Any artist or art enthusiast understands the work that goes into maintaining a piece throughout the years. The moment a painting is created it begins to age. Exposure to environmental changes such as light, temperature and humidity naturally cause the painting to deteriorate over time.
In order to preserve and promote a painting’s long-lasting beauty, it needs care and attention. There are protective factors to prevent or slow damage to the painting, such as temperature control, special glass to protect against prying hands and UV rays, LED lights to protect against light damage, and more. If there is damage to a piece, there are also restorative actions whereby a conservator will stabilize the artwork and integrate repairs.
I challenge you to start thinking about your skin as one of the most precious paintings to grace this earth. Just like a masterpiece, your skin is up against the elements; at risk of damage caused by UV exposure, environmental pollutants, volume loss due to aging and more.
As an artist takes steps to protect the work they have created, you need to take active steps to prevent damage to your skin:
- Wearing SPF daily. A sunscreen can help protect against the damaging effects of UV light, such as premature wrinkles or development of pigmented “sun” spots.
- Using medical grade skin care. These products have formulations designed to prevent damage and restore your skin’s defence. Key ingredients include: antioxidants to protect against reactive oxygen species (cause DNA damage in skin cells and manifests as signs of aging), retinoids (inhibits collagenase synthesis and promotes collagen production).
- Avoiding repeated facial expressions. This may prevent the resulting permanent creases and wrinkles from forming (I’d even recommend wearing sunglasses to keep you from squinting and creating crow’s feet!).
- Beginning “Baby Botox” treatment. Beginning treatment with a neuromodulator early can help prevent wrinkles from forming down the road by reducing the creases they make early on in life.
- Maintaining a well-balanced, healthy lifestyle. There are numerous studies which suggest a nutritional diet, maintaining hydration, getting exercise and not smoking might also help support and maintain healthy skin.
Once a painting has been damaged, there are numerous steps involved with restoring it to its true intended appearance: various diagnostic measures initially taken, a variety of treatments performed, ongoing maintenance, etc. Sound familiar? To me, the work I do with our clinic to restore a youthful appearance is not much different:
- Resurfacing procedures such as ablative lasers (eg. CO2 laser, erbium laser) or chemical peels. These in-office procedures aim to remove the damaged epidermis and replace the tissue with fresh skin layers.
- Subsurfacing, nonablative procedures such as lasers and BroadBand Light. These energy devices use specific wavelengths to target damage such as vascular (blood vessel) irregularities, abnormal pigmentation, wrinkles that result from depleted collagen and elastin and much more!
- Restoring lost volume using injectable dermal fillers. These pharmaceuticals are injected with precision to augment soft tissue within the face. This can help combat the volume loss and thinning experienced with age which causes hollow, deep and shadowy features.
- Managing dynamic wrinkles and creases with injectable neuromodulators (eg. Botox).
These lists are just the start. Now, I may not know how to protect and restore a Louvre-worthy painting, but I do know a thing or two about preserving a youthful appearance. From medical grade skincare to minimally invasive procedures, I would love to help you look your best for as long as possible!
Nadine Sabino, B.Sc.N
