Ageless Beauties: Cindy & Allison

I have been coming to Dr. Kenyatta since the Medical Spa opened in 2007.  From the moment I enter, the atmosphere is tranquil and peaceful.  After being escorted back to a private and comfortable waiting area, I sip on a cup of tea.  Inviting as this may be, it’s not the reason I keep coming back.  As a nurse, I respect her credentials and certifications.  As a client, I appreciate the creativity she applies each time I visit.  There is an artistry involved as well.  That’s why I keep coming back. ~ Cindy Cindy, age 49, is a wife and mother of three who eats healthy and exercises daily to help maintain her “ageless beauty”.  Although she doesn’t look it, Cindy will be turning 50 this summer and doesn’t plan to celebrate her birthday “gracefully”. Allison, age 34, is originally from St. Catherine, Jamaica and now resides in the area with her husband.  When she isn’t teaching 2nd through 4th graders in the Exceptional Student Services program, she unwinds by passing a good time with friends and family or reading. She made such an impression as one of The Medical Spa’s “Ageless Beauties” models, she was asked to be a model in the Mad Hatter’s Annual Fashion Show.

Expert's Corner

Women between the ages of 30 years and 50 years often require skin rejuvenation on both superficial and deeper levels.  As your skin ages, two processes occur.  The outer dead skin cell layer called the “epidermis” gets more tightly packed and constrains the penetration of nutrients.  The middle living layer, on the other hand, thins as collagen loss exceeds collagen production. This begins as early as the late teens.    As the skin thins, it gradually loses elasticity and starts taking specific directions, generally following gravity (static lines) and muscle movement (dynamic lines).  As this process becomes more pronounced, permanent lines start to appear. At first, they are invisible to the naked eye; but as they become more pronounced, they appear as wrinkles.  

Static wrinkles, due to collagen loss, are amenable to microdermabrasion and chemical peels if they are superficial. Dynamic wrinkles occur in areas of repeated muscle movement, and they are harder to treat because of their depth. Because muscle contraction is the cause, Botox ® is often used to temporarily relax the muscle. Dynamic wrinkles should then be treated with microdermabrasion and chemical peels followed by lasers to generate deeper collagen.  Botox ® is injected on an average of 3 to 4 months.  It is also well known that the earlier someone starts using Botox ®, the less likely dynamic wrinkles will occur and become permanent.  

Younger women tend to seek complexion-blending treatments for the improvement of pores, texture, and excess pigment.  Middle-aged women tend to seek complexion-blending treatments while also focusing on the restoration of collagen to reverse wrinkles.  

Allison had mild facial texture problems. We performed a series of medical-grade microdermabrasion services to exfoliate her skin. We did this in combination with chemical peels to even out superficial hyperpigmentation, to generate collage, and to give her skin a healthy glow.  Laser Genesis was then used to blend her complexion.  This laser significantly improved texture and pore size by generating deeper collagen.  It also aided in removing deeper hyperpigmentation located in the middle layer of the skin called the “dermis”, which the chemical peels could not reach.   Allison’s creamy, even complexion is maintained with a medical-grade skin care line which incorporates a short-term hydroquinone and sunscreen to even out skin color.  In addition to sunscreen, she regularly uses Vitamins A and C topicals to preserve her great results.