Even if you’re not interested in aesthetic procedures, a cosmetic dermatologist can help you develop a personalized skincare plan that protects, preserves, and elevates your skin for the years ahead. That’s why each Cottonball product is prescribed by a cosmetic dermatologist and customized to your specific skin needs.
Here are seven smart reasons to make time for a cosmetic dermatologist appointment.
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Reason #1: Prescription wrinkle treatments
If you feel like over-the-counter skincare just isn’t cutting it anymore, a cosmetic dermatologist can help you explore prescription-strength retinoids such as tretinoin, which are the gold standard topical wrinkle treatments.
These vitamin A derivatives speed up skin cell turnover to stimulate collagen and elastin production, which helps fade and prevent the look of wrinkles and smooth skin’s texture.
“With consistent use, you’ll begin to see improvement in your skin in three to six months,” says Dr. David E. Bank, M.D., a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist in Mount Kisco, New York.
Cottonball VX.1 Advanced Anti-aging & Repair Complex combines prescription-strength tretinoin with rapamycin—an ingredient shown in one study to increase collagen to help reduce wrinkles, dark spots, and skin sagging—for bonus age-fighting benefits.
If your skin doesn’t tolerate retinoids well, the VX.1 treatment can be customized to include bakuchiol instead of tretinoin. Plant-derived bakuchiol stimulates collagen production and has been shown to be as effective as retinoids at reducing fine lines and hyperpigmentation while being markedly gentler on the skin.
Cottonball VX.2 Wrinkle-Smoothing & Prevention Complex offers prescription-strength tretinoin in concentrations up to 0.10%, depending on your skin needs.
Reason #2: Sunspots and hyperpigmentation
The time you spent in the sun in your teens and 20s can show up on your face, neck, and chest in your 40s in the form of dark spots or blotches known as melasma.
Hyperpigmentation can be notoriously stubborn to treat, so you may want to consider hydroquinone, which is available via prescription. This chemical compound inhibits tyrosinase, a key enzyme in controlling skin’s production of melanin, to effectively lighten dark spots and blotches and even out skin tone without lightening the rest of the skin.
Dermatologists often prescribe hydroquinone in conjunction with a retinoid to optimize results, as the retinoid helps improve the penetration of hydroquinone while also increasing skin cell turnover to shed the darker cells.
One study found that participants who used a treatment of 4% hydroquinone in conjunction with 1% retinol saw significant improvement in mild to moderate melasma within 4 weeks, with up to 75% improvement in melasma severity by the end of the 12-week study.
Cottonball CX.1 Advanced Dark Spot Treatment is a prescription-strength, hydroquinone-and-tretinoin treatment that rapidly fades dark spots, melasma, and other hyperpigmentation issues in 12 weeks.
Reason #3: Perimenopause skin changes
Perimenopause typically begins around our mid-40s, though it may start earlier, and it can last up to 10 years. During this phase, hormonal fluctuations can impact how our skin functions.
“As your body’s estrogen levels begin to decline, your skin often becomes drier, which can make it appear dull,” explains Dr. Bank. “The hormonal changes can also contribute to a loss of collagen and elastin.”
Studies show that estrogen plays a key role in the skin’s synthesis of collagen and elastin, so as estrogen levels drop off, you may notice an increase in fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity. And, believe it or not, acne, which can rear its ugly head in your 40s as your body’s testosterone levels start to surpass your declining estrogen levels.
If this all sounds a bit overwhelming, a cosmetic dermatologist can help guide you through perimenopause-related skin changes and direct you to products that will effectively manage these issues while being gentle on skin that’s now drier and more delicate.
A dermatologist can also advise you on topical estrogen products, which can help improve skin dryness, texture, and elasticity. (Dr. Bank recommends checking with your OBGYN before starting any treatment that includes hormones, even if they’re not absorbed systemically.)
Cottonball VX.3 Hormone Renewal Complex is a prescription daily treatment serum that contains estriol, an estrogen derivative that can help improve skin elasticity and hydration and reduce fine lines by supporting collagen production and dermal thickness. (The 0.30% estriol concentration is designed to provide localized skin benefits with minimal systemic absorption.)
The formula also delivers nourishing hyaluronic acid and potent antioxidants to plump, protect, and boost radiance.
Reason #4: Loose neck skin
Your 40s are when you may start to wonder, What the heck is up with my neck? Just as the skin on our face starts to lose collagen and elastin in this decade and show signs of sun damage, so does the skin on our neck. But other factors beyond our control can also contribute to sagging and dark spots, like gravity and hormonal changes.
A cosmetic dermatologist can use an injectable neurotoxin or professional skin tightening technologies to help smooth your neck skin, as well as steer you toward skincare that’s designed specifically for this area.
Cottonball VX.6 Precision Neck-Sculpting Complex offers a neck-specific combination of prescription-strength tretinoin coupled with skin brighteners, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide and more to combat crepe-y skin, spots, and sagging.
Reason #5: Thinning hair
If your ponytail is looking punier these days, or the hair along your temples seems a bit scant, don’t panic. These changes, though unwelcome, are fairly common in your 40s as estrogen and progesterone levels decrease, which impacts hair growth and strand density, and as the cycle of hair growth naturally slows down with age.
A cosmetic dermatologist can help you identify the root cause (pardon the pun) of your hair thinning, typically starting with blood work to rule out any nutritional deficiencies. “You'd be surprised how often women find out they’re iron deficient or vitamin D deficient,” says Dr. Bank.
One study found that nearly 40% of women who report hair loss are biotin deficient, so Dr. Bank suggests taking a daily biotin supplement of 2.5 mg. Other treatments a cosmetic dermatologist may recommend include oral minoxidil, which is shown to improve female hair loss, and platelet-rich plasma therapy, or PRP, which involves injecting a patient’s own platelets into the scalp to stimulate hair growth.
Reason #6: Skincare routine revamp
Even if you’re perfectly happy with how your complexion looks, there are significant skin changes happening beneath the surface in your 40s, so it’s a good idea to check in with a cosmetic dermatologist about your skin needs.
Bring along all the skincare products you’re currently using so the doctor can assess if you should make any adjustments and help you devise a step-by-step plan to keep your skin healthy.
“I always recommend a good vitamin C serum and SPF 30 moisturizer or sunscreen in the morning, and a retinoid at night,” says Dr. Bank. Which is a great start for anyone in their 40s, but consulting with your own MD will help you individualize your regimen.
Reason #7: Skin cancer screenings
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that everyone get a full-body skin cancer screening once a year, or more often if you’re in a high-risk group. Considering that melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has a 99 percent survival rate when detected early, there’s no reason to skip this annual 10-minute exam with a medical or cosmetic dermatologist.
“It’s quick, painless, involves no radiation exposure," says Dr. Bank. “And it can save your life.”
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