Our Best Treatments for Beauty Above the Mask

Masks have become a mainstay, no matter where you live. While face coverings don’t seem to be going anywhere fast, there are ways to ramp up your beauty routine to make the most of what is still showing. Give those eyes and upper face a refresh so you can leave your house with confidence even during these challenging times. 

Our board-certified dermatologists at Coast Dermatology & Laser Surgery Center in Laguna Beach, CA, are committed to helping you look and feel your absolute best no matter what life throws at you. We offer superior care and results for our patients, with a broad range of cosmetic treatments that can be tailored to your precise needs and goals. 

Beauty Standards: Goals for the Upper Face 

Half of your face may still be under wraps, but that is no reason to neglect the upper portion of your face. This area contains some of your most important features, particularly the eyes. In fact, without your mouth to convey emotion, your eyes are left to do all the work on their own. The forehead also comes into focus, so keeping that skin in top condition becomes a priority when the rest of the face isn’t visible. Goals to strive for as you undergo facial enhancement might include: 

• Reduction in fine lines and wrinkles 
• Youthful volume and firm skin 
• Skin that is smooth and clear
• Refreshed eyes without bags or discoloration
• Proportionate features from the forehead to the cheeks

The Aging Process

The aging process affects every aspect of the face, but when the lower portion is covered, aging symptoms in the upper face become even more pronounced. While genetics can contribute to some aging signs, others may be the result of external factors like sun exposure and pollution. Aging affects every component of the face, including: 

• Fat – We lose up to a teaspoon of fat yearly from the time we hit our 30s, which leads to volume loss, hollowing around the nose and eyes, and sagging upper lids. 
• Bone – Over time, our bone diminishes, enlarging eye sockets and contributing to the hollowed eye appearance.
• Muscle – The continuous contractions of facial muscles as you make certain facial expressions can create lines and creases, which may become permanently etched in the face over time.
• Skin – Loss of the essential proteins collagen and elastic contribute to skin laxity, which is seen throughout the face, including the forehead and around the eyes. 

What does this mean for you? Changes to the basic facial components can lead to visible aging symptoms. Even above your mask, those symptoms can make you look tired or older than you feel. Some of the common symptoms include: 

• Loose skin 
• Drooping eyebrows
• Loss of volume 
• Lines and facial creases 
• Brown spots and other pigmentation irregularities

The good news is that we have nonsurgical treatments to address all of these concerns right in our Laguna Beach office. With multiple options to choose from, you can rest assured your procedure will be customized to your precise needs to ensure the best possible results for you. 

The Injectable Options

At Coast Dermatology & Laser Surgery Center, we help our patients rejuvenate their appearance without surgery. Injectable treatments, including neuromodulators and dermal fillers, are one of our most popular options, due to the quick, comfortable treatments and fast results. Our board-certified dermatologists perform these procedures to ensure our patients enjoy natural, beautiful results. 

The upper face frequently falls victim to dynamic wrinkles—those lines that form when you repeatedly make certain facial expressions. While the lines may only be visible when you make those faces at first, they can become permanently etched on the skin over time. The best way to treat dynamic wrinkles is by targeting the muscles that lead to their formation with injections of a neuromodulator like Botox Cosmetic. 

Dynamic wrinkles might include: 

• Horizontal lines across the forehead
• Vertical lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines, frown lines, the 11s) 
• Fine lines that fan out from the outer corners of the eyes (crow’s feet) 

We offer Botox, Dysport, and Jeuveau to treat these wrinkles. Results typically appear within 7-14 days and can last 3-4 months. With regular treatment sessions, you can maintain your improvement long-term. Some patients may opt to begin treatment even earlier as a preventative measure. We often perform this procedure with an Enerpeel, which is designed to refresh the delicate skin under the eyes for full rejuvenation. To learn more about Botox, visit medlineplus.gov.

Neuromodulators are the most effective option for treating dynamic wrinkles, but to restore youthful volume or treat other types of lines, you need a different approach. That’s where dermal fillers come into play. These injectables work deep in the dermal structure to restore support, add volume, and smooth away wrinkles from the inside out. We can use fillers to address the following concerns in the upper face: 

• Tear troughs – a small bit of filler restores volume to diminish dark circles and bags
• Temples – this area tends to hollow over time, but filler can create a fuller look 
• Cheeks – filler restores volume to the midface to create a more youthful appearance
• Facial lines – fillers can also work on some fine lines and wrinkles in the upper face

In some cases, a combination of fillers and neuromodulators will be the best option to help you reach all your cosmetic goals in a single treatment session. 

Devices for Full Skin Rejuvenation

When the health of the skin is the primary concern, laser and energy devices can be an excellent choice to achieve skin rejuvenation for beauty above the mask. These treatments address areas of discoloration and produce a more even skin texture and tone. Since sun damage often occurs in the upper face, these treatments work to counter the effects and restore your youthful glow. 

Laser and energy devices are frequently used to treat the following skin concerns: 

• Skin laxity 
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Uneven skin texture 
• Brown spots 
• Melasma
• Acne scarring
• Surgical scars 

To ensure we can meet the needs of all our patients, we offer the Lumenis UltraPulse CO2 platform. With this single device, we perform the following treatments: 

• Deep FX – uses deep fractional ablation for severe scars and deep creases 
• Active FX – offers superficial fractional ablation for milder aging symptoms and skin texture
• Total FX – combines superficial and deep fractional ablation for a variety of concerns

Patients who undergo deeper treatments typically have a few days of downtime, which might include redness, tenderness, flaking, and peeling skin. However, the results can be more dramatic and long-lasting. Superficial treatments do not require downtime and can produce a healthy glow and visible reduction in many aging symptoms. 

Lasers are not the only option for rejuvenation at Coast Dermatology & Laser Surgery Center. We also offer Infini RF microneedling, which combines radiofrequency energy and microneedling to stimulate the body to produce more collagen to firm and smooth the skin. We can customize the depth of this treatment to the precise needs of each patient so you get the exact amount of correction you need to produce an optimal result. 

Alma skin tightening also uses radiofrequency to heat the tissue beneath the skin’s surface, which in turn boosts collagen production by the body. This comfortable procedure creates smoother, firmer skin over time, for a more youthful appearance. There is no downtime after treatment, and we can use the device on any area of the body where skin laxity is a concern. 

Schedule Your Consultation With A Dermatologist In Laguna Beach Today

You may only be flaunting a portion of your face these days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t raise the bar on your beauty standard. With the right treatment plan, your eyes and upper face can reflect your inner youth and vitality. To learn more about any of these treatments, contact us today to schedule your consultation.