September is Plastic Surgery & Healthy Aging Month! This is a great time to learn more about keeping your skin looking its best as you age. In this blog post, we’ll share tips on keeping yourself looking young and healthy.

What’s Healthy Aging Month?

As people live longer and healthier lives, it’s essential to take steps to age well. Healthy Aging Month is an annual observance month designed to focus national attention on the positive aspects of growing older. The focus of Healthy Aging Month is to promote the concept of healthy aging and encourage people of all ages to make lifestyle changes that can lead to healthy aging.

Promoting Healthy Aging Habits Among Plastic Surgery Patients

While plastic surgery can effectively promote healthy aging, it is essential to remember that it is only one part of the equation. To maintain a youthful appearance, patients must also adopt healthy lifestyle habits. This includes eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. Patients should also avoid smoking and excessive sun exposure, which can contribute to aging.

What You Can Do This September to Support Healthy Aging Month

Throughout our lives, our bodies undergo changes that sometimes make it challenging to maintain our health. To help support older adults, September has been designated as Healthy Aging Month.

Here are some things you can do this September to support healthy aging:

Get your annual physical exam: This is an excellent time to check in with your doctor and ensure you are up to date on your vaccinations and screenings.

Make sure you are getting enough physical activity: Exercise is vital for maintaining your health as you age. Make sure you get at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise most days of the week.

Eat a healthy diet: As you age, your body needs different nutrients to stay healthy. Ensure you get enough protein, calcium, and vitamins D and B12. You may also want to talk to your doctor about taking a daily multivitamin.

Stay socially active: Social isolation can lead to declining health. Make sure you stay connected with family and friends and consider joining a social group or club.

Quit smoking: If you smoke, now is the time to quit. Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in older adults.

These are just a few things you can do this September to support healthy aging. For more information, visit the Healthy Aging Month website.

Let’s Talk

Take advantage of Healthy Aging Month by scheduling a consultation with Dr. Donna Krummen in Cincinnati, OH. Contact us at 513.985.0850 if you have any questions.

Cosmetic treatments used to be much more hardlined when it came to choices. Someone wanting to look a little younger or to correct an aspect of their appearance could either have plastic surgery or not. Today, cosmetic treatment choices are virtually endless, and the vast majority of them don’t involve surgery. With the holidays nearing, now is a great time to explore some of our favorite nonsurgical beauty treatments. 

Plasma Pen

We are so excited to offer Plasma Pen treatment in our Cincinnati office. This nonsurgical, noninvasive procedure works by instigating a healing process without harming the skin. Using a special device, our provider safely disrupts the uppermost layers of the skin, where damage is most prominent. Simultaneously, the device delivers deeper fibroblast therapy to the dermis, where collagen and elastin are made. The effects of precise plasma energy triggers prolonged collagen production and a remodeling process that smooths wrinkles, fine lines, and firms sagging skin. 

Neuromodulators

Wrinkle reduction is not a cookie-cutter type of treatment. Injectable neuromodulators like BOTOX stand front and center as powerful age-correctors. This type of injectable works on the superficial muscles that pull on the skin when we make facial expressions. BOTOX blocks the nerve signals that are necessary for the muscle to contract, thereby allowing the skin to lie smoothly, as it used to do when the face was at rest. 

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers represent a category of injectables that are just as powerful as neuromodulators even with an entirely different mechanism of action. Unlike neuromodulators, dermal fillers are useful in the soft tissue just beneath the skin. Here, these products increase volume so that lines and wrinkles are plumped to the surface. Some dermal fillers add denser volume in areas that require structure, such as the cheeks and jawline. Some are softer and used to fill out thin or deflated lips with natural looking, natural feeling shape. 

Infusion Peel

Even if you are one who prefers to avoid cosmetic enhancements and injectable wrinkle-reduction, your aging skin can use a boost to keep it healthy and radiant. Our Infusion Peel could be a gratifying gift to give yourself this holiday season. This treatment is a combination of microdermabrasion and infusion that first sloughs off dead and damaged skin cells and then delivers powerful nutrients tailed to your unique needs. Some of the concerns that can be addressed with the Infusion Peel include hyperpigmentation, oxidative stress and sun damage, rough texture, and more. 

Beauty doesn’t have to be an involved process. To restore and rejuvenate your appearance, contact our Cincinnati office at 513.985.0850.

Crepe paper is a necessity for that birthday party or other social gathering. Its wrinkled, thin appearance is something of a novelty when this paper is used for decoration. However, the crepey appearance that can occur on the skin is not novel whatsoever. It’s frustrating. Historically, crepey skin has been a challenge. Plastic surgery could improve the problem but not prevent a recurrence. Today, we have much more knowledge about what causes the problem. More importantly, we have more tools to help slow the thinning of the skin and also to correct crepey skin. In many cases, we can do this without plastic surgery.

Why We Get Crepey Skin

We often think of collagen as the protein for the skin (and hair and nails). However, that is just one of several. Collagen is the protein that supports suppleness and firmness. The skin also has to have some give to it; some stretch. This is sustained with elastin, which is also produced in the dermis. Finally, the skin is plumped with water molecules. These are naturally held in place with hyaluronic acid (the ingredient in many dermal fillers). All of these substances are depleted with age; not only because of age but as a result of sun exposure, nutrition, dehydration, and other factors.

Preventing and Treating Crepey Skin

It isn’t enough to wait for the skin to become crepey then treat it. We suggest implementing various strategies that will prevent the accelerated loss of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Then, as needed, treatments can be performed to enhance the production of these chemicals. Prevention is as simple as good sun protection every day, even when it’s cloudy. Additionally, it is necessary to identify which products your skin needs. Professional and chemical-grade products affect cellular behavior and are more powerful than what you will find at the store. However, any serum and moisturizer are better than nothing. When you can, consult with a professional about your skincare needs.

If you are already noticing changes in the firmness and elasticity of your skin, contact our Cincinnati office. Skin tightening can be achieved nonsurgically in many cases. We are pleased to offer Plasma Pen treatments to rejuvenate areas in which the skin has become thin and loose. Additional options for supporting firm, resilient skin include microneedling, chemical peels, and laser treatments.

We can help you address crepey skin. Call 513.985.0850 to schedule your visit with Dr. Krummen.

Facial aging may be inevitable but it is not something that many people like to live with. Our appearance doesn’t just indicate our age, it also contributes to how we are perceived. The signs of aging don’t just make us look older, they could make us look less friendly and happy overall. Historically, facial aging has been addressed with skin creams or surgery. Both offer unique benefits. However, they aren’t the only options anymore. Here, we discuss how you might discern whether your best path is through injectables or facial rejuvenation surgery.

Results: How Fast Do You Want Them?

This is an easy question for most people to answer. If you’ve decided you want to restore a more youthful, friendly, happy nuance to your face, you want it now. The desire for a quick turnaround is the primary reason that so many people lean towards injectable facial rejuvenation. There is a lot that can be accomplished with injectable fillers and wrinkle reducers. All in all, the various improvements that can be achieved may make the face look 5 to 10 years younger. Those improvements include:

• Lifting the eyebrows
• Smoothing creases around the eyes and on the forehead
• Smoothing undereye bags
• Adding volume to contour and lift the cheeks, which also lifts the lower face
• Restoring a smooth, angular jawline
• Eliminating creases around the nose and mouth
• Rejuvenating thin or deflated lips

There are obvious benefits to injectable treatment versus surgery. Patients do not need downtime, though they may experience some swelling and redness. The results of some treatments are immediate, while others become visible over a week. On the other hand, the results of injectable treatments last no more than 2 years, some lasting only a few months.

Results: How Long Do You Want Them to Last?

A surgical facelift may not immediately plump the cheeks and smooth the jawline. A facelift will not lift the eyebrows or smooth undereye bags (those improvements require a brow lift or blepharoplasty). However, a facelift is the gold standard of long-lasting, natural-looking facial rejuvenation. The reason this is so is that the facelift procedure lifts the musculature that gives the face shape. Then, when the skin is lifted and trimmed, it lies naturally rejuvenated across its repositioned foundation. It can take a few weeks to see the outcome of a facelift. However, results last many years.

Together, we can get you refreshed and ready to shine. Call 513.985.0850 to schedule your consultation in our Cincinnati office.

Stress is a fact of life. If this fact was not clear before the first few months of 2020, it certainly is now. While it has become apparent that there is no way to eliminate the stressors of being human, we can also focus on other facts; facts like we have a great deal of control over our responses to what happens in life. Stress in and of itself is not doom-and-gloom. It just is. And it is something we can get through with a fair amount of grace. Here, we discuss how focusing on yourself is an integral aspect of managing life’s more stressful times.

Relaxation is Not a Luxury

“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.” ~ Mark Black

The very idea of relaxing can create a disturbance for many of us. We’ve learned to observe relaxation as something we have to earn. We relax when we go on vacation, which we earn by working 40 hours a week for more for several months. We relax on the weekends after those long hours at work, but only if the essential household chores are done. You get the picture. To relax is to luxuriate in a well-earned reward. If we look at this quote by Mark Black, the first heart-transplant recipient to complete a marathon, we can begin to develop a new perspective; one that depicts relaxation as a matter of health.

In fact, studies have shown that, when we relax, our blood flows more efficiently through the body. Our muscles relax and our nervous system slows down enough to stop pumping out so much cortisol. In this state, we become better decision-makers, more positive thinkers, and better protected from illness.

Self-Care Includes a Strong Gratitude Practice

In times of stress, it can be difficult to grasp onto something to feel grateful for. With a strong gratitude practice, this becomes easier. A little deep breathing can create space for the mind to find the little things that bring joy. We can be grateful for the rising sun, a little rain or sunshine, or the feel of cool grass beneath our feet. There is no “right” way to practice gratitude, but there is a need to do it. Why? Because studies show that people who do this sleep better, experience more positive emotions, feel more energized, and have stronger immune systems, even in times of stress.

We’re Here for You

It’s been a bit of a year so far, no one can deny that. In times of stress, though, it is possible to also experience relaxation, gratitude, and other positive states. In our Cincinnati office, we offer the simple pleasures of beauty to help you focus on you and the joy that comes from feeling your best. To schedule an appointment with us for injectables, microneedling, or other beauty treatments, call 513.985.0850.

When we talk about beauty, we tend to think about the fairer of the bunch. For the past several years, statistics have continually shown us that to think of beauty only as it pertains to women is limiting. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is one of several organizations whose data demonstrates a steady increase in the number of men seeking cosmetic treatment. If the man in your life has been expressing concerns related to his appearance, your Cincinnati plastic surgeon may be the best resource of this year’s Father’s Day gift.

Dr. Krummen has established her practice around meeting the varying needs of her patients. With this as the end-goal, she has implemented both surgical and nonsurgical procedures into our comprehensive menu of services. A few that may be of interest to the man in  your life include:

• Laser hair removal. For years, the rogue and wild hair growth that occurs in the average middle-aged man has been an easy resource for comedic humor. On a personal level, a man may feel self-conscious with his appearance when hair grows where it shouldn’t. If Dad could use some de-fuzzing, consider laser hair removal as a unique gift idea. A series of treatments can permanently decrease hair growth in any area of the body.
• Wrinkle-reduction injections. Botox has become so popular among men that the treatment became known as Brotox for a time. Being that Botox injections take less than an hour and achieve results that last 3 to 6 months, this treatment is an excellent gift for the Dad with a permanent, non-intentional frown. For the deep creases that form around the nose and mouth, dermal fillers are recommended.
• On the light side, Dad can get an easy, pampering boost from one of several skin-smoothing and brightening facial treatments. From microneedling to fractional laser resurfacing, our team performs techniques developed to remove the dead and damaged skin cells that make one’s complexion dull and rough.

Give Dad the beauty boost he deserves. Contact our Cincinnati office to learn more about our spa-like services.