Dr. Howard Sobel Discusses His Solution To Skincare During The Pandemic

With a satellite Hamptons office opening, we chatted with Dr. Howard Sobel about skincare and the art of injectables during a pandemic.

What compelled you to open an office out East?

The idea was born out of a demand from my patient base for a local Hamptons solution to their aesthetic needs. Also, I love to deliver personal service at this time of uncertainty. The office will be open on Mondays, as well as weekend hours by appointment.

How do you assure skittish patients about booking a visit?

As long as all CDC guidelines are being followed, including universal protocols, aesthetic treatments are quite safe. Remember, medical facilities have been required to follow strict guidelines for years.

What trends in aesthetics are you noticing these days?

I’m seeing a huge uptick in patients looking for quick facial fixes. They’ve been cooped up and now want to feel and look their best, but they don’t want a cookie-cutter approach to noninvasive treatments that leave them looking overdone or pulled; they just want to look like a better version of themselves. Right now, I’m seeing a lot of requests for liquid lifts, which are a combination of botox and fillers. With a skilled hand, a liquid lift can restore the loss of facial volume, regain facial balance and contours to unearth the face you had ten years ago—it’s you only fresher, brighter and happier. There are many new injectables in our arsenal, and experience guides my individualized approach. As for body, I’m seeing patients that may have originally wanted liposuction pre-COVID, which is still the gold standard for body contouring, but now, they are looking for noninvasive solutions like truSculpt to melt fat, Emsculpt to build muscle and Emtone to smooth cellulite dimples.

Can the same be said about your skincare line Sobel Skin Rx?

I’ve seen a huge uptick in demand for it. Because it delivers high-potency ingredients directly into the skin without an Rx, many have substituted my products for visits to their derms when unable to get there. There are currently eight over-the-counter skincare formulas containing active ingredients, sold exclusively at sephora.com and drsobelskinrx.com. The line uses SB-100, a patent-pending delivery system, which mimics the healthy skin structure of teenagers, allowing ingredients to penetrate the skin on a time-released basis and provide continuous benefits.

What propelled you to create this line?

Several years ago, I decided to start searching for a vehicle that would dramatically increase the absorption of active ingredients. I was contacted by Sephora last year to see if I could fill a ‘white space’ in their market since I was one of the first dermatologists to combine the specialty of dermatology with cosmetic dermatologic surgery and ingredient skincare. That space was to create products using ingredients that have withstood the test of time but increase the concentrations and efficacy without causing irritation. Essentially, a doctor-grade cosmeceutical.

So when you’re not at home with your family, busy at your atelier, office or in the lab making products, where can we see you out East?

Eating lunch at Bostwick’s or dining at Le Bilboquet!