Beauty is not just skin deep – it is from the inside out.  But when our external appearance does not match our inner vibrant feelings, we can feel those skin care blues. Here are some easy remedies to enhance our skin without undergoing the knife.
 

1. Facial:  A facial performed by a qualified aesthetician in an elegant, relaxing spa environment can not only hydrate and condition the skin, but also give you the gift of tranquility and relaxation.  Facials exfoliate the debris on the surface of our skin, extract blackheads and blocked pores and then hydrate and replenish skin oils, giving the skin a softer, more nourished appearance.
 

2. Medical Microdermabrasion:   This is a deeper exfoliation which is performed by specially trained medical technicians that is analogous to “sandblasting” or etching off the dull, dead layer of skin cells that we all accumulate from aging and weathering of the skin. The procedure delivers a fine, pressurized spray of crystals to the skin surface with a gentle suction delivered almost simultaneously, removing the crystals and dead cells This results in restoring a fresher, healthier look to the skin.  Microdermabrasion can also smooth out fine lines and irregularities, giving a more uniform skin texture.
 

3. Superficial Chemical Peel:  Although the name sounds daunting and conjures up images such as Samantha in the famous “Sex and the City” episode,  many chemical peels are actually quite gentle.  The superficial chemical peels safely dissolve away the dull surface layer of skin cells and can also un-clog blocked pores.  This results in a medical exfoliation that not only improves the skin texture, but also improves acne.  Superficial peels leave the skin looking radiant and freshly scrubbed, with little or no recovery time necessary. The smoother skin texture increases the reflection of light, resulting in more of a “glow”.
 

4. Botox:  Depite the many urban myths about Botox, it is a very safe, effective medical treatment which simply relaxes the muscle which is treated.  In cosmetics, the muscles treated are usually the frown muscles above the bridge of the nose, smile muscles around the eye and forehead muscles.  When these muscles are relaxed, the skin overlying them also relaxes and the result is elimination or improvement of the resulting lines.  Botox can also be used to weaken opposing muscle groups and change facial dynamics, resulting in a non-surgical brow lift or lifting of downturned mouth corners.  Botox is a protein which is injected with fine needles into the specific muscles and does not require any down time for recovery.  This treatment is provided by doctors specially trained in the procedure – visit the Botox website at BostoxCosmetic.com to find a qualified doctor in your area.
 

5 .Facial Fillers:  These are gels that can be injected into the deep layer of the skin to “plump up” wrinkles or add volume to areas where volume has been lost due to aging or when additional volume is desired, such as lips.  There are many types of gel products available, but the most common is hyaluronic acid, a sugar gel that is part of our skin structure.  Commonly known product names for this would be Restylane, Perlane and Jouvederm.  The gel is injected by a physician or nurse trained in the procedure and results are instant and can last up to a year.  There can be some swelling and bruising for the following few days, so important to plan this procedure to avoid questions at an important event!
 

6. IPL – Intense Pulsed Light treatments (IPL) is a medical, light based treatment that eliminates or reduces pigmentation sun spots and red spidery blood vessels that appear on our face, usually seen around the nose and across the cheek area.  In this treatment, intense pulses of light in the wavelengths selectively absorbed by red and brown colors will be flashed at the skin via a probe. The unwanted spots then absorb this light which heats and destroys them, without damaging the surrounding skin.  There is a mild discomfort or “snapping” sensation with the treatment and a sunburned look and feel to the skin which is usually gone within 1 – 2 days.
 

However, prevention is always the best approach to healthy, beautiful skin.  Although we cannot stop the biologic clock and the normal intrinsic aging that it brings, many of the changes we associate with aging of the skin are due to external factors such as sun exposure and smoking. Wearing sunscreen, not smoking, eating a healthy diet and drinking adequate water are important for skin health and will make a difference.  And for those remaining concerns, there are the treatments as outlined above. It is often not just one, but a combination of the above procedures that offers the best overall look.   So say goodbye to the skin care blues - a healthy, vibrant complexion is achievable and wrinkles are now truly optional!

Dr. Wendy Smeltzer, BSc, MD, CCFP, FCFP Dr. Wendy Smeltzer established a medical esthetics practice in 1998 after 18 years of clinical medicine.  She founded Canada’s first medical spa, Sante Spa, combining medical esthetics with spa services and lifestyle programs. Wendy is known in the spa and medical esthetic industry for her commitment to high standards and best practices.  She has chaired the Standards and Practices Committee for the national Canadian spa association and wrote the standards for spas, suppliers and educational bodies for the Canadian spa industry. She sits on the Board of the Canadian Association of Aesthetic Medicine as well as holds an appointment by the Minister of Health for Alberta.   In November 2005, she was named to the Top 100: Canada’s Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network. In addition to Santé Spa in Calgary, Dr. Smeltzer also opened Santé Spa Bear Mountain, housed within the Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa in Victoria, BC.  Santé Spa Bear Mountain is a lifestyle medical spa, offering the same scope of spa and esthetic services, medical esthetic treatments and lifestyle programming elements as Santé Spa Calgary. Dr. Smeltzer speaks widely on medical esthetics, cosmeceutical and skin care products in addition to lecturing on standards for the spa and medical esthetic industries throughout Canada and abroad.