I Tried 5 Buzzy Skincare Treatments Before My 40th Birthday—Here Are My Reviews

Welcome to I Tried It Month, where we’ll be publishing a new fashion, beauty, or wellness article every day in January that features a first-person account of shaking up an old habit, pushing beyond a comfort zone, or simply trying something new. Follow along for 31 days of storytelling, including everything from going without a cellphone for 40 days to trying the polarizing low-rise pants trend.

Editorial Note: These treatments were done in January of 2020, pre-pandemic. If you're not comfortable with in-office treatments right now, try this professional-level DIY facial or products our editors are loving instead of beauty services.

Remember being a teenager in high school and thinking 40 was old? I distinctly recall being 15 or 16 years old and thinking I’d have it all figured out by the time I was 25. In my mind, I’d be a proper grown-up by then in the career of my dreams and married with a baby—25 seemed so far away. For the record, I knew nothing at age 25 and felt anything but grown-up. But oh, how quickly time passes. Here I am, a year from turning 40, I’ve been married for 12 years, and our son just turned 11. Even now, I can’t say with confidence that I feel like an adult. My husband and I still turn to each other with a quizzical expression wondering how we both got here. I’m sure many of you reading this can relate.

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@skinlexicon

Of course, the old adage still rings true: You are only as old as you feel. Even if I don’t feel like it, the mirror tells me a different story. It’s a daily reminder that time will have her way and you can’t stop her. And don’t get me wrong—I’m all about aging gracefully, but I want to look good while I do. For me, it’s all about taking care of my skin health. I’ve been on a cleanse-tone-moisturize-sunscreen routine since I was 14 years old (thanks, mom!), and it’s slowly developed into monthly facials, lasers, and a few injectables. 

With my big 4-0 coming up, I wanted to try a few buzzy skincare treatments to help turn back the clock a little and make sure my skin looks 100 when the day finally arrives. Read on to find out what I did along with my honest thoughts, and feel free to DM me at @skinlexicon if you have any questions!

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I have already written about my experience with under-eye fillers and lip filler, and I loved both, but I’m definitely very careful about who I see for injectables and what filler I use. Most people have some apprehension about trying fillers because there are a lot of examples where it has gone wrong.

“Unfortunately, there are a lot of people walking around with filler that you can see and recognize that it was done badly with an unnatural result,” says Nancy Samolitis, MD, FAAD, of Facile Dermatology + Boutique in Los Angeles. “Because of this, many people have the misconception that all filler treatments will look this way. When the appropriate filler product is used with the correct technique, injected at the correct depth in the correct amount, it should not be visible or look unnatural.” This was the case with my experience having a liquid facial. Samolitis chose different types of filler and Botox to suit specific areas of my face to ensure a natural look that still had movement and didn’t look stiff or overdone.

There is still a lot of confusion around when/where/how fillers or Botox are used, so I asked Samolitis to settle the debate once and for all.

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@skinlexicon

Botulinum toxin (Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, and Jeuveau are all different brands): "This is what's known as a neuromodulator," Samolitis explains. "That means it binds to a specific receptor in a nerve ending that prevents the nerve from communicating with a muscle, therefore reducing the muscle activity. These products are used to reduce wrinkles that are associated with certain facial movements/expressions. This is most commonly used for areas such as the frown line between the eyebrows (aka the "elevens"), forehead lines, and crow's-feet lines. It can also be used for upper lip lines, chin dimpling, and lines in the neck.

“Newer techniques are using these products to create lift by relaxing muscles that are natural depressors in the face and neck. For example, that muscles that pull down on the brows or the jowls can be relaxed to create a very slight lifted look. Even more exciting and new uses for these products include injecting micro-droplets into the skin (instead of the muscle) to reduce oil production in pores, reduce sweating, shrink blood vessels to reduce redness/flushing, and smooth skin texture. There may even be some benefit for treating acne and rosacea, but this is still being studied.”

Fillers: These products replace volume. The most commonly used fillers are made of hyaluronic acid, which is a sugar molecule that is bound into a gel-like injectable and placed into various levels of the skin and deeper tissues to replace tissue that we have lost with aging or enhance tissue that we don't have naturally. Certain thicker fillers are used more appropriately on bone and in the fat compartment in the face to create contour (for example, volumizing and contouring the cheeks, temples, and jawline).

"Fillers that are smooth and [bouncier and more elastic] are used for smoothing and plumping lips and around the mouth where there is a lot of movement," Samolitis explains. "If a thicker filler is used in these areas or injected superficially, it can create an unnatural stiff or overly plumped look. Finally, very thin, almost watery, fillers are used to create a hydrated effect in the top layers in the skin or fill in very fine lines or acne scars."

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@skinlexicon

Samolitis used various types of filler and botox around my face during the treatment, and in most cases, she says we need a combination of the products described above to create a harmonious overall result. “Signs of aging in the face are usually a combination of volume loss including bone resorption and decreasing the size of the fat pockets that give our face its characteristic shape and thinning of the skin leading to fine lines and texture change,” she explains. Injectables should also always be combined with skin rejuvenation techniques including a good skincare regimen, sun protection, and in-office procedures like micro-needle or laser resurfacing. She tells me any medspa that only provides injectables is doing the patient a disservice by not treating the skin and educating the patient on sun and environmental damage. Hear, hear. 

The other bonus of getting filler is that it actually helps to create more collagen. The injection creates a tiny wound and a stretching of the cells called fibroblasts in the dermal layer of the skin. This stimulus initiates a cascade of wound-healing signals that ultimately lead to new collagen production. Obviously, this is on a very small scale, but often repeated filler injection in the same area (most commonly the lips, a fine wrinkle, or acne scars) will lead to longer-lasting results over time. 

Of course, injectables aren’t cheap but the good news is, you don’t need to get them that often. Botulinum toxin averages three to four months while filler can be anywhere from three months to several years (it depends on the type of filler, area treated, amount of filler used, and the person's metabolism).

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@skinlexicon

The second is the eMatrix system, which is a bipolar RF device that limits its energy to the upper levels of the skin. This too stimulates the fibroblasts as well as causes some superficial exfoliation. The combination of the two creates The Sandwich, which gives an immediate tightening effect with the long-term stimulation of the fibroblasts. Add some great topical skincare, and you’ll get that radiant glow we’re all after.

But, of course, the big question is, how much does it cost and how long does it last? While the results are case by case, Pol tells me he typically recommends six to eight treatments with touch-ups before big events, but the results can last up to a year or more. They range in price from $850 to $1400, so it’s not exactly cheap, but when you think about how long it lasts, it’s comparable to filler, and it’s completely natural and safe. “This is the natural alternative to have a filler-like appearance to the skin,” says Pol. “I think of The Beauty Sandwich as weight training. We are strengthening and toning the muscles to help with collagen stimulation which plumps and lifts the skin, contouring the face and defining jawline.”

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@skinlexicon

As you can see from the pictures, the method shows visible results after just one session, and that continues two weeks after. In fact, I had the post-treatment glow for up to three days after the procedure, but it is the gift that keeps on giving. Pol says four to 15 days after the treatment, your body’s natural reaction to heal comes into play as fibroblasts become present, and the collagen rebuilding process begins. And it continued to do so days, weeks, even months after treatment. 

But aside from the aesthetic results, the biggest transformation Pol has seen is in the way women feel about themselves after a series of treatments. “That boost in their self-esteem, the voicemails I receive when they love what they see, that empowerment is why I created The Beauty Sandwich,” he tells me. “I have always believed that beauty comes from within. It starts from the bed and the sheets you sleep on to what you ingest. Same goes for what you put on your skin.”

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@skinlexicon

I have been seeing celebrity esthetician Matthew Miller for monthly facials for at least the past year. He is one of my favorites in the L.A. area and definitely the most reasonably priced that I’ve found here, too. So when he told me about his new treatment, DermalStem Regeneration, my ears pricked and I immediately booked an appointment with him. In a nutshell, this treatment is an amazing alternative to micro-needling without any pain or downtime. While I was there for the anti-aging effects, it can also help other concerns like acne, hyperpigmentation, and dry skin.

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@skinlexicon

So what is it? Well, DermalStem Regeneration is another treatment that stimulates the growth of, you guessed it, collagen. Firstly, a Bio-Brasion wet/dry microdermabrasion is used to exfoliate the skin. Then he uses a dermastamp to create microchannels on the skin’s surface. These microchannels allow a serum derived from bone marrow stem cells to penetrate deeper into the skin. Yes, I said bone-marrow stem cells! This game-changing serum is packed with next-level growth factors that trigger the skin’s natural renewal process and promote the formation of collagen and elastin to provide firmness and elasticity. Read: Sign me up! This is quickly followed with a hyaluronic acid serum and 20 minutes of LED to accelerate healing and reduce redness. Both of these together give you the benefits of physical and chemical exfoliation without the irritation or downtime.

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@skinlexicon

You’ll see results instantly with this facial, and it just keeps getting better even up to a month post-treatment as the bone marrow stem cells continue to work. You do need to give your body time to produce the collagen to heal the skin after this one, so there’s no need to rush back in straight away or sign up for multiple treatments, but Miller says you will see a noticeable difference after three of these. So how much does it cost? The treatment is pricey at $475, but I really do see the value in this one. You can get discounted rates when you buy in bulk—a three-pack series is $1210, while a six-pack series is $2280.

Straight After Treatment

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@skinlexicon

As I mentioned earlier, I am very picky about who I allow to inject my face. I have seen Jennifer Herrmann, MD, twice now for both under-eye fillers and lip fillers, and her work is very subtle and natural. So when I wanted to try the PiQo4 laser to remove a few dark spots, she was my first port of call—she also turned my own blood into an anti-aging serum once.

Day 2 Post-Treatment

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So what is the PiQo4 laser? According to Herrmann, it’s a picosecond laser that’s used to treat unwanted pigmentation and tattoos. “It uses energy to target pigment particles, shatters them, and then your body’s immune system helps clear them away,” she says. “Because it hits its targets so quickly—at picosecond bursts—it converts laser light energy into sound almost instantly as it interacts with targets, generating very little heat in the process. This results in less unwanted damage to surrounding tissues, fewer side effects, increased safety for darker skin, and less pain and downtime for patients.” In a nutshell, this game-changing laser can pinpoint dark spots and treat them individually without having to treat the entire face. And it works!

One Week Later

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But it’s not just for people with hyperpigmentation like me. You can also use it to remove unwanted tattoos, sunspots, brown spots. In fact, it’s one of Herrmann’s favorite lasers for diffusing brown spots caused by the sun. She also used a fractionated setting on my skin to treat summer sun damage, and it only took one treatment—my skin is so much clearer and more even. And it only took a week for the dark spots to completely disappear, too. 

How many treatments you need all depends on what is being treated. Discrete brown spots can clear in a single treatment, while tattoos can take more than 10 treatments. Prices begin at $250 per session, which is a small price to pay for clearer, healthier skin.

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@skinlexicon

All of this will set you back $550, but if you are looking for a treatment that provides long-lasting, skin health–boosting results, this is it—my skin was transformed. But, of course, total skin health is about so much more than just one treatment. As Fields explains, “Our skin is just a reflection of our internal health. To truly address the root cause of any skin concern, we have to first look within. Incredible changes can occur when we respect and understand the physiology of our bodies.” 

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@skinlexicon

Below, I'm sharing the skincare products I used daily to maintain my glow. Keep scrolling to shop my favorite, ride-or-die formulas.