Throughout her decade thus far in the industry Kate Dee, MD, of Glow Medispa, has seen firsthand how science and skin care can work together in positive and powerful ways. A science-based approach to skin care continues to evolve and continually create new ways to look and feel one’s best.
However, Dee says, since skin care is not regulated by the FDA, it also can get tricky parsing out what’s real (and truthful) within products on the market, since any company can claim to use whatever ingredients they choose. It’s hard to determine medical-grade skin care, too, for which there is no real definition. Higher price doesn’t necessarily correlate with higher-quality products.
Dee supports companies that conduct and make visible lab reports proving what ingredient types and amounts they use and their effectiveness. At Glow Medispa, they carry and recommend sufficiently researched products that work well together, since some folks can have issues with layering products not meant to be overlapped. She always wants to first determine a product’s effectiveness for an individual’s specific needs and sensitivities, too.
Retinols should be introduced slowly, and Dee explains that even a1% concentration is very high (so beware those labeled as having 3%). Yet when the right products are used, great things can be accomplished, she says. To maintain healthy and youthful skin, clients need to first exfoliate dead cells off the surface. The skin then needs antioxidants, to fight off DNA damage, radiation, sun damage and so on. The skin also vitally needs ingredients that help stimulate collagen. Dee explains that from about age 30 on, the skin begins to slowly thin as collagen goes dormant.
Ultimately, folks need the synergy of good skin care serum that stimulates collagen, as well as a method to poke at or “wake up” the cells that make collagen — the fibroblasts — whether through microneedling, radio-frequency, laser or other techniques. (Serum stimulates the cells, too, but has little effect on sleeping fibroblasts. The health of good skin also relies on a good regimen that can be likened to a “good diet” for one’s body. And a procedure to “wake up” the fibroblasts, like microneedling, should be done about three times a year, since everything goes back to dormancy after four to six months.
The methods Dee uses with clients are low risk and well tolerated. She offers consultations that talk about preventive measures. While microneedling sends a signal to “turn on” fibroblasts, RF microneedling does so in a more aggressive and powerful way, helping to ultimately thicken or tighten the skin. Using lasers (to bring heat into the dermis) is an option too. Over time this stimulates collagen production, resulting in tighter, smoother skin.
While much of this science was already in place when Dee began in the field a decade ago, she has seen progress and more sophistication in the devices used, like with RF microneedling, which now offers more precision and depth control. She adds that they’ve also added helpful measurements that gauge the impedance of the skin, so you can tell when the skin has fully absorbed the energy.
Most people know about the value of vitamin C, which is essential for these cells to make collagen. Yet many don’t know how expensive and difficult it is to make well. It needs special packaging, and should be distributed in an airless, opaque pump since it breaks down with exposure to light and air. Retinols are the same way, and Dee warns against buying these products in improper packaging, like a large tub. (She notes that, for some, vitamin C also can increase redness in the skin and can contribute to acne, so this is not the ideal product for all clients.)
New information constantly gets revised and revealed within the industry. For example, about six months ago, The National Rosacea Society approved a dermal repair cream that has an ingredient called heparan sulfate. “It is a gycosaminoglycan, and it pumps and softens the skin, stimulates collagen and decreases redness,” Dee explains.
Dee says ideally folks should start with practices like microneedling in their early 30s to prevent collagen loss. You can also start in your 50s or later; you’ll just be contending with decades of loss. You can still roll back time with RF microneedling, but it is easier to prevent the loss than build it back up later.
Dee practices what she preaches, as she’s now 56 years old and, thanks to diligent skin care upkeep, doesn’t wear makeup or use fillers. She didn’t start this regimen until her late 40s, so she’s living proof of the progress that can be made after a decade of dutiful attention and care — working with science to get the very best results.
At Glow Medispa, we are driven by science, and everything we do is informed by the latest information and data available. We make a personalized assessment for each patient and strive to bring out your natural beauty.
