As warmer weather approaches, many prepare to don lighter layers and bare their skin. Whether your summer schedule is overrun with social events or full of time for relaxation, you should feel at ease wearing whatever makes you most comfortable in the rising temperatures.
If persistent skin concerns stand between you and your inner confidence, you should not feel compelled to cover up. At Faulkner Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics, Dr. Faulkner can help you reclaim lasting skin quality that aligns with your vision.
Continue reading to learn how a series of Morpheus8 treatments can address age- and lifestyle-related changes in your skin’s appearance, or book a consultation to personalize your treatment with Morpheus Body and Morpheus8 in Bethesda, MD.
Understanding Your Skin Quality
With age and other life events, your skin can lose its youthful, plump glow. Though some shifts in your epidermal appearance are natural, they might be unwelcome. By understanding the origin of your skin concerns, we can treat them at the root and support lasting rejuvenation.
Age-Related Decline
Often, we can attribute loose or lined skin to the natural passage of time. As we grow older, our bones begin to steadily break down, diminishing the underlying structures that give the skin volume. In response to this skeletal depletion, the surrounding fat pads might drift or droop. Muscle mass also deteriorates over time, stretching and shrinking.
These age-related changes in body composition can cause the skin that once hugged our features to fall slack. The skin’s collagen and elastin production also dwindles over the years, further exacerbating the appearance of structural volume loss. With fewer fibrous proteins to make our skin firm and flexible, the tissue relaxes and thins, making it prone to sagging and wrinkling.
Hormonal Imbalances
For many, a hormonal imbalance sparks a change in the skin’s health and appearance.
New mothers often notice stretch marks during and after pregnancy, as the abdominal skin has to stretch to accommodate the developing baby.
Why do stretch marks appear? Your endocrine glands secrete higher levels of hormones during pregnancy, which triggers heightened moisture retention in the skin. This loosens your collagen structure, making the skin more susceptible to stretching as the fetus develops.
Imbalanced sex hormones can also affect body fat distribution. Individuals experiencing menopause or andropause may notice reduced muscle mass and increased adiposity (excess body fat), often concentrated around the lower abdomen. This stubborn fat may linger despite weight loss efforts.
Your hormones can even affect your complexion. Steady estrogen circulation fosters regular collagen production, blood flow, and cellular turnover. In turn, the variation in hormone levels experienced throughout the menstrual cycle or perimenopause can lead to uneven tone or texture.
Inherited Predisposition
Genetics predispose some patients to develop a skin condition or a change in dermal thickness with age.
Your family history plays a role in your skin density, metabolism, and body composition, influencing your likelihood of naturally accumulating cellulite. Cellulite is a deposit of fat that pushes up against the connective tissue beneath the skin, creating a dimpled appearance. This harmless condition affects up to 90% of women, often persisting despite healthy habits.
Hyperpigmentation can also run in families, meaning that your skin is more likely to develop excess melanin, or pigment, in response to sun exposure, irritation, or hormonal changes.
Lifestyle Habits
Your skin quality may also be a reflection of your lifestyle and behaviors.
Extensive time in the sun—without adequate protection—can lead to hyperpigmentation, sun damage, an ineffective skin barrier, and premature wrinkling. Repeated UV damage breaks down essential collagen and elastin fibers in the skin, slowing cellular renewal and weakening the tissue’s structure.
Your nutritional habits can similarly affect your skin health. When you do not consume enough key fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, the skin cannot adequately manage inflammation and fend off pollutants. This leaves the epidermis vulnerable and hinders proper skin shedding, often leading to a buildup of dead cells responsible for texture, oiliness, and dullness.
Consultation
Regardless of the source of your skin concerns, your experience at our practice begins with a consultation. During this one-on-one conversation with Dr. Faulkner, he invites you to share your aesthetic goals, expectations for treatment, and medical history. Then, he analyzes the desired treatment area to identify your skin type and any contraindications.
Dr. Faulkner may not recommend Morpheus Body or Morpheus8 in Bethesda for patients who are:
- Under the age of 15
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Experiencing severe skin laxity or deep wrinkles
- Viewing Morpheus8 treatments as a weight loss alternative
- Living with the help of an implanted device, like a pacemaker or cochlear implant
Safe, effective treatment is at the heart of our care. If you are living with conditions like eczema, a history of keloid scarring, or a bleeding disorder, Dr. Faulkner will work with you to determine if Morpheus8 is the best fit for your skin’s needs.
How to Prepare Your Skin
Once he confirms you could benefit from skin rejuvenation with Morpheus8 in Bethesda, Dr. Faulkner outlines the steps you should take to prepare for treatment. Typically, these instructions include:
- Protect your skin from direct sun exposure 1 to 2 weeks leading up to microneedling, as UV damage can irritate the tissue.
- Discontinue use of blood-thinning medications (like NSAIDs) 7 to 10 days prior to treatment.
- Stop using skincare products that contain active or exfoliating ingredients 3 to 5 days before Morpheus8, as these products can increase skin sensitivity.
- Drink plenty of water and hydrate the skin with gentle moisturizers.
- Avoid consuming alcoholic or caffeinated beverages 24 hours before your procedure, as these can affect your body’s inflammatory response.
- If you have hair growing in the treatment area, shave the area at least 24 hours prior for better contact between the device and your skin.
Following these guidelines fosters improved skin health prior to treatment and encourages smoother healing in the subsequent days.
Morpheus8 Microneedling
To begin your facial treatment with Morpheus8 in Bethesda, Dr. Faulkner administers a topical or injectable anesthetic for your comfort. Then, he passes the Morpheus8 handpiece over the skin as the microneedles create microscopic wounds in the tissue below. The device also emits thermal radiofrequency (RF) energy, penetrating through the tiny channels to reach the dermis.
The micro-injuries and controlled heat damage stimulate the skin’s healing response, jump-starting collagen and elastin production and encouraging renewed cellular turnover.
As the tissue sheds the damaged cells responsible for a dull, discolored, or textured complexion, fresh, healthy cells take their place. With a fortified collagen and elastin framework, the dermis strengthens and thickens, restoring youthful volume and evening out fine lines.
Morpheus Body Microneedling
The Morpheus Body procedure follows the same steps on more extensive treatment areas, often including the:
- Neck
- Chest
- Back
- Arms
- Midsection
- Legs (thighs and knees)
- Buttocks
- Small specialized sites, including the hands and the vaginal area
Dr. Faulkner can also use the Morpheus Body handpiece to target unwanted pockets of fat or cellulite.
The RF energy gently heats the tissue, damaging underlying fat cells that the body can then flush out over time. The microneedles penetrate the fibrous tissue that contributes to a rippling appearance, triggering healing that gradually tightens and firms the connective tissues.
Caring for Your Healing Skin
After concluding your treatment with Morpheus Body or Morpheus8 in Bethesda, Dr. Faulkner recommends these measures you can take to support your skin’s healing:
- Keep the treated skin clean and avoid touching or scratching it, even if mild scabs form.
- Wear a compression garment as directed by Dr. Faulkner.
- Avoid wearing tight, compressive clothing that could cause uncomfortable friction around the treatment area.
- Use gentle cleansers, moisturizers, and serums as directed, waiting to resume use of products with active ingredients for at least 3 to 5 days.
- Wait to apply makeup to the treated area until 24 to 48 hours after microneedling.
- Avoid sweat-inducing activities, like intense exercise, as well as saunas and hot showers, for at least 48 hours.
- Apply SPF 30+ sunscreen and wear protective garments to shield your skin from direct sun exposure for at least 1 to 2 weeks after treatment.
Many patients return to work and light activity the day after Morpheus Body and Morpheus8 in Bethesda, resuming more strenuous activities 5 to 7 days after treatment. Following these recommendations streamlines the recovery process and minimizes your risk of scarring or irritation.
Maintaining Your Results
Because Morpheus8 stimulates your inner healing processes, the results of this treatment are not immediate. Many patients return for a series of 3 to 4 sessions, each staged 4 to 6 weeks apart, for optimal rejuvenation. Based on their treatment goals, some opt to further enrich the restorative power of microneedling with strategically administered exosome infusions or chemical peels.
As your collagen and elastin framework steadily strengthens and cellular turnover improves, you can continuously see your skin tighten and your glow return. After completing your initial treatment series, Dr. Faulkner may recommend annual follow-up treatments to maintain your radiant complexion.
Feel Your Best in Every Season With Rejuvenated Skin
You deserve to feel comfortable in your own skin—in any climate. With Morpheus8 in Bethesda, MD, Dr. Faulkner can ease unwelcome skin concerns and help you rediscover your self-confidence.
Discover how you can further invest in your aesthetic goals with treatments for cellulite reduction and laser hair removal.
