Happy 2025 to our Tribe! So grateful for our community, we had another fulfilling year of making so many patients happy, feeling confident and healthy, and celebrating that with their best skin ever.
Our New Year message is typically an unsexy one. It's about return to simple truths, and minimizing, de-cluttering your routine and regimens, and doing those things which SERVE you. Effective and reasonable.
Over the holidays I re-visited the Netflix documentary Secrets of the Blue Zones, based on Dan Buettner's research and book. His project was basically to reverse engineer longevity, and found some fundamental principles that were common in all 5 "Blue Zones" of the world where they identified a high proportion of healthy centenarians (live to 100 yrs old). Common sense stuff, like: eat healthy, move more, lower stress, spiritual awareness, family and social connections, purpose and community. Good reminders that we don't need a ton of fancy or trendy supplements or strategies to live our healthiest lives. Most of the advice for westerners is to de-clutter our attempts to bio-hack our way to health. Evidenced by the throngs of recent step-counters that were able to improve their metabolic, cardiovascular and mental health, simply by adopting a regular walking practice. Just walking! The Japanese have studied the proven benefits of "forest bathing" for physical and mental health benefits.
When we describe our community at SKin Phi as a Tribe, it's because we tend to attract a certain mind-set: Those who want the absolute highest quality in medical skin treatments, not necessarily the lowest price-tag (although I will say that our honest boast is that we are the best value- you get what you pay for); those who want to preserve their natural features, and not appear as though they are "getting treatments"; discerning consumers who want to be told the truth and not "be sold anything"; and those who genuinely desire to have the healthiest and best skin forward, and are willing to invest in themselves as a ritual of self-care. Honestly, we aren't for everyone- some people have different goals and values than the ones just described. We always say we are so blessed to have the best patients in the world, and it's true! We learn so much from you everyday, and the reward of growing these relationships is the reason why we even exist.
And now for the Secrets of the SKin Phi Zones. When we observe the patterns and practices of our most successful skin stories, they share these 5 features:
Sun avoidance and sun protection.
When someone comes into the clinic and they want to improve their skin quality or are bothered by any issue of ageing, the first thing we do is educate them on appropriate sun protection. While being untanned is a pre-requisite for some laser procedures, the deeper intent is that we are trying to prevent future damage and disease. We are so proud when we see our patients adopt a lifestyle of protecting the face daily from tanning, with zinc sunscreen, hats, shade, etc. You are saving your skin from so much pre-mature ageing and disease such as pre-cancers and cancers.
Trusting the journey.
Reverse engineering sun damage, scars, wrinkles or skin laxity is a process. Just at it tooks years of accumulated UV radiation, along with the normal anatomical changes that happen with ageing, changing those vectors also takes steps. The best outcomes usually result from a combination of strategies, or sometimes a series of the same procedure, with cumulative and gradual improvement throughout the process. Remember, it takes the body 12 weeks to grow new collagen, that means the results of most skin tightening or resurfacing procedures are evaluated after 3 months. Tattoo removal typically requires 5-8 treatment sessions, and acne needs several treatment sessions before we see improvement. The bottom line is, we want the best possible outcomes as quickly as possible too (with as few sessions, syringes or visits as possible), but there is a process. We only discuss solutions where you meet medical candidacy, and the probability of a good outcome is high. We won't just "sign you up' for a procedure if we don't think we can produce a clinical result that makes you happy.
Consistency
3 Morpheus treatments for Acne Scars Like many things in life, maintenance is key. Botox effects do not last forever, so patients usually need a visit every 3-6 months, if you want to maintain the benefits. The long-term benefits of doing BBL maintenance treatments is evidence-based, and most patients do well with doing maintenance sessions once every 6 months. When it comes to filler, the motto is "less is more", and for sure the best and safest outcomes are the result of each patient finding a trusted injector, and listening to them when they say "no, you don't need it today". If you shop for a bargain when it comes to injections, you will eventually find someone unscrupulous enough to treat you NOT in your best interest. Everyone always says, in the end it ends up costing you more :(
The game changer: consistency in wearing daily sunscreen. This one practice can protect your investment and transform your skin.
Healthy Lifestyle
It doesn't have to be to Peter Attia extremes, but most of these patients have healthy lifestyles, physically and mentally. The science behind exercise is solid- there is no doubt that regular exercise is anti-inflammatory and can be the single most important factor in reversing and preventing many diseases. No smoking, no excessive alcohol. They try to eat well and exercise, and most importantly, they have healthy self-perception. We are all a little hard on ourselves from time to time, but we see the happiest patients are the ones who say "I'm not trying to look 20 again, and I want to avoid plastic surgery, but I want to do the things that can rejuvenate my skin that makes sense for my lifestyle, budget and schedule". The self-love part of mental health is so so important, it's the part that resonates "I still want to be ME".
Heart and Soul
We don't have a magic laser or injection for this one, but we do believe that the most beautiful people are the ones who are beautiful on the inside as well. We hope that our encounters and relationship building is as nourishing to your inner being as it can be to your physical self. Some say we are the best at making beautiful skin, but we try to accompany that with the intention of sending you off into the world a bit more relaxed, encouraged, feeling confident and empowered to use your personal super-powers in your own sphere of influence. Your place in the world is so important, only you can do the good you were purposed to do! I am not at all surprised that we have so many "helpers" in our Tribe: physicians, healthcare professionals, educators, and all walks of people involved in community service or philanthropy. There is a special kinship amongst even strangers who meet in our reception area, such generosity of spirit. Thank you for creating such a wonderful space, if we ever produced our own fragrance it would be called, "Eau de Gratitude".
Here's a great example of the magic of COMBINATION therapies for a holistic rejuvenation story!
"I look Tired" is the number one reason for people seeking rejuvenation.
And coming soon, the big reveal for our latest combination transformation. This is a busy executive who wanted to look "less tired" and decided it was time for some self-care, so we stepped up the usual maintenance Botox and did some Juvederm injections, and also added Moxi laser and Sofwave to the plan.
This was a before/after of her immediately after the filler injections, and while you can already see some instant improvements, the result after 8 weeks is the true lasting outcome. Subtle support around her temples, mid-face and chin were very impactful. It should look natural and after the recovery period of temporary swelling and possible bruising, no one should really be able to tell she received filler injections.
The Moxi laser treatments will continue to even out her skintone and the Sofwave sessions will produce a smoother and firmer skin texture and improved laxity.
We look forward to seeing you soon! 2025 has ALL the makings of a wonderful year✨
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