Top Winter Skin Treatments (Win! A $600 Hydrafacial & SkinCeuticals Prize Pack From 8 West Clinic!)

They’re all the rage: treatments and minimally invasive surgical procedures that can give your face a fabulous boost while waiting for warmer weather to return. Winter can be the perfect time to give your skin a little TLC, especially when some downtime is required or you need to stay out of the sun for a short while (read: no summer FOMO).

From lip fillers to lasers to mini face lifts, Vancouver’s 8 West Cosmetic Surgery & Skin Clinic is the ultimate destination for all your cold-weather treatments. It’s the city’s most unique medical aesthetics centre, boasting a complete surgery and skin clinic and has, unlike other medical spas, an experienced facial plastic surgeon on staff. Dr. Thomas Buonassisi, founder and leader of the clinic, offers expertly advised and administered, exclusive and not widely available surgical options—not to mention, real results that you’ll absolutely love, all year long!

We chatted with Dr. Buonassisi about today’s top-trending skin treatments and minimally invasive procedures—treatments you really ought to consider booking now! —Vita Daily

Hi Dr. Buonassisi! Please tell us a bit about yourself and 8 West Clinic to start.

Hi! I’m a board certified facial plastic surgeon; I’ve been performing surgeries like rhinoplasty, face lifts, neck lifts and eyelid lifts, for 20 years. Here at 8 West Clinic we have a long history of creating satisfying outcomes for thousands of patients. Our team of experts, including our patient care managers, registered nurses and medical aestheticians, are here to make your experience a great one, and to exceed your expectations when it comes to results. We pride ourselves on that.

What are you seeing in terms of trends for non-surgical wintertime procedures?

Let’s start with lips. We’re seeing a lot of clients coming in for lip fillers, looking for a hydrated look rather than a plumped or filled look—something that we can easily accomplish, with great results, non-surgically. Microneedling, used to treat everything from age spots and wrinkles to scarring and certain forms of hyperpigmentation, also continues to trend, particularly with an added boost of platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, which can augment these effects and help you achieve your desired results faster.

Finally, many people are requesting our Halo hybrid fractional laser treatment—it was voted the top laser treatment of the year and there’s really nothing like it in terms of improving the appearance of sun damage, erasing fine lines and dealing with pigmentation issues, dull skin tone and uneven skin texture. You can customize your Halo treatment plan by choosing to have one, two or more treatments depending on your goals to make your skin radiant and healthy, and winter is the perfect time for Halo because of the absence of sun. Whether you have sun damage, fine lines and wrinkles, brown spots or a multitude of other skin conditions, getting a Halo is the perfect way to achieve glowing skin in time for next summer.

What about top winter treatment trends on the surgical side?

Back to the lips, surgical lifts are very popular in my practice and, best of all, it’s a procedure that’s minimally invasive with a short recovery. With a lip lift, I surgically shorten the distance between the base of the nose and the upper lip by removing a bullhorn wedge of skin; it won’t add volume the way fillers do but works well for people that have a genetically long upper lip length, or one that has become longer over time with aging. Many people plan to have these surgeries in the winter so that they’re looking their best once summer hits.

The other big trend we’re seeing is in mini eyelid and face lifts—smaller surgeries with shorter downtimes than traditional lifts—especially among people in their 30s and 40s, who aren’t waiting until their 50s or 60s for a full-blown eyelid or face lift. One procedure that I’m doing a lot of is a sliver blepharoplasty, where I remove a tiny sliver of skin from the upper eyelids. We’re actually one of the only clinics offering this results-driven procedure, and I’m amazed at how many people have come to us for this one.

With so many great offerings from 8 West Clinic, what’s the best way for us to get started on a wintertime treatment program?

We make it as easy as possible to get started with a treatment course that works for you, no matter the season. The best place, in my opinion, to begin is to come into 8 West Clinic for a skin consultation, where one of our experienced medical aestheticians will take photos of your skin with a special camera and come up with a plan that’s customized specifically for you, taking into consideration how much change you want to see and how much downtime you can tolerate. Book a skin consultation now or call 604-330-0196.

8 West Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Skin Clinic, 300-1788 W. Broadway, Vancouver, B.C., 604-330-0196, 8west.ca

Win! A $600 Hydrafacial and SkinCeuticals Prize Pack From 8 West Cosmetic Surgery!

We have a winner! Congratulations Erika L. of Burnaby, B.C., who won a Hydra Facial and SkinCeuticals prize pack from 8 West Clinic valued at $600!