Dr. Austin joined the team of surgeons at The Plastic Surgery Clinic in 2017. After finishing his Life Sciences degree at Queen’s University, Dr. Austin completed his medical school education and residency training in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Toronto followed by a year of fellowship training in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Austin has a strong commitment to education in plastic surgery; when he is not working on publishing research or writing textbook chapters, Dr. Austin keeps busy in his role as the Lead of the Next Generation Editors at the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Outside of work, Dr. Austin enjoys spending time with family and the occasional trip to the golf course.
What’s your current skincare routine? Are you someone who likes to follow each skincare step every night?
My skincare routine before joining The Plastic Surgery Clinic would best be described as non-existent. This was mostly the result of the long days and on-call demands during my years of training to become a plastic surgeon. However, since joining the team at The Plastic Surgery Clinic, I have learned that a good skin care routine is not something that you find time for, it’s something that you make time for. My current skincare staples are a daily face wash and moisturizer that I use every morning as part of my routine. Exfoliating and skin toning are left for the weekend, when things are typically a little less busy. Could I be better with my nightly routine? Probably, but life at The Plastic Surgery Clinic keeps me busy! And of course, I can’t talk enough about the importance of a good sunscreen, which is one of the most critical preventative measures for long-lasting healthy skin.
Do you have any skincare hacks or tips that has upped your game? Any tips for skin maintenance with facial hair during Movember?
Shaving has always been a nuisance for me, mostly because of the skin irritation and constant nicks/cuts that go along with it. As a result, I have sported almost every facial hair ‘look’ over the years. The biggest hack that I have learned (mostly through trial and error, sadly) is that hydration is not just important for your skin, it is critical for facial hair as well! I used to think you could just grow a beard and go about your day, but oh how wrong I was. The difference between a scraggly looking mane and a well-maintained beard is finding a beard oil to help keep your facial hair supple and healthy.
What can’t you leave the house with/ What must you always have immediate access to throughout the day?
I am fairly minimalistic, as long as I have my keys, wallet and phone, I am good to go almost anywhere. This is largely a result of the hours upon hours I am used to spending in the operating room (OR) where I can’t use or have access to anything anyways. But, between long OR cases I have been known to sneak away for a quick spray of a refreshing mist. Don’t ask me how I started this, but I have found it is not only a nice skin boost after hours spent wearing a mask, but it provides a refreshing ‘pick-me-up’ to keep the day bright.
What’s something that no one really knows about you?
I am a music lover and I take pride in curating playlists for the operating room, and I have always been a huge fan of the Dave Matthews Band. Over the past 20 years I have seen DMB in concert over 40 times across Canada and the United States. This has brought me to some cool towns (Saratoga Springs, NY), some beautiful landscapes (George, WA) and some places I don’t really ever need to go back to (Camden, NJ). For me, there aren’t many better ways to spend a beautiful summer evening outside listening to great live music.
As a new dad, what have you been doing for self-care? How do you find the time to decompress?
This has certainly been tougher in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. Visits with friends and family are not the same as they once were, which has definitely impacted our support network. Understandably, with a new baby at home the moments for self-care are fewer and further between. I think what I have tried to work on the most is my ability to identify the little moments to decompress when they present themselves. I used to think that decompression meant dedicating an hour at the gym or going for a massage, but I have found that it can be something as simple as the smell of a fresh cup of coffee or enjoying the sunrise that the baby has woken you up for. The trick is being present and remaining in the moment, because life gets busy and there is no shortage of distractions that work to keep our stress levels high.
Here at Miracle 10, we love to define a Glow Getter as someone who isn’t afraid to be their true, authentic self. In your words, what does it mean to be a Glow Getter?
To me, a Glow Getter is someone who not only appreciates the importance of caring for oneself but has the desire to make that appreciation a reality. Life gets busy and there are never enough hours in the day to do what needs to get done. I constantly hear people say "If only there were a few more hours in the day..." but we know that if this time were to suddenly exist, it too would immediately be filled up with things to do. A Glow Getter understands that you won’t function at 100% if you don’t look after yourself, because you are the only person knows what you need when you need it!