I tell all my clients that injectables and laser treatments can do amazing things for your skin. But what you apply to your skin at home is also of utmost importance if you want to improve and maintain the results of your professional treatments. Purchasing over-the-counter (OTC) products after you spent money and time on a service would be as effective as throwing your money to the wind.
Clinical skin care ingredients are constantly evolving, as are their delivery systems. In today’s market, science-based skincare doesn’t set on the skin but actually penetrates to the deeper levels and signals for our skin cells to function more properly.
Most people think that active ingredients are expensive, and not worth the cost. What they don’t realize is that they are buying products with clinical data to support the claims and actions of the products. OTC products can be very expensive, too, but these do not have the data to support their claims.
So what ingredients should you be looking for?
Vitamin A
I’m a big fan of Vitamin A in a fat-soluble form. SkinMedica®, ALASTIN®, and SENTE® all have great retinoids that are well tolerated. Most people quit because of the redness and dryness, and that is why it’s important to consult with a skin care specialist to determine usage and the type of retinoid that would be best for their needs and concerns.
Antioxidants
You can never go wrong with a Vitamin C product, but the formulation is key. We love Revision® Vitamin C Lotions. In addition to Vitamin C, there are many other great antioxidants to keep skin healthy. Ask me about SENTE and ALASTIN treatment topicals!
Salicylic Acid (BHA)
Salicylic acid is best known for its skin-clearing benefits, but this powerful exfoliator is a proven deep cleaner, helping to “unplug” clogged pores, reduce oiliness, and dissolve the skin debris that causes breakouts. I love SkinMedica’s AHA/BHA Cleanser and Cream.
Hyaluronic acid (HA)
HA is a moisture magnet that acts as a cushion and lubricant in your joints and tissues. HA’s claim to fame is its ability to hold 1,000 times its weight in water, helping your skin cells retain moisture and elasticity. I love SENTE’s HSA (which stands for heparan sulfate analog), a patented ingredient found exclusively in the SENTE product line. I think HSA is even better than HA because it’s molecularly optimized to improve the appearance of mature, photo-aged, and dehydrated skin.
For your convenience, you can find all of the above ingredients in various combinations at AVIE! Our skin care experts can’t wait to help you discover the best products for your unique skin care needs! Call 703.870.3844 or request a personal consultation today.
—Kim
Category: Skincare, Page: 2
Check Out Our Award-Winning Treatments at AVIE! Leesburg, VA
We’re thrilled to report that 8 of our services and products were recently acknowledged for their outstanding benefits by NewBeauty magazine, a leading authority and quality purveyor in the aesthetic industry.
Our mission at AVIE! is to bring you the best products and services on the market. Check out just a few of our cream-of-the-crop offerings:
Ultherapy® (“Tried-and-True Skin Tightener”) can help stave off surgery or prolong the results of other skin rejuvenation treatments by stimulating the skin with powerful, non-invasive ultrasound energy. With no downtime, Ultherapy can help lift and tighten skin on the face, neck, and chest for long-lasting rejuvenation. Christie Brinkley is the national spokesperson, and we can see why! For your comfort, we offer PRO-NOX™ nitrous oxide sedation so you can relax while turning back the clock on your skin.
CoolSculpting® (“Fight Fat in a Flash”) is the world’s most popular non-invasive fat reduction treatment. Awarded by NewBeauty for the fifth consecutive year, CoolSculpting freezes away unwanted pockets of fat almost anywhere on the body with little to no downtime.
HydraFacial® (“Go-to Facial for a Healthy Glow”) offers a head-turning complexion with no downtime by combining deep-cleaning exfoliation and extraction with an infusion of revitalizing nutrients for a wide range of improvements, from smaller pore size to more even skin tone and diminished wrinkles.
Halo™ (“Powerhouse Skin Resurfacer”) is the one-and-only skin resurfacing treatment to feature hybrid technology (ablative and non-ablative), which thoroughly revitalizes the skin at every level for a smoother, clearer, and more radiant complexion with less downtime than comparable laser skin resurfacing treatments.
Botox® (“All-Star Wrinkle Eraser”) is the world’s most popular non-surgical aesthetic treatment, smoothing lines and wrinkles on the forehead, between the brows, and around the eyes for up to 4 months of younger-looking skin.
Vollure™ (“Industry Breakthroughs That Have the Power to Change Lives”) is a longer-lasting dermal filler, offering up to two years of smoother, younger-looking skin by restoring volume and reducing deep lines around the nose and mouth (nasolabial folds).
SkinMedica® TNS Essential Serum (“Youth in a Bottle”) is everything you want in a skin product, diminishing lines, smoothing skin, and evening out skin tone with a proprietary blend of peptides, vitamins, antioxidants, and other powerful skin replenishers.
CareCredit (“Beauty Made Easy”) helps you enjoy your favorite beauty services now by allowing you to pay off your treatments in convenient monthly installments.
We are so excited all our hard work continues to pay off! Our goal is to provide the best cosmetic treatments and services possible, and our award-winning treatments are a testament to that!
We can’t wait for you discover these amazing treatments and products for yourself! Call 703.870.3844 or complete your online consultation request form today!
—Kim
Happy Anniversary to Us! Leesburg, VA
We can’t believe that another year has passed! AVIE! MedSpa has officially served as a leading medical spa in Northern Virginia for nine joyful years. We feel truly humbled and privileged to have served you for nearly a decade, and we are continually inspired to provide the latest advancements in treatments for bringing out your personal best.
Because of you, AVIE! is one of the premiere medical spas in the southeast, recognized as an official treatment provider for many leading technologies. Here’s a look at some of our most notable achievements:
•AVIE! is a CoolSculpting® Certified Practice. We’ve performed over 3,000 successful CoolSculpting treatments, making our medspa the leading body contouring destination in Northern Virginia.
•AVIE! is an official Ultherapy® Ultra Treatment Provider, performing over 750 successful Ultherapy treatments.
•AVIE! was named by New Beauty magazine as one of the Top 5 Ultherapy providers in the Southeast.
•AVIE! participated in clinical studies for Alastin Skincare®.
•AVIE! is at the forefront of every trend in cosmetic services, being the first in Loudoun County to offer cutting-edge treatments.
•AVIE! offers more than 25 years of combined experience successfully administering Botox® and dermal fillers.
Thank you for choosing us for all your aesthetic and wellness needs! We can’t wait to help you! Call 703.870.3844 or click here to schedule your consultation today!
—Kim
Go for the Glow At-Home Skin Care Tips Leesburg, VA
We are obsessed with luminous, healthy-looking skin, and offer all the leading treatments to help you achieve nothing short of that. In case you missed it, the beginning of this month marked the start of our annual Exercise Your Skin 90-Day Challenge, which helps women and men attain their best skin and reverse years of sun damage with a bevy of skin-renewing products and treatments. Even if you aren’t enrolled in the challenge, skin revitalization is ideal for everyone, and we are here to help you pursue your complexion goals.
While skin treatments like photofacials and laser skin resurfacing provide amazing improvements, it’s vital to adopt professional-grade skin care at home to maintain your glow in between treatments. Problem is, how do you know which products are right for you? At AVIE!, we’ve done all the hard work for you by selecting only results-based, clinically-proven products. We can help you devise your optimal at-home skin care regimen during your consultation and/or post-treatment care.
Our skin care selection includes Alastin™ Skincare, Image® Skincare, NutraLuxe MD®, Elta MD®, SkinMedica®, and Topix, all of which are based on years of research and results for younger-looking, radiant skin at every age. We also offer professional makeup, including Grande Lips Lip Gloss, a NewBeauty award-winner for a perfectly pumped pout.
We are your partner for luminous, age-defying skin care! To discover your best treatment plan, call 703.870.3844 or click here to request a complimentary consultation today.
–Kim
How Do You Find Quality Skin Care? Leesburg, VA
My awesome clients constantly inspire me, and this month, you’ve inspired me to write about skin care products! So many of you are knowledgeable about skin care but remain confused and overwhelmed by the endless options out there, all claiming to be the best. From “physician-inspired” skin care lines sold through the home-party circuit to the products lining drug store shelves, there’s infinite variety in quality and cost. How do you know which skin care products are truly effective? And, even if they are effective, are they right for you?
First of all, let me start by saying that you have every right to be confused because it is confusing! Second, take a deep breath and relax, because effective skin care is easier to find than you think!
I’ve undergone years of training to understand the science behind healthy, beautiful skin. As a master aesthetician and registered nurse, I’ve devoted my life to providing the leading products and treatments for achieving radiant skin at every stage of life.
To help you find your ideal skin care regimen, I’ll share a few expert (and easy!) tips:
Stick with the professional stash.
We know it’s tempting to buy the cheaper drugstore brands, but they are cheaper for a reason. They contain weaker amounts of the active ingredients you crave like retinoids or antioxidants. Without expiration dates, they are also allowed to sit on shelves for unspecified periods of time, which means they can get stale and lose their potency, and you have no way of knowing it. When you buy your skin care products at professional offices like AVIE!, you can be confident knowing that you are getting fresh, highly potent products that are clinically tested and proven.
Ask for help.
Once you find a medical-grade line based on research and results, your next step is determining the right products for you. We are here to help you understand your skin and will help you pick the ideal products for your unique needs and goals.
Be patient.
Your largest living organ, the skin takes time to renew itself (about 3 to 4 weeks, to be exact), and can take months to start showing noticeable results. Diligent, daily product application paired with daily sunscreen use over time is the only way to achieve the luminous skin of your dreams.
Don’t trust your skin to just any old products. Knowing that the products you use are quality and geared to your needs is truly priceless. I can’t wait to help you find your best skin! At AVIE!, we carry a number of physician-grade, results-driven skin care lines, including SkinMedica®, Alastin Skincare®, and more! Call 703.870.3844 or click here to schedule a free skin care consultation today.
–Kim
The Amazing Benefit of Sunscreen You Won’t Believe! Leesburg, VA
I love sunscreen! We’ve always known that protecting our skin from the sun is the most important thing we can do for maintaining the health and youth of our skin. But there’s more! According to a recent study in Dermatologic Surgery, sunscreen may actually help to reverse sun damage, too! Amazing, right?
Researchers followed a group of women who were asked to wear sunscreen daily for a year. When the year was up, what they expected to find was the status-quo—no changes to the skin and no advancement in photoaging. What they discovered was a different story! In a blinded assessment, dermatologists discovered that the women who wore sunscreen showed significant improvements to their skin, specifically in texture and pigmentation. In self-assessments, the sunscreen users reported the greatest improvements in crow’s feet and dullness, and nearly 70% reported smoother, firmer, and more evenly toned skin. Incredible, right?
The study’s researchers speculate that sunscreen simply helps skin cells to focus on doing their job. When the skin is constantly being assaulted by UV rays, it is forced into a fight and repair mode where it expends all its energy putting out fires and mending wounds. When the skin is protected by sunscreen, it frees up skin cells to do what skin cells do best—keeping skin vibrant and healthy.
I didn’t think it was possible to love sunscreen any more than I do, but there you go! Sunscreen should be the most important product in your beauty kit, which brings me to another important point: You should love your sunscreen the way you love your favorite lipstick or hair product. If you don’t love it, you won’t use it.
I know the importance of finding the perfect sunscreen. You need a balance of light moisture and coverage so you won’t feel greasy or bogged down all day. One of my absolute favorites is Alastin’s Hydratint SPF 36. This all-in-one formula works as a light foundation, sunscreen, and environmental protector with subtle light-reflecting particles for a luminous glow.
For more information on our selection of products and how to protect your skin, call 703.870.3844 or click here to schedule a consultation.
–Kim