Dr. Gretchen Frieling spills what you should avoid before getting injectables and more skincare advice.
Dr. Gretchen Frieling, a.k.a., Dr. G, is a medical doctor based in Boston, Massachusetts, with over 13 years of experience in the aesthetic, dermatology and pathology fields.
The dermatopathologist has mastered the art of re-vitalizing the face by softening fine lines and wrinkles, re-establishing volume, and optimizing overall appearance through beauty injectables, and now, she's spilling her secrets with ET.
"Most patients I see are complex and want an assessment and my expert advice when they come in...we give them tools to make educated decisions based in their aesthetic goals," she explains.
Her most popular requests include overall micro-enhancement, global rejuvenation using dermal fillers, collagen stimulators, and neuromodulators, and regardless of the procedure, the doctor always relies on a "less is more" approach.
"It is not about filling spaces with materials and volume. It is about altering and enhancing beauty with small amounts of product to change the way muscles, ligaments and dermal structures move and support the face," Dr. Gretchen says.
As for what to keep in mind ahead of getting injectables, the skincare expert recommends avoiding blood thinners and fish for at least 1 week before a treatment to prevent bruising, and having open and honest communication with your doctor.
"It is important to trust your provider and feel completely informed of the treatments that are offered to you. ... I always give a full consultation to new patients and offer an overall assessment. We then break it up into bite-sized pieces and plan the order of treatments and timing to get them to their result," she shares.
When it comes to results, Dr. Gretchen says it's important to be realistic and patient.
"Instagram is often not reality. It takes time to achieve beautiful natural results. There can be an immediate result with dermal fillers, and this will develop, soften, and improve over the couple weeks to a month after treatment," she explains.
"For wrinkle relaxers like botox and dypsort, it takes 14 days to take full effect. ... Laser, chemical peels, hydrafacials, PRF and microneedling are great to do throughout the year and the best results typically take several treatments," she continues.
For maintenance, most of Dr. Gretchen's patients come in every 3-4 months for wrinkle-relaxing treatments, once a year for global rejuvenation and dermal fillers, and monthly or every 3-4 months for other skin health treatments.
The doctor also notes that sticking to a strategic skincare regimen geared to your specific skin type is key.
"You cannot hide skin with makeup or injectables. ... If a patient is sitting in my chair for an injectable treatment, it is a non-negotiable that they are using sunscreen 30-50 SPF 365 days a year as well as a retinol at nighttime," she states.
"It is important to go through ingredients and make sure they are all working they way they should. ... I recently developed the Soyier Skin collection, which offers a combination of medical and organic products, and the Soyier method, a skincare application technique that allows for maximum absorption and efficacy. ... Incorporate both nourishing and medical ingredients, as over-drying the skin can cause worsening of conditions such as acne, rosacea, and perioral dermatitis," Dr. Gretchen shares.
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