Summer is over. Now is time to take care of your skin which was exposed to all the damaging sun, the water in addition to the wear and tear during all the trips and outings during the past several weeks.

Renew and Repair – skin

Skin care is crucial in facial rejuvenation. Proper skin care should be your daily routine. Daily cleaning with cleanser, followed by toner and moisturizer are necessary to maintain your skin in the best condition possible. Any pigmentation changes due to excessive sun exposure during the sunbathing on the beach and during backyard activities throughout the summer may show on your face and neck. This is time to take the proper care to correct those pigment issues. We have the Obagi line of skin care preparations for oily and dry skin types. We also have Dr. Lee’s private label skin preparations to target the hyperpigmentation (i.e. the brown and dark spots). By using it twice daily, it can even out the dark pigment changes in the skin. These are prescription strength medical grade skin care products that require monitoring by health care professionals. Feel free to come in for a consultation with Dr. Lee. If you are unhappy with the current regimen or you want to improve your skin condition to achieve that glowing skin that you always wanted, Dr. Lee will take the time to analyze your skin and make recommendations to improve the conditions.

Laser & Intense Pulse Light Treatments (IPL)

Unsightly fine veins and dark spots in the skin can be improved with intense pulse light. Multiple treatments are needed to improve the conditions. Unwanted facial hair can be removed with laser treatments. We have in our office the laser and IPL for various skin types. The skin area with the unsightly hair can be treated, monthly in the face and neck and bimonthly for the rest of the body.

When the skin is damaged with excessive sun exposure and lots of fine wrinkles, topical skin preparation may not be effective to improve the skin conditions. Laser skin resurfacing can be effective to improve such skin changes. Although the carbon dioxide laser is effective to correct deep wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, the long down time make it unpopular. In our office the latest fractional Erbium ablative laser removes the top layer of skin in a fraction of the skin treated, so the adjacent skin can provide adequate skin elements for the spots that are treated to heal. As a result, the treated skin heals within a few days. The down time is less. However, it requires three to five treatments to complete the process depending on the severity of sun damage and level of pigment skin changes. For the first time, YOU can desire how long it takes to heal so Dr. Lee can choose proper settings of the laser for you to tailor to your busy schedule. If you have the fractional laser treatment on Friday or Saturday, you can return to work Monday without any noticeable redness or weeping from the skin. During the treatment periods, the skin is healing and continuing to improve till the young looking and glowing skin returns.

Injections

Any deep forehead lines and crows’ feet can be improved with Botox. The muscles injected would not contract for up to 3 months, making the overlying skin smooth. Deep lines and wrinkles in the face can be improved with injectable fillers e.g. Restylane, or Juverderm. These fillers last anywhere from 3 to 6 months. After you are comfortable with these fillers and would like something that is longer lasting, you can request Radiesse. The Radiesse, also an injectable filler, can last more than one year. There may be bruising after the injections. A convenient office procedure, Botox or filler injections can improve facial lines and wrinkles and rejuvenate the face with no significant down time. Fuller lips can be achieved with a simple office procedure. If you are interested, make sure you are not taking any anti-coagulants or blood thinners, e.g., aspirin, Motrin, Coumadin or Plavix. Any bruising after the injection would resolve over 7 to 10 days.

Procedures

Non-invasive procedures can only be so effective for superficial fine wrinkles, lines and skin blemishes. Deeper and more aging faces require surgical interventions. Starting from the upper one third of the face, the forehead and brows will drop with time. There is excessive skin at the upper and lower eyelid and bags around the eyelids. These result in a tired look and often time dark circles around the eyes. By elevating the eyebrow through tiny incisions made behind the hairline by a procedure called Endoscopic Brow Lift, Dr. Lee can reposition the eyebrow to its proper positions. At the same time, a strip of skin is removed from the upper and lower eyelid to open up the eyes resulting in a more refreshed look.

Nose Sculpting

If your nose is bothering you or you always want to reshape your nose, you can discuss your concerns and ideas with Dr. Lee. He would analyze your nose and perform a detailed examination of your nose. He would perform computer imaging with you to custom make the treatment plan for you. He would improve your breathing during the same procedures so you can breathe better and look better after the nose reshaping surgery. You can also review the before and after photos in the gallery on this website.

Face Lift with Volume Replacement

With aging, skin and muscles become sagging resulting in jowls, deep smile lines and skin folds in the neck. These can be improved with a face lift that tighten the deeper muscles in the face and necks and re-drape the overlying skin resulting in a more refreshed look. You can turn back the clock for at least ten to 15 years by undergoing this procedure. In addition to loose skin and muscles, aging faces also lost volume. Tightening the skin and underlying muscles would not necessarily achieve a youthful look. Dr. Lee would replace the lost volume of the face, e.g. in the cheek, along the eyelid and cheek creases, the lips with your own fat obtained from the neck or the stomach during the face lift procedure so you can turn back the clock and look younger.

If what is bothering you is the fat under your chin and your cheek, it can be removed with a simple office procedure under local anesthesia. – Micro-sculpting of the neck and face.

All these surgical procedures take time to recover and heal to get to the final results. You want to look your best possible, whether for personal or professional reasons, for that company party or holiday gathering. Now is the time to act. Come in for a consultation with Dr. Lee to discuss your concerns and thoughts. He would spend the time to analyze your face, neck and your needs. He would also make recommendations to effectively improve the conditions. A package of Botox, fillers, laser treatments and liposuction of the neck and face can rejuvenate your face and neck without significant down time. You can look years younger with a few days of rest.

Please see before and after images in the gallery for examples of work performed.