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Ashley Joy Parker
Give Good Face: The Derm Institute's Dr. Annie Chiu Shares The Hottest New Treatments For Slaying The Selfie Game
- By: Ashley Joy Parker
- September 10, 2024
#NoFilter…
Let’s be honest—we’ve all done it. We are at the club, dancing, drinking, and feeling ourselves, so we pull out our iPhones to snap a selfie of the moment. But before we ever consider sharing it, the picture goes through an obstacle course of edits: a little FaceTune here, a little soft filter there.
No wonder we are obsessed with achieving the same flawless face off-camera. Particularly here in LA—where celebrities have plastic surgeons on speed dial—it’s easy to get overwhelmed with what procedures are out there and what actually works.
Dr. Annie Chiu, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of The Derm Institute, knows firsthand just how many people are searching for that perfection. While she may not be able to make the Instagram Paris filter come to life, she knows the secret to subtle solutions that can greatly impact your overall appearance and selfie game.
“When patients come in asking for the filtered face look, I have to break it to them; it’s not completely realistic,” Dr. Chiu exclusively tells Loop. “Filters have a degree of AI that can do many things like blurring and reshaping. Even if you tried, it would be like 100,000 tweaks to your face in real life, and you would come out looking crazy. It’s not achievable.”
She continued, “However, if you want to look smoother, softer, and just the best version of yourself, you could start with things like neuromodulators, like Daxxify or RHA fillers.”
Daxxify is a new Botox alternative that has been getting a lot of buzz since it hit the market in 2023. Like other neuromodulators (chemicals that interrupt the nerve/muscle connection), Daxxify is designed to address facial wrinkles and reduce lines in both women and men but with fewer visits to the office. Thanks to the ground-breaking inclusion of peptide in its formulation, Daxxify can last longer than Botox, Dysport, Jeuveau, or Xeomin.
“The peptide in the formulation can, in some people, increase the duration of durability of the product,” says Dr. Chiu. “I don’t promise everybody that they’ll get a longer last but it has the potential of giving you a slightly longer duration compared to other neuromodulators. It also has a softer, more natural look.”
Until now, an injectable wrinkle treatment had never been formulated with a peptide. The peptide helps stabilize the active ingredient instead of using human blood products like conventional treatments. It also has no animal byproducts. The peptide also enhances the active ingredient’s attachment, acting like a magnet and making more toxins available to enter nerve cells.
Daxxify can be used for any area with dynamic wrinkles. Most commonly, it is the glabella (aka frown lines), forehead horizontal lines, and crow’s feet. But like all neuromodulators, Daxxify can be artfully used to balance the entire face, including treatment of masseters or TMJ, neck bands, neck tightening, downturned mouth, gummy smiles, to induce a lip flip or brow lift, decrease bunny lines, and chin peopling.
Another advantage of Daxxify is that it kicks in quickly. Patients may see results as early as the next day after treatment and typically within two days. Daxxify involves no downtime or significant recovery, meaning you can return to your usual routine once the treatment is complete. Bruising is very uncommon.
Regarding dermal fillers, the RHA Collection Dr. Chiu mentioned is the industry’s latest advancement, formulated to adapt to your dynamic facial movements for a beautiful and natural look at rest and in motion (i.e., no frozen face). RHA fillers—which stands for Resilient Hyaluronic Acid—contain hyaluronic acid gel and are designed to mimic the natural hyaluronic acid produced by the body. A little science lesson: Your skin naturally contains hyaluronic acid (HA), which provides moisture, volume, and structure that helps it appear smooth and refreshed. But over time, your skin produces less HA as you age. The RHA Collection uses a gentle manufacturing process to help preserve the natural structure of HA—allowing it to more closely resemble the HA in your skin—for clean beauty.
There are serval types of RHA fillers: RHA Redensity, RHA2, RHA3, and RHA4. Each filler can treat different types of wrinkles, depending on how deep the injection is placed into the face. They can be used on the lips, jowls, nose creases, lip creases, cheeks, and more.
“I actually don’t love the word filler because sometimes people think it always fills,” admits Dr. Chiu, “but we use it more to contour and shape the face. “
RHA fillers are also unique because they can last up to 15 months in dynamic wrinkles and folds and one year in lipstick lines.
Undoubtedly, lip filler remains one of the most sought-after treatments in Los Angeles, especially for the selfie-slaying crowd. However, plumping your pout doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll end up with an exaggerated look.
“People always associate lip filler with getting bigger lips, but they can also make the lips look more hydrated, smoother, and softer,” she explains. “As we get older, our lips get drier and crepey. A little bit of subtle lip filler can make a big impact and knock years off the face. It almost looks like you always have a little lip gloss on.”
While products like neuromodulators and fillers can be highly effective, Dr. Chiu cautions that you could be setting yourself up for disappointment if you don’t have the right injector who understands your desired outcome.
“There’s so much focus on choosing a product when the focus should shift to the injector who should be able to choose the best product for you and your best results,” she says. “For example, you’re not really paying for Botox. You’re paying for an outcome; ‘How do I look better, smoother, fresher,’ or whatever you want. When you go to a plastic surgeon, you’re not asking the doctor which scalpel they use during surgery, right? Sometimes, the only thing people know what to ask is how much per unit of Botox. That’s not the right question. The right questions are: what is the outcome I’m looking for, and how can I achieve it?”
And a little bit goes a long way. Take it as a compliment if no one clocks the work you’ve done. The most effective treatments should leave you looking younger, glowing, and refreshed, but more than anything, 100% like yourself.
“Everything should be subtle and impactful,” Dr. Chiu says. “When injectables are done right, everything should look invisible.
Follow Dr. Annie Chiu: Instagram | The Derm Institute
Follow Daxxify: Instagram | Daxxify.com
Follow The RHA Collection: Instagram | The RHA Collection
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