Profound® RF Microneedling – is it right for your aging skin?

What is Profound® Radiofrequency Microneedling? 

PrProfound® Radiofrequency Microneedling is an energy-based face, neck, and body treatment developed to build new elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid (HA) which are lost in the skin with aging and are the foundations of youthful skin’s firm and smooth appearance.  Profound® can also be used in the underlying fat layer for volume reduction. Profound® delivers radiofrequency energy into the deeper skin layers using a revolutionary method of microneedling to distribute the energy where it is needed to lift, tighten and add volume to the skin without surgery.

These benefits are long lasting because your body has made its own building blocks to give the skin its “SNAP BACK” quality. To learn more about the science of making your skin look and feel younger longer visit www.bringthesnapback.com.

How is Profound® RF different from Fractionated CO2, fat sculpting, and related treatments?

• Studies show up to 5x the elastin, up to 2x the collagen and increased hyaluronic acid with the dermis after a single Profound® treatment. Other RF technologies have not been shown to increase dermal elastin production. The elastin is what gives skin its “SNAP BACK” quality.
• Profound® RF’s unique technology treats aging skin and reduces fat. Other treatments typically can treat one or the other. Coolsculpting® and Belkyra® are well recognized non-surgical treatments for localized fat reduction however they do not improve the skin’s elastin, collagen and HA and may actually increase the skin sagging as the fat layer is reduced.
• Rather than treating just the superficial layers of the skin, Profound® penetrates the deep dermis using the microneedling system, delivering the RF energy exactly where and for how long it is needed to be most effective in reducing wrinkles and improving skin elasticity, and firmness by triggering collagen, elastin, and HA production at the precise depth to make a difference.
• Compared to laser treatments such as Fractionated CO2 most skin types can be treated safely and effectively and patients can be treated at any time of the year – even with suntanned skin.

What is a Profound® RF treatment like?

• The treatment time is 60 minutes or more depending on the scope of treated areas and if the fat layer is also a target. 
• Pain is managed using lidocaine anesthetic. People frequently listen to music during the procedure.
• It is minimally invasive with downtime mainly due to swelling and bruising the severity of which differs from patient to patient and lasts on average 5-10 days. We take measures to reduce the risk of bruising, which we discuss during your consultation.
• Other effects include possible redness, warmth, and numbness lasting 2-5 days. Temporary changes to skin-sensation can persist for weeks.
• Production of new collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid begins in the following weeks and months as your body begins the dermal remodelling process. Visible benefits are typically seen at 3 months and build over the next 3-9 months.

How many Profound® RF treatments will I need? 

Typically you will need only one treatment to rejuvenate your skin with Profound®. There is no need to schedule multiple office visits to achieve optimum results as with other related RF technologies. The patient will often have another treatment after 6-12 months to build on the benefits from an earlier treatment.

Let us help you decide.

Live Young recommends an in-depth consultation with Dr. Sweeney before making any decision about treatment is best suited to your individual needs.

Start your journey to looking younger longer. Contact us today for an appointment.

Holiday Party Wear is Fun – But Not On Your Face!

Just follow these essential tips to power-up your glow again and you’ll charge straight through the Christmas season and into the New Year looking fantastic.

If you are planning on having some late, but fun, party nights which include a few of those ‘just one more’ flutes of festive champagne and plates of delicious sweet and salty nibbles you are not alone.

After all, it is the holiday season; a time to dress up, sparkle and enjoy time with family and friends.

It’s not all parties of course. There is Christmas shopping, cookie baking, feasts to prepare, gifts to wrap, holiday travel, entertaining and for some, finding things to entertain the young kids who are home from school.

It is no surprise that, although the holiday season is magical, all the busyness, late nights and delicious festive over-indulging can mean our personal care routines can fall by the wayside.

Follow these easy to incorporate tips to help you stay on track.

Maintain your skincare routine. Make your skincare a priority this season.  This means that even though you are sleepy or have travelled to be with family and friends, the basics are better than nothing at all; cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize and protect.  Extra holiday makeup and sparkle can be extra hard to remove and can deplete your skin’s natural oils.

Hydrate. Hydration comes in many forms, not just water.  Consider coconut water, herbal teas and fruits and vegetables which also contribute to overall hydration.  The best strategy is to keep a steady infusion throughout the day and evening and especially when consuming alcohol, and starchy and salty foods.

Keeping your face and body’s cells adequately hydrated will keep things functioning at their prime and help with detoxification. Your skin will look more smooth and have a better canvas for your next event.

Snack healthy. These days, health-conscious party hosts realize the importance of offering fresh, simple options as well as rich, decadent and delicious options. Salt and carbohydrates can cause your face to become puffy and increases the likelihood of breakouts. Choosing more of the healthy options will help keep up your internal anti-oxidant supply and help regulate blood sugar.

Rest. Spritz your pillow with a touch of lavender or rosemary, then lie down and close your eyes. Breathe and relax. Just 15 minutes will refresh you enough to keep going.

We recommend the following skincare products to balance the visible signs.

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic:  Not only is C E Ferulic rich in powerful antioxidants that protect the skin from the damaging effects of photodamage, it also improves the appearance of lines and wrinkles and brightens the skin’s complexion. 

Apply after cleansing each morning before applying sunscreen.

ZO® SKIN HEALTH Offects Exfoliating Polish:  Regularly exfoliating your skin with ZO® Exfoliating Polish will dissolve oil and remove dull, clogged skin cells that will leave you with skin that is hydrated and glowing. 

Use twice a week in the morning or evening. 

SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid 2:4:2: Maximize your moisture and replenish essential lipids to bring your skin back to life. With 2% pure ceramides, 4% natural cholesterol, and 2% fatty acids this ratio of naturally-occurring lipids is ideal for helping skin to restore its natural moisture barrier.  

Use daily on the face, neck and chest in the morning and evening.

Skinceuticals A.G.E Eye Complex:  The skin around the eyes is delicate and needs extra attention.  Skinceuticals A.G.E Eye Complex is specially formulated with anti-inflammatory ingredients to nourish the skin, improve the appearance of dark circles, puffiness and crow’s feet.

Apply once or twice daily under the eyes and around the brow area.

SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense: This is a dynamic duo in that SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense prevents and treats blemishes and diminishes hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone and helps in reducing wrinkles and fine lines.  

Use morning and evening on freshly cleansed face. Stay glowing, hydrated and fresh the entire season.  For more information about these and other products please call our office.

From all of us here at LiveYoung Medical, 

Happy Holidays!

Don’t Let Your Hands Give You Away

Be ready for your “surprise” engagement ring this Holiday Season by having Instagram-worthy hands. 

There will be lots of memory-making photos of the newly engaged couple – and the beautiful ring! Do you have a feeling you are going to be receiving a ring over the holidays? Are your hands ready for all that spotlight?

There’s no question; your hands reveal a great deal about you. Sun damage, nutritional imbalance, your age, your interests, your attention to self-care, and your overall health show on your hands.

You use your hands to communicate, and your hands are often the first part of you that people touch when they meet you.

Is your skin rough or soft? Is it blemished or smooth? Plump or wrinkled?

In this era, the average age for couples to marry is 33. They’ve had time to travel, to build careers, and to prepare themselves to settle down with someone special. 

However, beginning as early as your thirties, the backs of your hands start to show signs of aging. With decrease in collagen, the volume is lost, and wrinkles appear. Photodamage from the sun leaves hyperpigmentation and sunspots on your skin.

At LiveYoung Medical, we have solutions and treatments for aging hands that will give you the confidence to show off your new engagement ring.

Juvéderm® Volite:

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One of the most effective treatments for restoring youthful elasticity and plumpness to aging hands is Juvéderm® Volite. Part of the world-renowned Juvéderm® family of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, Volite is an injectable gel that, unlike typical dermal fillers, works on improving the condition and quality of the skin. 

This skin-quality correcting injectable treatment visibly improves elasticity and hydration in addition to the appearance of crepiness, roughness, and dryness. Results are stunning and last for 6 – 9 months. Treatment is quick and easy. Your comfort level is managed well by topical numbing cream which is applied for a few minutes before your treatment begins. 

Photorejuvenation: 

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IPL (intense Pulsed Light) treatments reverse photodamage (sunspots, age spots, and hyperpigmentation). In as few as three sessions that last about 15 minutes each, your hands will be much more uniform in colour.

Fractional resurfacing with SmartXide DOT:

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DOT Therapy is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, acne scars, stubborn pigmentation, enlarged pores, rough texture, and skin laxity. It works by breaking down old, dysfunctional collagen and stimulating the production of new, robust collagen. This CO2 resurfacing laser treatment can lighten deep, stubborn pigment that IPL cannot reach.

Essential Skin Care:

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We take time to protect and nourish the skin on our face, neck, and décolleté, but often forget to care for our hands. 

The skin on the backs of our hands is more susceptible to UV damage than any other area. Add to that the daily harm caused by hand sanitizers, detergents, household cleansers, and elements in your work environment, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Mitigate the damage and improve your chances for smooth, youthful, blemish-free hands with these tips:

• Use a retinol before bed to promote cellular turnover on the backs of your hands.
• Slather on a rich peptide cream at night to build collagen and protect from dryness
• Use an antioxidant serum to protect your hands against the elements
• Always wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen. Every day.

Christmas is the most popular time of year for proposals. If you think this might be YOUR year, make sure your hands are as beautiful as your new ring is sure to be!

Live Young Medical is here to help you achieve your dream of beautiful proposal-ready hands.

Contact us today for a consultation.

Are Spider Veins Forcing You To Hide Your Legs?

 Spiders like to hide out, but you don’t have to!

Those colourful bursts of spidery veins that adorn the thighs and calves of both women and men as young as 20 can often cause embarrassment.

The wavy lines of purple, red, and blue gradually appear near the surface of the skin and stay there. And they don’t exactly blend in with your skin tone or cover easily with makeup.

Many people who have spider veins feel forced to cover their legs with long pants or skirts. They may slather on self-tanner in an attempt to camouflage them or spend hours in the sun trying deliberately to tan which not only doesn’t work but accelerates skin aging! 

Not your best look, is it?

You work hard to look after your health and skin and to keep your legs toned. It doesn’t seem right. Let’s find out what causes vein disease, particularly spider veins, and learn what can be done to help you look and feel better.

The good news is that Dr. Maureen Sweeney treats patients with spider veins at Live Young Medical in Sidney, B.C. 

Book a consultation.

How vein disease develops

Your heart pumps oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout your body via your arteries. The blood returns to your heart via the veins. Veins have valves that help to regulate the flow in one direction, but sometimes the valves weaken, causing blood to leak back down the vein instead of flowing forward to your heart. 

Over time the walls of the veins weaken and cause them to dilate and multiply on the skin surface.

Do you have spider veins or varicose veins?

Spider veins or telangiectasia or reticular veins, as they are known medically, affect 60% of the population, predominantly women. 

They usually appear as fine lines just beneath the skin in colours of red or purple and may resemble tree branches or spider webs. Spider veins are most commonly seen on the legs and sometimes the face but unlike varicose veins, they do not make the skin bulge out.

Why me? 

Heredity is the most common risk for spider and varicose veins. If your mother or grandmother had spider veins you are more likely to have them too. Before you get upset with your genes, however, there are other ways you could have acquired these colourful but unwanted designs on your skin.

Conditions that restrict your circulation cause veins to swell. A sedentary lifestyle, sitting or standing all day, being overweight, and pregnancy can all affect your venous circulation. 

The hormone estrogen may weaken vein valves and lead to varicose veins. This is why it is thought to be more common in women. The high estrogen and progesterone in pregnancy as well as the added pressure in the pelvis are why they multiply at this time. Using hormonal birth control or taking menopausal hormone therapy may aggravate your risk of varicose or spider veins.

What is the treatment for spider veins?

The typical and most effective treatment is to inject these small veins with a solution that irritates the lining of the vein causing it to seal off. This procedure is called sclerotherapy.

Dr. Sweeney administers a series of injections into the veins using tiny needles. The number of sessions needed depends on how extensive the vein matting is. Usually six sessions are necessary with annual retreatment in people who do not have significant deeper varicose veins. 

The treated veins will disappear over weeks and months however, about 10% of people may not respond.  Retreatment over the years is needed because the underlying vein disease continues and forms new dilated veins. Prevention and slowing the progress of this problem include avoiding aggravators such as prolonged sitting or standing. Some professions and lifestyles make this unavoidable so wearing compression socks or stockings can not only relieve the aching and swelling that can accompany poor circulation in the veins but can also slow progression.

The treatment is mildly uncomfortable. For the best results, you will need to walk after the treatments. Side effects of treatment may include an allergic reaction, redness, itching, bruising, swelling, ulceration, and new telangiectasia, which typically resolve within 6 months. 

Although you cannot be pregnant or nursing at the time of treatment, it is no longer necessary to wait until your childbearing years are over to have sclerotherapy.

At Live Young Medical, Dr. Maureen Sweeney provides treatment with sclerotherapy for spider veins.

Book a consultation to find out more.

Learn more about Telangiectasias – Spider Veins

The Real Secret of Beauty Lies In Balance

Do you ever gaze into the mirror and pull the loose skin on your face back a bit just to see how you would look if there were more fullness, less sagging – fewer wrinkles?

We all do it. Even celebrities who look amazing in front of the camera pull and tug a little here and there to put everything back to where it was ten years ago. 

Ah, the age-old pursuit of beauty. 

The cosmetic industry thrives on our innate desire to look good.

Cosmetics go a long way to help enhance our best features, but they can’t do everything – and they shouldn’t have to! In reality, a human being’s perception of beauty is based on facial symmetry and balance and, believe it or not, this is actually something we often process subconsciously. 

Simply put, when one’s lower face is in balance with his/her mid and upper face, the overall appearance is perceived as more attractive.

Maybe you’ve always had a small chin or receding jawline and thought that a little more something in that area of your face would help.

You could be right. A face, whether it be male or female, falls out of harmony as a whole when the chin is too short, too narrow, or recessed.

Studies show that a strong chin is viewed as beautiful or handsome, and socially attributed to strength and confidence. A less-defined chin is perceived to convey weakness, especially in men.

Ouch. Does that mean the only fix is a surgical chin implant or jaw reconstruction? 

Dr. Maureen Sweeney of LiveYoung Medical has the (happy) answer to that question:

“Historically, aesthetic medicine focused on surgical solutions to achieve facial balance, particularly for structural regions such as the chin and jawline. Now we have an effective, safe, non-surgical solution that provides natural and individualized results with virtually no downtime and only minimal recovery needed.” 

Non-Surgical? 

Yes.

If you haven’t heard of JUVÉDERM® VOLUX™, it may be because it was just approved for use in Canada in June 2019.

Dr. Sweeney, who has been working with the JUVEDERM® family of dermal fillers since 2004, believes that JUVÉDERM® VOLUX™ is a significant addition to her treatment protocol. 

“JUVÉDERM® VOLUX™ offers lift and projection while remaining elastic and mouldable, qualities that are necessary for results that look and feel natural.” 

Dr. Sweeney approaches her patients with an aesthetic eye. There is both artistry and skill in achieving a balanced face.

“In women, the ideal lower face shape displays a defined curve of the jawline with a clear distinction between the jaw, chin, and neck. The appearance is one that is soft but distinct, not too square or round. The chin should be firm and toned, with a smooth finish, nothing hanging, not too pointed, and delicately rounded. The face can be oval, round, heart, or diamond-shaped, but it should be balanced.

This hyaluronic acid dermal filler, JUVÉDERM® VOLUX™ is designed to contour, shape, and sculpt the chin and jawline using carefully injected and placed volumizer gel. Depending on a patient’s anatomy and wishes, injections of JUVÉDERM® VOLUX™ can add length and projection to the chin and also contour the definition of the jawline,” said Dr. Sweeney.

The results are excellent and last up to 24 months. 

Patients are thrilled with their non-surgically balanced and symmetrical looks. Satisfaction rates are 94% after three months and remain high at 80% at 18 months post-injection. 

That is a lot of happily balanced faces! 

Would you like to learn more?

It is essential to book a consultation to plan treatment and review recovery precautions.

The same considerations apply to treatment with JUVDERM® VOLUX™ as with the other JUVÉDERM® hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. 

Treatments are individual, and results can vary. Adverse effects are typically mild and short-lived and may include bruising with discoloration, tenderness, and swelling. Patients, however, rate discomfort on average as very manageable. 

Facial Rejuvenation with BOTOX COSMETIC® and JUVÉDERM® Dermal Filler- a Global Approach.

In this post, Dr. Maureen Sweeney describes her consultation with and treatment of Iris, the Live Young Medical administrative assistant and person everyone meets when they come to the clinic.

During their consultation, Iris explained to Dr. Sweeney that her tired demeanour contradicted her inner feelings of vibrancy and youth.

“The way I looked did not reflect the youthfulness I felt inside. Preferring a ‘fresh’ face, I found myself wanting to ‘cover-up’ with makeup, which did not help. I started to feel more and more invisible, and I began to feel self-conscious about putting myself out there.”

Iris wanted to look fresher and younger, but she did not want a surgical facelift. Dr. Sweeney provided an excellent non-surgical alternative, a complete facial rejuvenation with BOTOX COSMETIC® and JUVÉDERM® dermal filler.

Dr. Maureen Sweeney describes the procedures and treatments:

We start all treatments with a thorough evaluation, beginning with a global assessment of a patient’s full face and upper neck. The first step involves assessing balance and proportion by dividing the face into the upper, middle, and lower thirds. We consider factors such as:  are the patient’s facial features in balance, or is one part – such as the chin – too small or recessed? Is the face too square or gaunt?

I ask what are the patient’s assets? These can be features such as lips or eyes that we want to showcase.

I also ask about a patient’s emotive aspects – How do they feel? What do they project to others with their facial expressions, both at rest and with movement?

Does the patient appear tired, sad, angry, saggy, worn out, unapproachable?

We ask, too, which areas are of the deepest concern for the patient? What does the patient want? It is common for us to focus on lines, wrinkles, and folds, but ultimately what we all want is to look relaxed, tighter, slimmer, more attractive, happy, and approachable. Women often want to look softer and more beautiful, and men more firm and masculine.

A comprehensive treatment approach is broken down into the following components and I  will typically address each of these in separate treatment sessions.

1. Treatment of dynamic characteristics
2. Foundation
3. Contour
4. Refinement

We develop our treatment strategy by first addressing a patient’s most prominent, dynamic characteristics– those movements that cause not just wrinkles and lines but unintentional communications such as appearing stressed or unfriendly.

When Iris’s facial features are at rest, she looks tired and sad, and her skin appears saggy, but when she smiles, all of these expressions are reversed. This reversal is an asset that tells us that if we limit her negative dynamic expressions, such as frowning and pouting – she will look less sad. Also, elevating her brows and opening up her eye area will make her look refreshed and less saggy around her eyes.

We can achieve this improvement with BOTOX COSMETIC® treatment.

“I was excited to know that there was something other than a facelift that would help me. I trusted Dr. Sweeney to use what she felt was the best approach to helping me feel and look my best.”  -Iris

Foundation:

The next steps in a full face rejuvenation use JUVÉDERM® dermal filler to further address our patient’s concerns and feelings about looking less tired, sad, and saggy.

Foundation treatments are those that create the most impact, as they build the structure of the face in the same way that foundations and framing define the form of a home.

Typically, in foundation treatments, JUVÉDERM® dermal filler is placed in the cheeks, temples, and portions of the chin. The cheeks and temples lift the brow, midface, lower face, and chin placements address facial proportion and shape. JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® is the dermal filler best suited for treatments such as this, where we want lift. Foundation treatments are usually completed in session two.

Contour:

The next step, usually completed in session three, is to improve the contours of the cheek, jaw line, and chin and further address facial proportions. In both women and men, this can include defining the jaw line, improving the projection of the chin, building further height in the cheekbones, and softening remaining hollows, thus recreating the natural fullness of a youthful face.

JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® has also been the usual treatment choice for facial contouring.

Where we need even more structure and projection such as for the jaw line and chin, we use JUVÉDERM® VOLUX^TM .

“As excited as I was to have everything done all in one session, I also appreciated the staging approach. It allowed me to notice how each treatment made me look fresher than before, and I saw how the procedures supported each other. Each stage was subtle, yet enough for my family and friends to say, ‘What’s different? You look really good.’ And I felt good, too!” -Iris

Refinement:

Refinement treatments add the finishing touches treating areas such as under-eye hollowing, lips, and nasolabial folds. Refinement is also the stage where we address asymmetry. This is often completed in the fourth treatment session.

Here, the range of choice available within the JUVÉDERM® suite are an advantage, offering softer fillers such as JUVÉDERM®, VOLIFT®, and VOLBELLA® that are best suited for the finishing touches.

In Summary:

We achieve non-surgical and natural-looking results by addressing the whole face, using a global treatment approach rather than focusing on one or two features such as nasolabial folds or marionette lines which are common bothersome areas.

Iris’s BOTOX COSMETIC® treatments targeted her forehead frown lines, crow’s feet, chin pebbling, and the muscles that pulled down the corners of her mouth.

Foundation treatments included treating with JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA®, over her cheekbones, temples, and chin. Contour treatment involved using a combination of JUVÉDERM®, VOLUMA®, VOLIFT®, and VOLUX^TM  facial fillers for further lifting her cheekbone – also known as the “top model” look,  filling in lost fat in her mid-cheek area, and further defining her jawline.

The refinement touches included adding another layer to her cheeks, filling the nasolabial folds and under-eye hollows, and plumping her lips using JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA®, VOLIFT®, and VOLBELLA®.

“I feel happier about myself now because maturing gracefully, to me, means taking care of my mind, body, spirit, and appearance so that I feel the best I can at every age.” -Iris