The Wisdom of a Skincare Journey: Lessons from an Ask Me Anything
Imagine sitting down with a wise friend who has spent years navigating the world of skincare, fillers, and treatments. You ask her the questions that have been on your mind, and she answers with honesty, depth, and a touch of humor. That is the essence of this story.
She begins with a topic many are curious about: fillers. She explains that in the last five or six years, she hasn't used much filler, as she has a naturally full face and always wanted to sculpt rather than add volume. But after reducing inflammation and losing weight, she lost some volume and decided to reintroduce a little. She discovered a filler called Redensity, which is a combination of filler and skin booster. She used it above her lip and in her tear trough area to address hollowness. She shares that she had dissolved old lip filler over a year ago, which exposed the muscles above her lip and aged that area. She waited a year before trying Redensity, which is designed to fill fine lines and move naturally, avoiding a bulky look. She also put a little filler in her cheeks. Another recent treatment was Sculptra, two vials (one on each side of her face), to restore volume lost from weight loss. She is starting to see results and plans to share more content on Sculptra.
Beyond filler, she has been getting polynucleotides needled into her skin. This is a skin booster that targets the under-eye area, working on elastin, collagen, brightness, and the appearance of hollows. It is not crazy expensive and is becoming more popular. She is in the middle of the process and may create detailed videos about it.
At-home RF devices like NuFace, Tripollar, and Newa come up next. She has only truly committed to NuFace. She notes that Dr. Rajani now carries it and recommends it, which is interesting because he has in-office modalities. She does a "zip" treatment around her mouth with NuFace, which she knows encourages circulation. She warns that at-home RF is nowhere near as powerful as in-office, results are subtle, and it requires immense time commitment. She has not used her NuFace recently due to lack of time, but she is consistent with her zip and LED treatments. LED is easy to stay compliant with.
On One Skin, she is no longer using it. She used it for years and loved it, especially the body lotion. But she can only use so many things on her skin first. For her, DNA repair (with her PhotoZyme) is the most important thing. She cleanses, tones, applies PhotoZyme, does LED, then serums, moisturizers, and SPF. She has seen significant improvement in hyperpigmentation, brightness, and tone when combining DNA repair with LED. So she had to make a decision to stop using One Skin, and she encourages others to do the same when they need to prioritize other products.
When asked about hair dye, she reveals she hasn't colored her hair in a year and a half. Her natural color is a neutral 6 with a little warmth. She decided to give her hair a break after breakage, and she uses hair extensions for density. She uses ReVitalash foam and a high-dose LED cap for hair growth.
For a cushiony thick moisturizer at bedtime, she recommends Dermatology Soothing Recovery (a great value at 3 ounces for around $30) and SkinFix Triple Lipid, which is a bit heavier. Both are excellent for nighttime slathering.
Topical exosomes are a topic she finds both exciting and a little BS. She is hopeful but cautious. She respects Dr. Robin Smith's work with exosomes, but notes that the industry has a lot of hype. She also finds the cost (e.g., $268 for half an ounce) off-putting, so she is cautiously optimistic.
On neck creams, she is clear: no cream will lift your neck or eliminate turkey neck. She has had a neck lift herself, but even then, texture and discoloration matter. She likes two neck creams formulated with glycolic acid: Dermal and Neocutis. Glycolic acid helps with texture and hyperpigmentation. She also likes Dermatology's neck contouring serum, which has a temporary tightening effect with Pulu. She suggests you can simply use glycolic acid on your neck and then your regular skincare. Ultimately, if you have a good facial routine, pulling it down to your neck and décolleté is enough.
For mature, dehydrated skin, she advocates for lightweight layers of hydration. Several layers of lightweight serums, mists, and a light moisturizer with SPF is better than one heavy cream. She compares it to drinking a glass of water slowly: multiple sips hydrate better than one big gulp. As we age, our skin loses hyaluronic acid, so feeding it topically plumps the surface, improves barrier function, and supports collagen production.
Finally, she shares her Botox routine. She doesn't schedule it regularly; she waits until she "can see every single muscle." She injects her glabella, a little in her forehead (to keep expression), sometimes her bunny lines, and always her chin. She loves chin Botox for those over 50—it smooths the texture and prevents dimpling, which is underrated. She also gets her DAO muscles (the depressors) once or twice a year to lift the corners of her mouth. All in all, she gets Botox about three times a year, as needed. She likes it because it keeps her forehead smooth and breaks the habit of frowning, even when it wears off.
And so, this wise friend shares her journey, not as a prescription, but as a story of personal choices, trials, and discoveries. She leaves you with the invitation to ask more questions, to explore your own path, and to remember that skincare is a conversation, not a monologue.