the press

VogueWomen's HealthELLEstyleThe New York TimesUSA Today