This is a tricky topic for many providers of cosmetic and aesthetic services, even though it should not be. The reason is that any person with internet access or a TV is likely to run across trends and gimmicks that promise amazing results. Influencers are paid to promote products and procedures and celebrities tout the latest and greatest in beauty trends. Most practitioners’ offices are not set up to do every single procedure that emerges through the course of a year – each one promising better results faster, with less discomfort.

So what is one to do when a new, or long-term, patient asks you the question about what the best rejuvenation technique is. Be prepared. Be conversant in the different trends and technology. Be able to guide the discussion. And above all, make sure that you are well versed in the same trends that your patients are noticing and when you do not know the answer to a question they ask, assure them that you will find out; then follow up with the answers they need.

SCALE 2019 Music City is a great way to learn more about not only the techniques that are the best today, but also those that are emerging and in 2019.

So what are the best rejuvenation techniques? Well, it depends on who you ask – but overall, when comparing research-tested and photo-approved techniques, here are a few of those that made the top list of 2018.

Microneedling

While this can be done by people in their own home, it is ill advised unless they are trained in dermatology, aesthetics, or another field of cosmetic medicine and also in the technique. Dermarolling is the the term applied to micro-needling. The roller with tiny needles is applied to the skin of typically the face and neck. The needles puncture the skin, which instigates cellular turnover and the production of new collagen and elastin. Proven effective, it is even more so when combined with either Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) peeling. (Source).

While this technology has been around since the very early 1900s, it rose and then exploded in popularity in the last few years. In 2016 the Chicago Tribune published an article describing microneedling and its benefits. In it, a 50 year old patient indicates that she saw more benefit to her skin than any other treatment she has undergone so far. The treating physician indicated that he uses the procedure to deliver other agents into the skin and that the only downside for the large majority of people is that they might not see dramatic enough results quickly.

Clearly, your patients will benefit more from microneedling in your office, with other combined therapies, than they will at home.

Chemical Peels

Tried and true and nothing new, but they still work with incredible results to rejuvenate the face, neck and decollage. Most can be done in less than an hour, with no down time and just the slightest bit of redness – but some more intense peels require a bit more time before the results look good and the initial irritation subsides. These treatments “can improve the skin’s appearance… a chemical solution is applied to the skin, which makes it ‘blister’ and eventually peel off. The new skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin” (Source).

While some mild irritation may occur, and with a temporary hyper-sensitivity to the sun, these treatments have grown in popularity over the last couple of years. So much so, that companies are investing in the research and development of new technologies.

Laser Resurfacing

The use of short, concentrated, pulsing beams of light on the skin can reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and the appearance of blemishes. Also called lasabrasion, laser peel, or laser vaporization, CO2 or Erbium are typically used to achieve the desired results.

• CO2 Laser Resurfacing… has been used for years to treat different skin issues, including wrinkles, scars, warts, enlarged oil glands on the nose, and other conditions. The newest version of CO2 laser resurfacing uses very short pulsed light energy (known as ultrapulse) or continuous light beams that are delivered in a scanning pattern to remove thin layers of skin with minimal heat damage. Recovery takes up to two weeks.

• Erbium Laser Resurfacing is designed to remove surface-level and moderately deep lines and wrinkles on the face, hands, neck, or chest. One of the benefits of erbium laser resurfacing is minimal burning of surrounding tissue. This laser causes fewer side effects — such as swelling, bruising, and redness — so your recovery time should be faster than with CO2 laser resurfacing. In some cases, recovery may only take one week. Ask your doctor how long recovery is likely to take for you. [For patients with] a darker skin tone, erbium laser resurfacing may work better.

Other trendy new rejuvenation techniques that show incredible promise, and have celebrity followings, are Oxygen Facials, Thermage, Liquid Facelifts, and Fraxel. These, and other new techniques and technologies, will be available to explore and learn about at SCALE 2019 Music CIty, along with those that will emerge as favorites in 2019. In the meantime, and until you are comfortable with any procedure, focus on the ones that you know work and that you can deliver with results that stand up against the trends.