Just about every week at ULAH, I have discussions with other guys about self care: everything from weight loss to wrinkles. I've written before about the culture shift in men's skin care, and how more men than ever are slowing the aging process and reducing the signs of stress and sun damage. I thought I'd continue the discussion with some new corrective and reparative treatments that I've recently tried.
As a men's lifestyle store, ULAH has a marketing partnership with our friends at Bare Med Spa that allows me to explore new skin care treatments that I may not have otherwise tried. My intention is to share my experience with guys who talk to me regularly about the topic, and who may be considering new ways to take care of their skin.
I was recently looking at photos on my phone, and went back as far as I could to find a photo of myself before I started skin regimens and treatments — including daily sunscreen, exfoliating, masks, Botox or Dysport, or any of the more recent treatments I've tried with Bare Med Spa. My changes also include trading coffee for a daily cup of matcha (loaded with antioxidants) and switching to a more Paleo based and grain free, whole foods diet (most of the time). I was SHOCKED at the difference in these unfiltered photos. The before picture was taken over 6 years ago!
One of the things I've been most self-conscious about with my skin is pore size. Out of all the pore-reducing methods I've tried, E-matrix has shown the best results on my skin. It doesn't just help minimize pores, though. It can treat fine lines and wrinkles, improve the appearance of acne scars, improve textural irregularities, and tighten skin–all in one sitting. And, you can achieve all this in a treatment that requires little-to-no downtime and is clinically proven for ALL skin types.
- Sublative Rejuvenation is clinically proven to treat fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars and stretch marks, textural irregularities caused by excessive sun exposure, and skin tightening.
- Little to no downtime post-treatment – patients can return to regular activities following treatment.
- Sublative Rejuvenation works from the inside out by stimulating cell regrowth. Thus results with Sublative Rejuvenation last longer and can be further enhanced with yearly maintenance treatments.
- A full-face treatment session takes less than 20 minutes.
- Proven safe and effective on ALL skin types and degrees of pigmentation.
My treatment started out with an application of numbing cream. This definitely helps make the procedure more tolerable. It is a little uncomfortable, but it goes by so quickly that it's easy to get through. You will have a red face when you're done and your face will feel sunburned for a day. However, they applied sunscreen and a tinted cream to tone down the redness so that I could get back to work with no down time. Over the next few days, I felt my face tighten and had minor peeling as the new, improved skin came to the surface. I followed their advice with four treatments — each about 4 weeks apart.
I help keep the pore size down with a weekly regimen using a Hungarian mud mask at home that I purchased at Beyoutify, where I get my hair removal done (another post to come).
One of my biggest problem areas on face has been my nose. I had years of sun damage on my fare skin, large pores, and recently had been dealing with a broken capillary on my nose that would not go away. I was tired of using makeup to hide the large red spot from the broken capillary.
Broad Band Light, commonly known as BBL (may also be called IPL, PhotoFacial or Photorejuvenation), delivers high intensity computer controlled pulses of light that penetrate the skin and heat the sub-surface layers. The heating action damages or destroys problem conditions like excess pigment and unwanted spider veins, while stimulating healthy, new collagen. A series of BBL photofacial treatments can offer the benefits of a medium depth laser resurfacing or chemical peel without blisters, burns or long recovery time. This treatment is great for:
- Red, flushed faces (This can be reduced by 80 to 90 percent!)
- Sun-damaged skin (anywhere on the body)
- Hyper-pigmentation
- Enlarged pores
- Spider veins
These treatments had no down time for me, and showed results within the first day or two. The treatment on my nose only took a couple of minutes. I could see the broken capillary disappear with each of the three treatments I had. I spaced these treatments four weeks apart, in-between my E-Matrix sessions.
I like Dysport over Botox (only one molecule of difference from Botox) because it seems to go into effect faster and last longer. Each person reacts differently, so you may prefer one over the other. These injections are simple, non-invasive, and are fairly affordable. I prefer getting a treatment that doesn’t paralyze every facial muscle. That means finding the right injector who won’t over-do it and will give you more of a natural look. I've really enjoyed my experience with Shonn at Bare Med Spa.
Every face is unique, so each person’s treatment should be unique as well. My visits only take about 10-15 minutes. I get a few needle pricks in my forehead, a few around the eyes, and a couple at the top of my nose – right in between my eyes – where I have frown lines from years of staring at a computer (they call those two lines 11’s).
I tend to notice the changes taking place over the following week or two. By week two and three I look more rested. I’ve been doing these for a while now, so my visits have gone from every 3 months, to every 4-5 months. to now every 6 months in between. I've had no side effects, other than fewer deep wrinkles, less headaches, people guessing that I’m younger than I am, and a boost in confidence.
If you’d like to hear more details about my experiences with any of these skin care treatments, send me a message or stop by the store. I would also encourage you to talk to any of the experts at Bare Med Spa for a consultation. These procedures are not as scary as you might think, and will give you a noticeably refreshed and more youthful look without looking like a plastic version of yourself.
Mention my post or say "Buck15" to get 15% off BBL/IPL or E-Matrix at Bare Med Spa! Call 913-491-4000 to set up your appointment or consultation.
Thanks, again, for following us on our “Journey to Wellness”! – Buck Wimberly
Portrait by Cassandra Castaneda Photography
Portrait by Cassandra Castaneda Photography
