Healthy Through the Holidays: How to Care For Your Skin in the Wintertime

It’s that time of year—caroling, celebrations, and community ❄️

While most of us are excited to welcome winter this year, others are already having nightmares about dry, flaky skin.

Between the stress of the holiday season and the changing weather in Issaquah, it can be difficult to nail down the right skincare regimen.

As a top skin specialist in Issaquah, TLJ Aesthetics MD publishes content every month on our blog to help provide professional insights on what we do best—taking care of our patients inside and out.

Read on to learn more about the top med spa treatments for winter to help you look and feel your best.

Getting started at a med spa

Everyone wants to feel fresh and glowing before their holiday get-togethers! But it can be overwhelming to understand where or how to start.

Visiting a medical spa for a skin consultation can be one of the best ways to understand where to start. 

During this time, we hone in on your unique skin, your short-term and long-term goals, and build a comprehensive regimen that could include a customized combination of:

• A healthy at-home skincare routine
• Medical-grade skincare products
• Professional in-office skincare treatments 
• Additional tips and tricks to keep your skin looking fresh and youthful

Learn more about how to prepare for the consultation process at TLJ Aesthetics MD → 

A consultation is just the first step to investing in your skin care. Next is the fun part—professional treatment!

Top 4 med spa treatments for the holidays 

Did you know that not all med spa treatments are ideal for year-round use? Some of your favorites from the spring and summer may not be the best fit for the holiday season. 

At most med spas in Issaquah, for example, fall and winter is “laser season.” That’s because treatments like Halo laser resurfacing, ThermiSmooth for sagging skin, and even moderate-to-deep chemical peels require the patient to abstain from sun exposure for up to 14 days after their visit. 

But while these treatments are a great part of your overall anti-aging regimen, we also understand that not everyone has time for downtime!

That’s why today, we’re highlighting the best med spa treatments for winter that require little to no downtime ? 

• Reduce Wrinkles with Microbotox & Botox

  

Botox is one of the most popular aesthetic treatments in Issaquah for a reason. We can apply Botox to a variety of areas of the face and/or neck to help:

• Soften and prevent “crow’s feet”
• Open the eyes more fully
• Shape the eyebrows, creating a naturally beautiful arch
• Refine and prevent horizontal expression lines and wrinkles of the upper forehead
• Soften and remove frown lines between the brows
• Refine horizontal lines of the bridge of the nose “bunny lines”
• Smooth out cobblestone appearance of the chin
• Subtly turn up the frown lines of the corners of the mouth and help in preventing “marionette lines” that form from the corners of the mouth downward

… and the list goes on! Botox is one of the most versatile med spa treatments and is great for the wintertime. 

• Treats the surface of the skin
• Reduces fine lines & wrinkles
• Results appear in 24 to 48 hours
• Lasts 3 to 6 months
• Repeat as needed

In addition, at TLJ Aesthetics MD, we utilize an advanced technique called Microbotox or “Microtox” to distribute small amounts of Botox over a larger area of the face and/or neck to help diffuse fine lines, improve skin texture and sheen, and smoothen creases.

• Treats the surface of the skin
• Reduces creases, sweating, and appearance of texture
• Peak results appear within 4 weeks
• Lasts 3 to 4 months
• Repeat as needed

• Cleanse Your Pores with a HydraFacial

If you’re looking for a low downtime treatment, look no further! The HydraFacial is a simple but powerful treatment that clears pores and nourishes the skin with serums. 

• Treats the surface of the skin
• Reduces fine lines & wrinkles
• Results appear within a few hours
  
• Lasts 4 to 6 weeks with continued cleansing and maintenance
• Repeat 4 to 6 weeks as needed

• Rejuvenate Your Appearance with ClearSilk

ClearSilk is another fan-favorite med spa treatment for winter. Being both non-invasive and non-ablative, ClearSilk is safe for all skin tones and types. It works by evoking your body’s natural process through the use of heat to clear pigment and reduce vascularity. This process also tightens the skin, evens skin texture, and leaves skin tissue looking younger and more vibrant! 

• Treats below the surface of the skin
• Improves redness, rosacea, and deep-set wrinkles
• Initial results appear within 4 to 7 days
• Repeat 7 to 14 days as needed

• Layer in Professional Skincare Products

Complimenting your winter med spa treatments with an at-home routine is essential for maintaining your results long-term. 

But here’s a secret: the best skincare products don’t come from a drugstore. Without a prescription, these products are only allowed to have very small concentrations of their active ingredients. 

You can purchase medical-grade products from a reputable medical spa or skin doctor in Issaquah.

Clarify your skin with the power of pumpkin

? One of our favorites for fall and winter is our Pumpkin Clarifying Mask. Why pumpkin? It’s not just for the aromatherapy, although that’s certainly an added perk!

Pumpkin is full of nutrients. Plus, it has a small molecular structure, which means it is extremely effective for penetrating deeper into the skin to deliver those nutrients! It’s safe for most skin types.

Containing a 5% pumpkin enzyme, this clarifying clay mask can loosen debris and dead skin cells from your pores, reduce surface oils and blackheads, and promote clearer skin.

Paired with any one of the above treatments, the pumpkin mask is one of our favorite products to layer into your winter skincare routine for use up to 3 times a week.

Advice from TLJ Aesthetics MD for staying healthy through the holidays

There are many things you can do outside of a medical spa to stay healthy and promote glowing skin through the winter. Here are a few of our favorite tips.

Winter skin care tips

• Use a humidifier. Just be sure not to set the temperature too high. A cool air humidifier placed in the rooms where you spend the most time (usually the bedroom or living room) can help prevent your skin from drying out.
• Wash your face with cool or warm water, not hot. Although a hot bath or shower can be really relaxing, exposure to hot water will dry out your skin. 
• Avoid products that contain alcohol, fragrance, retinoids, or alpha hydroxy acid. These will also cause your skin to dry out easily.
• Don’t neglect certain areas of your skin! Just like our face, our neck, chest, and hands also need moisture in the wintertime.
• Leave the exfoliation to the experts. It might be tempting to stock up on scrubs before winter, but if you overuse physical or chemical exfoliants, you can actually end up doing more harm than good. Stick to gentle cleansers at home.
• Keep using sunscreen. Even our patients who use sunscreen religiously in the spring and summer tend to fall behind in the wintertime. But the sun’s rays can be just as harmful in the winter, and it’s important to keep your SPF in the 30s.

A few other winter healthcare reminders

• Don’t let exercise fall off. This tends to be the first thing that drops off when you’re fatigued mentally. Still, if you can keep a consistent exercise routine, it will ultimately help you stay in tip-top shape physically and emotionally through the holidays.
• Stay hydrated. Contrary to what you may have heard, there isn’t a direct correlation between water intake and youthful skin. That said, it IS essential to drink plenty of water for your overall health. 
• Watch your alcohol intake. Without moderation, alcohol can cause a variety of long-term health issues. It also affects your skin! Alcohol dilates your pores, which can lead to blackheads and whiteheads. It’s not just alcohol, either. Coffee and other caffeine sources are diuretics, too (substances that promote increased urination). Try to limit your Pumpkin Spice Latte fix for special occasions.
• Keep your diet clean (as much as possible). Certainly don’t deny yourself a treat, but try to stay disciplined on a regular basis. Specifically, the more sugar you consume, the more your skin may suffer long-term. That’s because consuming sugar causes cross-linking of collagen, which stiffens and lessens the elasticity of the skin.

We are honored to serve the Issaquah community.

What questions do you have about preparing your skin for the holidays? TLJ Aesthetics MD is happy to help!

The team at TLJ prides itself on providing excellent patient care and the highest quality aesthetic technology in the region. Whether you’re new to aesthetics or simply looking for a new provider, we welcome people of all ages to our practice to discover the TLJ difference.

Early on, Dr. Jacobson saw the connection between looking good and feeling good—between outer beauty and the desire to be your healthiest self. Dermatologic care and Aesthetics became a prominent part of her practice early in her career. She observed that when her patients were making efforts in improving their skin and aesthetic beauty, healthy lifestyle choices seemed to follow. 

If you’re ready to get started, request an appointment online or give us a call at (425) 837-8842 or text 425-651-6799. 

Not quite there? Learn more about which treatments may work best to address your specific concerns with our virtual consultation tool. Simply select your target areas, and our tool will provide you with custom treatment recommendations!

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