New Year, New (and Better) Me

What is up guys?! Happy 2018! I hope everyone had an awesome holiday season, now let's work on making the best out of this year!

As most of you know, my birthday was a few days ago, December 30 to be exact. I can't believe I just turned 28! I seriously don't understand how time flies by so fast. 2018 marks so many important milestones; I turned 18 TEN FREAKING YEARS AGO, and I graduated High School back in 2008...so that means my High School Reunion is coming up...

Back in 2016 I began visiting Faces+, which specializes in dermatology, plastic surgery, skin, and laser. I had some seriously bad acne scars and I wanted to tackle the problem ASAP. so I went into Pacific San Diego Magazine's site and I came across Faces+. 

I have nothing but positive things to say about Faces+ and its staff; everyone is so friendly and they make sure to take care of you every step of the way. Dr. Cohen and his staff became like friends to me :)

After finishing my acne scar treatment I wanted to consult with Dr. Cohen about my under eye area; it really bugged me having these bags under my eyes, and sometimes running on four hours of sleep per day tends to make me look worse. I started to see a change in my skin's volume. Of course we tend to age over time, but I was curious to see if there was anything I could do to slow down THAT process. I told Dr. Cohen that I wanted to stay away from any fillers, I don't think I feel 100% comfortable using them at this point in time. 

Dr. Cohen recommend for me to undergo through what is call "Injectable Facial Rejuvenation", which is a pretty simple procedure to go through; a "mini-liposuction" is performed in order to extract fat. The harvested fat is sifted to remove any extra fluids and tissue. Using my own body's fat as a filler versus a derma filler was a better alternative for me. 

Once the fat is divided into three different sizes, (mili, micro, and nano) the actual injection procedure takes about 20 minutes to complete. Not only did Dr. Cohen tackle my under eye area, but we did some minor injections around my cheeks and nose...and I consider this as "maintenance" since after all I just turned 28 and obviously my face's skin and volume is not the same as it was 10+ years ago.

Before I knew it, we finished the entire procedure within less than an hour and I drove back home! I gave myself two days of downtime to recover to then return to my regular activities. As the days pass by I can begin to see the procedure's results, and Dr. Cohen advised me that as time passes by I will CONTINUE to see great results as the nanofat injected will help stimulate rapid cell reproduction. Results can last anywhere from three to five years, surpassing derma fillers by years!

I'm ready to begin this new year with a refreshed look. I'm just so happy to know that I'll be looking my best on my upcoming trip to San Francisco, NYC, Paris AND Rome...and of course, my 10-Year High School Reunion!

Here are some before and afters!

 I want to keep documenting this procedure through my blog and Instagram (@alexsalcedo) and share with you guys the results along the way. Make sure to check out the Faces+ team, they can help you with any concerns you may have and they will find the best possible solutions too!

Happy 2018,

Alex