These Are a Few of Our Favorite Beauty Things

This holiday jingle from a few years ago still rings true!

…Skin that glows brightly and leaves your mate smitten; paraffin hand dip with warm, silky mittens; brown and pink packages tied up with strings, these are a few of our favorite things…Smooth hair and tight skin and full lips and one chin; creamy complexions and thighs toned—abs thin; procedures are offered, low downtime a must; after a moment, you will say, “Its Bella or Bust!”

The holidays are upon us, and we want to look and feel our best. Soon, it will be time to decorate, cook, and shop for everyone. Before getting into the thick of it, take a moment to care for your own concerns. Let’s face it—the gift of beauty is something we usually give ourselves because it is difficult for others to predict what our next beauty move will be. Below are some popular holiday options.

Fifteen-Minute Filler Facelift
The Guanchelift™ nonsurgical facelift is a procedure I developed that involves strategically placed off-face filler to lift and redrape the skin. It improves the appearance of looseness and sagging of the jowls and neck with no downtime. I personally enjoy the results of this procedure as I only offer procedures at Bella Skin Institute that I find consistently effective. Patients who have had this procedure done love to come in and “spruce it up” with some added filler when an event is coming up. The beauty of off-face filler is that there is no visible bruising or downtime and no changes in facial shape or an “overdone” look. Friends and family will not know what was done, just that you look rested, beautiful, and refreshed! I speak on this topic at scientific meetings, and I teach the technique to colleagues who have shown an interest in offering it to their patients. The Guanchelift has been featured on KTLA News, The Doctors, and Entertainment Tonight.

Alluring Eyes
The eyes are the window to the soul, as they say, and they are the focal point of the face. We do not want to frame the eyes with shabby curtains that say, “I’m worn out.” We want them to look vibrant, expressive, alive. The Thermage® skin-tightening procedure can firm the skin around the eyes and provide a subtle brow lift with no downtime. A bit of strategically placed Botox® can provide a pretty brow lift and arch (when done correctly) and reduce the appearance of crow’s feet. Filler for under-eye hollows can take years off! This is one of the most popular procedures at Bella Skin Institute.

Luscious Lips
The number-one, most-popular cosmetic procedure in our office is lip filler. Hyaluronic acid filler is a clear gel that provides a smooth, natural-looking result. When performed artfully, lip injections result in a naturally restored or enhanced look. Fuller lips are a feature of youth and sensuality. Dull, dry, cracked, winter lips can be remedied with Healing Balm®, a lip balm that is an anti-inflammatory that promotes healing. And barring any procedures, some lip plumpers really do work to plump and hydrate the lips. My favorite is Grande Lips lip-plumping gloss, available at Bellaskinstore.com.

Sculpted Features
We can sculpt the face in many ways to provide a more desirable contour. We can now reduce double chin fat without surgery with Kybella injections or CoolSculpting®. With hyaluronic acid fillers, we can inject to sharpen the jawline, augment the chin, sculpt high cheekbones, and even reshape the nose. We can improve dark circles by reducing the hollows under the eyes. Augmenting the jawline of either men or women for the sake of defining it and flaring it restores a youthful look. Earlobes that have lost tone can be rejuvenated. Over the past few years, advanced techniques in fillers have given us a fountain of youth, provided, of course, that the injections are done artfully and in moderation.

Go Darker
The fall and winter trends are for darker hair to frame fairer skin. This is great news for both your hair and your skin. Darker hair color treatments do far less damage to the hair shaft than bleaching or highlighting, and they leave the hair looking glossy. And decreased sun exposure is a gift to your skin! My favorite supplement for fuller hair is Viviscal® Professional with biotin and marine extract. Platelet-rich plasma for stimulation of hair growth results in shinier, thicker hair with decreased scalp “show.”

Fabulous Figure
We’ve tried everything from juicing to cleansing to fasting to Bikram. Once the balanced diet and exercising has been taken to the max, many people notice that some of the cellulite is not gone and neither are some specific, stubborn bulges. CoolSculpting is an excellent choice for those who seek to recontour belly, love-handle, thigh, arm, and even chin bulges. This no-downtime procedure is extremely popular and safe. Qwo, the first ever FDA-approved injectable treatment for cellulite, can permanently reduce cellulite dimples. Emsculpt, or high intensity focused electromagnetic muscle stimulation, is a great option for efficient muscle toning, just in time for the holidays and winter vacations.

Best Skin Ever!
A consultation with a skin expert is a must if you want a tailored skincare regimen specifically for you. And besides that, there is Bella Microgold, a novel microdosing of neuromodulator (Botox) for smoothing the surface of the skin. For collagen stimulation, platelet-rich plasma is an injectable procedure that employs your own platelet-derived growth factors to stimulate collagen and give you a fantastic glow. Last but not least—event facials, such as an oxygen facial or Diamond Glow facial, can have you party-ready with smooth, glowing skin.

These are a few of our favorite things…among many! Every skin type, personality, and budget is different, but beautiful skin, hair, eyes, and figure are pretty much on everyone’s list. Procedures with little downtime make it easy to look and feel your best for the holidays.

The statements in this article are for general informational purposes only and do not substitute for individual medical advice. Dr. Anna Guanche is a boardcertified dermatologist specializing in cosmetic injectables and energy devices for non-invasive rejuvenation. Follow her @annaguanchemd.