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Welcome to Skinside Out, where science meets beauty, the ultimate dermatology podcast! Dive deep into the fascinating world of skin health with expert insights, evidence-based discussions, and myth-busting truths. Each episode explores the medical, cosmetic, and surgical aspects of dermatology, while keeping you informed about trending skincare topics. Whether you’re a skincare enthusiast, medical professional, or just curious about how to achieve your best skin, Skinside Out is your go-to resource for staying informed and inspired.
61 - Skinside Out
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Default_2026-07-01_1: [00:00:00] Welcome to Skin Side Out. I'm your host, Dr. Zain, with Heather and Courtney. So today we are continuing our Dermatology Through the Decades series, and we are now entering the 30s, which is the decade I just left. We are in the 30s. Yeah. We just entered. Yeah. So Heather and Courtney, um, are currently living their 30s lives, but-
um, you know, I can give, chip in some insight from- ... the last 10 years. Um, so let's give a f- like, a summary of what we're gonna be talking about. Um, I think the biggest thing is focusing on prevention. Um in your 30s, most of the time you're starting to notice things happening, and so if you can catch them early, it's a lot easier to tackle them versus waiting until they're set.
What kind of things are we talking about? Um, lots of different things. Fine lines, um, volume loss, sagginess [00:01:00] pigment changes, less glow. Mm-hmm. The list goes on. I don't know if you've had this moment yet, because it just happened to me maybe, like, a few months ago, but I think I just had my first moment of just looking in the mirror and being like, "I don't feel like I look like my younger self anymore."
Yeah. You know? Yeah. Like, I felt like there was a little bit of a shift in how- Mm ... when I look in the mirror, I don't feel like- Yeah ... I'm my 20s self. I just- I noticed that, too. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, okay. Um, yeah, I noticed when you turned 40 there was a big change.
I definitely have noticed that. Right. Like, there's just something subtle, and you're like- Yeah ... I just don't... What is it? Yeah. What is it? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Je ne sais quoi. Yeah. All right. So let's get it right into it then. So l- what's happening in y- to your skin in this decade? Col- No more collagen, baby. Um, I think definitely noticing, yeah, the, there's not as much [00:02:00] collagen production going on.
Um, I think it slows down when you hit 24 or 25, around that age. Yeah. So I would say 30s are definitely that age where you s- where you start to notice that, a little bit of that slight volume loss. Um, you tend to notice, like, temple area- Mm-hmm ... kind of cheek area. You lose about a percent of collagen each year.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Which... Yeah. That's depressing. It is depressing. Um- But- And- ... we have tools- Yes ... to help that. And elastin, which gives your- Mm-hmm ... um, structure. It's more, like, the bounciness to your skin. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Um, so let's talk about collagen. So I know that's a big topic in dermatology. Everyone's talking about collagen.
So what are the ways that we can stimulate our collagen? Um, I think there are procedures that you can do that are really helpful, like microneedling for example. Mm-hmm. Um, certain lasers. I don't think collagen supplements do very much. Um, [00:03:00] but you can get a lot of good benefit from procedures. Yeah. And don't discount, like, skincare.
I mean- Mm-hmm ... retinoids, retinol. Mm-hmm. I mean, I think that's the hallmark- Yeah ... of, um, you know, really building collagen. And if you're not doing, like, a retinol or vitamin C serum, you're doing yourself a disservice. I mean, you can probably produce more collagen alongside with those treatments. And in of itself it actually produces collagen, improves glow, fine lines, wrinkles, so.
Yeah. Yeah. I think also, um, you know, decrease in hyaluronic acid, um, is a big one. I always tell people I used to be so oily in my 20s, and I really feel like when I hit, like, 28, 29, I couldn't use some of the things I was using before. I mean, I was using exfoliating pads, like, twice a day sometimes. And now use one maybe once a week.
Mm. Mm-hmm. And that's even, you know, enough for me, so it's interesting. Yeah, I noticed that too with my skin. Um, I can't really tolerate some of the acids anymore- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm ... like the glycolic and salicylic, which I've been using for years. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, so I have become [00:04:00] more sensitive over the years.
Mm-hmm. I think the skin becomes a little duller. Um, it... Your skin cells are not turning over as fast. Mm-hmm. So, um, we're not getting that- natural exfoliation as easily. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And a lot of people talk about women and seeing these changes. What about the men? Yeah, I think there are a lot of things that can contribute.
I think lifestyle, stress, diet, um, sun damage, and just the natural aging process starts to ca- catch up to you. I feel like men definitely can accelerate the aging process because in general, I think they're just worse with sun protection. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Like, across the board, I feel like my female patients are much more diligent more apt to use sunscreen regularly.
And the guys, I mean, I don't know, I'd say, like, less than 50% of my patients use sunscreen on a regular basis. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So, um, you know, we're gonna hopefully work on that. Yeah. [00:05:00] But that does contribute to a lot of the changes that we see because, you know, the UV light from the sun degrades collagen, elastin, leads to s- you know, activation at the melanocytes which produce pigment, and that's where we see that hyperpigmentation.
Um, you know, fine lines and wrinkles get etched. Um, so yeah, I mean, I think that if we can counsel patients on sun protection, that's huge, especially the guys. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I think for women in their 30s, for most people, a lot of things are changing, like, um, hormones. You know, I think a lot of people get pregnant in their 30s.
Mm-hmm. Um, maybe people are getting off of birth control, and so lots of different changes there that can impact the skin too. I have a- And even just naturally, like hormones, like we see a lot of, um, you know, acne. Yeah. Hormonal acne starting around this age. Yeah. And there are, like, fluctuations in these hormones that can influence your skin as well as other, you [00:06:00] know, bodily functions.
I was gonna say, and myself being one of them, but I see a lot of women who are around my age, 30, 31, 32, who have been on birth control since they were 18. Mm-hmm. Have never had a break, and then they're getting off their birth control, and it's like the first time in 10 years, so yeah, all of these issues start cropping up, like acne or things like that, and- The hair loss
hair loss. Mm-hmm. And yeah, it's, it's such a double-edged sword because you wanna give your body a break, and like I said, my, I'm, myself, I'm going through it. And so it's just a interesting... It's, it's interesting how many, um, similar stories I hear of, of girls getting off the birth control just noticing, like, their skin flaring in all these different- Mm-hmm
directions. Yeah. Um, so let's actually talk about the specific changes that we're seeing in our 30s. So we talked about fine lines. In particular, what areas are we seeing patients most concerned about? Um, in between the eyebrows I think is a very common one. I think that's number one. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Your glabella.
Mm-hmm. So [00:07:00] you get the 11s or the vertical lines. Um, forehead, like when you raise your eyebrows, the horizontal lines. Crow's feet. Mm-hmm. When you smile, you get the radial lines. I think a- around the mouth is, um, something that I think most people see a little bit after those three. Mm-hmm. But I think- Namely I'm seeing like more, mostly like lip flips.
Uh-huh. Um, you know, like for with using tox around the lips to augment the appearance of their lips. Mm-hmm. But, you know, the corners of the lips really aren't, you know, migrating down yet. Yeah. So- But maybe like your nasolabial folds- Mm-hmm ... might be starting to form, but not super etched in yet. Or you notice it, like, during movement, but over time, like, there's always a certain time it's like, "Oh, wait, it's not when I'm moving.
Now it's there all the time." Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then that's led to the rise in, you know, botulinum toxin. Using that, I think, is the best option for not only [00:08:00] treating those dynamic lines, but also, you know, really just getting that smooth texture. You have... It's, it's a, an appearance that you can't get with anything else.
Mm-hmm. Um, I don't know how to describe it. I mean, people could call it, like, class skin， but I really don't like that term. But it does relax the lines， but it improves texture. Mm-hmm. Your pores look, you know, minimized. Um, you just look really good and your skin looks healthy. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think there's a lot of controversy.
I, like, will read stuff online sometimes with people saying... And I'm sure these people do not work in dermatology or aesthetics. But, um, oh, well, over time, all these girls doing tox so young, um, their muscles are gonna deaden and they're gonna look older in 10 years. And I'm like, baby, I was getting tox when I was 21.
And I- Yeah ... don't feel like that's true at all. I mean, obviously going into it, you're not gonna do a massive amount of units- Mm-hmm ... on someone who's younger, you know, in their 30s who might not need it. But I do think just starting that is so helpful, and I think it's really... [00:09:00] You know, someone the other day told me, like, "Courtney, your forehead looks so smooth."
Mm-hmm. Oh, it- our coworker. So I was like- ... it's the tox. Yeah. And, you know, with tox, you know, we talk about preventative tox. And, you know, people are starting as early as their 20s- Mm-hmm ... which we discussed in our last episode. Um, but, you know, 30s are also a great time if you haven't started. It's easy, reproducible, and you can get really natural results.
I feel like patients are so afraid of looking frozen, unnatural. They don't want to look done. Mm-hmm. Well, most of them at least. So there are ways to modulate the dose, techniques, how we inject, where we inject, that we can achieve, um, the results that patients are looking for without looking unnatural.
Mm-hmm. See, I like movement, um, to my face. I can move. Mm-hmm. Um, and I think it's important because I like to be able to express myself, and I need my kids to know if I'm mad at them. I don't want any movement because you [00:10:00] can read my face like a book. So I- That's okay ... cannot hide when someone says something stupid.
I need to be frozen. Okay. So moving on from those dynamic and static lines, you had mentioned the nasolabial folds. I feel like I get a lot of questions about that this decade. Mm-hmm. Um, and they mistakenly think that Botox would be the answer for that. Mm-hmm. That is not the answer. Mm-hmm. The muscles around your mouth, especially if you're, like, injecting anywhere around here- are going to cause a lot of problems.
Um, it's going to affect the way you speak. It's going to affect your expressions. You'll probably look like you had a stroke. So I would definitely, you know, caution patients to, like, you know, getting their injections or Botox injection by someone who's not experienced and, you know it's happened. Like, people have been get- gotten injected there, and they received just suboptimal results, and they hate it, and they can't do [00:11:00] anything about it until it wears off.
Yeah, there, um, there's a influencer. She's from Summer... Well her name's Hannah Berner, and, um, she's part of the Giggly Squad. But she just got toxed in her masseters, and she said, like, um, whoever- however she got injected, she can't, like, smile. She just does, like, the, that grit face. Oh. Yeah. They probably got the risorius muscle- Mm-hmm
um, which is close to where the masseters are. And everyone's anatomy is a little different. Mm-hmm. So even a few millimeters of it... I mean, that's why when I'm treating my patient, I actually have them clench. Mm-hmm. I need to feel the outline of that muscle- Mm-hmm ... and, like, go straight into that belly of that muscle- Mm-hmm
so I don't hit anything else. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Um, so with those lines that we see, the nasolabial folds, um, what is the treatment of choice? Um, usually filler- Mm-hmm ... because our volume is falling with gravity, so that's why the nasolabial fold's getting a little bit more accentuated. And where are the areas that we typically start losing volume?
Usually, um, which many people [00:12:00] don't realize this, but temples is actually a huge one. Huge. Yeah. Huge. And you don't realize it until sometimes after you do a little bit of filler in that area- Mm-hmm ... just how it really rounds you out. I mean, it's the, like, skeletonization of your face, and that gives that aging appearance, so.
They call it the peanut head deformity. Oh. You know, like a peanut? Yeah. Yeah. Um, but yeah. I mean, it's a, such a huge reservoir of volume. Mm-hmm. And it's one of those natural concavities. And, you know, when we're young, it's fuller. Mm. But it still has a little bit of concavity to it. And as we age, it just kind of hollows out, sometimes like a bowl.
Mm-hmm. And if you just replenish, you know, the volume in that area, it literally can pull up, you know, your tail of your eyebrow, your cheeks, and has ability to actually influence some of your nasolabial folds and your jowls. Um, not that you're necessarily gonna be having that in your 30s, but having that structure is so critical and'll [00:13:00] help you age more gracefully.
Honestly, I think the best thing someone could do in their 30s is doing, like, a vial of s- Sculptra. Mm. I mean, I did my Sculptra last year, and I just feel like it made a world of a difference in some of the volume loss I was feeling- Mm ... like I was starting to have. And even just that one vial, I feel like- Yeah
made such a big difference. Mm-hmm. Biostimulation is, I think, more of the future. Mm. Um, you know, a lot of people have been relying on fillers, especially in the past decade, and I feel like there is filler fatigue. It's real. Um, especially patients who have overdone it. And I feel like Sculptra or hyperdilute Radiesse used for biostimulation just provides not only volumization in the right areas, but not overdoing it.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, helps skin quality because it's helping to build collagen, and just- I don't know. It just has this ability to really find the deficits that have happened over the past year, [00:14:00] and really replenish it. So I think an annual treatment is a great idea, and I started doing Sculptra last year, and I'm due soon.
Heather.
All right, so let's go on to hyperpigmentation. So Courtney, tell me about it. Yeah, it's funny. I think, you know, we don't really start noticing these things until, you know, we hit, like, late 20s, 30s. Um, you know, freckles, brown spots that start getting darker, melasma, um, you know, is very prevalent. Again, kind of talking to the hormonal point of things.
Mm-hmm. Uneven skin tone, but, you know, it's funny. It's... Y- you start noticing things that weren't there. A new freckle pops up and you're like, "Was that always there?" Mm-hmm. "Or is this new? Um, and how do I get rid of it?" Yeah. Even with skin of color like mine, I have also noticed, like, small little freckles forming.
And, you know, it goes to show you that even with, like, you know, great sun [00:15:00] protection, you can still get exposure to UV light. Um, and, you know, you're not immune to sun damage just because you wear sunscreen. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So I wanna tell people. Like, people think it's like it's this- Mm-hmm ... shield that blocks everything.
Yeah. And you're just gonna be completely protected, and nothing will harm you. That's not true. Mm-hmm. It protects you, and we... It definitely helps protect from burning. Mm-hmm. But you are still getting exposed to UV light. Mm-hmm. Can stimulate those melanocytes, and heat. All those things can happen. Mm-hmm.
Yeah, it's funny. I went to visit my aunt and uncle this weekend, and my aunt looks me up and down, and she hadn't seen me in a few years. She said, "Do you ever go out in the sun? I don't see a single freckle." I said, "No, I actually have one freckle right here. Like, I need Heather to IPL it." She literally texted me and she said, "I need IPL when you get back."
Yeah. So but yeah, it's funny. I mean, I think people don't realize the accumulation of- Mm-hmm ... of sun. You know, it all starts catching up, and it kinda, I think, starts to become visible in your 30s. Mm-hmm. And we're [00:16:00] lucky. Like, we work in a dermatology office. We have access to a lot of this technology that helps us treat hyperpigmentation whenever we see it.
Like, we just zap each other and- ... you know, it's gone. Um, however, a lot of patients don't know that there are treatment options for pigment. Mm-hmm. A lot of them are shocked when I'm, like, telling them just on a routine skin check, you know, they're, like, talking about how these brown spots on their face are bothering them.
Mm-hmm. And, you know, like, there is a solution to that, and they're, like, flabbergasted. Yeah. They're like, "What?" Mm-hmm. "I can do something about this?" Yeah. And yeah, we have got great technology to really help that. So Heather, what kind of technology do we use to reduce hyperpigmentation? I think it depends on the type- Mm-hmm
of hyperpigmentation and the skin type. Um, so there's IPL, which is really great for, um, lighter skin types for targeting, um, not only brown spots but also redness. Mm-hmm. For melasma, you definitely have to be careful. You don't wanna induce a lot of heat, which can make the melasma worse. So you can use other laser or any energy-based devices to help with that.
[00:17:00] Um, there are specific wavelengths of light that do a nice job as well to help target pigment. And then of course, like, chemical peels do a nice job too. Mm-hmm. Courtney does a lot of those. Yeah. I mean, I love myself a chemical peel. Mm-hmm. I think that it is so underrated. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So tell me about your chemical, you know, peel experiences with your patients.
I mean, we've seen some really good results. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I, I love a peel. Um, you know, I think everyone should do at least one, like, good peel in the winter every year and kind of slough off. I call it my, like, lizard- ... lizard time. Once a year I get to, like, slough everything off. But- We should do that for January next year.
Yeah, like a she- like, a shed month. Um Yeah. Mm-hmm. Just every- Shed Shed, shed last year ... yeah. Yeah, yeah. Oh. Start fresh literally. Instead of shedding pounds, shedding some skin. Yeah. But yeah, I think, um, chemical peels, there are so many different kinds, and it's so funny, I'll have people during a consult tell me, "Oh, well, I had a peel years back," and it- It's not all the same.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. You, you... It's like telling me you had chocolate. Like, okay- ... what kind of chocolate? Did it have peanuts? Did it have- Yeah. Yeah ... you know what I [00:18:00] mean? It's, it's so abstract, but there are many different types of peels. Not every peel is going to ind- induce peeling. One of the biggest misconceptions is the amount of peeling indicates- Mm-hmm
how much result you're getting from that peel. Mm-hmm. And, you know, that's probably The most frustrating myth out there because that is not the case. Mm-hmm. Um, that being said, you know with certain peels like glycolic or salicylic acid where you don't have peeling- Mm-hmm ... they might not be as effective as something like a TCA or more of the, um, branded peels like a Perfect Derma Peel or a VI Peel, things like that.
Yeah. And the fact that we can customize these peels- Yeah ... is huge. Yeah. So we can tailor it towards- Mm-hmm ... the issues that you're having with your skin and you can often kill multiple birds with one stone- Mm-hmm ... with this simple treatment. It works. It's consistent. Um, but I do feel like there's a lot of fear- Mm-hmm
around chemical peel. I think people when they hear the word chemical, they just start freaking out. Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm. I think it's a [00:19:00] societal thing. I know because even during- Yeah ... the facial sometimes I'll say enzyme treatment 'cause- Oh, my God. That sounds ominous. It do- I think it sounds better. Chemical peel, they're like, "Well, am I gonna be peeling?"
Enzyme treatment. I'm like, "I'm doing a 10% like lactic on you." Like- Can I have an organic peel, please? Yeah. You know what? Gluten-free. Is TCA organic? Um- Yeah, I think number one, Sex and the City scarred a lot of women. Samantha, in one of the episodes, had gotten this chemical peel and they show her like all red- Mm-hmm
and flared. And I mean, it looked like she had gotten like, put in like, you know, the worst kind of like pizza oven and just fried her face. And I'm like, "That's not what you're gonna look like." Yeah. I mean, most times when my patients get out of a peel, when I show them in the mirror they're expecting to look like that.
Yeah. And they're like- They're b- No ... they're not even red. Yeah. Like, you know, they're like, "Oh." Yeah. And then we get the calls or the texts from patients, "Oh, I'm not peeling. Like, did it work?" Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I'm like, "Give it time." Yeah. Mm-hmm. Give it, give it the week, 10 days. Yeah. See what you say. And it's, it's, it can be very subtle.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. And you still get the results. Yeah. [00:20:00] Yeah. And the peeling's always, you know, I'll have patients maybe they peel more on the first go around and they come back and see me. Mm-hmm. But your, this, the condition of your skin is going to impact that. Yeah. My more oily patients, I ... One of my male patients I just did a Perfect Derma on a month or two ago, and he texts me, "I didn't have any peeling with that."
Mm. I said, "Okay, well how's the pigment?" You know? Yes. Yeah. Like, what, like that's my like- Oh, exactly. That's the point. Yeah. That's what we're trying to treat, right? Yeah. Yeah. So I, I think people get swept up in an ... You know, alternatively, you have the people like me who don't want any of the peeling but all the results.
Yeah. I had that- So in this case, I think that the destination is more important than the journey. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Right? I had that patient recently who only wanted to do something that was gonna make her peel. She only wanted- Oh, that's right ... a cream at home. Oh, yeah. Um, did not want any sort of peels or anything like that.
But if it was not gonna make her red and irritated she knew that it wasn't working. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know about that. Um, so let's [00:21:00] pivot and talk about adult acne. So I see this a lot more in my female patients. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. I think there's a lot of hormonal changes that we see. Um, and these are often patients who didn't have teenage acne.
Mm-hmm. And they're distraught. Yeah. Right? Yeah. "I had perfect skin." I hear this all the time. "I had perfect skin in my teenage years, not a, not a flaw at all, and then now I'm getting these breakouts, um, like on my jawline around my period." So tell me a little about hormonal acne and how we, you know, deal with it.
Um, yeah, hormonal acne is very classically on the jawline and chin area. Usually, like very commonly on the sides of the chin, like this one. Um, but there are a couple different treatments that work really well. I think spironolactone's kind of like the, the tried and true, um, big gun of the treatments. I think it works really well.
It actually prevents the hormones from being able to bind to the skin cell receptors and causing the hormonal acne. Um, but you have to be careful with it, and it's not for everybody. It does come in a topical form. It comes in a pill as well. Um, but it takes time. Mm-hmm. You're not gonna see benefits right [00:22:00] away.
It takes about three months. And oral contraceptives, birth control. Uh-huh. I mean, that is an option, but I feel like there's just so many side effects that patients don't like tolerating. Yeah. And they don't feel good on them. I mean, a lot of them. I mean, that's what- I don't like using that as like first line.
Me neither. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I have been on it since I'm 18. Mm. So I, I'm interested to see over the next month, like will I be a better human being? Oh, so... Oh, so you just came off of it? Yeah, literally like a month ago. Oh. So yeah. Will you have hormonal acne? Explains- Well, that's why I'm worried about some of the acne.
Yeah. I texted Heather probably three weeks ago. I had one acne pop up, and I'm like, "It's because I'm off my birth control. Give me spironolactone." Yeah. And we were like, "Wait, maybe we should just see." But it might be. Um, so texture changes. So Courtney, take that. What are we seeing? Um, I think just less smoothness.
I think, you know, again, as we're not having as much cellular turnover in our 30s, we're just noticing more, um, you know, pores might appear larger. Again, I think [00:23:00] s- also some of the dehydration can kind of, um, create that appearance of more, you know, large pores those etched lines, things like that. So I think just overall the, um, the texture is not as smooth as it once was.
Mm-hmm. And the loss of collagen, I think- Mm-hmm ... um, makes those pores look a little larger. Mm-hmm. So. Um, we already talked about volume loss, so let's move towards building our skincare routine. So I think this is huge. If we haven't done this in our 20s, it's not too late. Mm-hmm. We can still do a lot for our skin and help us age gracefully.
So what are some of the recommendations that you tell your patients? I think sunscreen is first and foremost. Yeah. Um, everybody should be wearing sunscreen every day. No matter if it's cloudy, the UV rays are still there. Um, but I think if you had to create like the most basic skincare routine, it would be vitamin C, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
Yeah, you can add in like the retinoids and stuff like that. But I think [00:24:00] vitamin C is a very nice potent antioxidant that helps kind of combat environmental damage. Um, and that most patients also tolerate pretty well Yeah Like the retinoids, I mean, that's a toss-up sometimes because- Yeah ... some people with really sensitive skin just cannot tolerate it.
Yeah. However, you have to be careful about your vitamin C serum because of the acne issue- Yep ... because some of them are like oil-based serums. Mm-hmm. And you can get horrible breakouts. Like I remember trying the SkinCeutical CE Ferulic. Mm-hmm. Acne all over. Mm-hmm. So. Yeah. The ascorbic aci- acid can be a little bit more irritating than the THD.
so vitamin C, retinoids, um, I feel like those are your, you know, best friends for kind of aging gracefully.
You can use this for the rest of your life. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And I always tell my patients, like, "This is liquid gold. Use it." Mm-hmm. I think people assume that, "Oh, I don't have acne, so I shouldn't... I don't need a retinoid." I think people- Mm-hmm ... like younger patients, I think tend to associate retinoids with acne [00:25:00] instead of like the anti-aging 'cause- Yeah
I cannot tell you how many patients I have that are actually shocked when I say- Mm-hmm ... "Oh, not only will it help, you know, with acne, but it helps build collagen," and they're like, "Oh, so like I should just like keep using this, right?" I'm like, "Yeah." Yeah. "You should keep using it." Yeah. Um, so let's talk about professional treatments, right?
So we talked about neurotoxins and how that's very effective- Mm-hmm ... for treating fine lines, wrinkles. Um, but another treatment that I really like for is microneedling. So Courtney, why don't you take that? Yeah. I think, you know, if, if someone wanted to start in their 30s with like a really good regimen, honestly, I think doing like microneedling quarterly, I think doing, you know, a vial of Sculptra.
Like I think some of these things are so good at helping to, um, create collagen and I guess collagen bank. I know that term is like really- Mm-hmm ... hot right now. But, you know, microneedling's gonna help with a multitude of things, [00:26:00] fine lines acne scars, texture, large pores. So I think in your 30s is such a prime time, um, to do that.
It's so much harder to treat- Mm ... than it is to prevent. So, um, low downtime. Mm-hmm. I mean, it's just- Mm-hmm ... a- microneedling's probably my favorite procedure because I hate downtime- Yes. ... and so Yeah. I like benefit, so. Yeah. And it doesn't hurt that bad. No. Yeah. Yeah, it's a breeze. Um, with the rise of GLP-1s too, and we're seeing a lot of patients in their even late 20s, 30s, um- Mm-hmm
you know, starting these medications, and they're noticing changes in their skin. So all of these like collagen induction therapies really do help to reduce the, you know, harmful effects of the GLP-1s on, you know, aging. Mm-hmm. So we are seeing that, you know, GLP-1s do affect collagen and elastin in a negative way.
We do lose fat from our face due to volume loss, um, from weight loss, [00:27:00] and this is a good way to- You know, balance your weight loss journey with something that's going to help with your skin health. And I get a common question, "Hey, should I be doing these treatments when I lose all the weight that I want to and at my goal or while I'm losing the weight?"
And actually, there's been a study done, and it should be done while you're treating because that collagen will give support. There's still that foundation. You're not depleted. Um, and that's something I've been telling my patients. Mm-hmm. So the bio-stimulation, you know, pairing, like, the Sculptra as the bio-stimulators, you know, the microneedling, and then also pairing, um, peptides, exosomes.
Mm-hmm. We have so much that's coming down the pipeline. I mean, everyone is talking about peptides, and there are some great ones that we can use topically for our skin. Yeah. And that's something that we can also add to our skincare regimens that can really add value- Mm-hmm ... and really help us with aging.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Agreed. Definitely. [00:28:00] All right. Any other items of discussion? Um, I was gonna just touch on IPL or laser treatments. I think they are so under-utilized. We do a treatment at our office called the Tone and Clear. Um, Laser Genesis is another name for, um, the type of laser facial. But I think doing... I think if you're of lighter complexion and can do the IPL, I'm such an IPL fan.
I think it treats so many different concerns. I mean, you're treating your mild freckling. You're treating rosacea. You are building collagen with some of that heat. I, I love an IPL. I think 30s is such a good time- Mm-hmm ... to start doing IPL. Mm-hmm. And then getting back to the Tone and Clear, um, using a 1064 to induce collagen, and you can either pair it with a 755 for pigment or a 532 for rosacea.
I mean, again, it's just, I think, no downtime- Mm-hmm ... little downtime, and it's just so multifaceted in what it's treating. I think everyone should, should start. Yeah. [00:29:00] Yeah. Let's talk about lifestyle. So Heather's our lifestyle guru. So tell us what ... we should be looking at to help optimize our aging process.
Um, sleep is a big one. I think your sleep quality and time makes a big difference in how your skin looks, but also how you sleep. Um, like, if you sleep on your side, you're more likely to create little, like, vertical lines on that side of your face. A lot of times we notice, um, e- everybody's asymmetric, but we notice a lot more volume loss on the side you sleep on if you're a side sleeper.
Um, so not only that, but also your skin repairs itself, as does the rest of your body, overnight while you're sleeping. And so if you can give yourself enough time for that repair, it's gonna make a big difference. Um, diet, of course, plays a big role, too. Um, I think things that you're, you know, putting into your body can present on the skin, [00:30:00] too.
Um, managing stress, that's a big one. I think our skin shows stress very easily. Mm-hmm. Um, exercise, hydration, I mean, the list goes on. But I think there's lots of different things that we can do from a lifestyle perspective that can help. Yeah. I didn't wanna, um, like, throw you under the bus, but it, it... You know, I think in our 30s-
we forget... Like, you start hitting that age where you're like, "Oh," like, "I am gonna have a hangover all day if I drink." I'm just laughing about, like, last week or the week before when you're like, "I had-" I really don't think it was the alcohol, though. Okay. Okay. 'Cause Heather's like, "I had one-" Hey, what happened?
I haven't heard this story. Okay. Oh, you didn't? No. Oh my gosh. I was literally... It took me, like, a solid week or a week and a half- Okay. ... to get back to normal. Is that what- To recover? So th- last... Let's see, what? It was like- It's been the week before last 'cause you went to Colorado last week Yeah, 'cause I, yeah.
It was, like, almost two weeks ago. Mm-hmm. I went out with my mom and my sister because my mom retired. Oh. And we went to a- Oh, I didn't know that. Congrats. Yeah. We went [00:31:00] to, It's called Wine 100. It's like a, like a wine bar sort of. Mm-hmm. Um, but you just get the wine from a, like a tap sort of. Mm-hmm. Like serve yourself.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Um, and we brought, like, our own snacks and stuff, and I got sick that night. I had one glass of wine. I got sick. I was so nauseous the next day. No way. I never ta- I've never taken Zofran before. Yes. Wow. I had a Zofran. I, like, wanted another one after lunch, but I was like, "I can do it, I can do it."
Um, and I was sick for, yeah, at least a week. Wow. Um, I don't... So my theory is it had to do with, like, the- The spout ... the s- yeah, the spout into the wine. Oh. 'Cause my sister didn't have the wine, and my mom- Oh ... had a different wine. Interesting. So that was the only thing that was different, so I think it was s- I don't know.
Maybe it was the alcohol, but- But do you think it's m- metabolism, um, of alcohol that's changed, like, for you? I mean, yeah, definitely, especially 'cause I don't drink a lot. Mm-hmm. Um, but the amount that I [00:32:00] h- like, I don't know. I felt awful. Wow. Yeah. And, like, I don't know if it was just from- How did I not notice it the whole week?
It was Friday, last Friday. You ate a cookie today- Oh, it was Friday ... and didn't remember it. So I don't know why you're shocked.
But yeah, maybe my body's just not tolerating things. I- Oh, I wasn't there that Friday. Remember, I was off on last, the Friday prior. Maybe. Oh. Yeah, yeah. Maybe that was it. Still had fun. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I was not doing well. I know. We were racking our brains. We're like, "Did you eat?" Mm-hmm. "Did you drink water?"
Yeah. Did you... You know. Yeah. 'Cause a hangover is much- Mm-hmm ... harder at- But it didn't feel like a hangover- Yeah ... which was weird, yeah. Yeah. I will say, in general, a hangover is harder at 31 than it was at 21. Oh, yeah. I will say that. Oh, yeah. God, I used to go to work the next day. I wanna know. Yeah, yeah. I think in my 20s, like, I would go to work at 8:00 AM like nothing.
Yeah. Yeah. Like, I mean, I just lived that way, and now- Yeah ... like, I would have to call out. They're doing away. Yeah. So. Yeah. All right, so let's play a game. What are the biggest mistakes we see in the [00:33:00] office among our 30-year-olds? So let's listen I think over-exfoliating. I think people still think that they're in that, like, 20s skin that can tolerate, you know, all these different scrubs and acids, and I think people want to use these acids when they don't always need them.
Mm-hmm. Um, and again, having that shift from oil production into that dryness is a little bit... catches you off guard. . So what are some of the most common mistakes you see among our 30-year-olds? I think feeling overwhelmed because they're using a lot of products, 'cause they wanna find something that's gonna work. Mm-hmm. And they're spending all this money, and it's very hectic trying to find something over the counter, at Sephora.
Mm-hmm. And I think it's very easy to, like, want to purchase a bunch of things to just find anything that's gonna work. That's why I think, like, seeing your dermatologist or dermatology provider for guidance- Mm-hmm ... is so cost-effective because not only will it get evidence-based guidance, but you'll narrow down the products that [00:34:00] you actually need for whatever your, you know, concerns are.
Because not everyone has the same concerns. And, you know, you go to Sephora, you have no idea what, you know- Yeah ... half the products are doing for you. And half them, you know, they get allergic contact dermatitis or, you know, some other issue- Yeah ... afterwards. So it's very cost-effective in that way, that we can create a really good plan for you, and you can stick with it.
And we can change it and evolve- Mm-hmm ... as you get older. Mm-hmm. I think the biggest advice I would give people, like, entering their 30s is to make sure you're also treating your neck- Mm-hmm ... and the back of your hands- Mm ... and your chest, because I will say I, last week or the week before, saw my very first teeny, tiny lentigo- Mm-hmm
on my hand. Got one too. Yep. Same hand. It served as my reminder to go ahead and start putting on my products- Mm-hmm ... on the back of my hands. I usually do put sunscreen on the back of my hands, just 'cause I feel like I use- Yeah ... more than I need. Mm-hmm. And I'll just kinda rub it in. Mm-hmm. But yeah, even, like, vitamin C you can start adding there.
Mm-hmm. If you're doing, like, peels, go ahead and [00:35:00] ask your provider, like, your esthetician, like, "Oh," like, "can I add on my hands?" Or, um... I mean, when I treat my patients, I'm always including the neck- Mm-hmm ... because I think the neck gets so neglected, and that, I feel like, is more difficult sometimes to treat than the face- Yeah
when you're in correction mode. Mm-hmm, because it's so delicate. Yep. We call it neck neglect. Mm-hmm. You like that? Yeah. Mm. Original. So great. Um, and
then I- is find that patients, you know, are complaining about their wrinkles, and I give them solutions. So obviously we talk about skincare and then tox, which is usually the most effective option. Mm-hmm. It's going to get the results that my patient's asking for. But my patient is just so resistant to it, just the thought of it, like, "I'm putting a toxin in."
And you know, like, "What's it gonna do to my body?" But you know, tox, neurotoxin has been studied for decades, and we don't just use it for cosmetics. We use it for medical purposes. Mm-hmm. Um, a lot of different specialties use [00:36:00] it, um, ranging from, like, dentistry to neurology. Mm-hmm. And I think that if patients can get over the thought of that these procedures and topicals can really mitigate those lines before they get really etched.
Mm-hmm. Um, when they say that, "Oh, I'm just gonna wait till it gets really bad, and then I'll start treating it," I'm like, "No, you missed the boat then." Mm-hmm. Because it's so much harder to treat, and you may not completely get rid of those lines. And they're like, "Oh, what am I gonna do now?" Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And you're really limited with options then.
Mm-hmm. 'Cause there's only so much you can inject in certain places without causing an, you know, an abnormal result. Yeah. And financially, it's like- Oh, yeah. Yeah ... you know, you go from spending- Mm-hmm ... maybe a couple hundreds to a couple grand. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Cost-effective. Yeah. Yeah. Girl math. I had the cute...
There was the cutest, like, 80-year-old woman checking out the other day, and she's using our system, um, like our membership system. So you put... You bank money every month. And so when you spend on tox, it doesn't feel so, um, [00:37:00] much that you're spending. And she's so cute. She goes, "That's what they call girl math."
Aw. It was so cute. That is cute. She's on the social. Yeah. On the social. Yeah. All right. So I think we had a great discussion on our 30s. Um, even though I'm only a month into my 40s- ... um, I do think that I implemented a lot of these changes and these recommendations that we're telling you today, and I think it's helped me.
And I am looking forward to my 40s. Um, and hopefully aging as slowly as possible. Um, so hopefully you guys enjoyed this episode and the series that we're doing so far. So tune in next week for our 40s, which I'll be your expert in. Lock in 40s. That's right. All right. So it was great, um, having this episode.
Um, please ask any questions. Like, subscribe. But until next time, Skin Side- Out. Out [00:38:00]