Common Skincare Misconceptions: Q&A with Dr. Gurley of Gurley Glow®
When Dr. Gurley began her Gurley Glow® skincare line, she envisioned a line of products that could not only help patients reverse some of the damage due to aging, sun exposure, acne, and smoking. She also wanted to help her patients avoid future facial surgeries.
Providing her patients with her bespoke skincare meant that she could better control the outcomes of her patients. With that in mind, she formulated a suite of products that could be used by all of her patients. Gurley Glow products can be layered and combined to provide morning skin routines and evening skin routines that target your specific skin needs and issues.
To understand more about the intention behind her skincare line, Dr. Gurley shares her insights into skincare, her advice for common skin problems, and new innovations in facial surgery.
When did you originally conceive of starting a skincare line? Was there any precipitating event, patient, or patient experience that played into that decision?
As a plastic surgeon, I have always believed in the importance of skincare and have encouraged my facial surgery patients to get their skin ready for their procedure in order to ensure optimal healing. By pre-treating my patients with scientifically proven and medical-grade skincare products, I, much to my surprise, saw remarkable improvements in their faces that were far and away more dramatic than simply changes in the skin’s surface. There was a beautiful change in the face as a whole. The face was plumper, dewier, tighter, and more lifted. Their facial structure was improved and brought into perfect balance. Making skin healthier with biological products does something very positive to the overall shape of the face and may prevent or postpone the need for facial surgery.
At this point, I was committed to seeing how far I could go with skincare alone and in combination with non-surgical and surgical solutions. As I studied the biology of skin and became more deliberate in choosing and combining ingredients, the Gurley Glow product line emerged. After using skincare over time, many of my patients no longer wanted surgery. Patients were seeing results that were far better than they expected. Pairing products with spa skin services such as peels and HydrOFacials, as well as with injectables such as neurotoxins, fillers, and even laser treatments escalated the overall improvements to a whole new level, I must say that it’s the combination of my medical school education (4 years), my residency experiences (8 years), my fellowship training (1 year) and my 25 years practicing as a plastic surgeon that has given me the foundation and drive to provide patients with an alternative to facial surgery using a properly designed, results-driven skin health system.
What advantage does your surgical experience give to your skincare line?
Physician-based skincare lines respect the biology, physiology, and pathophysiology of skin. Having a surgical background and an active plastic surgery practice gives me the added advantage of understanding the role that skin plays in the overall appearance of the face. I also understand the ability of the skin to withstand surgical intervention and I know the power that healthy skin can have in heightening a youthful appearance and possibly delaying or preventing the need for an operation, In other words, healthy skin is beautiful skin. You can’t simply solve poor skin health with a facelift. In my practice, we start with skin health. Many patients realize that they actually don’t need a facelift to have the look they want. It’s my firm belief that healthy skin is beautiful skin.
What’s the most common misperception about skin you hear from patients?
Patients often think that all they need to look good is a facelift, and sometimes that’s true! However, more often than not, that’s not the case. In my practice, I consider surgical intervention in the context of skincare. When my team sees a new patient with facial concerns, we take into consideration what bothers them and we figure out the best way to solve that issue. We educate and share information about advances in our industry. Because we are a surgical practice, surgery is our expertise. But surgery is not the only way to resolve the issue. We also offer non-operative suggestions as well.
We have a huge arsenal of tools and approaches, and we hold nothing back. It’s more important to us to have patients fully understand their surgical and nonsurgical options so that they can be empowered to make good decisions. The trust we build is one of the most important ingredients. We present all the possible options and ultimately patients decide how to proceed. Skincare is always part of the formula, and our patients see that benefit firsthand. Additionally, we are able to add non-surgical or surgical treatments as desired. This process is a win-win. Starting with skincare can bring a dramatic improvement to the skin. These improvements can be so striking that some patients don’t feel they need to have surgery because they are so happy with their appearance. Others want to go ahead with an operation, and their results are so much better after having started with good skincare. Patients see a difference and so do we!
What advice do you find yourself giving to patients on a consistent basis?
Most of my patients say they want to look like a better version of themselves: more rested, more bright and more youthful. They don’t want to look like someone else or have their skin look too tight or pulled. In fact, most patients do not want anyone to know that they had anything done. It is for this reason that I have a systematic approach to facial rejuvenation. My philosophy is to take a step-by-step or tiered approach to facial rejuvenation. In 2019, we have so many tools and new technologies that can be used in innovative ways. It’s important for patients to align with a practice that is well-versed in the full spectrum of options.
Patients shouldn’t be treated like a “nail” because the only tool available is a “hammer.” This cookie-cutter approach is what gives the beauty industry a bad name. Too many people are walking around over-treated with too much of something in their faces because of the lack of broad education, experience, and training. At the end of the day, if you go somewhere where they only have filler, you’re going to leave there with filler, even if it’s not the right option for you. Other practices only use a limited approach and their knowledge base is also limited. I believe every patient deserves to be assessed as an individual and be given a specific plan that best matches their desires, anatomy, timeline, financial situation, and schedule. We are able to offer thoughtful, long-term plans to help patients understand the journey, timeline, and possibilities.
What questions do you find patients asking you about their skin?
Honestly, they don’t really know what to ask. They want our opinion. They can feel overwhelmed or confused by all the various options out there and not know what to do or where to begin. So, they seek our guidance. I think many patients come to board-certified plastic surgeons because they trust our abilities, our integrity and our opinions. This is why doctor-run spas take a thorough medical history in order to understand patient lifestyle, comorbidities, overall health, and allergies before recommending treatments. We also adhere to the strictest guidelines with regard to cleanliness, sterility, and safety.
The beauty industry can be overwhelming since almost anyone can claim to be an “expert.” Why would you settle for anything less than a professional approach? Give your skin the attention it deserves. There are no two patients that are alike, nor are there any two patients on the same track for achieving skin health and beauty. We act as concierges for our patients, building relationships, explaining options, and guiding patients through every single step of the process.