Improving Your Skin for the Holidays and New Year: Staff Picks
There are hundreds of options to choose from when it comes to improving the appearance of your skin. If you feel overwhelmed by the treatment choices and don’t know what is best for your unique skin, you are not alone!
The Winter season is a popular time to browse options for skin treatments. If you are looking for solutions to address frustrating skin concerns such as redness, dryness, acne, dullness, large pores, fine lines, wrinkles, and so on, we’ve compiled a list of our favorites.
These non-surgical treatments were hand-picked to be offered to patients by our board-certified plastic surgeons because of the incredible results. Our team of Licensed Estheticians broke it all down. Here’s the short version:
Microneedling | HydraFacial & Dermaplaning | Chemical Peels | Halo/BBL | |
Addresses | fine lines, crepiness, texture, acne or surgical scarring, clogged pores | texture, peach fuzz, clogged pores, acne, hyperpigmentation, redness, dehydrated skin, fine lines | fine lines, acne, texture, clogged pores, hyperpigmentation, melasma | Sunspots, broken capillaries, redness, rosacea, fine lines, large pores, and boosting collagen for antiaging |
Cost | $300-350 (add-ons available) | $100-$315 (add-ons available) | $125-$375 | BBL $495, Halo $1,200, Both $1,695 |
Back to normal in… | 3 days | 0 days | 1-7 days | 7-8 days |
Since that brief information doesn’t do all these treatments justice, we have expanded on every treatment. Starting with Microneedling, keep reading to find out more about cost, downtime, ideal candidates, benefits, and what to expect from your treatment.
Microneedling
Provided by Savannah Brasells, Esthetician at CSPS Mount Juliet
Addresses: Fine lines, crepiness, texture, acne scarring, clogged pores, post-inflammatory erythema (such as pink spots left over from breakouts.
Cost: $350 per treatment, $900 for a package of 3. Add-ons available: +$150 for growth factor, +$300 for PRP, +200 to treat the neck.
Downtime/Recovery: About 3 days. Expect your skin to remain red and sensitive for 2-3 days. You could also experience a small degree of flaky skin. Avoid face makeup for 2 days after, so you’ll want to plan your appointment accordingly. Your skin should be back to normal in about 3 days.
Ideal Candidate: Everyone!
What to expect: Upon your arrival, topical numbing is applied to help with any discomfort. After about 20 minutes, we remove the numbing cream, cleanse your skin, and prepare it for treatment. We run the pen over the skin and do up to 3 passes over each section of your face. When the treatment is complete, your skin will be pink or red, like a moderate sunburn. You could also have a few areas of mild pinpoint bleeding. It also feels like a sunburn – warm, stingy, dry, and sensitive. The device we use at Cool Springs Plastic Surgery is called the SkinPen, which was the first FDA-approved device for microneedling. We use single-use needle cartridges, and we can control the depth of the pen as well.
How to get the best results: To see the best results, it is recommended to do a series of 3-6 treatments spaced out 4-6 weeks apart.
Why our providers recommend it: “I love microneedling because almost anybody can benefit from it! It’s an amazing treatment to do if you are wanting to do a treatment that is slightly more aggressive but also has minimal downtime.” – Savannah Brasells
HydraFacial & Dermaplaning
Provided by Heather Happy, Esthetician at CSPS Brentwood
Addresses: texture, peach fuzz, and a variety of specific concerns: clogged pores, acne, hyperpigmentation, redness, dehydrated skin, fine lines
Cost: Dermaplaning $100, HydraFacial $215-$328, Combined: $315
Downtime/Recovery: None. Makeup can be worn the same day if needed.
Ideal Candidate: Everyone! We most often see brides, event-prep, maintenance for in-between more advanced skin treatments, and patients that aren’t interested in recovery time.
What to expect: Improved texture and clarity, intense glow, and over time, the specific concerns mentioned above will start to diminish, especially when paired with a skincare routine at home that addresses those concerns.
How to get the best results: Come in monthly or at 2-to-4-week intervals between an advanced skin treatment
Why patients love it: Patients notice an immediate improvement in the texture and softness of their skin with no downtime. They say it’s the cleanest and freshest their skin has ever been.
Why our providers recommend it: “I love recommending this combination of treatments for patients that are just getting started with skin treatments and need a refreshment to their skin. Not everyone is ready to do advanced treatments like BBL or Halo and this is a great place to start improving their skin health. This is also an amazing treatment to be done on a routine basis to stay on top of skin concerns” – Heather Happy
Chemical Peels
Provided by Savannah Dalton, Esthetician at CSPS Franklin & Mount Juliet
Addresses: Fine lines, acne, texture, hyperpigmentation, melasma.
Cost: $125-$375 depending on which peel
Downtime/Recovery: 0-7 days
Ideal Candidate: Most patients with acne-prone, sun-damaged skin
What to expect: This varies based on which peel is used. For example, the Illuminize peel will give you a “red carpet glow” and no downtime. Vitalize will help clear any breakouts/clogged pores. ZO 3-Step will help clear up pigment as well as acne and texture. Skin Benefit Reverse Peel will help clear up hyperpigmentation, melasma, and texture.
How to get the best results: Pair an Illuminize chemical peel with dermaplaning to remove that layer of dead skin and peach fuzz. Results are also great alone.
Why patients love it: It helps them achieve that younger-looking skin with a clearer skin tone.
Why our providers recommend it: “I love this treatment because you have four options to choose from based on your skin concerns. downtime also ranges as well as pricing, so you have options! It helps correct so many things at once. It leaves your skin healthier and clearer.” – Savannah Dalton
Halo & Broadband Light (BBL)
Provided by Destiny Berger, Esthetician at CSPS Brentwood
Addresses: Sunspots, broken capillaries, redness/rosacea, fine lines, large pores, boosting collagen for antiaging.
Cost: 1 BBL $495, 1 Halo $1,200, Combined $1,695. Price can vary if you want to add different areas.
Downtime/Recovery: 7-8 days total. 1- 3 days of swelling, followed by 4-5 days of dry, sandpaper texture that will slough off as you cleanse. On average, patients need about a week to be back to normal.
Ideal Candidate: Someone who wants to clear up their overall complexion, reverse signs of aging, and smooth the skin’s surface.
What to expect: With BBL, the applicator moves along each area on the skin that creates pulses of light. During each pulse, it will feel like a warm rubber band snap on the skin. this treatment usually takes 30 minutes. With Halo, we use Pro-Nox (laughing gas) for comfort during the treatment. The Halo feels like hot prickles on the skin and moves in a sweeping motion. After the halo is done you will be red (like a sunburn) and feel hot for about 2 hours. For both treatments, safety glasses will be worn to protect the eyes.
How to get the best results: Typically, doing a series of 3 BBL and 1 Halo. Treating with the BBL every 4-6 weeks and finishing with a BBL & Halo combination. This will give the best correction of pigment and retexturizing. Halo treatments can also be done in a series for better results. This all depends on the amount of correction someone is wanting.
Why patients love it: Removing sunspots and pigment, as well as helping reduce fine lines and texture gives patients a beautiful, glowing complexion. It makes them more confident overall!
Why our providers recommend it: “I love recommending and performing this combination treatment because this is one of the best treatments that we do in the office. People love seeing their results and we are just as excited as they are when their new fresh skin is revealed!” – Destiny Berger