July Newsletter


What Causes Eye Bags and Hollow Eyes?

If your eyes appear "hollow" or if they have a swollen, puffy "eye bag" look, you are not alone. These are two common facial developments that affect millions of people over the years, leaving them looking tired, even when they are rested.

The bags under your eyes are the result of weakening tissue supporting your eyelids and around your eyes. Eye bags occur when the fat that supports the eyes moves into the lower eyelids, causing the puffiness you see. Hollow eyes have several causes, including dehydration, smoking, and sleep issues, but one of the most common is aging. As you age the collagen around your eyes starts to diminish, which causes the eyes to appear sunken or hollow.

Prevention tips 
Much of the time, hollow eyes and eye bags are the result of genetics and/or aging, both of which will provide inevitable results. To help slow their eventual appearance, here are just a few things you can do:

Don't smoke - Collagen and skin elasticity are reduced over time by smoking. These reductions result in sagging skin on the face, which promotes the appearance of hollow eyes and eye bags.

Get plenty of sleep - A lack of sleep causes blood vessels to dilate, creating dark circles that make the eye area appear hollow. Sleep is one of nature's best healers and one of the best ways to reduce circles and bags around your eyes.

Avoid allergy triggers - Allergies can cause severe reactions around the eyes. Know your allergy triggers and avoid them as much as possible.

Treatments for Hollow Eyes and Eye Bags 
Contrary to popular belief, hollow eyes cannot be corrected through cosmetics, creams, or home remedies such as tea bags, all of which either just mask the problem or provide only temporary relief.

Two options that provide longer, more satisfying results for hollow eyes and eye bags are: 

Fillers - Soft and pliable, synthetic fillers do what they describe by "filling" in your hollow eyes to boost volume and provide the proper balance of stiffness and softness to achieve a natural, revitalized look around your eyes. Two proven fillers for hollow eyes are Restalyne and Juvederm.

Fat grafting - Also known as "fat transfer," this is a process that removes your own body fat from an area such as the thighs or buttocks and is then injected into the hollow areas under your eyes. It is the same principle as fillers but uses your fat to restore volume and help achieve the same natural-looking result.


Acne Prevention and Treatments

If you or a loved one has acne, there may be some comfort in knowing that acne is the most common skin condition in the U.S. Acne affects up to 50 million Americans and while it can occur in anyone, it is most prevalent in teens and young adults.


Acne is a multifactorial disease, with potential causes including genetics, hormone fluctuation, excess oil production, and bacteria. Other causes may include cosmetic, foods, medications, stress, weather changes, skin sensitivity issues, and allergies. It is therefore obvious that no two acne sufferers are exactly alike, and there is certainly no single cure for this condition. Acne, however, can be kept in check extremely well. At Facial Aesthetic Concepts, we strive to provide each acne patient with a truly customized treatment plan.

Here are some tips for preventing acne breakouts and minimizing the appearance of acne:

Keep your face clean - Washing your face at least twice a day will help remove impurities, dead skin, and excess facial oils. Use warm water and rub gently with a mild facial cleanser. Using a cleansing brush such as a Clarisonic is recommended to flush away impurities, ensuring a thorough cleanse, exfoliation, removal of excess oils, and impurities in your pores. Washing with a device will allow for a deeper cleanse than you would with your hands.

Moisturize - Contrary to popular belief, moisturizing can help reduce the appearance of acne by minimizing dryness and flaking, but be sure to use an oil free moisturizer. The acne skin products to use will indicate they are "noncomedogenic," which means they will not cause or inflame acne.

Use only light make-up - Foundations and powders, for example, can inflame acne. Use as little make-up as possible, remove it at the end of the day, and look for make-up products that are noncomedogenic.

Avoid touching your face - This can irritate inflamed facial skin by introducing bacteria that is on your hands. Even propping your cheek or chin in your hands should be avoided.

Avoid sunlight - The ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun can increase inflammation and redness. And be aware of particular acne medications which may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight.

Here are just a few of the many effective treatments for acne and acne scars:

Microdermabrasion - Polishes away dead cells using amonium oxide crystals. Microdermabrasion is customizable to your needs and tolerance and is most effective when it includes a cleanse, extractions (if needed), hydrating mask, and medical grade finishing products. 

Chemical peels - Peels to treat acne can range from light to deep and can help refresh the appearance of acne skin. A consultation with an experienced esthetician can help determine the peel that is best for you or a loved one.

BLU-U Acne Therapy - A simple treatment that emits special blue light that reacts with the bacteria that causes acne, stimulating the production of “porphyrins” within the clogged pore. Porphyrins act to kill the bacteria present within the pores, thereby reducing inflammation and helping to prevent future breakouts.

Microneedling - A state-of-the-art process that offers great results, without pain, downtime, expense, or thermal damage. Microneedling helps to stimulate your skin’s natural ability to produce new collagen and develop healthier skin while allowing specific topical solutions to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin for optimal rejuvenating results.

It is best to consult on what treatments are best for you, based on your desired goals. Our estheticians can also work with you to create a skin care regimen that is best suited for your skin type.

To prevent acne scarring, avoid "popping" pimples, picking at facial scabs, and make sure to treat the acne eruptions as soon as they occur.

The Power of Combination

The Power of Combination

By Alissa Stevens

Spring time is here and like most of us you are probably experiencing some transitions in your skin as the seasons change.  You may be wondering what is happening to your skin and what you can do to ‘fix’ it.  Fortunately, and unfortunately, there are a ton of treatment and product options that can produce a remarkable improvement in skin tone, texture and quality.

Unfortunately, the broad range of options can become very confusing and may not address all your particular goals or needs.  Often times we find that when we combine treatments and add on customized options to facials or non-surgical treatments we often achieve a more desired result on the skin. We can increase the overall effectiveness of your treatments, by adding custom exfoliation, hydration, anti-aging ingredients, or collagen and elastin stimulators to our treatments to meet your skins needs and obtain optimal results.  

Some of our favorite skin care additions are Dermaplane, Facial Infusion, Oxymist and Ultimate or Glow Facials. Some of these treatments can be done immediately after our medical aesthetic services or done 1-2 weeks later to enhance and increase the results from your treatment. Boosters like our Dermaplaning Infusion facial are combined with microneedling, custom facials, waxing and many other treatments. 

Dermaplaning can ‘refinish’ the skin through a method of superficial exfoliation removing dead skin cells and ‘peach fuzz’, which can trap excess dirt and oil.  The exfoliation leaves the skin feeling silky smooth and improves the look of facial skin to smooth out imperfections or textural irregularities. This can also help with overall product penetration on the skin, making products and other treatments more effective. This is how facial infusion plays a key role.

The Infusion helps boost and speed results of other skin care treatments or can be used as a stand alone treatment. This treatment can generate 30 day collagen production and avoids damaging the epidermis by penetrating several high dose active ingredients into the dermis through liposomal delivery through a retinol derivative.  This treatment is further customized by adding powder blends and actives which enhance the results for acne, rosacea, and hyperpigmentation. This unique combination can achieve the same benefits from doing a chemical peel, but without the downtime and side effects of dry skin with the added benefit of increased collagen production.

When we combine an Infusion after receiving a microneedling treatment the skin receives the ‘nourishment’ it needs during the healing process to hydrate and exfoliate, while aiding the recovery process. 

Our patients love the dermaplaning and the facial infusion combination.  It removes any unwanted skin dryness and leaves you skin silky soft!

For those of us who want a little more resurfacing, a superficial chemical peel like the Glow and Ultimate Facials are the perfect amount of exfoliation to get nice, visible results with minimal downtime. They are a great compliment to a treatment like IPL/Photofacial, which helps correct discoloration in the skin but doesn't necessarily target textural issues or clean out the pores. And they can even be done immediately after the IPL!

We highly suggest a complimentary consultation with one of our providers to find the best, customized plan for addressing your skin concerns, and we have a great promotion this month discounting some of our favorite combinations!

Call us if you don’t think your skin is radiant or you have any questions.

Breakthrough Products, Alastin Skincare

Alastin Skincare product line helps prepare and increase skin receptiveness to procedures as well as boosting the healing process to improve the overall procedure result. The products are also designed to combat the signs of aging, in addition to enhance and maintain skin health with daily use. Alastin products, with proprietary TriHex Technology, feature a patent-pending synergistic blend of potent peptides and key ingredients in a formulation designed to penetrate the skin. Alastin products featuring TriHex Technology are based on proprietary science designed to stimulate, strengthen and support the skin’s regenerative processes which produces new skin that is softer, smoother and more pliable.

In histological studies, Alastin Skincare products have been shown to increase the accumulation of both elastin and collagen which has made Alastin the leader among skincare lines in elastin stimulation.

Importance of Elastin and Collagen

Elastin and collagen are the primary structural component proteins in the dermis. Collagen and elastin are abundant in early skin and critical for its ability to renew and regenerate. As the skin ages, it becomes less and less able to naturally recycle itself and regenerate, which means slower wound healing and evident signs of aging.

Peptides and Skin Regeneration

Peptides are small proteins naturally present in the body that direct cell signaling. Certain peptides signal the generation of collagen and elastin. Also, some have modulating and recycling properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), enhancing the skin’s own ability to generate renewed, healthy skin. 


Skin Repair

Although many patients believe the healing process is complete within a few short weeks post-procedure, that visible healing is only on the skin’s surface. In truth, the full healing process can last well beyond the visual signs of recovery. Invasive and non-invasive procedures require specific aftercare and the healing process can last as long as 1-3 months post-treatment.

When skin is cut or injured in a surgical, ablative, laser or peel procedure, the body begins a natural process of healing, including:

  • The Inflammation Phase:stabilizes the site and cleans away dead cells and any bacteria; lasts a short period of time and if prolonged, can lead to scar formation
  • The Reparative Phase:skin cells multiply and initiate mobilization to close the wound and regenerate the epidermis (outer skin layer)
  • The Remodeling Phase:completes the skin remodeling; can take 30-90 days or more and is marked by the formation of new layers of skin built up from within; moderation of inflammation can reduce scarring and discoloration.

Similar to how the chronic wound healing process benefits from wound bed preparation, treatment of aging of the skin may be improved with a “skin bed preparation” to optimize rejuvenation procedures and skin maintenance programs.