If Beauty is Skin-Deep, the Skin Sisters are bringing it to the Surface.
I joined Snapchat in March 2016 and immediately fell in love. I could share all my favorite things with the world: My hair, my dog and quick videos with soundbites from my friends. There was one unpleasant side effect: the selfie element in images and video took me to a new level of preoccupation with my appearance. As I was sharing my world, I became more conscious of my dark circles, puffy eyes and hooded eyelids. I found my lack of sleep or over-eating of high salt content foods showed up in my face as I cataloged the daily events in my life. I was at the age where the skin on the eyelids starts dropping. On Snapchat I could use filters to hide what I was pegging as imperfections – but what about when the camera wasn’t on. I drove myself crazy finding multiple concealers to hide the dark circles (I had to make a daily cocktail of 3 types to get the look just right), I tried eye creams to reduce some of the puffiness and when capturing content I would find myself blinking my eyes right before I took a pic to look more awake and jutting out my chin (almost creating an underbite) to give myself a stronger jaw-line.
My solves for capturing what I thought was the perfect selfie became 2nd nature – at a social gala I went to take a selfie with my former college roommate (above right) and I was blinking my eyes fast before I pressed the shutter button and he was like, “What’s that thing you are doing with your eyes?” When taking selfies on vacation with my husband he would say, “You’re doing that thing with your chin again.” It almost became embarrassing – people were starting to notice the self-created facial movements to overcompensate for the flaws I was seeing. Only months later, Instagram launched stories and my pre-occupation with vanity got worse. I would talk about it with my therapist and he would say, “Doug, I don’t think people are friends with you because of what your eyes look like.”
I’m not alone. It is estimated that about 93 million selfies are snapped a day. How many of those are deleted because the user doesn’t like how they look? Of the ones posted, how many are altered by filters or the Facetune app? I’m guilty of that. The more I study my selfies, the more I see the flaws. My teeth aren’t white enough, my right eye sags more than my left and my jaw is more defined on the left side of my face. I teach Mindfulness and speak about self-acceptance in front of hundreds of people. And yet, I can’t let go of the things about my appearance that make me so self-conscious.
My college roommate Marty was confused as to why my eyes were fluttering as I prepped for this selfie. And you can see my chin popping out to overcompensate for my weak jawline. Ugh.
I decided to investigate this further, to see if there are things I can do to even out what I perceive to be flaws. Using the same app that has fueled my obsession with my appearance, I tracked down Brooke Moss and Lauren Sundick, @theskinsisters on Instagram. They are actual sisters and both certified Physician Assistants who practice medical and aesthetic dermatology at Zel Skin & Laser Specialists in Edina, MN. I was lured in by their hip, stylish and relatable skin care tips and videos on social media about skincare and Dermatology procedures – which they often share in realtime and then talk about the results. They are as pretty as they are charming, and as real and down to earth as you’d want a friend to be. So I befriended them. And then became a patient.
Meet Lauren and Brooke, the Skin Sisters! Find them at www.theskinsisters.com
Our first meeting was on neutral ground – a restaurant! There was an immediate spark between all 3 of us. I used to work in product development and marketing for a skin care line in New York and Lauren did similar things as she practiced with Dr. Doris Day and Dr. Eric Schweiger, so we bonded over that. They both lived in New York, sharing a studio apartment one summer which is so randomly common that I couldn’t help but love them more. They are direct, sassy and driven. We have friends in common who also visit them at Zel Skin and Laser and their work is natural and realistic. They aim to help you look your best self and not like some of the frozen faces I used to see walking down Park Avenue in New York.
Our next visit was at their work, where I had some “work” done. Their vibe and humor was just as on point as it was when we broke bread in a restaurant, except this time they were in white lab coats. They were trying to get to know me in a different way – through my thoughts on my appearance. I literally went through every perceived issue with my face, had selfies to display the worst of the worst and they both talked me through it. They didn’t try to sell me on something or on the idea that everything can be achieved through Botox® or fillers. They want to know their patient and their facial landscape and go at it with a 360 degree approach. This could include skincare products, lasers or injectables.
In terms of their initial approach, they explained exactly how Botox® and Hyaluronic Acid fillers work and the different uses for each of them. Lauren told me, “Injectables are great for men; we use Botox® to decrease the overactivity of muscles in the face that lead to deep wrinkles from repeated movements and can use fillers to add back lost volume and architecture in an angular, masculine way.”
I kept talking about my eye area and they didn’t just tell me I look great or what I wanted to hear.
Brooke was like, “If your hooded eyelids bother you that much, have surgery.” She didn’t try to talk me in or out of it, just presented me with an option. She suggested who I might go to if I got to a breaking point. That’s when I realized, I’m not ready for that.
My first set of needles came from Lauren (below left). We did a tiny bit of Botox® around my eyes. The second visit was with Brooke (bottom right) - she did a bit more Botox® between eyes and then put some filler in my cheeks - which has been really amazing!
What I really love about their process is that they look at it like a journey. My face and its gentle aging didn’t happen overnight, so they also don’t claim that one visit will fix it all. They explained that they might do a little bit of Botox® and then I come back in 2 weeks and if it’s not enough, we do a bit more. They might work on one issue, see how it improves and then on to the next issue. It’s a process that builds on itself. On my first visit Lauren did a small amount of Botox in my ocular eye area to ease the muscles so they don’t tense up when I smile. We started there and they asked me to come back 10 days later to see where we’re at. The result is that my crow’s feet around my eyes are less.
Next, Brooke adjusted the furrow between my brows. She did 3 tiny injections of 6 units total of Botox® between my brows. That’s a very light touch because units recommended for that area is 20. I got 6. For men, they want the “work” to look as natural as possible. I’d say I have about 70% of my normal facial movement in that area, but the creases between my brows are much more smoothed. If you didn’t know I had Botox®, you’d have no idea I did.
My next big issue is the sagging skin under my eyes, which makes my “bags” under my eyes look worse. This partially happens because of loss of volume in the cheeks. Also, depending on what side I sleep on or the natural proportion on my face, I’m not even (no one is). Brooke injected tiny amounts of filler along my cheek bones to give me more volume. Slightly more on my left side, to even it out. She’s confident as she injects and was so positive throughout the entire procedure, assuring me several times that everything was looking fantastic and sharing how great things looked. The satisfaction that Brooke and Lauren get from helping ease my appearance issues is joy producing.
You have to wait about one month to let the filler settle. I never had any bruising and if there was swelling it was minimal. It’s been 2 weeks and the results are so subtle, but there’s been a transformation of sorts. I have more of an angular look, more defined cheekbones and between the Botox around my eyes and filler in cheeks, my under-eye area is no longer my issue. I still look like me, but softer, smoother and more rested! Lauren and Brooke never set out to change the way I look, they want to help me become the best version that I can achieve through skincare, injectables, lasers and other treatments.
My selfie about 3 weeks after the filler! I can’t remember the last time I looked so smooth, fresh or angular.
Their work passed my selfie test. If I look in the mirror I don’t see a huge difference, which is ideal. When I was home for the holidays, I was snapping selfies with everyone. As I studied them, I was like, “I look good.” My face is more defined, my eye area is more relaxed and lifted. Brooke and Lauren are the holy grail for upping my selfie game and the process with them is fun, informative and no pressure.
I did a complete Q&A with them on Artful Living.
To follow their beauty journey with product suggestions and how-to’s on Instagram, click image below:
