Latest / Sweat Community / Ep. 9 Botox, Fillers & Aging Gracefully: What Actually Works with Heather Gilbert, PA

Transcript

Ep. 9 Botox, Fillers & Aging Gracefully: What Actually Works with Heather Gilbert, PA · Sweat Community

• Sheena: thanks for tuning in to the Sweat Podcast. A special thank you to Heather Gilbert from Apris Skin and Wellness for sharing her expertise on skincare, wellness, and aging with confidence. ⁓ All right. Botox in your 20s. Do red light therapy masks actually work? And what does it mean to age gracefully? Welcome back Sweat Community Podcast. We're here to explore Heather: you Sheena: the people, places, and stories that bring us through health, wellness, and community here in the Denver metro area. Today I'm joined Heather Gilbert, physician assistant at Apre Skin and Wellness. If you're interested but not sure where to start, Heather offers complimentary consultations to help you create a personalized plan based on your goals, lifestyle, budget. We're diving into some of the biggest questions in aesthetics and regenerative medicine, from skincare and fillers to nutrition the habits that can help you look and feel your best for years to come. If you've ever wondered where to start, what's worth the investment, or what's just hype, this episode is for you. Let's get into it. Heather, welcome to Sweat Community. mention code HeatherSweat150 to receive $150 off your first treatment. And before you go, ask what made you sweat this week? Don't forget head over to sweatcommunity.com and join the email to stay up to date on new wellness events, and the people bringing our community together through movement and health. Heather: Thank you so much for having me, Sheena. I'm so excited. Sheena: my gosh, I'm so glad that you're here. I'd to start by letting listeners get to know you a little bit better. tell us about yourself and what led you to become a physician assistant. Heather: Sure. Sheena: Thanks for listening and I'll see you next on the Sweat Community Podcast. Bye. ⁓ Heather: I am a Colorado native. I have two young girls and I live here in the South Denver area. I've always known that I wanted to be in medicine. And it through a lot of different experiences that I determined that a physician assistant was the right role for me. very long story short, my mom had gotten in a ski accident and her physician assistant that was able offer the support and patient interaction ⁓ than some of the other providers did. And it was in that moment that I decided that that the right role for me Everything I do is about my relationship with my patients and the ability to be able to give that kind time to people Sheena: I love that. I know that interaction community and your are at the core of what matters to you. So ⁓ yes. ⁓ So what drew you into aesthetics regenerative Heather: 100%. Interestingly enough, I never would have guessed that this is where I would have ended up. My mom actually told me when I first started my medical career you should look into aesthetics. And I was like, ⁓ mom, that's such a silly thing to say. And here I am because moms are always right. ⁓ my first love was actually sports ⁓ and I worked at Orthopedics for while. I stumbled into neurology from there and I worked at Johns Hopkins for many years. And that's where my passion really grew. We were obviously doing things more for therapeutic reasons, but I got to experience what long-term patient relationships look like. And it did introduce me to the world of neuromodulators like Botox, for example. I did a little time in the hospital and then I was in neurosurgery for a second. And then I stumbled into plastic surgery because I loved working in the OR, but knew that I wanted a family. So I had a little bit better work-life balance. And then once I had my kiddos, I decided to primarily focus on aesthetics I get do procedures every single day, which I absolutely love have these amazing patient relationships that I mean, we're coming on nearly decades for some of them. So it's exactly where I'm meant to be. Sheena: beautiful. You are at Apre Skin and Wellness. What sets you apart from other med spas? Heather: we lead with education ethics and patient relationships above all else. We want every single patient to come in and feel like they can be 100 % themselves with us, that they can be vulnerable in these moments when they're telling us about some of their insecurities and that we can help them feel they're most confident in the skin that they're in. We are the group that reads white papers for fun and are always on the cusp of the new greatest thing, but also that one's always asking questions. everything that we do has a great safety profile. We are invested in our patients and their long-term results and their long-term relationships as well. Sheena: I love that the focus is on education and relationships you're helping feel confident and healthy for the long term, not just providing a service. That brings me something hear a lot in the wellness world. ⁓ You talk about helping people gracefully. So what does that mean to you? Heather: aging, I think this negative connotation to it and I wish it didn't, but it does. My goal with aging gracefully or what I mean when I say that is that I want people to feel their most confident in the skin they're in in every stage of life. There's no way to stop the clock. There's ways to help slow it down potentially or help you feel better about where you're at. But I just want people to feel their absolute at every stage. And part of that is how you feel on the outside, aesthetically. But The part that's often missing in the aesthetics industry, is that we have to consider the whole person. We have to consider an individual's goals and what they're to their body age better as well. Sheena: Mm-hmm. at what age should people start thinking about preventative treatments? Mm-hmm. Heather: I love this question, truly, because I wish there was a slam dunk answer, there's not. Unfortunately, the answer to all of this is it's up to you and your genetics. So every single person is going to have a different answer. I do have some patients that I treat in their ⁓ with neuromodulators or Botox because they're starting to develop more static lines. I do have some. 50 year olds that come in and still have very little movement and don't really need much treatments at all. So it really depends on your genetics. what you're going through in that time. Sheena: What are some misconceptions people have about aesthetics and wellness clinics? Heather: Another great question. So I think that people relate aesthetics to unnatural looking results or ⁓ attempt to make someone look like not themselves anymore. I think a lot of the ⁓ Bravo or things like that ⁓ have us a very negative connotation about aesthetics. ⁓ And what I like to get across to my patients is that the best aesthetic work is undetectable. My goal you is that when you see your friends and family, they say, hey, you look really refreshed or you look you just slept for 12 hours. What's your secret? I never want someone to look at them and be like, who did your lips? Who did your cheeks? What's going on here? That is never the goal. I want someone to feel so much more confident because of the treatments that we're doing for them. Sheena: I think that is a lot of people's biggest fear of getting Botox or fillers is that they don't want to look ⁓ overdone or that they've had done. Heather: There's a wide range of things that we can do for all different kinds of goals. ⁓ Just because you're doing does not mean you're going to be frozen. I would say more of my Colorado patients don't like frozen after toxin treatments. Like, for example, I don't like to be frozen. I like when my husband and my kids know that I'm mad at them. So I don't like a completely frozen face. So it's important to me ⁓ that when I talk to my patients about that, like what are your goals and what your goals today? You might a slightly different treatment the day before your wedding versus, daily life. So think those are all very important things to discuss every single time I see my patients. Sheena: Yeah. Ha ha ha. Absolutely. Because like you said, you want to show emotion or some might want to show emotion, some might not. ⁓ that was a good point too. Your wedding day versus every day. There could be different things that you'd want to personalize this for. Heather: that also really speaks to the idea of the long-term relationships. I ⁓ don't see patients just These patients are usually invested me for a very long time. And we're doing treatment plans that are years in the making. Sheena: Yeah. So you're creating a realistic plan that fits their goals. ⁓ And do fit that in with their budget? Heather: budget is a very big part of our conversation. So we can talk about what's the biggest bang for your buck right now, and then reevaluate down the road. Sheena: Definitely to reduce that barrier of expenses. Heather: Absolutely, there's so much that we can do. then also future planning. If this year is not the right year then let's prep your skin really well for what we can do in the years to come. Sheena: Yes, what treatments do you find most effective for long-term skin health? Heather: Great question. I'm a big supporter of Rejuvenation and prejuvenation. building your collagen stores as much as you possibly can in a young age. So my patients hear me talk every single day about bio simulators. Those could be something similar to a radius or a Sculptra or treatments like micro needling. which help build collagen elastin as well. I'm all about this idea of let's do as much as we can now to build your collagen and then we have it for longer because unfortunately as we're aging, we're losing more and more every single day. So what can we do to really help build that? So micro-needling, bio-stimulators, good skincare and neuromodulators are part of the conversation well if the patient's open to it. Sheena: Mm-hmm. So speaking of a neuromodulator Botox seems be more popular than ever, especially among younger adults. Should people in their 20s getting it? Heather: It totally depends on the person. the fact that younger people are doing this does not surprise me younger people are also doing retinols and, red light masks and all different kinds of things to help themselves age. And they're going to age so beautifully because of it. I mean, I'm from the generation of tanning beds and putting butter on your skin before you go outside. So they're going to age so beautifully. However, Sheena: ⁓ Heather: It totally depends on the patient. I do have young patients come in frequently asking for quote unquote preventative Botox and whether or not I actually treat them depends totally on themselves individually. if they're starting to get a lot of movement that is going to lead to more lines, then I would consider treating them. But more often than not, I'll find other ways that will help them in the long term, another great caveat of if I have younger patient that has a neurological disorder, then I would treat them because that is more therapeutic than cosmetic. Sheena: Mm-hmm. So this something probably a total misconception, but in my head I'm thinking, ⁓ my gosh, you're getting these toxins injected. And especially if you start it super young, like in your twenties. ⁓ what to face if you've been doing this for so many years when you're in your fifties or sixties? Heather: Great question. get this asked probably every single day. So with neuromodulators or Botox, the goal is to restrict movement. we're looking to knock out a little bit of movement in each area to reduce the amount of static lines or wrinkles that will eventually develop with creasing that skin. it's like a piece of paper. So if you fold a piece of paper over and over and over again, that line becomes more permanent. Sheena: Ha ha ha. Heather: And then it's a lot harder to get rid of, right? So you have to have other modalities that help get that line to go away. If you can restrict that movement of that paper so that it's not actually creasing it's a lot easier to not have that line long-term So when it comes to long-term Botox use, the goal is truly to restrict the movement enough that you're decreasing the amount of wrinkles that are being produced. if you were to stop doing Botox, let's say you did it for a few years and then you're like, I just really can't right now, or you get pregnant, which happens all the time, or life change happens, you're not able to do it, then your body goes back to where your muscle activity would be at that time. It's not worse than it would have been ⁓ without muscle movement. In fact, it probably is better, ⁓ but clock still is going to go to that certain timeline. So there's a very big misconception of my face will look worse because I did Botox for so long. Sheena: Hmm, okay. you see all the memes or the videos of people their face on Botox and then the second they stop it, it just shrivels up. You know, so Heather: Right. Well, there's this common misconception that what we're doing is stopping time. that is something that is very incorrect. It also does a huge disservice to not only industry, but also to our patients where they think that because we're doing this, the clock has stopped and that's just not the case. I can definitely try to slow it down and do all that I can in that way. Sheena: So Botox is basically a forever treatment or long term treatment. Heather: It is, but it also depends on the person. I do have a few patients that get treated very lightly I have some patients that a lot of activity and do a lot more than that. But typically, yes, it is a treatment that you're do at least a couple times a year to restrict that muscle movement. And it is preventative. let's prevent surgical intervention as long as we possibly can by doing properly placed neuromodulators treatments. And that includes the lower face as well. Sheena: Yeah, when I think of Botox, I think of forehead lines elevens, but I didn't really think of the lower jaw there's other things Botox can do aside from just flatten your forehead. Heather: Yeah. Absolutely. Honestly, if you were to go Google all of the different therapeutic reasons that Botox works, you would be shocked at how much this medication can do. And that's where my career started, was more on the therapeutic side. there's so much that we can do. And it's really all about understanding the anatomy as an injector. we have muscles that compensate for each other. This is all very, very important information that your injector really should understand and be able to educate you on as to why each area we're treating, for what reason. Sheena: do you use that in your clinic for therapeutic reasons, such as sweat or bladder control or which I think you have to go to urologist for that. ⁓ what therapeutic measures do you use in your clinic with Botox? Heather: I have a good number of different things that I do therapeutically. Like you said, hyperhidrosis of the hands the palms and of your feet. in armpits as well. do a lot of that as well as like TMJ, I think is probably the other really big therapeutic treatment that I do. So injecting into the mass of your muscles to help with grinding, to with tooth health. to make sure that you're not eroding away some of that dentin that we I have a couple of patients that have neurological disorders. So like a Bell's palsy even birth defects. this lovely young woman that has a uneven smile that she's had since birth. And I've treated her since she was 15. And I treat her just ⁓ one to two units of Botox makes her smile more even. her confidence is a million times higher because she does not have that ailment anymore. Sheena: ⁓ see, that's amazing that it's not just cosmetic, So, this is a question I personally have had. I haven't done Botox because of mainly this reason right here. so Botox is the botulism toxin. and feel like injecting that forever, does that build up in your body? Like how safe is it? Are there side effects to doing this long term? Heather: Really great question. these medications have been very, very, well studied. They've been around for a long time and they are probably some of the more studied medications on the market people are very concerned about this. Overall, it's a very safe medication. Of course, there are the caveats to that, usually specific, And some of ⁓ side effects depends on which toxin we're talking about, things needing to need more units than before or increase your dose can happen over time, but be a multifactorial. reason and something that we definitely talk about in your appointment as to why we might say one toxin over another. Sheena: Yeah, which is what I really liked. At the free consult that I had with you, ⁓ you saying, if we were to go this I wouldn't do Botox because you have an autoimmune disorder, you have RA. ⁓ So I love how very much personalize it to the patient that you're treating. Heather: hoping that obviously patients are listening from providers as well. ⁓ The number of times that I been told after a consultation of mine that the patient has been to other providers and has never been asked in history or has never been given the proper education potential side effects or when it comes to some the big scary things that we should talk about. There were times that people tell me that they've never talked to the provider about that. Makes me feel so sad because this is medicine. We need to know your medical history to know what the proper treatment is for you and why. given your autoimmune disorder, there's definitely treatments I'm going to stray away from for you or use with increased caution. Sheena: Yes. And your medical history form was thorough. Which great. you also do fillers in your clinic. I've friends, they knew I was talking to you, and they were like, ⁓ my gosh, please ask this. So ⁓ something that I've heard, Heather: You Sheena: Is that when you get a lip filler, it actually kills the natural lip tissue. I have no top lip. So I have been very in lip fillers, ⁓ but they were like, do not do it. It kills tissue. ⁓ Is that true? Do lip fillers damage or stretch the lip tissue over time? Heather: So yes and no. done lip filler or properly done filler in general, the answer should be no. You should be adding too much volume to an area where you're truly stretching that tissue that much. But ⁓ in this world Bravo stars, if you will, ⁓ there's plenty of are doing way too much filler Sheena: Mm-hmm. Heather: Also your own hyaluronic acid in your body turns over every 48 hours. your body is very good at replenishing itself. So ⁓ Permanent damage, it would take a lot of improperly placed filler to do that, but I guess, know, honestly, it could in the ⁓ Wrong provider, wrong person. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Sure, and that is caused by compression of the tissue. Heather: the filler that we're injecting into your tissue is should not hinder your own hyaluronic acid. Sheena: That's great. what are some of the biggest myths that you hear about fillers? Heather: I frequently hear about I don't want to look like a Kardashian. I think that is the biggest myth to debunk is things can be done tastefully. And I consider filler to be anti-aging. Even a filler for volume, I consider it to be anti-aging when properly placed. the fat pads your mid face are actually shrinking with age. ⁓ So everything is towards midline. With that descent, you have tissues that are stretching, have muscles that are stretching, you have lymphatics that are being compressed. So with properly placed minimal amounts of filler, you can actually help redistribute that fat pad back lateral and help all of those different ailments that are happening with time. the big misconceptions out there are that if I do my cheeks, I'm going to look like a crazy person or that is just purely for reasons and not for anti-aging reasons. I completely disagree with that. My goal is always to help you look more refreshed, but never like someone else, like you've gotten your work done. Sheena: Yes, for sure. you are constantly keeping up your education on it because it is so important you are injecting. Heather: things are changing every single day, there's always something new coming to the market. And I can tell you that we are never going to be the first one to carry anything because there's so many things that we learn even after something is approved by the FDA. There's been many things, even in the past 10 years, that we thought were going to be amazing products ⁓ and whatever reason did not work out how they planned. were always safety first. If you do not have data to back up. then we're not going to be doing it. Sheena: I love that. you're like, our patients are not gonna be the guinea pigs, ⁓ even ⁓ even it's been FDA approved, which brings me to your your aura machine, that will take a scan of your face. ⁓ you'll treatments, and then you'll rescan to make sure they're actually working. So can you tell us a little bit more about that device? Heather: No. I'm absolutely obsessed with this device. Essentially it is a 3D analysis system of your face. This is like AI for your face. It has 31 cameras and it has three lenses per camera. And in each photo it's taking, 90 plus photos. it's comparing your skin and your face to hundreds of thousands of other people all over the world that are in your same age range. it took four years to go collect this data it's not just Americans and it's not just aesthetic patients, which is very important. And it's giving us qualitative data that we can track over time, before the industry had this device, we had very limited ways of showing patients before and afters of like, hey, this is working, look at these two pictures. And it's very subjective of like, yeah, I see a little bit of a difference or sure, that looks good. But now at this point, we can get down to a millimeter of how we shifted tissue upwards with filler or with Botox. I can even monitor how your skincare is working which is amazing. ⁓ it will look at things like skin texture, wrinkles, redness, browns. volume deficits. Sheena: this device is revolutionary. ⁓ was, I don't want to say terrified or horrified of the image, but seriously like ⁓ in depth it got. ⁓ the details it captured and we can track that over time to really, like you said, make sure that these treatments are actually working. Heather: Absolutely, and they're achieving your goals. I think is the biggest thing too. So if you're like, my baseline redness and my skin really bothers me, I can look at the device and say, yes, you're 2.0 on this scale. Let's put you on some topical skincare that helps with redness and see how it changes over And that's for the first time we can really track this and we'll ⁓ retake some more pictures in a few weeks and see how things changed. Sheena: Yes. Amazing. you have this data to see if these topicals treatments are working. And if they're not, you will not carry ⁓ ⁓ Heather: yeah, yeah, absolutely. I warn reps all the time and I'm saying it in a very joking manner, but I 100 % mean it of if I'm not seeing that your product is working, I'm not going to be putting on my patients. there's a lot of really good things in this industry. There's a lot of really bad ones. And for the first time, I can track a lot of those results to make sure they're actually working for the patient. Sheena: it's so impressive. I love that you guys use it. Heather: It is, right? it's different level of science that we've never really had in this industry, Sheena: Yeah, it's amazing. And I haven't heard of it before until you guys. Are there any skincare products that you think everybody should have in their routine? ⁓ Heather: sunscreen is the number one thing. Every one of my patients knows that they are leaving either with a sunscreen or they better have one at home because that is the biggest thing, especially for us here in Colorado. You really need to protect your skin and protect your investment. I kind of relate myself to like a personal trainer. I will do things for you here in the office, but if you don't go home and do your workouts throughout the week, you would with a personal trainer, you're not gonna get any results. You really have to be doing something intentionally. even if it's very minimal. I also don't believe in super complex skincare regimens for most patients. I don't think that they're realistic for a lot of us. So I think that having a few things that work really well for someone is the answer and the most important in my opinion is sunscreen. Sheena: That is something that is basically hammered down now for everybody, where it wasn't 10 years ago. You know, before we're like after that tan, after that burn, but now it's like, no, do not. ⁓ Heather: Right. Right, No, no, again, it's funny that one my earlier jobs was working at tanning salon and now I'm the one pounding the idea of sunscreen. It's just the world comes full circle. Sheena: That yes, ⁓ that is quite the flip. so aside from sunscreen, if somebody could only invest in one or two products, what would you recommend? Heather: that is so individual for a patient. depending on your age range, some kind of retin-A, retinol, tretinoin, et cetera, is a great thing to add. However, it really depends on their goals in that moment. Sheena: That makes sense. Someone might be looking for into aging. Someone else might be looking for redness. they just to consult and find what's best for them. Heather: Absolutely. And it depends on what stage you are in life too. I ⁓ wish that could say that all the time someone should be on Trenton Nolan and that's like, it's a pretty slam dunk answer. However, it's not safe for pregnancy. If you have other skin conditions, it's not safe for you to be on. So it's a ⁓ it's a long conversation you should with your provider. Sheena: Yes. Agreed. How much of healthy skin comes from treatment versus daily lifestyle habits? Heather: Ooh, that's a good question. You know, ⁓ am gonna say ⁓ give it a a rough percentage, would 65 % comes from regular skincare habits. And then the other potential 35 % could be from treatment, I think at the end of the day, you really have to be on some kind of good skincare regimen that's helping to prep your skin or you're not gonna get the results that we're looking for. Sheena: Makes sense. Red light therapy masks have been popular. I see them every time I'm scrolling Instagram, somebody is ⁓ talking about them or promoting them. Do they actually Heather: Good question. it's not hurt you. So give it a shot, I have one as well. It's not going to make dramatic results. However, ⁓ there is some studies that are showing that it is helping to build collagen. So I think it's a great thing to add to your regimen if you'd like to, and if you can commit to doing that a few times a week, it's not gonna hurt you. So why not give it a shot? I'm also all about this idea of reducing inflammation any way possible. So that's why I purchased one. all about that idea of keeping your immune system as happy as possible, or your inflammatory system as happy as possible. Sheena: Okay. Cool. And Yeah, I anything that helps with the immune system and inflammation. there's other settings on those masks like blue light for acne. Does that actually work too? Heather: it depends on the kind of acne someone might have, but it's not gonna hurt you. So might as well give it a shot. they're not all pretty equal, so I would say definitely do your research ⁓ on which ones have the reviews, which ones have the proper wavelength. There's all kinds of different things to look into. Sheena: Is one like the one that you have that you'd recommend? Heather: So I got the current body mask and I did the one that has multifactorial. The reason I got that one is that one is 10 minutes and God knows that making me sit still for 10 minutes is hard enough as it is. The other reason I liked this and I guess this is like a little tidbit is that my actually covered it, Because it has the acne setting ⁓ and brightness setting, things like that. So it's considered more of a treatment as well. Sheena: Perfect. ⁓ yeah, yeah, yeah, love it. what treatments or products do you think are overhyped right now? Heather: Yeah, fun little tidbits. ⁓ gonna piss some people off, I love it. Okay, here we go. Here's the Salmon sperm, I don't necessarily agree with. I don't think that that is a great treatment. Sheena: Who's using salmon sperm? Heather: So PDRN is technically salmon sperm and people are putting that, like they're injecting into the face. They are putting it on post-facials, post-microneedling. The thought process is that the salmon DNA can talk to human DNA and help with rejuvenation. That doesn't make any sense to me in all of my experience in biology and all of the courses I've taken There's no reason that salmon DNA should talk to human DNA. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Heather: that's like my biggest one, my biggest ick I think right now. Sheena: that leads me to asking or wondering. ⁓ PRP plasma, our own blood, people that are using that and putting that onto facials or microneedling. Does that work or Do you that? Heather: ⁓ It can. Yes, I do. yeah, PRP and PRF are both essentially treatments that we can do using your own blood. So we take your blood, spin it down, take out your growth factors, and those are both slightly different. the of both of them is to have your own body help with rejuvenation and it's wound healing. So it usually is, post-miscreatal, we are technically healing a wound. having your own growth factors placed on your skin can help you heal better and have better results. also can inject it for places like under eyes to help with the tissue rejuvenation in that area as well. we can even heat up your ⁓ PRF and create a gel, like substance. to hold those growth factors in a certain spot for longer, if we're just injecting your PRF, ⁓ it's a very water like solution. ⁓ It can be carried away very quickly by your lymphatics. By putting it in gel form, helps it stick around longer like a scaffolding. So we have a lot of different options we can do with your body. That all being said, if you have recently had vaccines or been very sick, it might be a conversation that we have because your growth factors are only as healthy as you are in this Sheena: Hmm. Heather: we even will talk about what you can do before your appointment to make sure that your PRP and PRF is as healthy as possible. How much water to drink, how much protein to eat, we not are guaranteeing you a good result, hopefully getting that's better by having good PRF. Sheena: I love that. I haven't heard of what you eat or drink beforehand would make a difference, but that absolutely makes sense. So for healthy skin, healthy do you recommend somebody take neutrophil to help Heather: You know, I've heard of many people being very happy with Nutri-Full and I've heard of just as many not being happy with Nutri-Full. I myself was on it for many, many years and do not think it made too much of a difference. That being said, during that time I did have a couple of babies, so you everything was working against my hair growth cycle anyway. think there are superior products out there, one of which that we carry is called Extrace or Extressay, Things I do like to educate my patients on with that product is that does have biotin in it, which biotin can cause acne. So if you feel like you're getting worsening acne after starting Nutri-Full, that is quite possibly the reason why. ⁓ The other thing with biotin that it does affect your blood work when you're looking your thyroid studies. it's two gummies versus four pills, which in my mind is everything. it's also natural. in it. Sheena: I'm sure a lot of us have heard that is the number one vitamin that we need for skin and hair. Heather: Right, right. Someone once that biotin was the absolute best and there hasn't been a ton of data to back that up. Sheena: Which is wild. Which is like who said this and why are we all completely aligning with it? Heather: Yes, right, it really is. Trust me, I'm just like, where did this happen? ⁓ Who said this and why do we all follow them? ⁓ Sheena: Ha ha. Right. ⁓ my gosh. are any foods? that you'd recommend for skin and hair health? Heather: a really well-balanced diet is everything and that depend on what everyone's dietary preferences are. protein is something that has become so much, I don't want to it's more important than ever before, but least people know that it's so important. We are now counting our protein intake every day, which is great. threes and fatty acids are very important for skin health. Vitamin A, C, D, zinc, iron, then water. Especially in Colorado, we need to be drinking tons of water. And I try to be so good about this, but I'm even the poster child of I got through a whole day clinic and didn't finish my water bottle. So ⁓ we need be pushing hydration as well. Your tissue really that hydration. Sheena: Yes. And we don't just age on face. ⁓ So do you treat areas beyond the the neck, the chest? Heather: I do. I treat essentially everywhere in the body to be honest. The neck is probably my most common secondary to the face your neck is actually aging seven times faster than your face. So we need to be talking about your neck. More often than not, Sheena: ⁓ my gosh. Heather: I will include your neck or I will your chest or your hands, things like that. There's all kinds of things that we can do to treat the whole body. for example, last week was treating some of the skin right above someone's knee that had gotten a little more lax with age. And then some of the skin around her button well. with bio-stimulators. So we're going to help rejuvenate that tissue in that way. Sheena: Incredible. I didn't even I think there's people that are nervous wearing shorts because of the skin there. So that's so cool that you could treat that. Heather: Cool, right? Absolutely. Well, there's so many different things that we can talk about. So I do a lot of bio-stimulators or filler for cellulite as well, So it's like, yeah, what can we do that is safer than surgery? Sheena: And that actually works. Like I didn't think there was any treatment for cellulite. Heather: It does. Yes. there's a caveat there. for patients, it's a very significant improvement. For some, it's less. The actual tethering of the is something that needs to be treated as well. But yes, there is definitely some improvement that we can get with these treatments. Yeah. Sheena: That's incredible. has there ever been a treatment that did not go as planned? Heather: Absolutely. medicine involves human biology and biology isn't always predictable. So there's definitely been moments where my outcome wasn't exactly what the patient was looking for, ⁓ but What it taught me is that humility, preparation and communication is most important. Recognizing these concerns early, addressing them properly ⁓ and always the patient's safety first is exactly how you should deal with those moments. And making sure patient is happy at the end of the day. We can provide as much education as we can, but it takes transparency to really make sure that the patient feels very well taken care of in these kinds of scenarios. Sheena: Absolutely. medicine, can go any way. ⁓ And some will different expectations but you make sure that the results align with what they want. So they could come back and be happy as long as it's safe. Heather: Absolutely. patients deserve honest communication. They deserve a clear plan and ongoing support. to make sure that you're 100 % happy and we need to make sure that if there are any concerns that they're managed well and they're managed quickly. Sheena: definitely. What should people look for when choosing an aesthetic provider? Heather: number one thing is proper training. And what sets providers is how much you are dedicated to education and how you're committed to ethical medicine. you should never feel like you're being sold something. You should trust that if you're in a moment where you truly need something, they are prepared to handle that. Sheena: Yes. the trust piece is so important and the education, especially when someone is considering treatment for the very first time. So ⁓ Heather: I agree. And I think that that is a problem in our industry where many priors are so quick to sell. And that patients feel very taken advantage of. I've heard that time and time again in my chair of I don't feel like I had a choice. ⁓ So often than not, my patients don't get treatment that day that we're talking about, whatever it is. I write down what I want them to go research and tell them, text me and call me with any questions you have. You need to be a hundred percent confident that this is the right treatment for you, just as much as I do. And if you're not ready, there's never pressure from me. Sheena: So for that free consultation that you offer, ⁓ is that always in or can somebody do that over the phone with you and then come in and start treatment? Heather: You can do it over the phone, yes. you can do it essentially from anywhere. And I have a lot of patients that do travel from out of town to see me. And this is a great way ⁓ us to be able to plan. if we decide to go forward Sheena: Have you ever recommended that somebody not move forward with the treatment? ⁓ Heather: Every single day. our first consultation really should be more about education than commitment. patients deserve the opportunity to ask questions, to understand the options, and to make informed decisions without pressure. Sheena: ⁓ Are any questions that you'd recommend somebody ask for that first consultation just to make sure they find the right fit for them? Heather: You know, I always joke that I don't have like a talk track that I go through with every single patient. every experience should be so personalized. ⁓ That being said, if you're getting a consultation and they are not asking you about your history, including surgical history, about any kind of medications you're on, including injectable ones, about your overall goals, ⁓ then that probably isn't the provider for you. Sheena: a that surprised me was that you ask about GLP ones because that can impact treatment, which I had no idea about that. Heather: Yeah, absolutely. I always ask, medications are you taking? And I now have to follow it up with what about injectable medications? Because people don't really consider some of these GLP1s and peptides to be a medication. I'm like, well, they are. this is very new into the industry and we're still working to really understand the nuances of ones, but in my opinion, it does change what kind of medications I will direct you towards. And it'll also tell me. What kind of treatments we should focus on for you? So for example, the Ozepic face is nothing new to talk about, but there are treatments ⁓ to help with the massive amount of volume loss in your face. How can we get ahead of that? Sheena: Without looking bravo-y or like real housewivy. ⁓ Yes, yes. ⁓ Heather: Yeah, we avoid the Bravo look. Yes. Yes. This is more like the biostimulators idea I call it more like a fertilizer for your skin The purpose is to help your skin grow as healthy as possible. Sheena: Yes, I love that you the biostimulator. Heather: Absolutely. when it comes to talking about cost, that's something you should be very upfront ⁓ and you should be to share with your provider. then we can talk about goals long term. So if it's not something that you can manage right now, let's talk about things we can and then ⁓ go from there. We also do offer financing. So if Sheena: So ⁓ I try to be as ⁓ as possible as far as what I put on my face or if doing any injections. Do you have more natural alternatives Heather: I do. Yeah. And being more natural would lead me more towards the idea when it comes to neurotoxin of something more like a X-Men, But is a competitor to Botox? And it's more of a natural molecule. It behaves a little bit differently than the Botox does. But across the board, we have a lot of other options. If you're looking for more of the natural route, that does not mean that you shouldn't come to an aesthetic provider. ⁓ It just means that is something that we're gonna put at the forefront of your conversation. Sheena: Awesome. I think those alternatives are fantastic the people who are more health conscious or ingredients on their mind. Heather: Absolutely. even biosimulators, there's ones that I consider to be more natural than others. as well as things like PRP and PRF. there's plenty of things that we can do that are all in my mind considered more natural, but a very good conversation to be had with your provider. Sheena: Perfect. I love that. so a thing that I find very fascinating about you is you not only attend all these trainings, you also train providers, correct? Heather: I do, yeah. Sheena: Can you elaborate a little bit on that? Heather: Yeah. there's so much education that is out there for people in aesthetics. And I'm that over my years of doing this, I have developed into a training role and I'm widely authentic. So you're gonna hear my thoughts on the good, bad and the ugly of everything. And I just love providing education. And that's not only to my patients, but also to providers now as well, ⁓ working in this industry is one of the most amazing gifts that this life has me. Sheena: ⁓ it really shows how much you value making people feel their best. That's ⁓ amazing. Amazing. Heather: Yeah. Absolutely. my patients, are everything. we've been through so many different stages of life together and ⁓ making sure that they feel their best every single day is why I'm in this industry. Sheena: I've seen some of Instagram stories, the relationships that you have built, ⁓ these patients are more than patients. ⁓ they've you know, friends and family to you, Heather: They are. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, recently we had a death in my family and so many of my patients were part of this journey. It's been a very long journey. the amount of support that I got from them, I was so honored I had flowers sent to my house. I had cookies. I had patients reaching out asking, Can I come take your kids to the park for an hour so you can deal with stuff? I have always valued my relationship with my patients, but it showed me that they value it just as much with me, which is pretty cool. Sheena: it shows right there that community is a big part in health, wellness, beauty, all the things. Heather: Absolutely. that's why I was drawn to your podcast and to you in particular is that I think this idea of community is so lost. not only with the current state of our world, but also with the idea of competition ⁓ in this industry. I believe community over competition a rising tide raises all ships, right? collaborating with other people we're only gonna make our community better. So husband and I are very big into ⁓ multiple different charities. we are always looking to help in any way possibly can. And the idea of collaborating with amazing companies like yourself. makes it that we're only making the community stronger and better. Sheena: thank you for that. I couldn't agree more. I think community is not necessarily lost, but think that we need to focus more on it support each other it'll only make everybody stronger. Heather: completely agree. like you said, we all need to work together to make that happen. And ⁓ it takes amazing like and like this podcast to help people check in with that idea of like, you know, what did I do for somebody else today? Sheena: you are so sweet. That's the hope. That's the goal. And I think a lot of people want instant gratification. So they go somewhere where they're just gonna inject all the fill or make their lips huge, like all in that first visit. ⁓ And that's where the problems can arise Heather: Mm-hmm. yeah, the idea of immediate gratification is one that has been very detrimental our industry. thankfully in the last few years, the industry shift, at least in my mind, has really become more about What is this going to do long term? How do fillers age? How do hyaluronic acid fillers versus calcium fillers age? These are things that we were now studying and that we have data to back up. And it helps drive me as to what treatments are proper for my patients now, 10 years down the road or even 20 years down the road, and what our goal should be for each of those stages. Sheena: definitely. Okay, so there's a section on this podcast Rapid Fire, where it is quick questions, first thing that comes to mind. Are you ready? Let's do Okay. favorite wellness habit. Heather: Ready. Sunscreen. Daily sunscreen. Sheena: Yes. One thing can do this week for healthier skin, aside from sunscreen. Heather: hydration. and then really hone in on your skincare routine. Sheena: ⁓ If you could only do one treatment, what would it be? Heather: Some kind of collagen stimulating treatment. So whether that's microhealing or biostimulatory for sure. Sheena: Great. Best advice you've ever received. Heather: my mantra in life is that people may forget what you said, but they'll never forget how you made them feel. Sheena: so true. most underrated skincare tip. Heather: Mm. Let's see. Prevention is everything. Sheena: Definitely. guilty pleasure. Heather: Ooh, trash television and a great glass of wine. Sheena: I'm there with you with organic ⁓ Yeah. favorite way to spend a day in Colorado? Heather: it. I love less headaches. It's great. Ooh, my perfect day would be a morning with kids ⁓ at pool or playing in our backyard and then seeing patients in the afternoon. Sheena: You're getting both of it in there. ⁓ yes, love it. And a question that I ask everybody. what made you sweat this week? Heather: Absolutely. Well and it's nap time, so perfect. probably balancing being a mom and care and family life, sometimes all in the same hour. Sheena: Mm. my gosh. Yes, that is a lot. ⁓ Heather: right. ⁓ I call myself mompreneur. So it's like I'm an entrepreneur but I'm also a mom and where that line is drawn in the daytime every single day. Sheena: my gosh, totally. Heather, this has been such a great conversation. And to wrap things up, if listeners could take away just one thing from today's discussion about skincare, aging, wellness, what you want it to be? Heather: I would say find the right provider for you, the one that makes you feel a hundred percent comfortable ⁓ that you can share your insecurities with them, that you trust them every single day. is everything. Sheena: Amazing. on that note, where can people find you? Heather: I'm at Apri Skin and Wellness. we are in the Lone Tree Parker area. And I am gonna be working full time starting in August. As of right I'm working part time for the summer, so I could be with my kiddos, but in August I'll be there every single day. Sheena: Beautiful. you have something for sweat community listeners. Heather: yes. I absolutely love this community and I would love if some new patients to come to see me or some providers would to come to train with me. for sweat community, I have a it's Heather Sweat one fifty. You can get $150 your first treatment with me. Sheena: Wow, that is incredible. So Heather Sweat 150. And people can just put that in the website or it to when they see you. Heather: Yep, just mention it to when they see me. Sheena: Amazing. Well Heather, thank you so much for being on Sweat Community Podcast. This was so fun and insightful. learned much just chatting with you today. Heather: Thank you so much, Tina. I really appreciate it.