Hello and welcome to another Mailbag Friday! As we inch closer and closer to summer, many of us are doing our best to get ourselves glowing and radiant for the warmer months ahead, and today I have two customers who need my help preparing their summer looks! The first question of the day comes from Sarah in Wichita, KS.
Q: Hi Dr. Ryan. I feel as though my lips have recently started looking thinner and thinner. I’m not into fillers, so that isn’t an option for me. Is there anything else I can do to fix my lips?
A: Hi Sarah! A lot of younger folks don’t realize that as you age, it’s possible to see a loss in the volume of your lips. Lip fillers are all the rage right now, but I completely understand not wanting to go that route. Fortunately, I have a few suggestions for you that can help you make your lips fuller and more defined.
To help you solve this problem, we’re going to approach it in two steps. The first step is to get your lips more hydrated.
Hydrating and nourishing the lips can improve their appearance and texture quite drastically!
Regularly moisturizing the lips with hydrating lip balms or oils can help restore moisture and plumpness, making them appear fuller and more youthful.
On top of that, using ingredients like sodium hyaluronate in your lip care routine can help hydrate, soften, and condition the lips, promoting a smoother and more voluminous appearance over time.
Our next step is going to be focusing on trying to rebuild the collagen in your lip area. After all, the loss in volume is mostly due to the breakdown of collagen!
To help rebuild some structure in your lips, try using products with ingredients like soluble collagen to help get the process going.
This is in my Collagen Filler Serum, which isn’t technically a lip product, but it’s safe to use all over your face, so applying whatever excess you have to your lips won’t hurt!
And this goes for every skincare product you have - if you have a little extra, apply it to your lips if you want!
Other than these two tips, you can also try adding a gentle lip massage into your skincare routine. Using your fingertips, gently massage the lips in circular motions to stimulate blood flow and promote collagen production, which can help improve lip volume and fullness naturally.
Remember, Sarah, the key is to be patient and consistent with your lip care routine, as it may take time to see noticeable results. By nourishing and caring for your lips with hydrating products and gentle techniques, you can enhance their volume and fullness naturally, achieving the plump, luscious lips you’re after!
Good luck to you!
Our second question is from Emma in Sedona, AZ.
Q: Hi Dr. Ryan, a lot of my friends want me to go and get a chemical peel with them, but it sounds scary. How do I know if this treatment is for me?
A: Hi Emma! You’re definitely right to be cautious about going to get a new treatment, especially if you don’t know much about it. With so many different skincare trends out there, it can be hard to know which treatments are worth it and which ones are bad news for your complexion. As far as chemical peels go, I’ll help you decide whether this is a treatment that you should invest in or not. Let’s get started…
Chemical peels are popular treatments for improving skin texture, reducing hyperpigmentation, and enhancing overall skin appearance. However, like any skincare procedure, they have some downsides you might want to consider.
One downside of chemical peels is the risk of side effects, such as redness, swelling, and irritation, particularly if you have sensitive skin or certain skin conditions.
On top of that, some chemical peels require a bit of downtime for recovery.
So as you’re probably starting to see, chemical peels aren’t for the faint-hearted. They do have a lot of great advantages to them, but they are a rather extreme treatment for some.
If you’re looking for some similar results without the scary side effects, I have a couple of suggestions that can help…
First, you can always try good old-fashioned exfoliation.
My favorite types of exfoliants are AHAs and BHAs, which work on a deeper level than scrubs do and can have much more of an effect on your complexion.
They’re in my Lavender Oil Cleanser, and they help to penetrate the skin and remove dirt, impurities, and dead skin cells to help reveal a softer, smoother complexion.
They can also help reveal a radiant glow and make your skin look as vibrant as it would after a chemical peel, except without the downtime for recovery!
Now, if you’re looking for an alternative treatment that you can get with your friends at the spa, you can always ask them if they have something called an enzyme peel.
Enzyme peels use natural enzymes, typically derived from fruits like papaya or pineapple, to gently exfoliate the skin and promote cell turnover.
They are generally a lot more gentle on the skin than chemical peels and might be less daunting!
Either way, before you get any skincare treatment, including chemical peels or their alternatives, it's essential to know what you’re getting yourself into, so I’m glad you asked me about this.
I hope this helps!
