The Benefits of Combination Treatments for Skin Aging & Recovery Tips

Combining cosmetic procedures—for example, undergoing laser resurfacing and a traditional facelift at the same time—may seem like the perfect recipe for disaster. After all, recovering from one sounds like enough redness and ice packs. But new combination therapies are showing that it's not necessarily more traumatic to do multiple procedures at the same time, and it can even make recovery easier down the road while giving you the best results.

Why Go Combo?

When looking at the skin concerns—from sagging skin to deep lines, discoloration or scarring—a cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist may determine there is no single most effective treatment. Perhaps a laser is going to work on the skin tone, but an injectable filler or Botox would work best on deep wrinkles. Or maybe a chemical peel would be the best choice for age spots and sun damage, while a loss of facial volume from aging can best be fixed by a filler. A combination treatment simply means looking at the whole picture and seeing what complementary therapies can work in one fell swoop.

Treatments That Are Better Together

Instead of being in therapeutic overload, combination treatments may help conditions in which skin is easily aggravated. For instance, lasers and pulsed-light devices can be effective for conditions such as rosacea and acne when paired with a chemical peel regimen tailored to your condition and performed by a dermatologist. A holistic approach can target the inflammation behind the breakouts as well as the overall skin appearance. Blending therapies can target and treat flare-ups while maintaining positive results of treatment for clearer skin down the road.

All About Timing

Along with the convenience of combining treatments, some practitioners find that procedures can work better together than when performed at different times. For example, treatments that tighten the skin coupled with targeted wrinkle removal. Still, other combination therapies might necessitate a little break between the different treatments. Botox could be injected to freeze deep lines, followed up by a laser treatment well before the beneficial effects of the injections have worn off. Your doctor may also recommend separating certain treatments, such as injectable fillers and Botox, from surgery as swelling can affect how these products migrate under the skin.

Shorter Recovery Times

As opposed to sidelining you for longer than expected or desired, combination therapies can actually ease the recovery process. This isn't just because the equipment used in the procedures, such as lasers, has evolved. It's because the next time you go in for treatment, the enhanced results from your combination therapy mean the practitioner doesn't have to do as much upkeep work. That shortens recovery time each time you go in for new treatments.