Dr. Simran Sethi:
Welcome to the new Skin Report, a dedicated space for exploring the world of skincare, medical aesthetics, and beauty, especially for women of color. We are bringing the same insightful discussions into a vibrant new format where you can both hear and see the world of skincare and medical aesthetics come alive.
Shaheera Bhutto:
I’ve learned a lot about injectables, facials, overall skin resurfacing from you and how you use the really easy at-home care with the really great investment people are making into their skin for themselves in your medical spas or any medical spa. I think people often don’t realize the aftercare or the maintenance that’s actually just everyday care, really, that they should be providing for their skin when it comes to their treatments. That is with skincare. What is the ideal routine that people should incorporate in their skincare at home when it’s for a facial, resurfacing, microneedling, and actually injectables?
Dr. Simran Sethi:
Yeah. A lot of people think that… “Hey, I’m getting a facial every month. I’m coming in and getting Botox every three months, getting a filler. I’ve done microneedling. I’ve done laser. Do I really need to now also invest in my skincare? Of course, you do. It’s like the analogy of planting a garden. You can plant a garden beautifully, but if you don’t water it on a daily basis, it doesn’t receive sunlight. It is not going to look like it did when you first planted it.
When you’re getting something as simple as a facial every month, you are basically getting a nice deep cleansing and exfoliation. Now, all your skin products will absorb even better because the debris on your skin has been removed by that facial. If you’re doing microneedling or lasers for skin resurfacing, for acne scars, for fine lines, hyperpigmentation, what you put on your skin on a daily basis makes a huge impact on not only the initial results you’re going to get and how long they’re going to last.
Then, finally, even something like Botox or fillers, if you’re going in every three to six months to get Botox, if you get a filler put in your cheeks, let’s say, and you are not using good skin care, you’re breaking down your collagen more rapidly than you could if you had good skin care on board. Your results are going to last for a less amount of time. I always tell my Botox patients that it would be a criminal act if I let you leave this office without having skincare on board because, honestly, in the long run, it is not going to serve them well.
Shaheera Bhutto:
Do you use a more beautiful analogy about plants and flowers? I was going to-
Dr. Simran Sethi:
Instead of crying.
Shaheera Bhutto:
Instead of crying. No, I was like, instead of… What I always think of… and I heard this, I think, probably from you or someone in your office, is you brush your teeth every day. That’s your skincare. You use your skincare every day. Then you go in for that deep cleaning to a professional space, which, in this case, would be getting a medical treatment done or a facial. I think people… I understand where they are coming from. They tend to think, “Well, if I’m doing all this, then why do I also have to do this?” But that’s just something they just have to do every day.
Dr. Simran Sethi:
Exactly. You don’t have to have a nine-step routine. You can have a shorter routine that has a good cleanser. It has a retinol on board. Retinol is very important for increasing skin cell turnover, increasing your collagen production, having a protectant like a vitamin C that’s always giving you protection and antioxidants, and definitely having a good sunscreen on board that looks good on you so that you’re going to use it on a daily basis.
Shaheera Bhutto:
Are there any questions that you want people to ask? Maybe they don’t even realize that they have those questions. Maybe they can ask you in the comments.
Dr. Simran Sethi:
Absolutely. If you’re a minimalist or maybe you’re someone who has a certain kind of skin problem, like acne, hyperpigmentation, and what are some of the must-have skin care products you should have on board, definitely ask us in our comments.
