Give Us 3 Months… We Will Give You Ten Years!!
By Bill Murphy, MD, Medical Director, Turquoise Springs Medical Spa
The aesthetic fellowship training experience I completed just over five years ago was replete with tips and stories from many different experts from around the world. One of my professors has a clinical practice in Las Vegas with clients ranging from showgirls to Hollywood stars to tourists visiting the Las Vegas strip. Many of the visitors would ask him for a complete make-over while they were there for only a few days. His response was, “If you give me 3 months, I can give you 10 years”. A short phrase, but full of meaning.
So much of what we see in marketing, in the media, or online appears to make everything we desire or wish to change in our lives appear to be so easy. Lose the weight, look younger, have more energy, be the person we wish to be…….all we have to do is take this pill, this shot, use this cream, buy this exercise machine and so on. We all know it is much harder than that.
In fact, the hardest part is making the decision to make the change and mustering the discipline to hold ourselves accountable. Once done, then you must decide what you wish to accomplish, what the plan is, and what the timeline is.
My professor’s response made an immediate impression on me and helped me realize how to set a treatment plan for each individual’s needs. Some clients have a goal to lose a few pounds or reverse a few lines or wrinkles. Others desire to start a make-over, which requires more steps and more time. Not everyone needs a long-range plan, but everyone needs a plan.
As I write this, it is the final days of the last week of the year 2023. The new year of 2024 is upon us, and a time most of us resolve to make the next year better, healthier, and more productive. Most resolutions revolve around losing weight, exercising more, and reducing stress, but a goal is not a plan. So, with detailed instructions, a timeline, expectations, and a bit of oversight, most hit the dustbin by early February.
Let’s discuss how to be successful in 2024. A well-planned consultation will first list what we wish to accomplish. It can be a simple or complex list. For a simple consult, it will be directed toward the one or two goals stated by the patient. “I want to look less wrinkled. I wish to feel less tired.” For a more complicated make-over, I will go over the basics of body composition, diet, skin health, supplements used, medical issues, sleep patterns, exercise, daily skincare routine, and aesthetic history. We will discuss the many tools or “arrows” in the aesthetic “quiver” to apply to the problems to reach the goal and the proper order and timeline for each treatment or service.
For weight loss and nutritional health, we might start a personalized 8-week program to reach the goal. If body shape is an issue, non-invasive body contouring with TruSculp iD and Flex for fat reduction and muscle toning is possible. Skin rejuvenation with natural bio stimulators like PRF Gel to increase collagen and elastin and make skin look younger and more supple is a possibility. Fillers, neuromodulators like Botox, lifting threads, and chemical peels may be just what the doctor suggests for wrinkles, saggy skin, or thin skin. Microneedling, light and laser energy applications, and red light treatments can make skin more youthful and healthy looking. And let’s not forget health and vigor under the skin as well to combat inflammation, poor immunity, and fatigue. Proper supplements and vitamins can make skin, hair, nails, and body healthier.
Change won’t happen overnight. It takes setting a goal and deciding on a reasonable timeline where you will commit to small improvements each week toward the goal. Then, set a plan unique to you, and one which can be accomplished if followed. At Turquoise Springs, we like to say, “If you give us 3 months, we can give you 10 years!”. If you think you can follow a plan for 3 months, we agree with you!! Call 210-253-3313 or go to our website at turquoisesprings.com to schedule a consultation.
