Dr. Theresa M. Jarmuz, MD

A Mini Facelift is a less invasive version of a traditional facelift, designed to address early signs of aging in the lower face, jawline, and neck. It focuses on tightening and lifting sagging skin and muscles around these areas, providing a more youthful and refreshed appearance with limited, smaller incisions around the ear. Good candidates have minimal signs of aging, perhaps a little jowling, but do not have a lot of skin laxity, which would necessitate larger incisions. Compared to a full facelift, it offers a shorter recovery time and less scarring. The term 'mini' can vary between surgeons and patients, but generally implies a more focused approach.

Common acne triggers include touching your face, using unwashed makeup brushes, and dirty phone screens. Your hands carry bacteria and oil, which can transfer to your face. Similarly, bacteria builds up on unwashed makeup brushes, leading to clogged pores. Phone screens also transfer dirt and oils. To prevent acne, it's recommended to keep hands off your face, regularly clean makeup brushes, and wipe down phone screens.

The Microlift, also referred to as a mini tuck or very mini facelift, is a minimally invasive procedure that Dr. Jarmuz considers her absolute favorite surgical procedure of 2024. It typically takes two to three hours under local anesthetic. It's ideal for addressing early signs of aging and for those wanting a subtle yet impactful refresh, resulting in a much stronger jawline and a nice, tight neckline. Patients can look great within a week, and results can be maintained for a 20-year period with non-surgical options. Dr. Jarmuz ensures natural-looking results, where patients look like the best version of themselves—refreshed, not overdone. The practice is conservative in patient selection, even being on the fence about surgery for those with minimal issues.

EMFACE and a traditional facelift are fundamentally different and not directly comparable, like 'apples and oranges.' EMFACE is a non-surgical, non-invasive device that helps to lift and tone facial muscles and tighten skin along the cheek, forehead, or neck, requiring no downtime. It can make a nice improvement and is a good maintenance tool, suitable for everyone, particularly younger people, those maintaining results after a facelift, or those who have decided surgery is not right for them. However, EMFACE results are not comparable to the more dramatic, long-lasting results obtained from a surgical facelift. A surgical facelift is a much more significant procedure, necessary for significant jawline changes like jowls, excess skin, and fullness of the neck. It involves contouring muscles and fat, tightening skin, and removing excess skin. Facelifts are for patients who have reached a threshold where non-surgical options are no longer as effective.

Daily SPF use is highly beneficial and essential for healthy, glowing, youthful, and radiant skin, regardless of whether it's sunny or cloudy. SPF protects the skin from harmful UV rays, preventing premature aging, sunspots, skin damage, wrinkles, and skin cancer. It should always be made a part of one's daily skincare routine.

Common acne triggers include dirty phone screens, unclean makeup brushes, sleeping with makeup on, and dietary factors such as sugar, dairy, and protein drinks. B12 injections can sometimes trigger acne. Other triggers include sweat combined with not cleansing after workouts, dirty hats or headbands, and heavy skincare products.

Dr. Jarmuz offers different levels of laser skin resurfacing to address skin texture, tone, fine lines, and sun damage. Options include: IPL or Photofacial (a mild form that leaves the skin surface intact, targeting red or brown skin concerns); Erbium Laser (a step up in intensity, more ablative, taking away small pieces of the skin surface without going too deep, suitable for superficial freshening and involves a little downtime); and CO2 Laser (the most aggressive and effective laser available at the practice, recommended for concerns about fine lines, particularly around the eyes or mouth). Summer is a great time to plan ahead for these treatments. Patients should book a consultation to understand their options and time their treatment for when it works best for their skin and schedule.

Many people, especially women, are vitamin D deficient, even those who spend a lot of time outdoors without sunscreen. Dr. Jarmuz believes there's likely something else causing widespread deficiency beyond just sunscreen use, possibly related to the food supply. While getting a little sunshine on your skin can upregulate vitamin D production, it's crucial to prevent sunburn, as that causes real damage. The recommendation is to get some healthy sun exposure while actively preventing sunburn.

For a morning skincare regimen, Dr. Jarmuz recommends Plated Intensive, followed by Alto Advanced by Skin Better, Trio moisturizer, and Revisions IntelliShade Mineral SPF. For the night routine, she suggests Alto Advanced again, followed by Alpharette, which is a highly regarded retinoid that can be used daily without irritation.