Services in Anchorage, AK

What do Botox® and fillers treat?

Botox and fillers are injectables that treat issues that can arise as you start to age, including lines, wrinkles, and lack of facial volume. But, the two product types work in unique ways.

Botox

Botox is the most widely-used and successful cosmetic injectable today. It causes temporary weakness in the muscles that cause wrinkles, which smooths them and prevents their return.

Botox treats areas including the “11” lines between the eyebrows, crow’s feet surrounding the eyes, and forehead wrinkles, and can also treat other areas where wrinkles occur due to muscle movement.

Dermal fillers

Dermal fillers like JUVÉDERM® and Sculptra® correct volume loss. With age, the face starts losing its youthful shape, and sagging, hollowing, and facial folds can set in. Dermal fillers are a powerful nonsurgical way to improve volume and restore youthful facial contours using safe substances like hyaluronic acid and poly-L-lactic acid.

In addition, dermal fillers can help you get the plump lips or high cheekbones you’ve always wished you were born with. The cheeks, lips, and nasolabial folds (smile lines) are popular areas for dermal filler treatment.

Botox and dermal fillers are safe and effective ways to achieve significant improvements quickly. The two product types work well together, too.

How long do Botox and fillers last?

Botox generally keeps the skin youthfully smooth for around three or four months. You can have follow-up treatments several times a year to keep wrinkles away.

Dermal fillers last at least a year in most cases. One JUVÉDERM formula, Voluma, lasts up to two years in the midface. Sculptra can last two years or longer in the nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and chin wrinkles.

The AK Beautiful You team can recommend ways to maintain your injectable results as long as possible, for example, clinical skincare, good nutrition, and drinking plenty of water.

What happens in a Botox and fillers consultation?

During a Botox and fillers consultation, the team examines your unique facial structure, including your underlying muscles and bones. They discuss your desired results and then recommend the product and dosage that can provide the ideal outcome.

During your consultation, you’ll also learn about potential side effects (very rare with Botox and fillers), and activity restrictions following the treatment session (usually very few).

You can trust your face to the #1 Botox and JUVÉDERM practice in Alaska. Call AK Beautiful You or book your appointment online today.

What can chemical peels do for my skin?

Chemical peels can give your skin an all-around glow-up and can also treat many specific areas you might be concerned about, such as:

• Acne
• Aging skin
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Hyperpigmentation (age spots, freckles, and other discoloration)
• Rough skin texture
• Large pores
• Areas of precancerous sun damage (actinic keratosis)

While the face is the most popular treatment area, you can also have peels on the neck, chest, back, arms and hands.

What are the types of chemical peels?

AK Beautiful You offers a selection of customizable chemical peels, including:

Anti-aging peel 

The anti-aging peel is a customized formula that targets age spots and other hyperpigmentation. It contains high-performance brightening ingredients, anti-inflammatory agents, and an exfoliating acid.

It speeds up cellular turnover and greatly diminishes hyperpigmentation. Anti-aging peels are performed twice a month, for a total of four to six peels.

Clinical acne peel

The clinical acne peel can be tailored for your case of acne. This peel includes ingredients that target the main causes of acne by controlling bacteria, clearing dirt, and dislodging debris from your pores.

The clinical acne peel can gently hydrate, smooth skin, and control further breakouts. Peel frequency depends on your acne and treatment goals.

Micropeel and Micropeel Plus 

Micropeel and Micropeel Plus come from SkinCeuticals®, a leading clinical skincare company. They offer chemical peel results, without the peeling. Micropeel and Micropeel Plus are especially effective for mature blemish-prone skin.

Micropeels include dermaplaning (skin exfoliation), skin resurfacing (the chemical peel, tailored to your skin), and cryogenic (cold) therapy. The Micropeel Plus is a one-step peel. Most patients have a total of four to six treatments, two to four weeks apart.

Chemical peel with microdermabrasion

A chemical peel with microdermabrasion can safely retexture most types of skin. It’s a multi-level treatment that involves first removing the outermost skin layers through microdermabrasion.

This approach allows for better acid penetration and more efficient skin peeling. This treatment can effectively address many issues, including acne scars.

How much skin peeling will a chemical peel cause?

The amount of skin peeling you experience depends on the chemical or chemical blend, the condition of your skin, and the number of peels you’ve had in the past. It can range from mild flaking to significant peeling.

Call AK Beautiful You or click online scheduling to arrange your chemical peel now.

What is clinical skincare?

Clinical skincare refers to pharmaceutical-grade topical products for your skin. They range from creams and lotions to serums, scrubs, chemical peels, and other products.

Only licensed medical and esthetics professionals can sell clinical skincare products, so you can’t find them at your local drugstore or grocery store.

Clinical skincare can help with all of the following skin problems.

• Lines, wrinkles, and creases
• Skin laxity
• Rough skin texture
• Hyperpigmentation
• Large pores
• Acne
• Redness

With clinical skincare, you can address specific issues, improve overall appearance, and protect your skin from the ravages of aging.

How is clinical skincare different from other skincare products?

Clinical skincare uses only the highest quality ingredients. The clinical skincare lines available at AK Beautiful You are all extensively tested and have a scientific foundation, as well.

Clinical skincare companies are at the forefront of skincare innovation and often introduce products that address skin concerns in new and exciting ways.

What are the best brands of clinical skincare?

AK Beautiful You offers the top-rated brands of clinical skincare, including:

• ZO® Skin Health
• Obagi
• EltaMD®
• SkinCeuticals®
• Revision Skincare®

Each of these skincare lines has a full line of products that you can use at home for skin repair and revitalization. Some clinical skincare brands also make professional-grade products that are only used in esthetic and medical offices. For example, AK Beautiful You offers SkinCeuticals chemical peels that are applied right in the office.

What can I expect during a clinical skincare consultation?

The skincare professionals examine your skin carefully and discuss your concerns with you before recommending products that suit your needs.  If you’re having professional treatments, like Botox and fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels, the team explains which products best support your skin and prolong the effects of your treatments.

During your consultation, you’ll learn how to apply your new clinical skincare products, how often to use them, and when you can expect to notice skin improvements. Consistent use of clinical skincare typically provides impressive results and promotes the best possible long-term skin health.

Call AK Beautiful You or click on the online scheduler to book your clinical skincare consultation today.

What is dermaplaning?

Dermaplaning involves using a dermatome — a sterile surgical blade — to remove the top layer of dead skin cells and fine hairs from your face. It’s a precise and highly effective form of manual exfoliation.

When might I want to have dermaplaning?

Dermaplaning is a skin enhancement treatment that can help reduce the appearance of issues such as:

• Dull skin
• Peach fuzz
• Precancerous skin patches (actinic keratosis)
• Fine lines
• Hyperpigmentation

If you have an active acne breakout or other skin lesions, you shouldn’t have dermaplaning until the skin clears. But, treatments like clinical skincare and microdermabrasion can help with those issues. Then you can have regular dermaplaning sessions to help maintain smooth skin.

How does the dermaplaning process work?

The dermaplaning process involves light strokes of the blade, covering your whole face one section at a time. The team avoids the delicate skin around the eyelids and in the neck during dermaplaning.

Because the dermaplaning process neatly removes all the dead skin cells from the skin’s surface, it gives you immediate results. After dermaplaning, you can see a healthier, softer, and more youthful-looking face.

Depending on the severity of your skin issues, the team may recommend a dermaplaning procedure followed by a chemical peel. Having the dermaplaning first prepares your skin for the peel by removing the dead cells that might otherwise prevent optimal absorption of the acids in the chemical peel.

After dermaplaning, you can return to your normal activities immediately — you can even schedule the treatment on your lunch break. Your skin may be slightly red and tender for a while afterward, so the team may recommend specific skincare products to protect it.

Does dermaplaning hurt?

No, dermaplaning doesn’t hurt. You might feel some mild scratching from the blade during the treatment but it’s not painful.

The experts at AK Beautiful You have extensive training in gentle and precise dermaplaning techniques that painlessly remove dead skin while leaving your healthy skin alone.

Interested in learning more about dermaplaning? It’s an easy no-downtime tool for great skin, so to learn how it can help you, call AK Beautiful You or book your appointment online today.

What areas can laser hair removal treat? 

Laser hair removal addresses unwanted hair nearly anywhere. The most common treatment areas are:

• Face, including the upper lip, chin, jaw, and sideburns
• Underarms
• Legs
• Back
• Chest
• Bikini area
• Ears
• Neck

If you need laser hair removal in another area, like on your fingers or toes, ask the AK Beautiful You team about your concerns to get their personalized recommendations.

How does laser hair removal kill hair?

While traditional laser hair removal only targets hair growth at one phase, the Triton laser hair removal system uses multiple laser wavelengths to target hair at different stages of the growth process.

So, during a single treatment, the Triton laser targets deep hairs at the same time as brand-new hair follicles. The laser destroys pigment (the material that lends color to your hair) and causes scarring within the hair follicles. This causes the follicles to wither, which prevents them from growing back.

Is laser hair removal painful? 

No, laser hair removal isn’t painful at AK Beautiful You. The team of experienced laser specialists has advanced training in the use of the state-of-the-art Triton system, which has a built-in cooling system that offsets the heat of the laser to ensure that the procedure is virtually pain-free.

Is laser hair removal safe for my skin type?

Triton laser hair removal is unique because it can treat a wider range of skin types than other lasers.

Skin types are traditionally assigned according to the Fitzpatrick classification system, which includes six skin types ranging from white (Fitzpatrick type I) to black (Fitzpatrick type VI).

Triton can treat all Fitzpatrick skin types. Other lasers often can’t treat darker skin as effectively, because they often target both hair and skin pigment, leaving discoloration behind.

Triton’s higher power multi-wavelength system doesn’t harm the skin because it can selectively target only the pigment in the unwanted hair.

Thanks to the leading-edge Triton system, laser hair removal at AK Beautiful You is now faster, easier, and more effective. To remove your unwanted hair in a short series of treatments, call the office or click on the online appointment maker now.

What is microdermabrasion?

Microdermabrasion is a treatment that removes the top layer of dead and sun-damaged skin, which reveals the fresh skin underneath. This treatment can rapidly refresh your skin while addressing some specific problems like:

• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Large pores
• Uneven texture
• Acne
• Acne scars

Microdermabrasion is sometimes combined with other treatments, for example, having microdermabrasion before a chemical peel allows your skin to soak in the peel ingredients better and provides more efficient peeling. This two-step approach can be especially effective for acne scars or other more serious skin concerns.

In addition to treating surface-level issues, microdermabrasion stimulates improved circulation underneath your skin and enhances your body’s collagen production. This leads to thicker, firmer, and smoother skin with a more even skin tone, making it a very popular anti-aging treatment.

What does microdermabrasion involve? 

In microdermabrasion treatments, the team moves a small handheld device over your skin, covering it in tiny microcrystals. The microcrystals dislodge debris and dirt while loosening the dead and sun-damaged top layer of your skin.

The team uses a suctioning device to pull the microcrystals off your skin, and this removes dead skin cells, dirt, and debris at the same time. Your skin might feel slightly warm or you could experience some mild tingling, but the microdermabrasion process isn’t painful.

What should I do after microdermabrasion? 

After microdermabrasion, your skin will look mildly pink, but this fades quickly. You can go back to your regular activities right away — in fact, you can schedule microdermabrasion on your lunch break if you like.

Stay away from the sun after your microdermabrasion sessions, as this can irritate your skin. Avoid using any harsh products on your skin after your microdermabrasion sessions.

The AK Beautiful You team recommends using quality skincare products, including moisturizers and sunscreens, to protect your skin after microdermabrasion. The practice offers the most advanced clinical skincare products on the market today, and they’re happy to provide a customized skincare consultation to help you choose products.

At AK Beautiful You, the team of dedicated skincare professionals uses the most advanced microdermabrasion approaches to immediately give you impressive results. If you’re ready to try microdermabrasion, call the office or click the online scheduler to book a consultation now.

What is microneedling?

Microneedling uses the tiniest needles imaginable to create small channels into your dermis, the middle skin layer that lies beneath your surface skin (epidermis). The dermis is where you produce collagen, a protein that promotes excellent skin texture, thickness, tightness, and firmness.

Essentially, a good collagen supply is what keeps your skin looking youthful — sadly, collagen depletion happens as you age. Some major signs of collagen depletion are fine lines and wrinkles and increased skin looseness.

Microneedling awakens the cells that make collagen, signaling them to return to work. Then, as a result, you’ll notice significant skin improvements.

Can microneedling treat acne scars? 

Microneedling has many uses, including acne scar treatment. Just as it can help fill in lines and wrinkles over time, microneedling can help you make new collagen to smooth out indentations from acne scars. At the same time, it increases cellular turnover so you can grow new skin to replace the discolored and scarred skin.

Along with acne scars and wrinkles, microneedling can help with:

• Large pores
• Rough skin texture
• Skin discoloration, like hyperpigmentation
• Crepey or loose skin
• Stretch marks

Microneedling can treat nearly any part of the face, the abdomen, and other parts of your body where you have skin concerns.

What are the newest microneedling treatments?

The newest microneedling treatments combine microneedling with radiofrequency energy. Microneedling already offers remarkable skin improvement, but adding radiofrequency energy to the treatment enables more dramatic results.

AK Beautiful You has two state-of-the-art systems, Potenza™ and Morpheus8, to maximize microneedling results. Both systems use radiofrequency energy that is delivered into the skin through the needles. This heats the dermal skin layer and stimulates additional collagen remodeling.

Potenza can treat nearly any area where you have skin concerns because it has a variety of special tips and four unique radiofrequency modes. Morpheus8 can target subdermal fat to essentially destroy unwanted fat and streamline your facial contours as it improves your collagen production in the dermis.

Both Potenza and Morpheus8 can give you impressive microneedling results, but one or the other may be best suited for your specific goals. The AK Beautiful You team offers customized advice to help you get the results you’d like.

Discounted packages are available for a series of three treatments with either system, so to learn more, call AK Beautiful You or click the online scheduling link now.

How is Sculptra® different from other dermal fillers?

To understand how Sculptra is different, it’s important to know a little about collagen. This substance provides skin firmness and plumpness. But unfortunately, by the age of 45, you lose up to 25% of your body’s total collagen. The collagen loss continues at about 1% per year as you age.

Most dermal fillers, including the JUVÉDERM® fillers available at AK Beautiful You, are made of a substance called hyaluronic acid. Fillers of this type replace collagen and then break down gradually over the next year or two. So, with hyaluronic acid fillers, you see instant results.

The practice also offers Sculptra, a biostimulatory filler that works very differently than hyaluronic acid fillers, to give you a complete range of facial enhancement options. Sculptra is made of a substance called poly-L-lactic acid.

Instead of replacing your collagen, Sculptra works as a collagen stimulator, helping you make new collagen of your own over the coming months. So, Sculptra results take time, but they can also last longer and may look more natural than results from hyaluronic acid fillers.

How long does Sculptra last?

Most people can expect two years of improvement. In a clinical Sculptra study, 100% of patients reported wrinkle improvement lasting as long as two years.

The biggest Sculptra clinical study lasted two years, with 94% of patients reporting natural-looking results at that time — so it’s very possible that Sculptra may last longer than two years in many patients.

What areas can Sculptra treat?

Sculptra can treat many areas of the face, including:

• Nasolabial folds (smile lines)
• Midface volume loss (restore fullness in thinning cheeks)
• Marionette lines (drooping lines at the edges of the mouth)
• Sagging in the chin and jaw

Sculptra may also be used in other areas where you have wrinkles. However, it’s not for use within the lips. JUVÉDERM can add volume to the lips if needed, and it won’t interfere with your nearby Sculptra.

How many Sculptra treatments will I need?

Most patients need a series of three treatments, at least three weeks apart, to get optimal results.

You can support your Sculptra results with clinical skincare, microdermabrasion, and other skin maintenance treatments.

To learn more about Sculptra and whether it’s right for you, call AK Beautiful You or click the online booking feature now.