My last post focused on getting ready for Summer. Let’s flip the switch and take a look at what is great for the upcoming Fall and Winter months. These typically revolve around repairing the damage from the summer sun, hydrating, preparing for upcoming events and more invasive treatments that have downtime which couldn’t be hidden frolicking around in your itty bitty bikini.
I recommend getting a full assessment from your favorite skincare specialist whenever you’re going to make a change. It’s also time to look at targeted skincare items which are better-suited for the dry, blustery winters instead of the humid, sweaty summer.
Repair and Reset
After summer vacations and hours outside at the fields cheering on your favorite teams, sun damage can occur even with the best of SPF and sun protection. This looks like discoloration, freckles, and dried out or clogged skin from suntan lotion and the elements. Here are a few things to put on your radar
| Treatment | What it treats | Highlights to know |
| Brightening skincare items | Turning over skin cells and inhibiting melanin to address dark spots, uneven skin tone. | Look for ingredients like hydroquinone, glycolic acids or other AHAs, licorice, kojic acid, alpha arbutin, and vitamin C. Salicylic acid, azelaic acid and niacinamide are great for acne-prone people. SPF even on cloudy days is a must! The snow is a big reflector of the sun’s rays back onto your skin and eyes. |
| Chemical Peels | Similar to brightening skincare items, it removes old dead skin to help clear discoloration, break up debris, and bring clear, healthy skin to the forefront. | Peels are very customizable depending on your skin type, desired effect and downtime. You don’t have to see visible peeling to get the benefits from a peel, and stronger isn’t always better (but it definitely can be!). Peels like high % TCA and phenol are typically done by a doctor or dermatologist. |
| Microneedling | Stimulates the epidermis and dermis to create collagen and ratchet up dark pigments created in the basal layers of the skin. | Microneedling is an absolute workhorse. Unless you have active stage 3 or 4 acne, are currently on accutane, or have other medical issues that would prevent you from benefitting from this treatment, it really is for just about everyone. It’s one of my favorite treatments and is great to pair with the two mentioned above, and laser. It works synergistically and is so versatile. You can use this on scars, dark spots, discoloration, acne scaring, stretchmarks…just about anywhere! |
| Laser | Treats browns and reds in the skin, resurfaces and stimulates collagen Laser Hair Removal (LHR) targets dark hair to temporarily eliminate it. | There are so many different types of laser. IPL works best on non-tanned, fair skin. Frax is the non-ablative version of the Fraxel laser which helps with texture, discoloration and collagen production. CO2 is a high-powered laser that gives the skin a major shellacking and reset. PDL, KTP, BBL, Moxie, Clear and Brilliant….the list goes on. I suggest you talk to a skincare specialist to decide which one is right for you. LHR is a great option best for darker hair on lighter skin. It uses light to destroy the hair at the follicle. This won’t work for very dark skin, red or light hair. It also won’t treat vellus (baby fine or peach fuzz) hair. It’s a great solution for men and women who don’t want to shave or wax, and can be a longer-lasting solution. It takes multiple treatments every 4-6 weeks, so plan ahead. |
Hydration & Protection
Your skin is about to take a beating from the cold weather and fake heat being pumped in. Hydration and protection is the name of the game. It’s time to take a step back from aggressive exfoliation that the summer clog-fest can require, and refocus on gentle exfoliation with nourishing and barrier-building in mind.
| Treatment | What it treats | Highlights to know |
| Skincare | Protects and nourishes the skin to protect it from the elements like sun, wind, cold and hot temperatures, drying heat and scarves. | Look for ingredients like fatty acids, cholesterol (not your foods!) glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, PCA, ceramides, hyaluronic acid and PGA , aloe, oils on top of water-based skincare to seal it in, calming and hydrating spritzes or toners, allantoin, bisabolol, oatmeal, cica, and chamomile. Watch out for too much scrubbing during the dry winter months. Also make sure your scarves, hats or other items that touch the skin are cleaned regularly. They could be a culprit for acne. |
| Facials | Stimulates the circulation, clears congestion in the pores, rebalances and hydrates for healthier and better-functioning skin. Regular facials, Hydrafacial and Diamond Glow are all great options. | I love a good facial. They can be customized after your skincare specialist sees what is going on with your skin. Hydrafacial and Diamond Glow help to de-clog and put fortifying serums back into the skin. Don’t underestimate the power of a good facial massage and the hands-on approach. A good facialist will have many items in their arsenal to whip you up something special. |
| Humidifiers | Adds moisture back into the air | This is great for your bedroom or the office. If you find you’re parched throughout the day, a good humidifier can help take out some of that Sahara-like feeling the heater can bring with it. Giving a good cooling mist is great, and may also help with dry eyes or sinuses. |
Body Contouring
We typically bundle up quite a bit more in the Fall and Winter time, so now’s the time to do those body contouring sessions you’ve been thinking about. This time allows you to hide any swelling and bruising, and get ready for your next step on the summer stage. I’ve listed these in a somewhat least invasive to most invasive order. This order also generally coincides with cost BUT this is not always the case. Consult your skincare specialist or a board-certified plastic surgeon for more information and a consultation.
| Treatment | What it treats | Highlights to know |
| Emsculpt, CoolTone, Evolve | Stimulates muscle contraction to build lean muscle, faster. This also helps burn more fat as muscle has a higher metabolic rate. More muscle = more fat burn. | This is really for those who have a nutritional and/or workout plan in place. There’s generally no downtime aside from some minor soreness or discomfort during treatment. I consider these “cherry on top” treatments to help push you to the final goal. Don’t expect this to be an easy bake oven where you go in like dough and presto out to fitness-model results. You have to do the work, and these treatments will bring you to the finish line. |
| CoolSculpting (CS) | Body contouring that uses cryoliposis to treat targeted areas of fat. Fat (adipose) cells are destroyed permanently over multiple sessions. | CoolSculpting is a great alternative for those who just need some targeted help, do not want to do surgery or are not a candidate for surgery. The applicators pull the fat into them and freeze it. Your body breaks down the waste over months and flushes it out. It’s generally painless and takes only 30 minutes or so per applicator. This is for minor to moderate fat destruction and can take a few treatments over a few months to see final results. It’s highly customizable to treat double chin, bra fat, arms, legs, stomach, flanks…the list goes on! Downtime is minimal with some discomfort and swelling/bruising possible. |
| Kybella, QWO | Kybella is an injectable FDA approved to treat the fat under the chin. QWO is FDA approve to treat mild to moderate cellulite on the legs/buttocks. | Kybella can be used in multiple ways and takes a few treatments. It’s so versatile to treat targeted pockets of fat, especially if they do not fit the CoolSculpting applicators or if you are not a candidate for CS. It does cause considerable swelling, so you’ll want to do this when you can hide away a bit if you’re going to do it on the chin or jowls. QWO dissolves the bands that create cellulite dimples. The treatment is fast and over 3 sessions. Bruising can be considerable, so good thing you’ll be wearing your favorite black jeans this winter. |
| RF Microneedling | Resurfaces the layers of the skin and heats the dermis to provide skin tightening. This can also provide fat destruction if desired. | There are multiple modalities for RF technology and can be used to contour the face and/or body. These treatments use needles like microneedling, but go much deeper into the skin. It also incorporates radiofrequency which provides tightening. Common systems are Profound, Morpheus8 and Lutronic Genius. These take months to see results and are best paired with good skincare and a healthy lifestyle. Profound is meant to be a one-time treatment, others may need multiple treatments over months. |
| Surgical liposuction, lifts, tucks and augmentations | Varying body contouring options that are performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon. These give the most dramatic results and involve removing skin and fat, repairing muscle and adding things like implants or fat transfers. | There is a whole host of options here, from liposuction, tummy tucks (aka abdominoplasty), breast augmentations, thigh and buttock lifts, and fat transfers. These are come with more downtime but more dramatic results that cannot be achieved with non-surgical treatments. Consult a board-certified plastic surgeon for a consult and pricing. |
Upcoming events: Time to sparkle
It’s event season! Whether it’s the holidays, reunions, family meet-ups, or wedding planning, this is the time to shine. Even the cosmetic brand, MAC, is trolling me with so many sparkly things that make me want to highlight and contour myself to blinding levels. The bigger or more components included in the change, the more time you should plan ahead.
Anything with surgery may need to be started 6 months to a year or more ahead. It takes time for a consult, scheduling surgery and to see final results. Injectables or CoolSculpting may take multiple treatments over weeks or months. Skincare also takes time to work. A small tweak like Botox should be done 4 weeks ahead so that changes can be made if needed. Don’t put the pressure on yourself or your provider scheduling something at the last minute. We both want you to be happy, confident and feel your best. #shinebrightlikeadiamond
In closing
Fall is a wonderful time of year. I have strong words for Winter, but I blame my stints in the arctic Chicago and NYC for putting the fear of falling temps in me. I hope this was helpful to start making your list and checking it twice. Selfcare and healthfulness is the best gift you can give yourself. Treat yourself and put a little bow, or Botox, on it.
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