Have you ever wondered what your skin would look like if you could have a dermatologist care for it every day? Just imagine how your skin might transform if you could use every product suggested and have every treatment recommended. Well, these four women got to do just that. We sent them to noted dermatologist, Dr. Ava Shamban and her teams at AVA MD Med Spa in Beverly Hills, Calif. and The Laser Institute in Santa Monica, Calif., to solve their skin issues in 30 days. And now you get to see their results from using key face and body products and undergoing various treatments. Warning: The following pictures might inspire you to head to your local derm's office -- stat!
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Sharon "Before"
Sharon, a 58-year-old mother (and new grandmother), political publicist and part-time movie producer, was dealing with lack of volume, firmness and elasticity, small wrinkles and some age spots (she loves the outdoors and spent a lot of time as a tennis player and a swimmer in her youth).
Next: See the products she used
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Products used
For her face, Dr. Shamban recommended she use the following products to rejuvenate her skin:
Sharon's feedback on the products: The "Shiseido products are so moisturizing. They really make your skin feel wonderful and the lip and eye products were definitely excellent." The Jergens products also kept her body well hydrated. "It's a brand I've used since I was young and I felt very comfortable with it -- Jergens is like having an old friend on board for the whole process," she says.
Next: See which treatments she got
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Treatments
Sharon had six treatments over the 30-day period, which included:
Treatment 1: Dr. S. Saul Lahijani injected Radiesse, a wrinkle-filler made of calcium hydroxylapatite, into her skin to restore volume in her face and to help contour it.
Treatment 2: Then Restylane, a hyaluronic acid wrinkle filler, was injected into areas on her face that had superficial lines (like smile lines).
Treatment 3: Last, Juvederm, another form of hyaluronic acid wrinkle filler, was injected into her lips to restore the volume (not make them larger).
Treatment 4: Taya Pavlenko, a laser nurse specialist, gave her a laser treatment that included three lasers -- VBeam, Smooth Beam, and Intense Pulsed Light. All three addressed discoloration in the skin and broken capillaries. In addition they smoothed her pores and helped stimulate collagen growth. The VBeam also helped diminish the bruising caused by the injections (Sharon was considered an extremely easy bruiser by the doctor who injected her).
Treatment 5: An electric needle was used to burn the hypoplasia (skin growth) on a couple of small spots on her face.
Treatment 6: A rejuvenating facial that moisturizes and nourishes the skin was done to rejuvenate Sharon's face after all the treatments were finished.
Sharon's feedback on the treatments: "When you're doing the injections it is kind of 'ouch' each time -- around the lips and mouth is particularly 'ouchie', but the folks at this office were excellent. I did have a lot of bruising, but I knew that [would happen] going in. [To help disguise immediate bruising, Sharon used Cover FX Conceal FX Camouflage Concealer, $27, which she said worked like a charm.] It's definitely worth it, but if you do it, you have to be mentally prepared for it because it's like dealing with a medical procedure," says Sharon. Oh, and "the lasers feel like a rubber band popping on your face."
To learn more about injectable wrinkle fillers, take this myth-busting quiz.
Next: See Sharon's "after" picture
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Sharon "After"
"I was really happy with it," says Sharon. "It's just surprising how radiant my skin became after the downtime. It's worth it. I was really shocked that the laser is so effective in dealing with the sun damage. I was surprised at how much it improved my skin. I love the results. It's just nice to know that there are ways to continue to look your best," she says.
Have you ever wondered what your skin would look like if you could have a dermatologist care for it every day? Just imagine how your skin might transform if you could use every product suggested and have every treatment recommended. Well, these four women got to do just that. We sent them to noted dermatologist, Dr. Ava Shamban and her teams at AVA MD Med Spa in Beverly Hills, Calif. and The Laser Institute in Santa Monica, Calif., to solve their skin issues in 30 days. And now you get to see their results from using key face and body products and undergoing various treatments. Warning: The following pictures might inspire you to head to your local derm's office -- stat!