© 2014 sarahfortune.

HELLO
Mom to Iris. Wife to Todd. Our little family lives at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains in Fayetteville, Arkansas. We love it here and I love sharing little bits of our life.

© 2014 sarahfortune.
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Category : Skincare

Health & Beauty, Skincare

Skin Update – A Month Later!

It’s been FIVE weeks since I had my first skin care visit at the Northwest Arkansas Center for Plastic Surgery and The Skin Care Center and, as promised, I’m keeping you updated on my progress. At my last post, I was two weeks out and the Botox had fully kicked in (for those of you who missed it, YES – I tried Botox for the very first time and, YES – I’m totally in love). After four full weeks, I went back for another round of Dermaplane, which also included some microdermabrasion on my nose, a lactic peel, and as a nice little bonus – I got my eyebrows touched up (using a safe, soy wax of course)! Annnnd on my way out I just happened to see my favorite person, the nurse injector, who gave me a little touch up of Botox on my forehead. Like I mentioned in my previous post, she wanted to start small knowing that we could always add more later. So basically, this was a one-stop-shop and I was able to do it all on my lunch hour. After I was done, I went straight back to the office, as there’s no recovery time needed (just a little redness for about an hour).

So, back to the Dermaplane. I have been so impressed with this that I’ve been staying up at night Googling and reading up all about it. It’s a simple concept, but the results are instantly visible. My skin care products absorb better and my makeup goes on smoother. The Dermaplane glow appears right away (noticeable once the redness wears off) and really seems to last. My aesthetician, Krissa, who is beyond wonderful explained that this is a great “core” treatment to use as the basis of your skin care regimen. As I lay on the comfy bed, Krissa talks me through the entire process so that I understand exactly what she’s doing every step of the way. NWACPS actually offers a VIP program that is perfect for anyone considering this route, but they also have options for all budgets. And with free consultations, it’s super easy to at least get started – no matter if you’re ALL in or just want to start small.

Overall, I am SOLD on this whole “taking care of your skin” thing and very thankful to NWACPS for their guidance (annnnd the Botox). I mean, we go to the dentist to take care of our teeth, the doctor to take care of our body, hair stylist to take care of our hair – so of course we should be doing all we can to take care of our largest organ (and the one that everyone sees first)! But what’s most important is that my skin is what I see first – and every time I look in the mirror, I think about how happy I am with it. I’m told that the longer you take control and take care of your skin, the better and better it will be. I know I’ll get older and age will continue to set in, but that’s why it’s more more important than ever for me to start now. I will share with you my morning and night skincare routines soon, as I am absolutely loving the SkinMedica products (that you now can actually purchase straight through NWACPS’s website)! Thanks for following along… Till next time!

This post is in partnership with NWACPS, however the words and opinions in my blog are truly my own.

Health & Beauty, Life, Skincare

Two Weeks Later – An Update!

It’s been two weeks since I walked through the doors of NWA Center for Plastic Surgery‘s skin care center for my first consultation. As mentioned in my previous post, I had zero clue as for what to expect. And if you are in the same boat as I was (basically clueless about skin care), then hopefully the sharing of my experience will be helpful!

Once I got all checked-in, I talked with the esthetician for a good thirty minutes about my skin. The approach wasn’t about what I hated and wanted to change – it was about what I loved and wanted to preserve. That positivity matched the atmosphere, which felt more like home than a doctor’s office. With big windows that let in a lot of natural light, and decor that left me wanting to move in, I felt comfortable. Like I was on a nice little retreat from my work day.

After figuring out what would work best with my skin (mine is pretty sensitive), I jumped right in and started a few treatments. One of the first things I did was dermaplane. I think I had heard of it before, but I had no idea what it was. And in case you don’t either, I’m here to tell you that it means taking a scalpel to the face! Sounds horrifying, right? It was actually incredibly relaxing, pain free, and I would do it every week if I could. The process scrapes off the layer of dead skin cells and the velus hair (the peach fuzz) on your face and it instantly made my skin softer than it has ever been.

After that, she did a few more treatments of various creams and ointments, including a very light chemical peel which again, sounds scary and painful, but it was easy breezy. All of this took less time than my lunch hour. From there, I went down the hall and met my new best friend, Annie. She just so happens to be the Nurse Injector and she introduced me to my other new best friend…Botox.

That’s right. For the first time ever, I got Botox. And I would do it again in a heartbeat. I’ve been curious about it for some time now, but only recently realized that it’s helpful to prevent wrinkles, not just smooth them away. Which, by the way – it DOES. Like magic. Like REAL-LIFE Photoshop. The best thing about how NWA Center for Plastic Surgery offers Botox is that they are thoughtful about how it’s done. I was told to start small, which I did, and that no one would actually notice that I got it, which they didn’t. Obviously you still want to look like you, just a refreshed version of you. And now two weeks later, that’s what I got – my skin is smoother, but my expression is still mine. Although, it might be smiling a bit more lately because I honestly love my skin again. I’ve already switched from my full-coverage foundation, to a tinted moisturize – or nothing at all.

Now let’s get to the fun stuff – The before and after photos! I am still a work in progress, but I started noticing a real change on day four. The Botox was injected in my forehead, by my eyes, and in-between my eyebrows. The photo on the left was taken at my first visit, right after the dermaplane. On the right is two weeks later, right after a workout.

With Botox, the only thing I regret is not doing it a little sooner. Now that I’m “on the other side,” I see how it’s a subtle game-changer. I’m also realizing how many other people do it – and I had no idea. I love talking about this sort of stuff and it seems that once the conversation gets started, so does everyone else. So, let’s keep talking, learning, and sharing. I’m been religiously using the SkinMedica day and night, and I go back for another round of dermaplane (woo hoo!) in two weeks. Can’t wait to see (and share) the rest of my progress!

Special thanks to the NWA Center for Plastic Surgery for sponsoring me on this journey! Seriously, y’all have made my year and I’m so excited to share.