Congratulations—You’ve Reached Maintenance!

 

Reaching your maintenance protocol is a major milestone—congratulations! 🎉 This phase is just as important as your corrective phase, as it helps prevent rebound pigment and preserve your results long-term.

 

Why Maintenance Matters

Successfully transitioning off correctives the right way is key to:

• Preventing the return of pigment (or minimizing it significantly)

• Keeping inflammation and barrier damage under control

• Maintaining the results you worked so hard to achieve

 

Even though you're entering maintenance, this is not the time to ease up. Your skin is still exposed daily to inflammation, environmental stressors, lifestyle triggers, and more. That’s why you must continue your skin-strengthening products and follow your maintenance protocol exactly as written.

 

Important Maintenance Guidelines

• Place your product orders within 3 business days of receiving your new protocol.

• Do not begin your new protocol until all required products have arrived.

• Continue using many of the same corrective products, but we will now:

  • Adjust how often you use them

  • Modify dosage and application timing

  • Transition your skin gradually as needed

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Important Maintenance Guidelines

• Place your product orders within 3 business days of receiving your new protocol.

• Do not begin your new protocol until all required products have arrived.

• Continue using many of the same corrective products, but we will now:

  • Adjust how often you use them

  • Modify dosage and application timing

  • Transition your skin gradually as needed

 

 

Remember: Maintenance looks different for everyone. Your skin's needs change every few months, so your maintenance plan will change too. Aging, environment, and lifestyle are always evolving—and so must your protocol.

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Professional Treatments in Maintenance

• Virtual Patients: You may now resume professional facials and microneedling.

• In-Clinic Patients: As always, microneedling does not stop during maintenance.

 

🚫 However, we do NOT recommend any heated treatments, including:

• Radiofrequency

• Lasers

• Plasma Pen (Fibroblast Treatment)

 

Why? Because heat causes pigment. No matter how gentle or promising a treatment may sound, heat signals your skin to produce pigment. Even a tan is your skin’s cry for help—it’s how your skin responds to heat and inflammation.

 

What If Pigment Returns?

It is possible that a small amount of pigment may return during maintenance. If this happens:

1. Do not panic. This is common and easily managed.

2. At your next check-in, let us know exactly what you’re seeing.

3. We'll initiate a targeted “cleanup” phase—typically effective within one week.

   • In some cases, cleanup protocols may extend a bit longer, but they’re much faster and easier than your initial corrective phase.

   • You will not experience the same level of reaction, unless:

     • You've been non-compliant

     • You've allowed your skin to regress without barrier support

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HQ Use in Maintenance

If your protocol includes Hydroquinone (HQ):

• You will never be kept on full-dosage HQ longer than 8 months

• After that, we will begin to taper you off or use microdosing as part of long-term maintenance

 

Stay Committed, Stay Clear

If you stay 100% consistent and compliant, we will help you maintain clear, glowing skin for the long run. Communication is key.

 

If you notice a significant rebound of pigment before your next check-in:

• Submit a Q&A form

• Upload updated photos in your MyTouchMD portal

 

Our team will review your case. If an adjustment is needed before your next scheduled check-in, we’ll let you know. If it can wait, we’ll address it during your next protocol update.