With our last Indian-summer weekends behind us, it’s with a little sadness we accept that cottage and gardening seasons are almost over. Good news is, we herald in LASER SZN! I know some of you prefer sweater-weather, and being able to turn off the AC, and someone actually came in the other day saying…only 100 days till Christmas! Ok, slow down smokey.
First things first, let’s talk about how to get your skin rehabilitated from summer.
Time to reverse sun damage, get some serious energy into the dermis to turbo boost new collagen production, and resume therapies to treat a multitude of concerns. It’s important to note that even though we spend less time in the sun during peak hours, UVA radiation is constant throughout the year and is present from sun up till sun down. Sunscreen and UV avoidance for the face, neck and chronically exposed areas like the back of hands is crucial ALL YEAR ROUND.
Once all the incidental bronzed skin of summer is faded to as close to “normal” you can get in for your BBL rejuvenation treatment (Broad Band Light, not Brazilian Butt Lift). Q-Switched 532 laser for age spots or “liver spots” (flat seborrheic keratoses) and Q-Sw YAG laser for tattoo removal are also done when skin is untanned.
Moxi can be done all year round, but the toasted sandpapery dots stick around longer on the chest and body areas so fall/winter is favourable for treating these zones. Morpheus8 can be done year-round but @DermNurseLara prefers if you are untanned so she can tidy up spider veins and red spots with a layer of BBL under the Morpheus- it’s the SYNERGY that makes our results so spectacular. If have any skintags or age spots that need treatment get those numbed up too, and we can take care of them in the same visit. Making efficient use of time is of the essence now, as Laser SZN is also busy season! We just got back from NYC, were so inspired by the the advanced learning and pearls we brought back from the Sciton laser summit. We are brand ambassadors for the Moxi laser and experts in the latest BBL bespoke treatments, and we couldn't be more proud to partner with a company that aligns with our values. Only the BEST for our SKin Phi Tribe ❤️
Schedule your self care now, and start restoring your skin back to health!
Ask us about adding the SkinSmooth step in your next BBL: this step deploys thousands of pulses of pain-free and gentle pulses of red and infrared energy into the skin to stimulate fibroblast cells. Fibroblasts are responsible for making new collagen and more of your own hyaluronic acid in the deeper layers of skin. I did this right before travelling to NYC last weekend and my skin glowed like it had an illuminescent glaze on it for days! And that was with meetings, late nights, champagne, AND too much sugar. So...what I'm pointing out is, when life becomes increasingly tense and busy, your face deserves some extra love if you don't want your skin to pay the consequences of those lifestyle and environmental stressors. Now back to reality, it's ideal to strive for: good sleep hygiene, drink less alcohol, stay hydrated, and adopt effective skincare practices. By the way, this picture is an untouched selfie, I am wearing only tinted sunscreen! Enhance your next BBL with the SkinSmooth and get the glow going... it's LaserSZN
The long-term benefit of BBL Forever Young and SkinSmooth/SkinTyte is that your cells are actually repaired to not only LOOK healthier, they are restored to BEHAVE like pre-sundamaged and pre-aged cells. This is proven in the Stanford University studies led by Dr. Bitter Jr. in 2013.
Remember, at SKin Phi your 4th BBL session is complimentary! No prepayment of a package is required, just receive a free BBL every 4th treatment. Because we want to reward your healthy and beautiful skin habits!!
Now at SKin Phi: Skinceuticals... Lite
Skinceuticals is the OG antioxidant serum company. Medical grade Vitamin C has many clinically proven benefits to the skin: reverses sun damage, supports collagen growth and skin firmness, normalizes pigmentation, and of course on the cellular level it is neutralizing all the oxidative stress your cells undergo from environmental and internal ageing factors. The combination of agents such as Ferulic acid, niacinamide, B12, B5 and other proven active ingredients makes Skinceuticals a highly efficient delivery method of “vitamins for your skin”!
We still hold firm to the principle of simplicity and essential elements only in skincare. The onslaught of new product lines in the cosmetics industry encourages people (even very young tweens!) to use more and more creams and potions, even products that are not needed- as a sign of luxury status. This is wrong. Our 12 year olds do not need any anti-ageing topicals. Amongst adult patients, increasing contact dermatitis and skin hypersensitivities are occuring, this can be directly attributed to using too many products, many of them actually damaging the natural skin barrier, rather than strengthening or at least preserving it. I am one of the unlucky few that cannot actually tolerate the gold standard CE Ferulic, I seem to have an intolerance to Vitamin E (a known contact allergen for some people). I was sad only for a moment, because I just switched to the original Serum10 (no Vit E), the OG VitaminC serum that was researched and tested decades ago and now I can have my antioxidants on underneath my zinc sunscreen every morning too!
Ask for help in selecting the right products to try if you are interested in enhancing your at-home skincare regimen. We will routinely carry the BIG4, what we consider to be the work horses of antioxidant serums, but don't subscribe to anyone needing ALL the products. Remember, simple is best.
CE Ferulic (cult favourite anti-oxidant serum for everyday)
Hydrating B5 Gel (for dry and crepey skin)
Phyto Corrective Gel (for sensitive skin, redness and reactive)
Discoloration Defence (for pigmentation issues)
If you know your Skinceuticals favourites already and need to replenish stock in between office visits, simply go to the SKin Phi website and click on the Skinceuticals button on the Skincare page to order online, shipping is free when you go in through our Skinceuticals Affiliate portal!
WHAT'S NEW:
Coming soon...a new SKin Phi Family member:
Sciton ClearV 1064 laser for spider veins, venous lakes, stubborn rosacea, leg veins
Sciton ClearSilk for no down-time skin toning of redness, enlarged pores, stretch marks, safe on all skin types and seasons of the year
BBL HEROic- great for gentle and painfree BBL treatment for large body photodamage. no numbing cream required and a proven way to reverse sun damaged skin on chest, arms, back, legs. (Also an option for patients who wish to transition from doing traditional BBL on face to doing it without using topical anesthetic cream)
Women's health... Perimenopause and Menopause
World menopause day is Oct 18 and we are marking the day of awareness with a conversation on Instagram Live. The hormone transition of midlife affects some women dramatically. Disruptive changes may occur: in the skin, musculoskeletal system, metabolism and weight fluctuations, sexual health, vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats), cognitive and mental health challenges, etc.
Education and knowledge is empowering, so is learning about strategies and therapies that can help you thrive through this transition!
Join us for this virtual celebration of empowering women, grab your glass of bubbly or kombucha and get ready for an enlightening circle of support and information!
Stayed tuned for details about the event on Tuesday Oct 15 @ 7:30pm with NurseSunnyKim, Sacha Bourdage and Dr Natalie Leroux from Sensolia Clinique in Montreal, QC.
Follow on Instagram:
@skinphiottawa
@nursesunnykim
@clinique.sensolia
@sachabourdage.sensolia
Rose Exosomes are the NEW Regenerative Medicine!
Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP has been used for a long time to help with tissue regeneration and repair. Growth Factors found in your own plasma can enhance treatment results when added to microneedling, any fractional laser or energy treatment, or sometimes injected directly into your skin or scalp (for hair loss). Next level regenerative medicine is using the power of stemcell therapy. Stemcells are pleuripotent- that means they have the capacity to become or do anything the body needs it to do to heal or restore tissue. Health Canada has paused autologous stemcell therapy several years ago due to concerns over marketing claims, but it was previously used in Orthopaedics and other fields of medicine.
Exosomes are the carbon copy of STEM CELLS, and are the new superhero of regenerative medicine. Human derived (from adipose cells) exosomes have been safely used for several years now (carbon copy of the stemcell, but do not contain any donor DNA). We introduced Benev Exosomes 2 years ago, as a revolutionary topical therapy to boost fractional and microneedling procedures. Now SKin Phi is also offering ROSE Exosomes as a Plant-based alternative for regenerative rejuvenation.
DP4 Dermapen microneedling is a great way to improve dull or rough skin, improve stretch marks or acne scars, brighten the undereye area when used with PRP or Exosomes, and can help restore hair on the scalp if you are thinning or losing hair density. Little to no downtime and comfortable.
Save $150 and try the new Rose Exosomes with your DP4 Microneedle treatment in October for $500 per treatment. Must be booked with Lisa Peacock, Tues or Thursdays.
New Nurse in the City Story coming soon...This is Nadine
The eyes are the windows to the soul, what are the lips? Expression of self.
Quite possibly THE most personal feature of your face, it is the instrument of expression, of affection, and literally draws attention to itself by virtue of speaking with it.
The story of Nadine is a common one, a beautiful and confidant woman who wanted to enhance her lips with filler treatment. She came to me with her lips "overtreated" and lumpy which resulted in some disfiguring of the upper lateral lip, and asked me if we could do something to correct this. It was a lot of evaluation, counselling and planning to take on this case, because I know many injector colleagues in this city who do wonderful work, so this was in no way throwing shade to other providers in this space. But I have been bothered lately by some of the trends and pitfalls seen in our industry in the past several years, and wish this kind of outcome wasn't as common as it is these days. You see, there has been a flood of new injectors since about 2019. There are more bad injections happening right now than skillful injections, if you consider the ratio of inexperienced to experienced doctors or nurses doing this. I appreciate that everyone must start somewhere, but basically, if a doctor or nurse has just started to learn this skill, they are practising on you.
Stay tuned for the Nurse In the City episode 8: This is Nadine.
Posted on IG @nursesunnykim in a week or so.
The Pretty LipTM is something we started referring to some 17 years ago, and it's become part of The Needle Whisperer's lexicon. There are many ways to create them, using products like Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero, Saypha, etc. Basically HYALURONIC ACID products are ideal, because they can be reversed if there is an adverse effect. One of my mentors once said he studied lips of young people, because they naturally had the structure of what a pretty lip is, despite coming in ALL different shapes and sizes. It's a personal opinion thing, but I always believed that pretty lips looked soft and hydrated, well balanced within the frame of the lower face, but looked “not treated with filler”. An enhancer, not a distraction.
We know that many people are walking around these days with filler in their lips that don’t look "upgraded"- they just look injected. Sort of disheartening, because they were probably better off with their natural lips before going for injections. Some people still think the puffy, overblown, ducky, or weirdly morphed effects such as “Russian doll lips” look good. They should not come to see us, that's not our aesthetic or wheelhouse. There are many factors in this dysmorphia, they are studied and many of us try to implement strategies to help our patients move away from the pitfalls of wanting these effects- but sometimes people see so much of a bad thing it becomes normalized! This is the unfortunate thing about social media and the media in general.
I would also like to reassure everyone that if you had an oopsie, got your lips injected with a hyaluronic acid product, and you are not happy with what’s happened- it can be reversed. Skilled injectors know that you never start a project without knowing what the exit strategies are (how to mitigate adverse effects). This talk of “migration” as normal or that it eventually happens if you start filler treatment, is simply wrong. Again this is an example of so much of the bad stuff goes on, it becomes accepted as the new normal. If your doctor or nurse respects the individual tissue anatomy, and uses the correct products and techniques, and most importantly DOES NOT INJECT WHEN YOU DON’T NEED TO, the product usually stays where it should. Migration is an adverse effect and is a reversible risk (sometimes there is variant anatomy and filler may track into the path of least resistance and end up in the wrong tissue space), but it shouldn't be accepted as an eventual and routine consequence of having filler treatment. You don’t need to automatically replenish your lip filler every 6-9 month schedule "because it's gone" , if your injector is telling you this they are motivated by something other than your best interest. I have no problem in saying that because I know the ethical and experienced talents in this city will tell you the same thing- it’s not just me.
I have seen some amazing longevity of product in pretty lips and I know the hyaluronic acid filler is still in there doing it’s magic… sometimes 2 or 3 years later. If someone were to inject more product into those lips just because “well, it’s been a year so let’s do it again”, this is where you can force migration into the white lip or it distorts the red-lip shape in an undesired way. This is a telltale sign- the upper lip is puffy or doesn’t move the right way when you talk, or it looks “thick”. Or there is obvious mis-shaping of the red lip itself.
I would like to normalize Pretty Lips again.
My patients are mostly the type that do not want anyone to know they have injection treatments, they simply want to look and feel great. Discretion and privacy are super important for most of our Tribe, for every 1 example of before/after story we can share on social media, there are hundreds of patients who have similar results and satisfaction who just don’t feel comfortable with broadcasting their experience, it’s just a personal thing. The prettiest of lips draw people into their beauty, but in a subtle and effortless way, they do not scream “look at me, I had some filler injected here!” Sometimes a little bit of volume and plump is beautiful, especially if you were handed the genetic cards of thin lips and you just want a little more real estate for your new lipstick.
But not everyone can have perfect results from lip augmentation, there is a natural tissue density and how much distention your lip tissue allows is entirely based on your unique anatomy. That is all your own, and cannot be assessed through pictures or videos. It's best evaluated in person, with the doctor or nurse touching them, watching you talk and smile and looking at your dental framework underneath your teeth, assessing the chin shape and position, and the quality of your skin around the lips. This is why it’s not always possible to give you the lips you found from the Instagram galleries. I try my best to have the results match up with the expectations, REALISTIC expectations. My own portfolio of work shows examples of The Pretty Lip for many types of lip anatomy, and many different age groups.
A note about lipgloss and lipstick. Sometimes, this is all you need. Sephora is so fun, and if what you want is a nice and hydrated lip surface then just buy an awesome lip cosmetic. This photo is of a pharmaceutical rep who used to see us at the dermatology clinic many years ago. She was just genetically blessed with the most beautiful set of lips you could be born with. I asked her if I could use her lips in my teachings as "an example of when you should never mess with perfection". I begged her to please never ever let anyone do filler treatment for her lips.
Lip filler is to inject a clear gel (considered a prescription medical device) into your lip tissue where something is deficit, and the shape, volume, or surface texture (wrinkles) are bothersome to you. This is a medical procedure that comes with many pro’s and some con’s (adverse reactions are an accepted part of entering into a fully informed medical procedure). The less times you undergo this medical procedure, the lower the risk of potential adverse effects. Please don’t make this an every 6 month habit for your lips, it’s an accident waiting to happen. And please… we are trying to bring back the Pretty Lip era.
Love, Nurse Sunny Kim
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