What's new & effective in the world of facial beauty procedures?

August 24, 2023 8:48 AM

I saw something on the Internet the other day that had to do with... freezing bits of your face? And there was another one with needles. Are these things that regular people are doing? Do they work? Is there something for my issues that I could do?

I'm pretty happy with my skin and most of my facial features but there are a couple of things I'd love to fix: 1. slightly darkened pigmentation (has always been there, not a function of sun) in the lower corners of my mouth, which exacerbates the shadows cast by my 2. (congenital) deep marionette lines and nasolabial folds.

So what's out there that could maybe work for me? And is it something a dermatologist does or would I need a plastic surgeon? (I definitely don't want the snouty look that people get from putting a bunch of fillers around their mouth.)

posted by fingersandtoes to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

Are you set on procedures or would you be open to products (either OTC or prescription)?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:54 AM on August 24, 2023

You may be interested in this book - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62121560-flawless I found it interesting (and terrifying, especially the 'graduation package'!).

How my actions have changed? Better about daily sunblock (became reactive to chemical sunscreen so my previous much beloved daily moisturizer became a no-go and I hadn't found a zink moisturizer/sunscreen I liked) and I purchased though haven't yet received foot masks (I'm bizarrely excited to try em - the author tried and liked them).
posted by esoteric things at 10:12 AM on August 24, 2023

You should talk to some aestheticians at medspas. You should be able to get some short consultations for free and see what they say/get a feel for their style. I don’t know about the pigmentation but I can say that I get Botox from someone who does injections all day long (so it’s her specialty) and when I say things like “I want my forehead lines softened but I still want movement in my eyebrows so it looks natural” it is no problem. The heavy filler look is a choice.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 10:25 AM on August 24, 2023

Here's what I've done for procedures:

Microneedling for all of those concerns. There are lots of opinions/fears about radio frequency microneedling out there, I've only had standard microneedling and it's great. Couple of days of downtime.

Small amount of filler in cheekbones replaces lost fat and collagen which is what causes the folds, the filler pulls up the face ever so slightly. Lasts a couple of years. Can start conservative. I'd never get it around my mouth either, doesn't address the core cause. Sculptra in my temples helped too.

For dark spots people really like chemical peels. Hasn't worked for me for melasma so I went to laser. One laser type made it worse, another type has been amazing all around for all concerns. Highly recommend trying chemical peels first.

Go to a derm office for all. May not be the derm who does it, but they can do the assessment and in office will be safer.

I'm a hypocrite on that, I do Dysport and laser at an amazing med spa type place that earned my trust over time. It's a dice roll though, I recommend the derm route.

My face looks normal but just better, nobody can tell I've done anything, I'm happy to tell anyone about all of it. It's totally possible when conservative about it, and I've never been upsold or pressured to do more by any provider.
posted by mireille at 10:26 AM on August 24, 2023

I see you are in the Bay Area. you could check out Skin Spirit. its a medspa, its where I get my facials. they offer a bunch of non-surgical treatments, perhaps one would be good for your concerns. consultations are free, of course.

my issues are different so I have not looked into treating those concerns but I know they offer treatments that are meant to help with pigmentation.
posted by supermedusa at 12:32 PM on August 24, 2023

I'm open to Products rather than Procedures, sure. But I already have a course of Tretinoin going.

I shouldn't have limited the discussion to just my issues. I'm interested in all the Procedures available. What's the thing with the needles?
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:55 PM on August 24, 2023

Thing with needles - microneedling. There is an upgrade to that where the needle tips get hot (using radiofrequency radiation) after they're been inserted deep enough. This causes more damage, more damage = more rejuvenation.

Frazel is a skin resurfacing procedure that uses a specific wavelength of light that penetrates somewhat deeply under the skin. The heat that it produces causes damage --> rejuvenation.

I've finished my 2 radiofrequency microneedling and 3 fraxels. I'm happy with the results - an unintended consequence is that my acne has gotten sooooo much better.

Both microneedling and fraxel will leave your face looking burned for 2-4 days. Some people develop hyperpigmentation with fraxel (I did after my 2nd fraxel) but there are prescription depigmentation regimens that are available.

My course was ~$4k CAD.

I'd avoid going to a spa (medspa might be different?). I went to a medical laser place.
posted by porpoise at 2:32 PM on August 24, 2023

I was recently browsing some skincare subreddits and one that I hadn’t seen before is red light therapy. I know nothing about its effectiveness, but many people seem to be touting it recently.
posted by wsquared at 4:08 PM on August 24, 2023