Springing up New Things
- Sunny Kim
- 20 hours ago
- 7 min read
April is here, and the first signs of spring are popping up here and there. We have some happy news to discuss this month! First of all, you might be greeted by a furry smile next time you walk into SKin Phi! šāš¦ŗDouglas is a rescue puppy from a farm near Kitchener, and is in Therapy Dog training already. He is the calmest, sweetest golden doodle, according to most people he has met. Since 2018 I have dreamed of having a Therapy Dog as part of the Laserderm clinic vibe, and now that we are at SKin PHi, we have one! I saw what having a calm, friendly (and mostly hypoallergenic) dog did for the staff and the patients. Studies have shown that petting a cat or dog actually lowers blood pressure, and the JOY it brings just to see a cute furry face. Even just watching fish swim is proven to lower anxiety, which is what sparked the trend of aquariums in dental office reception areas long ago. Some of our loyal patients come accompanied by their furry, well-trained companions to appointments, and we are always so happy to see Henry, Darren, Maya or Honey Bear! Not for Botox or laser, but for smiles and belly rubs. š¶ @dermnurseLara is known to keep special treats in her desk for them.
If you are not into dogs or have any concern please let us know and we will make sure Douglas is taking a break in his nap area in the back when you visit us
Trying out New Tech...and What is GrenzCine?
So we concluded our test run of the Sciton Tribrid laser (combines Moxi and Halo laser wavelengths in a newly configured single treatment for pigment, texture, resurfacing). We wanted to see how it compares to doing Moxi alone, versus adding the Halo 2940 and 1470 nanometer wavelengths (Halo traditionally came with very significant downtime and a longer recovery period). The trial was done on most of our staff and usual test subjects, a few patients who had Moxi and Halo done in past as single treatments, and some very challenging indications such as moderate to severe sun-damage and wrinkles.
Now we wait and see what the long-term and final results are, skin looks brighter and more evenly pigmented at one week. But collagen stimulation takes 3 months to show us real regeneration, we'll keep you posted on the outcome!
GrenzCine... what a fancy name! Grenz zone refers to the epidermal-dermal junction, in dermatology this anatomical space is where so much happens. Fibroblasts live here (they make collagen when stimulated by heat, friction, energy, drugs, injury, and more), pigment sometimes resides here, and it is hard to "get to" by topical means. So lotions and potions need to either be pharmaceutical grade (drugs that carry lipid soluble properties so they can penetrate the superficial layer and actually BIND to receptor sites of cells within the dermal or deeper layers of skin).
The product that started this for me, the GrenzCine Eye Cream. Nurse Lyne gave me her's to try and within 3 weeks people noticed something going on. It's the ONLY time I have ever been compelled by an eye product. I forgot to wear makeup to work one day, my eye area was getting THAT much improvement! So we have to put it on our shelves. That and a few other WINNERS from the Vivier line. Lyne is still campaigning hard to bring in the cleanser and the neck cream, we are having our testers audition them. You know us, we never endorse products unless we can put our credibility behind it!
What's so special about Vivier's GrenzCine Eye Cream?
A revolutionary growth factor eye cream designed to target the loss of volume and sagging skin around the eye area. Formulated with a unique combination of Polyamine Growth Factors, Vitamin C, and 6 Renewal Complexes to increase the thickness, firmness, and hydration of the delicate skin around the eyes and eyelids. Crowās feet and fine lines look diminished, and the skin appears uplifted, refreshed and luminous.
VIVIER isn't just a medical grade skincare line, it is a Canadian pharmaceutical company, meaning these products meet prescription drug-level standards for formulation, evidence-based products, as well as safety and consistency in manufacturing. They have been around for a long time, Montreal based, still family owned and privately held. Why is this important? Many medical skincare lines that might have originated in pure science and were driven by clinical research and development often become acquired by larger corporations, or even worse, private equity groups. PE means investors own it now. And company profits for it's shareholders is what drives the ship here; profits- not patients. You can bet that for a private equity firm, owning a product or service is ALL about increasing profit margins, and I don't have to explain why that is potentially bad for patients and anything to do with patient care. Ethical patient care means PRIOTRITIZING patient safety and outcomes over misleading marketing, retail-like business models, and profits for shareholders (who are not in the clinic caring for patients or doing treatments- they are sitting behind a desk counting money!).
There, I said it. This is all because of my recent Love and Rage era, friends.
Love yourself fiercely and love others the same way!
The Story of Influence
I often say, I don't believe in "influencers" in the traditional sense. Meaning, I don't subscribe to using them as a source of marketing for SKin Phi. Why would I want our patients to follow the advise or lifestyle of a total stranger, simply because they have many followers on the internet?
I think we are all influencers in our own lives, we all have a sphere of influence where you affect people around you and are affected by those you surround yourself with. Now in my 50's I am more selective and very deliberate about my circle of humans. Physically and digitally, influence matters because this is how we change and it's also how we can change our communities, our world into a better place.
I'm influenced most powerfully by people I admire, respect, and want to learn from...because of their virtue. If someone is self-reflected and putting out some positive energy, and their light somehow brings some joy or encouragement to the world, that is a gorgeous and delicious thing! @melissashabinsky has never been asked to endorse her services at SKin Phi, but she does share her experiences in family, beauty, fashion, and wellness on her own social media. Her journey through self-care with the simple things that help maintain healthy cells and healthy skin is so honest, transparent, and the most important thing is she is ALL ABOUT BEING YOU. This is what being in the SKin Phi Tribe is about, sharing and learning from each other and helping people be the best versions of themselves.
The perfect lead up to the next feel good thing about 2026...
This young beautiful bride-to-be just happens to be @dermnurseLara's future daughter in law. Emily is like pure light. Her intelligence and confidence is what really makes her so so beautiful. But rosacea is a B. Inflammation is not great for any living cell, and in the skin it can lead to uncomfortable heat sensation, redness that is hard to hide sometimes with makeup, and left to it's own progression can result in some advanced complications. Advanced symptoms of rosacea are: appearance of telangiectasia (spider veins or "broken capillaries")ocular rosacea (we have some eye docs who specialize in helping manage these patients who complain of dry eye, chronic irritation of the eyelids or actual eye- ask us for a referral to see one of these specialists in the Ottawa area), dermatitis, inflammatory "rosacesous acne", rhinophyma (scarring and thickening of nose).
Emily wanted a pre-wedding plan so she is glowing and looking radiant- but she is very much into owning her own beauty. And I love that so so much for our young people.
As a side note, I am so distressed by the growing number of young people with perfect and beautiful features who feel a pressure to change, that it would somehow make them feel prettier, more attractive. That is a phenomenon referred to "perception drift" and it needs to stop- the normalization of the "weird jawline or chin" or blown up russian doll lips, or even just a lip that is obviously filled with injections (doesn't look good in my opinion). The more images people see of these mishaps, the more normalized they become for the brain!
Never never mess with what is perfect. And Emily has perfect lips at this moment in time, I hope no one ever touches her lips!
She had 2 BBL treatments to tone down her redness and inflammation from rosacea. Now she will just need a BBL maybe a couple times a year to maintain the beautiful and healthy skin. No invasive or aggressive laser treatments are ever appropriate for skin like this, she has no wrinkles or laxity and does not need expensive procedures to "prejuvenate" or prevent ageing. That is a farce, and I hope our young people do not fall for that one.
I also did some neck and jawline Botox (known as the Nephirtiti) for some jawline engineering. She felt her lower face was heavier than before (this is because even on young faces losing a little mid-face, which normally happens as we age, can lead to the entire cheek envelope shifting south a little. The ligaments that normally hold the cheek skin in place can shift as the subcutaneous fat pad becomes deplete with age, and some lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise and genetics also accelerate lipoatrophy. Her Botox effect was magical, subtle and no one really knows why she looks so pretty, she just does!
Have a wonderful and joyful wedding day, Emily! Welcome to the familyš
Just some pics to make you happy, SPRING into joyful times!
A beloved patient brought me these exquisite farm eggs, she also referred me to the rescue that brought Douglas to our lives and hearts. Thank you, Janis! š«¶š„°
@dermnurseLara is one of Douglas' many Aunties at SKin Phi. She gives the best hugs and treats!
A thoughtful patient embroidered this bag for Douglas. Thank you, Julie! š§µšŖ”
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