Can you answer Lax11’s question about Anti-Aging?:

I have heard really good things about microdermabrasion, but I cannot afford to go to a spa to have it done. Has anyone tried a home microdermabrasion product that they have liked?

Skin Rejuvenation Products

In the recent years fashion and looks have become a billion dollar industry and as expensive life altering procedures become less expensive and more affordable it looks like this trend will continue for many years to come. Everyone is questing for the fountain of youth and apparently it can be found in the field of plastic surgery. They can make your skin look younger, tighter and more youthful for a price. One of the most popular treatments is the skin peel. They consist of everything from light peels like fruit and sugar derived (glycolic) peels and deeper peels like TCA and phenol. These peels can reveal younger skin and rejuvenate your face. Some of them are quite literally even considered to be the fountain of youth in a bottle (like the TCA peel).

There are basically four different kinds of peels and they range from light and superficial peels like glycolic to deeper peels like the TCA peel and phenol peels. We will not discuss phenol peels as they are dangerous and are rarely ever used. The deepest peel doctors use today is the TCA peel, which is the most effective and safest of all the skin peels. The basic function of a chemical skin peel is to loosen bonds between cells in the top most layers of skin through a mild and controlled chemical burn to cause peeling and to reveal more youthful skin from underneath. This process when done regularly can result in a reduction of wrinkles, fine lines, age spots and other symptoms of aging skin. In the case of the TCA peel it is also been proven to be highly effective in the treatment of acne and resultant acne scarring.

The light or superficial peels are generally glycolic and salicylic acid. There are many off shoots of these like fruit acids, the pumpkin peel, etc. Any of these acids that you see available at your local store have a concentration or strength that is so low that it is basically ineffective. For these light peels to have any visual effect at all the concentrations must be in the range of at least 30 percent. Regardless, even when done in a doctors office they must be redone every 2-3 weeks for any lasting effect. And at $100 to $300 per peel it can become expensive quickly.

The salicylic peel is a little different from the rest of these lighter peels as it is oil soluble and the others are water soluble. This gives salicylic the distinct advantage of being able to migrate deeper into oil blocked pores and to help with pimples and very light acne. This is why it has recently been added to some current acne products like Murad. This is why Murad is more effective than Proactiv. The problem is that just like glycolic it must be used at a higher concentration to have lasting and visual effect. Low concentrations and strengths, like in most over the counter acne products, is ineffective in fighting acne. Concentrations of at least 10 percent are recommended by dermatologists.

Then there is the TCA peel. TCA stands for trichloroacetic acid. It is a synthetic acid that has the ability to do everything that all the lighter peels can and more. It can completely kill acne causing bacteria and rid the facial skin of it for good. It can reduce and minimize scarring, tighten the facial skin and rejuvenate the skin. It can treat more skin problems than any other skin peel. From skin blemishes, pigmentation problems, acne, aging skin, and even precancerous and cancerous skin legions. The TCA peel is offered in almost every dermatologist and plastic surgeons office as it is the most effective treatment outside of actual surgery. Its results also last the longest, up to 6 months or more depending on the strength and depth desired or achieved. It has even ben stated in numerous medical journals that the TCA peel is every bit as effective as Accutane, the strongest acne medicine available, without the bad and very serious side effects. The TCA peel normally runs between $300 and $500 per application at your doctors office, but can now be purchased for under $30 for in home use.

Skin peels can be very effective in treating both aging skin and acne and it is obvious that the TCA peel is the best of these.



Thanks to David Maillie for contributing this article to our Anti-Aging blog:

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Probably one of the best cosmetic procedures in today’s world is called microdermabrasion. It is none other than the removal of the outer layer of the skin by performing a light abrasion which to some might sound agonizing but in reality it is quite a simple operation. This procedure is typically performed by dermatologists and specialists in spas and beauty salons, but nowadays it can be done very easily at the comfort of your home thanks to microdermabrasion kits.

More and more elderly women are using microdermabrasion as a useful means to fighting the stress and strides of old age. As time goes by, the cleansing of the skin, the removal of sweat and dust in the skin cells becomes a real problem. Just by cleansing and moisturizing your skin is not enough to keep your complexion radiant. As a matter of fact, the aging of a woman’s skin is more visible on the face and microdermabrasion seems to be working very well for countless women who have had their skin rejuvenated and free from skin stretching marks and wrinkles owing to this procedure. This is also effective on young women who have problems with acne. It is highly recommended that the treatment of microdermabrasion should be used by women to prevent the onset of old aged skin.

The process of microdermabrasion in some spas and beauty salons is very simple. It is a mechanical abrasion wand that utilizes zinc oxide or aluminum oxide crystals to get rid of the skin cells of the outer layer where these cells are practically vacuumed off. The procedure is usually painless even if some women have complained that after undergoing this treatment they felt pain and their skin was sore for several days. On the other hand, microdermabrasion done in these places by professionals is tailored to the needs of every single customer.

The home microdermabrasion kit version that you can purchase is for those women who don’t have any time to visit the spas or beauty salon because of their working commitments and is very simple to use. The kit comes with a hand held microdermabrasion machine powered by batteries and has three soft brushes which attach to the machine itself. The kit also includes a container with minute crystals of zinc oxide, which are rubbed on the face by the brushes. When the machine is switched on and working, it applies the fine crystals on the skin removing all the dead cells. You are in charge of the amount of pressure you apply to the skin so it should be harmless and easy to do.

There could be some negative reaction to the minute crystals for instance, if such crystals were inhaled into the lungs it could cause difficulty of breathing as well as produce irritation to the nose and make you start to cough. It is very important that before undertaking microdermabrasion you cover the nostrils as well as eyes. In any case, the recommendation is that you do a thorough investigation of the spa or salon or you intend to go to before deciding where to go.



Thanks to Microdermabrasion Kit Team for contributing this article to our Anti-Aging blog:

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Glycolic acid, along with some other vitamin C peels are the most commonly used rejuvenation treatments for facial skin care. Glycolic facial peels and other members of the Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) group like lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid and citric acid peels are all chemically composed of carbon backbones. As naturally occurring chemicals, the AHA based treatments are one of the best categories of natural skin care products available in the market today.

Obtained from sugar cane, glycolic acid facial peels is the most popular and commonly used facial skin procedure among the AHA treatments.

Effects of glycolic acid peel

With time and exposure to sunlight, there is a gradual slowing down of the rate at which old cells are replaced by newer cells. The surface of the skin with old cells sticking to it provides an aged appearance to the skin.

A treatment with glycolic acid peels loosens the inter-cellular substances that hold the surface skin cells to each other. When the intracellular cement is loosened, it allows the dead skin to peel off readily. Shedding of the old, sun-damaged surface of the skin helps to encourage new growth of the cells in the skin underneath. The new growth of cells results in a fresher, healthier looking skin with more even color and texture.

Glycolic acid facial peels are generally known as superficial peels, because these peels penetrate only through the epidermis and papillary dermis to an average depth of 0.06mm. However, the repetitive use of glycolic acid facial peels has a profound effect on improving the texture of the skin.

The effect of glycolic acid facial peels on the deeper layers of the skin has also been observed with high concentration and long-term use. The deeper penetration of glycolic acid peels has been shown to help in collagen and elastin regeneration helping the fine lines of aging to disappear.

On the whole, the effects of glycolic acid facial peels on the skin can be listed as follows:

• Smoothening of rough, dry skin

• Exfoliation of the dead cells

• Slowing down of the ageing process

• Improving the texture of sun-damaged skin

• Normalizing of oily, acne troubled skin

• Control of acne

• Glycolic acid peels can also be mixed with bleaching agents to correct pigment problems

• Glycolic acid peels can be used as pre-treatment before a TCA peel

Histological effects of glycolic acid treatment are manifested by reduction of stratum corneum thickness, increased epidermal thickness, more orderly differentiation of skin cells and dispersal of melanin within the basal layer.

Candidates for the glycolic acid peel

The biggest advantage of glycolic acid facial peels is that they can be safely used for all skin types. The treatment with glycolic acid peels is useful for the people with:

• Superficial wrinkles of the face, neck, upper chest and arms

• Uneven pigmentation

• Enlarged facial pores

• Superficial acne scars on the face

• Oily skin

• Age spots

• Newly formed acne

Procedure for Treatment with Glycolic Acid Peel

Performing a glycolic acid peel just takes 15-20 minutes. Repeated peeling offers good anti-aging benefits to the skin.

The strength of glycolic acid has been found to affect the results. Generally the strength of each peel ranges from 20-70%, depending on skin sensitivity and the state of the skin at the start of the procedure.

After the face is cleansed thoroughly, the peel solution is applied for a few minutes or longer. The exact duration depends on the particular type of solution and its strength. The peel may sting mildly during the treatment.

The skin may be a little pink immediately after treatment. A little peeling may occur over the next few days. It can be disguised with moisturizer or normal make-up. Remember, protecting your skin from the sun is also important following these mild acid peels. Ask your doctor to recommend a sunblock with adequate UVA and UVB protection and use it every day.



Thanks to Catherine Halls for contributing this article to our Anti-Aging blog:

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Can you answer steme’s question about Anti-Aging?:

I have strech marks & very loose skin on my belly & breasts from pregancy and I can’t afford or don’t what to have a tummy tuck & augementation. does laser skin rejuvenation do anything to help in these areas?

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