"I made my skin look perfect-- without surgery!"

Obviously I LOVED this Fraxel/Thermage/happy-ending for everyone story, recently featured on Betty Confidential.com. (It's extra exciting because the article ends with a lead-in to her upcoming Fraxel experiences!) 

Is it possible to have glorious skin without a facelift? Yes!
-Lisa Cohen

Over time one acquires wisdom, experience, understanding, and aging skin.

My mother had beautiful skin because she stayed out of the sun, though she smoked more than an old Chevy with a faulty engine. 

I, on the other hand, who loathe cigs because I almost asphyxiated in her Cutlass Supreme, have suffered the consequences of tanning with baby oil all the way through my young adulthood. So my dewy skin is now lined and sagging in areas. (My lungs, however, rock!)

When it comes to my skin, my husband is diplomatic--a good strategy for survival.

In general, though, I’ve been very happy with the way I look. I’ve had great beauty advice my whole life. My cousins Yaya and Adrianna in Mexico City have inspired me to always look well groomed; coming from two of the most beautiful women I know, I‘ve paid attention. Magali, our young-adult daughter, has given me valuable hair and makeup tips (our son isn’t really good for that). I’m also blessed with a small, quality group of female friends that I treasure deeply. Since we’re all in Silicon Valley, we network and multi-task 24/7. So like an Army recruit, I want to be all that I can be—both in my work and appearance.

I’d heard about some non-invasive skin treatments, Thermage and Fraxel, that could make your skin look absolutely fabulous. The idea of having those treatments came at a great time for me. 

I’d been having Botox treatments on my forehead for the past seven years, but the treatments seemed more and more obvious as the skin on the rest of my face began sagging. Yet I didn’t feel ready for a full-scale facelift. My friends who’d had one looked fabulous, but I wasn’t sure I wanted surgery. Thermage, which tightens the skin, and Fraxel, which removes brown spots, seemed like good intermediate solutions.

By the time I went to San Francisco dermatologist Dr. Vic Narurkar, I had done my homework. I knew that Thermage delivers pulses of energy designed to heat collagen, a structural protein deep within the skin. The pulses help build and contract the collagen, which in turn tightens the appearance of the skin's surface. Each energy pulse takes two to seven seconds. On average, the entire face may require 400 to 600 pulses, and the stomach area may require 400 pulses. My face required over 900 pulses, so you can see I’m a challenge!

(Picture to the left shows the author's Before & After, left-hand side is the "before", and the right-hand side is the "After". Photos are courtesy of Dr. Vic Narurkar.)

The treatment, which I had on Nov. 11, took about an hour and a half. Gel was placed on my face over a grid; the only part that was distasteful was when the gel oozed into my mouth. The grid is a guide for the doctor to follow, using a wand that also vibrates to take your attention away from the pain. That was OK; I have an innate high tolerance for pain, anyway. I’m a Republican in Northern California!

The day after the treatment, I saw some very subtle changes in my skin texture. I noticed a smoother neck, a bit of a lift to my eyebrow area, and decreased under-eye puffiness. My face felt tighter. Three days after the treatment I had an even smoother neck, forehead, and undereye area. I think it’s better to have this kind of slight, daily improvement in your skin because really, who wants some lout at work to ask, “Have you had work done?”

The great experience I had with Thermage made me eager to try the next treatment, Fraxel, with Dr. Narurkar. I’ll tell you all about it next time!

(Before & after picture at top of article is courtesy of Thermage.com)