There are a plethora of skin treatment technologies advertised and an overwhelming quantity of information, and misinformation, about the ‘best’ way to improve your skin.

The truth is- there is no silver bullet.

To get the best results, you need to work with a knowledgeable clinician to assess your skin type, use evidence based home care diligently and plan clinic treatments targeted to your concerns.

🗝️ Start with a Consultation

One of the things that sets our clinic apart is our personalised and medical approach to skin concerns.

We start with a holistic consultation with our doctor, who has over 19 years experience in medicine and post-graduate qualifications in Aesthetic Medicine. During this consultation, she will take the time to consider your medical, surgical and lifestyle history, assess your skin and face objectively, educate you on the cause of these issues and discuss different management options. The aim is then to have a collaborative discussion and come up with a shared treatment plan, which may include lifestyle and dietary changes, hormonal assessment, medication, medical grade cosmeceuticals, energy based devices or injectable treatments.

🗝️ The Multiple Modality Approach

The term “multiple modality” is an extension of the biopsychosocial model of health, which sees health as an interconnected concept. If we take acne as an example- issues such as diet, stress, hormonal cycles, hygiene practices, ethnicity and daily skin care ALL impact on the severity and cyclic nature of acne. So, to improve acne, we need to consider all of these in our treatment plan.

The same applies to the symptoms and signs of skin ageing. While we can’t stop time, we can slow down inflammation and UV damage and optimise skin function, which results in healthier and younger looking skin. To achieve this goal, our approach encompasses factors like sun protection, diet, lifestyle choices, maintenance of healthy body weight, stress management, prescribed homecare and using clinical grade treatments. This idea of “preventative aesthetics” is evidence based , and the key to “ageing gracefully”.

This holistic approach can also be applied clinical treatments- we do not age in one dimension, because it has multiple layers and they are all ageing in tandom.

The clinical signs of ageing include a spectrum of issues such as pigmentation, redness, textural change, hydration, lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores, skin laxity and sag, and loss of volume.

If we want to look our best as we age, we need to address all of these issues, or at least the ones that are of concern for you. This is why a clinical assessment is so important- it allows us to assess your specific concerns.

While non-surgical changes are not as dramatic as surgical results, small improvements addressing a few different concerns can have a huge impact on the “big picture” without altering your unique facial profile. This also gives a much more natural result.

The opposite approach is to treat a facial area in isolation. My pet hate is just having lip dermal filler treatments without addressing the whole face, facial shape and proportion- this ends up looking very unnatural. Big, bloated lips that are not in keeping with your facial anatomy make your face look fake. This is not the aesthetic paradigm I choose to practice in.

Moreover, just focusing on injectable treatments alone without addressing the “canvas” of skin texture, colour and contour, can make even make you look older, which is the exact opposite of what we are trying to achieve in the aesthetic field.

My advice here is to focus LESS on injectable treatments and to consider treatments that help improve your complexion (skin colour and texture) and reduce laxity.

Skin tightening procedures should be your first priority over dermal filler, to prevent over-volumisation and the formation of a “pillow face”. Dermal filler treatments should be used to give age appropriate volumisation by placing small amounts in key areas of support, and as indicated by facial assessment.

When we do this, the added bonus is that good skin care and regular laser treatments prolong the impact of injectable treatments, so you need less!

All of these factors inform my treatment planning. I will always address the entire skin, not just the surface - for example for those interested in proactive age management, I will advise a skin tightening procedure such as Ultraformer III to lift underlying facial structures, alongside Tixel or microneedling to improve collagen induction and skin texture and of course, good quality cosmeceutical home care.

We are just about to launch our new Complete Skin Programs at Thrive. These are a series of treatments , over 3- 4 months, and target the most common concerns of ageing, such as the eye, neck, face and decolletage. Our programs will combat multiple skin concerns (such as pigmentation, inflammation, laxity and texture) and also offer 2 streams, dermal therapy only option, and some medical options for those considering injectable options. By combining treatments we expect you to see better results, and we are able to offer them to you at a discounted rate,

Our Skin Programs also offer a discounted annual combination treatment so you can maintain your results. Most of our clients return regularly- we want to reward you for your loyalty and maintain the excellent results we achieve.

Please note that all new clients at our clinic require an Initial Consultation.

To find out more about our multiple modality approach, email our Client Services Manager at Helen@thriveskinclinic.com.au, who is our” skin concierge” - she is available to book your appointments to fit with your busy schedule, and answer any concerns you may have during your skin program.