Wellness Wednesday with Rejuvenate Austin
While January may come with extra emphasis on wellness – #DryJanuary, #NewYearNewMe – we’re looking to carry our initial New Year enthusiasm with us through the entire year (and decade!). We sat down with a few of our Volume 7 experts to talk about their approaches to health + wellness.
Meet Dr. Jessica Wright, owner of REJUVENATE AUSTIN and the Volume 7 member who keeps us young – or at least looking like it! Dr. Wright began her career as a trauma surgeon in Baton Rouge, which paved the way and laid the foundation for her success in aesthetics. While we had many questions for the fabulous Dr. Wright, we wanted to start off the new decade by talking about the treatments she recommends for patients at every decade.
THE INTERVIEW
TSG: First things first, what made you make the transition from trauma surgery to aesthetics?
Dr. W: I began to consider transitioning away from trauma surgery because of the demanding lifestyle. I’d also recently gotten engaged and was looking forward to one day starting a family! And finally, I had just switched to wound care in the trauma unit and, to be honest, I didn’t feel passionate about what I was doing. A dear friend of mine invited me to come work with him in aesthetics and I fell in love. Aesthetics offered the perfect balance and allowed me to use my medical expertise to empower patients.
TSG: What has the transition been like? What aspects of your work as a trauma surgeon have translated to your practice at Rejuvenate Austin?
Dr. W: The combination of owning a business, parenting, and marriage can be stressful, so when life gets hectic, I am able to detach a bit – a skill I quickly learned in trauma surgery. In the midst of a stressful day, I can continue to treat my patients as if there was nothing else in the world going on. I am also very confident in my ability to safely and effectively treat patients because of my medical background. Knowing anatomy is a crucial part of both my job in trauma surgery and in aesthetics today. Ultimately I’m very grateful for the transition in that my day-to-day is calm. I get to go home to my family, sleep well and enjoy a 9-6PM job. I’m not answering pagers in the middle of the night, so no matter the hustle or frustration of my day, I am always grateful for this new role. I’ve been on the other side and I don’t take it for granted!
TSG: Congratulations on opening a new location Rejuvenate Austin practice! What can we expect from your downtown location?
Dr. W: Customers can expect an expansion of services! We plan to bring in even more cutting edge technology in 2020, as well as continuing to refine our skills in our current services. We are also expanding the Rejuvenate family/staff members and ensuring they are a perfect fit! And with more treatment rooms, we will be able to expand our availability. Plus, we are in such a fun neighborhood! Go hang at Better Half for a cocktail after your treatment!
TSG: What should potential clients take into consideration when choosing a procedure and a Med Spa?
Dr. W: First things first, you should always talk to a medical professional (a doctor, a nurse, or physician’s assistant). You want to make sure the treatment you have in mind is low-risk and high-gain, as well as understand what a good “before and after’’ are and your final results. There is no reason to take BIG risks for a “good before and after.”
When choosing a Medical Spa, make sure a doctor and the owner + operator are on-site. If a physician is not present, you are taking an additional risk – and there is no reason to take additional risks in this life. Complications can happen and the ability to enact treatment the second a complication arises is much better than being diagnosed after the fact and treated days later. You also want to find a Med Spa that has a “good vibe” and where the employees look good to you. If you walk in and all the employees have an aesthetic that doesn’t align with what you are looking for, then that Med Spa is probably not a good fit. If you want a natural, ‘done’ look than Rejuvenate is your Med Spa.
TSG: Are there certain times you should or should not get treatments? For example, we know the results of cool sculpting take 2-3 months to develop, so we should be thinking about it ahead of Spring and Summer…
Dr. W: Absolutely! With Coolsculpting, you need at least 8 weeks to get results. If you’re thinking about it for Spring Break, then you should schedule the treatment in December or January at the latest. With laser treatments, you need to restrict sun exposure before and after your laser treatments. For example, if you’re thinking about tackling brown and red pigment on your face, the treatment should be done in the wintertime. In fact, most laser treatments should be done in the winter. Your stage of life should also be taken into consideration. If you’re pregnant or breast-feeding, we suggest you take a break from all aesthetics. And be cognizant of healing – if you just had surgery, you should allow your body to have all the energy to heal where it needs to heal rather than be using energy to stimulate collagen. These are all judgment calls best left to medical professionals!
TSG: Rejuvenate Austin offers a wide variety of treatments – from injectables to cool sculpting to laser treatments – is there one that’s more popular than another?
Dr. W: Botox is hands down our most popular treatment! Everyone is getting Botox – young and old, women and men, preventative and reactive. It’s very popular with all generations! People are also thinking about collagen stimulants, laser treatments and Coolsculpting treatments.
TSG: You also offer amazing skincare products – do you have any current favorites for winter weather?
Dr. W: For Winter weather, I love Senté Dermal Repair because it is a moisturizer that trains your skin to hold onto moisture. This product actually repairs your skin’s ability to moisturize your skin from the inside out, instead of putting a greasy moisturizer on your skin.
TSG: What treatments should women in their twenties, thirties, forties and fifties be considering?
Dr. W:
Twenties | In your twenties, you should consider micro-needling, because at this age you have an amazing ability to create collagen. It delivers big results and helps with anti-aging.
Thirties | During the late twenties, early thirties are when most people start Botox, so at this point, you should probably consider it. In your thirties, you can also consider IPL Photofacials to help with pigments and redness.
Forties | Your forties are a great time to start Ultherapy, laser resurfacing, Botox, Fillers, IPL Photofacial – hit it hard! You still have the ability to make collagen, but your rate of aging is starting to speed up.
Fifties | In your fifties, you should consider the same treatments from your forties and add in laser resurfacing.
Sixties | In your sixties, continue all of the avenues to stimulate collagen and maybe schedule your facelift with your plastic surgeon 😉
TSG: Speaking of your treatments, what was the motivation and inspiration behind your sexual wellness offerings?
Dr. W: I wasn’t interested in sexual wellness until I hired our Physicians Assistant, Dana Kirk, who is nationally certified in the O-Shot and P-Shot. She educated me on this! At first, we started offering the O-Shot and P-Shot, and I had so many patients with life-changing experiences. It’s a low-risk service with a high return. After I had children, I too, understood the struggles of post-pregnancy changes. After success with the O-Shot and P-Shot, we introduced the Juliet Laser, which is also used for facial rejuvenation. Ultimately, my goal is to treat insecurities – at Rejuvenate, we can help customers directly assess and change these, which has far-reaching results in their life.
TSG: Are there any misconceptions or taboos around aesthetics that you’d like to address and set the record straight on?
Dr. W: YES! One thing I hear is “my husband is super worried that I will come back and look crazy!” This is misinformation. This is completely in the hands of the injector. We ensure that you could do everything offered on our menu of treatments and still look natural because we have invested in good lasers, good technologies, good product and a staff well-educated in natural results.
Men often think of this whole industry as just for women – but no, it is for everyone! Everyone looks better rejuvenated as opposed to au-natural.
