How to Improve the Quality of Your Skin: Advice from Skin Specialists in Dallas
Achieving (and maintaining) healthy, glowing skin is no small feat. One day, you feel confident in barely-there makeup and the next, you might experience extra redness, hyperpigmentation, or an acne breakout.
So many factors affect your skin’s health and appearance. From genetics, hormones, diet, the climate, pollution, sun exposure, and other lifestyle factors—it’s nearly impossible to point to one specific cause of any skin condition.
The good news? You can take control of your skin’s health (it’s never too late!) by educating yourself on why skin health matters, changing (or sticking to) healthy skin habits, and accepting that you need some professional help.
At Southlake Plastic Surgery & Med Spa, we are proud to be the go-to skin specialists for men and women across the Dallas & Ft. Worth area. Our clients trust us to carefully evaluate their skin and make product and treatment recommendations to get them where they want to go.
Keep reading to learn more about what you can do to improve the quality of your skin!
Why is skin health important?
If you thought taking care of your skin was just about vanity, think again! It’s actually super important to take care of your skin the same way you care for other aspects of your health.
People always say, “Your skin is your biggest organ.” It’s true! But what does that mean, exactly? If you didn’t have your skin, you’d be all over the place—literally. Besides holding you together, your skin:
- Supports the life of your other body parts and organs
- Prevents harmful germs and bacteria from entering your body
- Regulates your body temperature
- Is responsible for your sense of touch
- Alerts your nervous system when things are off in your environment (pressure, heat, cold, pain)
- Manufactures vitamin D, an essential vitamin for your immune system as well as healthy teeth and bones
It’s easy to see why you should take care of your skin considering all it does for you!
Besides that, your skin serves as a visual indicator of your overall health and wellness. For example, if you consume too much alcohol, your skin will show it! Chronic drinkers tend to have flushed or reddened patches of skin, large pores, and a yellowish hue thanks to the inflammation, excess oil production, and liver damage too much alcohol causes.
These healthy habits from our skin specialists help improve skin’s quality (and your overall health!)
You might notice that many of the tips our skin specialists in Dallas offer for improving your skin’s quality on your own are just healthy habits you’ve probably already heard about.
Like we explained with our example about alcohol abuse, your skin’s outward appearance is largely a reflection of how healthy you are on the inside. So, it naturally follows that the better your body and cells function—the more your skin glows!
Drink Enough Water
Drinking water is at the top of every “How To Be Healthy” list for a reason. Because it’s that important! Drinking water isn’t just a way to improve your skin’s health, it makes you overall healthier. Each and every cell in your body requires water to properly carry out its functions. When your cells function optimally, a great side effect is bright, plump, and clear skin!
We recommend investing in a large water bottle and swapping sugary or dark-colored beverages with water instead. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recommend that men drink about 125 ounces of water daily, while women should aim for 91 ounces to maintain proper hydration and reduce the risk for chronic disease.
Several factors that might influence your individual daily water intake include your activity level, climate, metabolism, and your size.
Watch Your Diet
We’ve already demonstrated how your lifestyle choices can directly affect your skin, so this one shouldn’t be a surprise! Your skin is a living organ that requires proper nutrients to sustain it. The foods that are best for your health across the board are also great for your skin!
For example, many of those who suffer with acne, especially teens, notice that their intake of certain foods directly affects their condition. Research has shown that poor dietary habits, specifically consuming dairy products and high sugar sweets, are the leading factor for influencing acne breakouts.
Unsurprisingly, foods related to chronic inflammation in the body, like processed foods, high sugar sweets, and dairy, that affect your overall health also directly (negatively) affect your skin. Take a look at your diet (consider logging all your foods for a few days) and see where you can work in nutrient-dense foods like raw fruits and vegetables, lean protein, non-dairy alternatives, and antioxidant-rich foods like blueberries, kale, spinach, and dark chocolate.
Simply switching to cooking your own meals and getting away from DoorDash can make a world of difference—and not only for your health, but your bank account, too!
Get Your Blood Pumping
Besides the obvious health benefits of exercise, physical activity is also really good for your skin! When you raise your heartbeat, your blood pumps through your body faster. It’s recommended to get 30 to 60 minutes of cardio activity daily—and we bet you can get creative to keep things interesting! Try a new virtual workout program, go for a hike, give the dog an extra long walk, or anything else that gets your blood pumping!
This increase in blood flow ensures faster, better delivery of oxygen and other nutrients to your skin. Besides providing oxygen and nutrients, increased blood flow also carries away toxins, like free radicals and other waste, from working cells and out of the system.
Regular exercise also promotes the release of endorphins, also known as feel-good hormones that influence your reaction to stress. Those under a lot of stress can usually see it in their skin. It appears in the form of acne, premature wrinkles, eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.
SPF = BFF
We don’t mean to come off as enemies of the sun. In fact, your body relies on your skin to produce vitamin D from sun exposure. Vitamin D improves your immune system and ensures you can absorb calcium from foods you eat, keeping your bones and teeth healthy.
It’s important to understand that even while you’re wearing sunscreen, your skin is still exposed to UV rays. You don’t need to go unexposed or visit a tanning salon in the name of “producing more vitamin D.” Most of us get enough through the sunshine and ambient UV light we’re exposed to, even while wearing SPF 35+ every day.
Speaking of tanning beds, which we could go on all day about the dangers of, we’ll just inform you that they are absolutely not a safe alternative to natural sunlight. Even a “bronzing bed” directly exposes you to UVA rays, AKA the “aging” rays that lead to premature skin aging and even melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
Moisturize!
It doesn’t matter who, how old, or what skin type you are: all skin needs moisture to be healthy. Some of the moisture comes from your food and water intake, and some must be supplemented.
We recommend investing in a good body lotion that’s rich in ceramides to support your skin’s natural barrier. It’s best to apply your body moisturizer immediately after getting out of the shower. Lightly dab your skin with a towel to get rid of dripping water and rub that lotion all over! This seals in moisture while your skin is plump and hydrated from the shower rather than playing catch up when your skin is already dry, inflamed, or uncomfortable.
Your face, neck, décolleté, and hands are covered with delicate skin that’s also extra susceptible to sun damage. This means that replenishing moisture to your skin’s layers is extra important in these zones. Using moisturizing creams, serums, and other products from our in-house SPS brand ensures your skin that’s put on display the most stays hydrated and gorgeous!
Go to a Skin Pro
At some point, everyone needs to have a “Coming to Jesus” moment with themselves and accept that certain skin quality issues cannot be treated with healthy habits and OTC skin care products alone.
Conditions like melasma, sun damage, acne scars, trauma scars (e.g. surgery, an accident, chicken pox), burns, facial hollows, and sagging skin are extremely difficult—if not impossible—to address on your own.
The above issues require a medical professional with expert knowledge of the skin and how to safely treat it.
Southlake Plastic Surgery Med Spa treatments to improve skin quality
Learn more about the top med spa treatments our skincare specialists in Dallas & Ft. Worth offer to improve our clients’ skin quality.
HydraFacial MD™
This revolutionary medical-grade device offers hydradermabrasion in an amazing multi-step system, leaving you feeling relaxed and pampered and your skin positively glowing. In fact, it’s an excellent treatment to maintain healthy skin!
There is no skin type or tone that a HydraFacial cannot benefit. It is one of the most universally skin-friendly treatments that exists. We can also tailor each treatment to the patient. If you have extra dehydrated skin, we’ll infuse deeply moisturizing products into your skin. If you are suffering a breakout, we will use acne-fighting ingredients to calm even the most irritated skin.
Dermaplaning
Typically performed before a HydraFacial (but can be performed alone!) dermaplaning is an easy, effective skin exfoliation procedure to remove dead skin and vellus hair (“peach fuzz”) on the face that can cause skin congestion and a dull complexion. Dermaplaning involves using a surgical blade. During this fast, painless treatment, a surgical blade is used to remove dead skin & hairs from the surface of the skin.
Even the most sensitive and reactive skin can be treated this way. Facial hair is also removed by this process leaving the skin surface soft and smooth. Dermaplaning also improves skin texture and stimulates new healthy cell growth at the surface. This procedure is recommended monthly.
Microdermabrasion
Show us anyone with glowing skin, and we’re willing to bet regular exfoliation is part of their routine. Proper exfoliation removes the barrier of dead skin cells that can clog your skin and make it look dull and lifeless. When these dead skin cells go, the fresh new cells behind them can shine!
Professional microdermabrasion at Southlake Plastic Surgery is a minimally invasive option for removing dead skin. In addition to physically exfoliating away unhealthy skin cells, microdermabrasion in Southlake also prompts your body’s natural healing response. This causes your skin to begin repairing itself after the “trauma,” which can result in firmer, smoother, thicker, more elastic, and healthier skin.
What skin quality concerns does microdermabrasion treat?
Microdermabrasion is a relatively mild skin damage treatment. As a fantastic part of a healthy skincare routine, we recommend patients see us at least seasonally for microdermabrasion treatments, unless otherwise specified.
We use our state-of-the-art crystal-free microdermabrasion device to address:
- Dull skin tone
- Rough bumpy texture
- Light scarring
- Mild stretch marks
- Surface-level sun damage
How deep into the skin does microdermabrasion treat?
Professional microdermabrasion helps address concerns on the outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis. Thanks to its light treatment depth, our microdermabrasion device offers immediately noticeable results.
When we remove that layer of dead skin, you’ll notice an instantly brighter complexion and smoother, more even texture. With regular treatments, the long-term effects can continue to improve over time as your collagen layer renews itself.
While microdermabrasion doesn’t offer dramatic results, it’s great for our younger patients in their 20s and 30s to delay the signs of aging. Additionally, if you don’t have time for a long procedure or recovery, microdermabrasion is the perfect quick fix for you!
SkinTyte™
SkinTyte is an infrared skin tightening procedure designed to target and lift loose, sagging skin in key areas of your body. Sagging skin can be a byproduct of aging, pregnancy, weight loss, and even genetics.
SkinTyte helps reduce mild sagging skin, crepey skin, and loose skin on virtually any area of the body! We most commonly treat patients’ lower face and neck, buttocks, thighs, arms, and abdomen. SkinTyte works by utilizing infrared light technology to heat dermal collagen deep within the skin. This heat triggers your body’s collagen to contract and coagulate and start the healing process, which tightens the skin.
Benefits of SkinTyte treatments include:
- Firmer skin
- Boosted confidence
- Better fitting clothes
- Painless procedure
- Safe for all skin types
- Improved skin quality
How deep into the skin does SkinTyte treat?
The SkinTyte device itself is not invasive. Rather, the energy it delivers heats deep into the skin’s dermal layers.
Even though it can penetrate deep into the skin, there’s no downtime or recovery to worry about. Our patients come to our office in Southlake and enjoy what they describe as a warm ultrasound massage. Following the treatment, the skin we treated may appear slightly red or pink, but this diminishes quickly. You can leave our office and continue your daily routine!
The skin tightening effects of SkinTyte do not appear immediately. It takes 4–6 months to notice smoother, tighter contours since it takes time for your body to produce new collagen. Most patients require 6 initial SkinTyte sessions to achieve their goals. Then, we recommend discussing follow up maintenance treatments with your body contouring specialist at Southlake Plastic Surgery Med Spa!
Laser Treatments
American beauty standards view tanned skin as “glowing” and desirable. However, skin darkens when exposed to sunshine as a protective measure against UVA (aging) and UVB (burning) rays.
Skin cells use melanin, a pigment that darkens skin tone, to make themselves thicker (what we see as tan) to prevent UV radiation from penetrating deeper into the skin. When that radiation makes it past your skin, it can harm your internal tissues and organs, where it can actually cause damage to the DNA in your cells.
Once the tan fades, lasting skin damage remains as freckles, sun spots, patches of dark pigmentation, premature wrinkles, and loose skin.
Laser treatments, like Halo™, MicroLaserPeel®, and ProFractional® harness the power of light for good, instead. These advanced FDA-approved aesthetics devices work to repair the damage that years of UV exposure causes your skin.
After just one laser resurfacing treatment, patients can expect to see significant improvement in the quality of their skin tone and texture:
- Wrinkles & fine lines
- Sun damage & brown spots
- Enlarged pores
- Sagging skin
- Skin texture & tone
- Acne, surgical, or trauma scars
Laser facials can also address precancerous lesions in the skin before they become a bigger problem!
How deep do skin lasers go?
All the laser treatments offered at Southlake Plastic Surgery Med Spa can be tailored to your unique goals and lifestyle.
If two patients come to us with deep wrinkles, extensive sun damage or hyper pigmentation, or severe scars they may receive two entirely different treatment recommendations depending on several factors.
- Tolerance for discomfort
- Available downtime
- Level of improvement desired
- Budget & timeline
Laser resurfacing intensity can range from treatments that do not disrupt the skin surface to ones that can cause mild open wounds which require some extra dressings and care (plus time off work or social activities). The more downtime and discomfort you can handle, the quicker you can expect to achieve your goals with skin lasers.
If you prefer a less intense approach, no problem! We are happy to create a treatment plan that spaces out lower-intensity treatments over a longer period of time if it suits your needs.
Forever Young BBL™ Photofacials
Photofacials, sometimes known as IPL or Intense Pulsed Light therapy, are a facial rejuvenation treatment used to treat skin conditions associated with a decline in skin quality, like aging, active lifestyles, and sun damage.
BroadBand Light (BBL™) by Sciton is the most powerful photorejuvenation device on the market and has the ability to provide dermal renewal, more effective hair reduction, and treat pigmented or vascular lesions. It also actually helps reverse the aging process of skin cells! BBL uses broad-spectrum visible and infrared light to selectively heat layers of skin to target and eliminate undesired pigmentation, redness, and other unwanted skin conditions.
Forever Young BBL™ is clinically proven not only to correct sun damage, but also to prevent the signs of aging skin by delivering BroadBand Light to the epidermis and dermis, stimulating improvements in skin tone, texture, elasticity, and pigmentation with visible, long-lasting results after just one treatment. There is no patient downtime; patients may experience redness and slight peeling or flaking after treatment.
Let our team of skin specialists in Dallas & Ft. Worth help you improve your skin quality
Southlake Plastic Surgery & Med Spa is dedicated to providing the best plastic surgery and medical aesthetics procedures in Dallas, Ft. Worth, and surrounding areas.
Our expert team of talented aesthetic professionals is here to help you look and feel your best.
Additionally, our AAAASF-accredited plastic surgery center in Dallas is headed by our medical director and board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Mason. He has been helping patients for over 20 years and holds surgical privileges at several hospitals in the Dallas area.
Contact us to learn about your options and schedule a one-on-one consultation to determine the best course of action to treat your concerns.
Use our instant consultation to tell us about your areas of concern, or schedule your first consultation today.
