How to get your skin ready for the world, post-pandemic

Our day-to-day routines greatly shifted over the past year. We spent more time at home, communicated through blue screens – and for many, neglected our regular facial treatments.

Now that the world is beginning to open back up, it’s time to ready your complexion for more outings and face-to-face interactions.

But where do you begin? What treatments are best? Do you really have to go into a dermatology office for care? We asked our skincare experts for advice.

Assessing your skin’s needs

 Behind every beautiful complexion is a skincare professional who puts together a great skincare regimen. Scheduling an appointment with a dermatologist, physician’s assistant or licensed aesthetician is the first step in getting your complexion ready for the real world again. During your visit, your provider will go over your current skincare routine, concerns and goals before recommending suitable treatments and/or products. Typically, a combination of medical-grade skincare products – like cleansers, serums, moisturizers and masks – and professional in-office treatments are suggested to achieve desired results.

While virtual visits are wonderful resources – and were a tremendous asset during the pandemic – your provider can only address a limited number of concerns during a TeleDerm appointment. If you put off dermatological care during the pandemic, it’s especially important to come in for an in-person skin examination.

Common post-pandemic concerns

As patients begin to trickle into the office again, our providers are seeing some common concerns emerge among their clientele. These trends include perioral wrinkles (around the lips), parentheses lines (wrinkles around the mouth) and acne. Many patients are also complaining of breakouts due to habitual mask-wearing, particularly around the chin or cheeks.

Treatments can vary depending on the patient and case severity, but for patients that want to spruce up their complexion, our dermatologists recommend:

• Vivace: This minimally invasive microneedling treatment is combined with radiofrequency to stimulate collagen production. It can be used to treat fine lines and wrinkles, tighten the skin, minimize pores and improve overall skin tone and texture. There’s no downtime and patients typically see results immediately. SkinPen is also a great microneedling treatment that is safe for all skin types.
• Moxi: This superficial laser treatment helps reduce brown spots and sun damage with no downtime. Gentle enough to be safe for every skin type, Moxi helps with pigmentation issues, tone and texture, and aging.
• Botox and fillers: The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported 8 million neuromodulator procedures (Botox, Dysport, etc.) and filler treatments were performed in 2020 – despite the early lockdowns and ongoing pandemic. But if you were one of those who put off injectables last year, a little Botox and fillers do wonders for skin plumping and smoothing. Above all, it helps patients feel more confident in their own skin!
• HydraFacial: This non-invasive facial treatment is perfect for patients who just want to give their skin a little extra love. The Vortex-Fusion delivery system provides immediate brightening, hydration, and diminished pores. The HydraFacial can also be customized and combined with other treatments (like LED light exposure) for optimal results.

Caring for your skin at home

In addition to regular treatments, it’s equally important to maintain your skincare regimen at home.

Skin protection comes first; just as the sun can prematurely age the skin, so can radiation that’s given off by cell phones, tablets and computers. To combat premature aging from both the sun and our smart devices, we recommend an SPF 30+ daily, an antioxidant serum (we love skinbetter science’s Alto Defense Serum) and an oral supplement called SUNISDIN that protects the skin from the inside out from free radicals.

While you should save the microneedling devices for the professionals (no at-home dermarollers), we do love the Nuface device for at-home facial toning and skinbetter’s AlphaRet pads for nightly exfoliation.

Are you ready to unmask?

2020 was a long, trying year, but we’re optimistic of better days ahead – and that includes better skin, too. At Dermatology Consultants, our board-certified dermatologists, physician’s assistants and aestheticians are excited to help both existing and new patients start their journeys to healthy, radiant skin.

Call 404-351-7546 to book an appointment with our Atlanta office or 770-784-0343 to schedule with our Covington office. We can’t wait to see you!