Maggie Loving, owner of Anytime Fitness in Clearwater, felt fantastic. In fact, she had plenty of energy, which is why when she noticed a sunken look around her eyes, she knew it was not fatigue. As we age, not only do lines and wrinkles creep in, gravity and slowed collagen production lead to loss of facial volume. In many people, this creates a hollow, sunken appearance in the eye or cheek area. Luckily, Maggie had learned of a breakthrough in replacing facial fullness, and she made an appointment at Radiance Medspa to find out more about what Juvéderm Voluma XC could do for her.
Located in Belleair Bluffs for nearly a decade, Radiance Medspa welcomes each new patient with a one-on-one consultation, and Maggie met with patient liaison Erin Klapper and ARNP Cristy Marks to discuss her individualized treatment plan at length before a single injection was made. During the consultation, the experts thoroughly examined Maggie’s needs, and recommended a combination of fillers: Juvéderm Ultra Plus for lines and under eye circles and Juvéderm Voluma to restore cheek volume. Both of these products are made from hyaluronic acid, a naturally- occurring substance in the body. Additionally, because Maggie had grown up as a California girl, her significant sun damage led to a recommendation of Fraxel Max, which is a combination of laser treatments the Radiance Medspa team uses to resurface and revitalize the skin, getting rid of brown and red spots, fine lines and uneven skin tone.
View Some Before and Afters of Maggie
“I felt extremely informed after the consultation,” said Maggie. “The staff at Radiance was professional and friendly and could answer all of my questions. I knew I could trust them, and I didn’t want to go anywhere else.” Although she was not nervous about potential discomfort or downtime from the procedures, Maggie did have a concern about looking fake, particularly from the use of dermal fillers. However, she has been thrilled with her natural looking results from Fraxel Max as well as the Juvéderm and Voluma combination. Her facial symmetry has been restored, her skin has a healthy, smooth complexion and her crow’s feet are gone.
“Whether at the grocery store or in magazines, I’ve seen many people who have obviously had fillers in their cheeks and lips,” she said. Often these unnatural outcomes occur due to the misuse or overuse of product. “I can see the difference in my face, but people just don’t know what I have done. They say, ‘Wow, you look great! You look so rested; what are you doing?’ People who have known me for years have no idea that I’ve gotten the Juvéderm and Voluma injections.”
The subtle difference from Voluma has given Maggie the cheekbones she thinks she never even had before, but the results from the Fraxel Max treatments completely astounded her. At 54 years old, Maggie now has the face of someone in her mid-30s. She receives plenty of compliments on her beautiful skin, which is impressive for someone who previously had to wear makeup every day to cover her brown, peeling spots and red cheeks. Maggie has been treated for skin cancer too, and the Fraxel laser treatment has helped diminish the scars from the earlier removal of those cells.
While Juvéderm and Voluma are one-time treatments that require touchups every six months to two years, Fraxel Max is performed in a series of four treatments spaced about a month apart. Between treatments, it is necessary to stay out of the sun as your skin repairs itself. Maggie experienced some redness, slight swelling and a bit if peeling following each Fraxel Max treatment, but everything subsided into a sunburn look by the fourth day. She had no downtime following the filler injections, which is typical.
Having made a commitment to use sunblock every day, Maggie also received education in skincare from the Radiance team. With a daily routine featuring the highly-effective SkinMedica products, she will be able to extend the life of her treatments as well as protect her skin from future damage. In fact, making an investment in cosmetic procedures without using medical grade skincare products can diminish the outcomes and life of the treatments.
“I feel brilliant,” Maggie says. “I can’t say enough about Radiance Medspa and the knowledgeable staff. I always hesitated to have cosmetic treatments out of fear that I wouldn’t look natural, but the team at Radiance made me feel comfortable and willing to take a chance. I’m so glad I did!”