Facial Rejuvenation: Combining Cosmeceuticals With Cosmetic Procedures
Cosmetic patients are looking for a more youthful appearance without spending a lot of money, feeling any pain, or experiencing any postprocedure downtime. New cosmeceutical therapies can be used adjuvant to chemical peels, lasers, and injectables, making antiaging regimens less painful and requiring less postprocedural healing time. Adjunctive agents can be used to enhance chemical peels and decrease postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Topical retinoids used prior to ablative laser treatments can aid in faster postprocedure healing and reepithelialization. Cosmeceuticals that contain both antioxidants and anti-inflammatories can help reduce postprocedure inflammation. Acetyl hexapeptide-3 is an effective topical agent for decreasing wrinkles and can be used as an adjunct to intramuscular botulinum neurotoxin, which may reduce the number of injections needed. Topical hyaluronic acid also would help patients who are averse to needles or are just starting to get wrinkles and are looking for noninvasive therapy. This article reviews combinations of cosmeceuticals with cosmetic procedures that dermatologists may want to consider discussing with their cosmetic patients.
Practice Points
- Copper peptides could potentially be used in place of corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for postprocedure irritation and inflammation.
- Acetyl hexapeptide-3 is a topical variation of botulinum toxin to be used on its own or adjunctively with the injectable form.
- Topical hyaluronic acid can be used on its own or adjunctively with injectable fillers.
Topical HA would be an effective addition to an antiwrinkle regimen, especially in patients who are averse to needles or are just starting to get wrinkles and are looking for a noninvasive therapy. Additionally, it would be beneficial for patients who have an injectable filler and BoNT regimen, as these patients will be able to target wrinkles simultaneously with both topical cosmeceuticals and injectables and likely will need fewer units of BoNT and/or filler and possibly fewer injections over time, which translates to decreased pain and adverse outcomes for patients.
Conclusion
The myriad of options dermatologists have to offer patients for cosmetic enhancement provides alternatives for patients who have contraindications to certain treatments, are needle averse, or have lifestyles that do not afford them a great deal of postprocedural healing time. Being knowledgeable about these options and how to combine them for improved outcomes is essential to any cosmetic practice.
