I get it from my mama. Actually we get it from facial aesthetics. Our mothers are often the first women to teach us about hair, makeup, skincare and fashion. As time goes by there is a shift and it’s us daughters who begin taking care of our mothers and helping them to stay young, hip and fabulous. And this is exactly what I did for my own mama. Today I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about my mom and all the benefits of facial aesthetics in your 60’s. Mama got a full on facial revamping at Etoile Cosmetic Medicine Studio and I’m sharing top to bottom what she had done and how she feels about having facial aesthetics.
If there is one person in my life who has always been religious about using good skincare to fight aging it’s my Mom. She’s got a lot going for her. Hard to believe this beauty is 69 years old. Granted her Japanese roots have helped keep her looking young but she’s also never been one to skimp on high quality skincare. BUT no matter your genetic makeup and no matter how good your skincare regimen is there is only so much those 2 factors alone can do to keep you looking your youngest, most vibrant self.
If you asked my mom 2 years ago if she was interested in the benefits of facial aesthetics it would’ve been a hard no. It honestly wasn’t until I started having injectables done that her interest peaked. Once she saw my results and started to educate herself on the topic she started to consider it. The biggest question she had was whether she was too old and whether it was too late to actually make a difference. And this right here is why I’m recapping the benefits of facial aesthetics in your 60’s. You’ve all seen my results with having lip fillers, cheek fillers and Xeomin. I’m 41. My mom is 69 so while we had some of the same procedures done they were also very different.
Let’s get into a detailed Q&A with my mom who will answer all your questions regarding what she had done, why she had it done and if she has any regrets. Also please note that the procedures my mom had done took place over the course of a few months.
Q&A: WHY DID YOU HAVE FACIAL AESTHETICS DONE?
“Sounds kind of silly but all these years of seeing actresses my age such as Goldie Hawn look as good as they do got me wishing I could have that same vibrant but natural appearance at my age. When you get to a certain age you just start feeling that “old” feeling. Once I saw what Tammy had done I was so impressed that I made an appointment with Dr. Gangi to discuss a better skincare regimen. Dr. Gangi met with me and helped me see how different procedures could in fact help me look even better coupled with medical grade skincare. I told her how nothing I use would lighten the dark spots on my face and how nothing I use really made me look more awake.”
PROCEDURE: INTENSE PULSED LIGHT THERAPY (IPL)
And this brings us to the first procedure my mom had done. IPL is a laser therapy that will help treat dark spots, sun spots, wrinkles and unwanted hair. My mom has had those dark sun spots on her face for as long as I can remember. She always told me use SPF or else you’ll look like me. Dr. Gangi used IPL on her face and what a difference it made. The photo above shows how much her spots lightened after just 1 procedure.
Q&A: ASIDE FROM DARK SPOTS WHAT OTHER AREAS WERE OF CONCERN FOR YOU?
“Definitely my lips and around my mouth. The lines in those areas were always so problematic for me and only getting more pronounced over time.”
PROCEDURE: XEOMIN & FILLERS
I mean out of all the procedures I’ve had done fillers always made the most impact and think we can all agree they made the biggest impact on my mom as well. My mom had a combination of Versa fillers around her mouth, lips and the area between her lips and nose. I mean look at the difference in lines near her mouth area. Crazy what a difference there is. She also had Xeomin along her chin, her brow (11’s) and forehead.
In addition, she had Radiesse fillers in her cheeks just as I had done. That alone adds so much volume to your face and really plumps everything. That sunken in look that we often get over time quickly gets life put back into it when you have fillers done in your cheeks. It really does change the entire look of your face but in a good way. Just adds so much vibrancy and fullness to your face.
Q&A: DID IT HURT?
“I won’t say my recovery was as easy as your’s Tam!” It did take me sometime to regroup after each procedure I had done. It wasn’t awful but I definitely had some bruising and swelling. The laser was the most uncomfortable to have done but having that trust in Dr. Gangi is what made me feel ok. I knew her being a renowned doctor everything would be ok. Dr. Gangi reached out to me several times after each procedure and made me feel completely at ease.”
I think it’s important to note that everyone’s recovery from having facial aesthetics is different. I’m sure age can play a factor in it. My recovery was pretty much just slight swelling after having fillers while my mom bruised much more than me. However, within a few days her bruising was minimal and her swelling went down with each day. It was nothing that left her in bed or anything like that. I just think it’s important to know that you may want to schedule any procedures (regardless of age) when you can carve out some down time if needed. The benefits of facial aesthetics far outweigh any slight discomfort you may have.
Q&A: WHAT 1 PROCEDURE DO YOU FEEL MADE THE BIGGEST IMPACT?
“IPL therapy for sure. Ironically though I didn’t realize it made the biggest impact till after I saw my before and after photos and could see how the spots are just about gone. I think IPL played a huge part in my results. I also love how the cheek fillers lifted my face and how much improvement there was in the lines around my mouth and lips.”
Q&A: DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS?
“I thought I would. Several times I thought to myself this is crazy at my age to have done. Who do I see? Where do I go? But I also said why not try it this one time and just see for myself. The procedures I had done made me feel more vibrant and youthful. I don’t have that tired look anymore. My skin is finally more even and my biggest surprise is that I don’t even wear that much makeup anymore. So no I don’t have any regrets. In other words, it gave me a boost. I wasn’t trying to look younger. This entire process gave me light again. For me it was an internal boost. I will for sure continue to have fillers done once a year. I now see how I can look natural yet youthful at my age.”
Talk about some results. She literally turned the hands of time backwards with these results. I always thought she was beautiful. However, seeing her now is like seeing her 10 years ago. You can absolutely still age gracefully and have facial enhancements done. My mom is clearly no Joan Rivers. She is still the same Sandy she always was but just a more refreshed Sandy. Her pick me up has done wonders. I’m seeing my mom excited about her appearance again. Above all, I’m seeing her more upbeat once again. Truly it was just what she needed.
I know. We don’t really need these things but seeing the benefits of facial aesthetics on a woman of my mom’s age really was eye opening. While it isn’t necessary to have these things done to feel good about ourselves there is nothing wrong with choosing to do it. The most important thing is to be happy with your results should you decide to do facial aesthetics. I trusted Dr. Gangi with my own care beginning last year and my mom placed complete trust in Dr. Gangi to oversee her work. Truly she can work her magic no matter what age you are. Dr. Gangi comes up with a plan based on your age, lifestyle and your skincare concerns.
We are never too old to love ourselves. We are never too young to start taking care of ourselves. Beauty and love is achievable no matter what age we are. Love yourself today, tomorrow and in 10, 20 and 30 years my friends.
To learn more or book any of these procedures contact Etoile Cosmetic Medicine Studio — the #1 Medspa in Morris/Essex County. And don’t forget to mention House of Leo Blog for 15% off injectables for 1st time clients.
**In collaboration with Etoile Cosmetic Medicine Studio. As always, all statements and opinions are my own.
Sandy looks great xo