Michelle Rupp: Rebecca Denniston joins us now and we are talking about anti-aging. Hi Becca, how are you?

Rebecca Denniston: Hi, I’m doing good. How are you?

MR: Doing well, thank you. So we’re all in this hot pursuit for the fountain of Youth. How do we look younger? This time of year, cosmetically, what are some of the things that are being done to our skin?

RD: Yes, so that’s a great question. There’s a lot of things that can be done. I think it’s very tailored to the individual this time of year. Some people choose to do, you know aggressive in office treatments like lasers and peels and you know, resurfacing things. And then others kind of choose to do more at home care. So there’s a wide array of things that can be done. But I do think this time of year we really see a step up in those in office procedures like aggressive or ablative lasers that are resurfacing your skin. Chemical peels. Other procedures like micro needling, that kind of resurface the skin. So there’s a huge array.

MR: Let’s talk about micro needling. That’s not something I’m familiar with. It sounds prickly.

RD: Yes, it is. So that’s actually been around for a while now, but I think kind of Arkansas’s has been on the slower end, as far as picking that procedure up. But it’s actually a pin device that’s used to create micro-needleized holes in the skin. And when you do that, you stimulate your own body’s wound healing processes and then that in turn stimulates collagen growth. So, by doing so you stimulate collagen, you increase your cell turnover and you kind of resurface the skin and boost your collagen, which everyone wants. So it’s a great procedure with minimal downtime.

MR: What are some of the other anti-aging procedures that that folks might be looking at doing? I mean, and I’m kind of thinking well beyond just a facial.

RD: Yes. So, really kind of the way I like to think about it as least to most aggressive treatment. So there’s your over the counter skincare, prescription skincare products, and then you get into more of light chemical peels, medium chemical peels all the way into the lasers and the micro needling and things like that. So I think, you know, for beginners that really haven’t done much. I think starting you know, with at home products that you may get over the counter is an easy, thing to do. Basic things like investing in good sunscreen, maybe over the counter retinol or vitamin C serum. Those are kind of the early basics that you can do.

MR: The retinol, is that and even the vitamin C- Can any age demographic be using those or is there something specific if you’re in your twenties and you’re doing over the counter? Hey, look for this product. If you’re in your thirties, look for this product, if you’re in your forties, look for anti-wrinkle or whatever if if we’re just running down to the local drugstore to kind of help get something to help hydrate our face and and make us look brighter.

RD: Sure, that’s a great question. So, I think for anyone, of course we recommend a sunscreen, but then anyone can actually use a retinol. So we use retinol all the time in kids with acne. But then that goes into your young adult and later adulthood where you’re trying to really get those anti-aging benefits. So retinol walls are basically a step below a prescription retin-a. And they work by increasing your cell turnover to where you basically you’re making new skin cells by using this topical cream. So anybody can use a retinol. Over the counter rentals are definitely safe. They’ve been around for a long time. So that’s for sure. Something anyone can do as you get older though. Like let’s say you know 40s on up. 50s, 60s, 70s. One of the big things that we’re seeing now more than ever is hyaluronic acid. So you’re going to see that in a lot of over the counter products now and it’ll usually say HA or sometimes hyaluronic acid. And that works to kind of draw water into the skin. It makes you more hydrated, helps with fine lines and wrinkles and sort of plumps the skin. So that’s sort of something that a lot of people are wanting to do as they get older.

MR: Definitely. And we don’t need to just think about our face, we need to think about our necks too, right.

RD: Exactly. I tell everybody to treat your face, your neck and your chest if you can, the exact same way. Because it’s really something that you want to kind of you know travel down.

MR: What you are using on your face, if you’re doing an over the counter, can transfer even down onto your chest?

RD: That’s correct yes. By all means you definitely can. I think one of the big misconceptions, I hear a lot about retinol or prescription strength retin-a’s is that they’re going to dry you out. So I almost hear that every day in practice. People are afraid to use them because they think they’re going to get red and feely and irritated. And really if you use them the correct way, by starting out maybe two or three nights a week and using it with a moisturizer and kind of building yourself up, you shouldn’t have dryness or irritation. So really anybody, if you have more sensitive skin or not sensitive skin could use those products.

MR: How do we know what product is best for us?

RD: That’s a good question. I think so, that’s a hard thing to answer. A lot of times we have to, you know, maybe see you as a patient or something to really kind of tailor things to you. But anyone can get away with using a good sunscreen, a good moisturizer. I think one of the key things is sticking with gentle skincare. So, brands like over the counter brands- CeraVE, Cetaphil. Those are really gentle, they’re going to be okay for just about anybody. And the same thing with sunscreen. And then when you get into those more aggressive, you know, things that you want to do, maybe a retin-a or something like that, we definitely would want to see you in clinic to decide if that’s something that’s right for you.

MR: And there are benefits with some of these procedures, not just for vanity. You know, and I’m thinking like with microdermabrasion, something as simple as that, just clearing out those dead skin cells just so that thing, your makeup plays better on your face.

RD: I think we’re seeing more and more things that, you know, infomercials and different things that you can do and for, you know, at home treatments and things like that. I think sticking with the basics is an easy thing that any person can do that’s going to take them a long way. Just like you said, there’s a lot of benefits with retinol and retin-a’s. They’re going to really help with fine lines and wrinkles over time. They’re going to reverse signs of sun damage and aging, which we all need. And then there’s also the patient that may need it for, you know, acne or scarring or pigmentation and things like that. But yeah, I think you’re exactly right.

MR: Let me ask one more final question. Humidifiers. Are we wanting to keep some moisture in the air to help with our skin and not be so- help not be so dry.

RD: Yes, I think that’s very important. Especially this time of year. So many people are dry, especially if you’re using those products like we were just talking about- the retinols, the retin-a’s. Humidifiers are an easy step to add moisture back into the air and your skin and definitely have a lot of benefit and it doesn’t hurt to drink water to help keep your skin hydrated, definitely.

MR: This is the hard time of year to drink cold water. Summertime, it’s easy. All right Becca, thank you so much for joining us today.

RD: Yes. Thanks for having me.

MR: And thank you for joining us. We’ll see you back here next week for more AFMC TV.