Skin Maintenance and Chemical Peels

Some of us are simply interested in a refreshed look. This can be easily achieved by daily use of sunscreens and topical retinoids at night (if tolerated). Occasionally, we need to promote turnover of skin cells by targeting the top layer of skin using the time-tested method of peeling. Gentle chemical peels made of glycolic acid or more potent TCA peels can improve appearance by removing some superficial skin to erase dullness. Another method of exfoliation, microdermabrasion uses ultra-fine aluminum oxide crystals to selectively remove dead layers of skin. This process simultaneously stimulates production of elastin and collagen to effectively promote development of a firmer, more youthful looking skin.

As we progress through life, we might want ‘to turn back time’ and look 10 years younger. Fortunately, treatment options for this dramatic rejuvenation are manifold and can be tailored to one’s goals, age, lifestyle and even ability to tolerate downtime. A treatment plan may incorporate several different modalities: skin resurfacing techniques; laser removal of pigmented spots; laser skin tightening; strategic use of synthetic fillers, volumizers and Botox injections.

Skin Resurfacing for Dramatic Results

Skin resurfacing devices, like the paragon carbon dioxide (CO2) laser, effectively deliver dramatic results. They use controlled damage to trigger the skin’s healing response, a process that eventually leads to skin remodeling and improvement in various signs of aging. Laser resurfacing offers a precise, effective and long-lasting approach to skin rejuvenation. Since this technique directs short and concentrated pulsating beams of light at irregular skin, laser skin resurfacing removes skin very precisely. Specially designed pulsed CO2 lasers can vaporize skin layer-by-layer while causing minimal damage to untargeted skin tissue. While fractional resurfacing with Fraxel uses a very narrow column of light to heat layers of the skin to stimulate collagen production, the cool light of erbium laser treatments facilitate removal of uneven pigmentation and superficial roughness from aging and sun-damaged skin. Plasma resurfacing is a relatively new technology that delivers plasma, a high energy ionized gas, through the epidermis into the deeper layers of the skin where collagen production is stimulated. Indeed, CO2 lasers, erbium lasers and plasma devices can deliver dramatic results in a fractional, ablative or non-ablative manner with downtime inversely correlated to the number of treatments needed.

Skin Tightening

Skin tightening will further enhance the effects of skin resurfacing and are built in with CO2 laser treatments. When length of healing is a concern, radiofrequency can be used to tighten the skin, albeit the results may not be as reliable or long lasting.

Skin Luminosity – Brown, Sun, and Age Spots Treatment

Luminosity of the skin has been shown to directly correlate with a youthful appearance. Most rejuvenation plans therefore incorporate removal of brown/age/sun spots. If downtime with CO2 or erbium laser resurfacing are unacceptable, treatments including a range of laser or non-laser intense pulsed light sources (IPL) may be chosen. Many skin problems of adulthood, such as fine lines, blotchiness, age spots (liver spots, dark spots), surface roughness, wrinkles, and dull, lifeless skin, can be attributed to sun exposure. The unique ability of specific lasers and IPL to specifically target pigment in the skin results in safe, effective and rapid treatment of unsightly skin lesions that have brown pigmentation.

Wrinkle Treatment – Fillers – Botox , Restylane, Elevesse, Radiesse, and others

Stubborn wrinkles and fine lines often require more help than is available at the cosmetics counter. Modern technology has provided an array of fillers and volumizers that can be used over the entire face to strategically and effectively correct static lines and volume loss. In recent years, several new skin fillers have received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating facial wrinkles and are safe and effective options for combating aging skin. Wrinkles are thought to result from the loss of three crucial skin components: collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid through external and internal ageing. Cosmetic injectables offer a variety of safe, non-invasive ways to subtly optimize one’s appearance. Injection procedures with synthetic fillers have revolutionized aesthetic medicine and made cosmetic enhancements safe, easy and affordable. Of particular interest, the synthetic fillers (e.g. Restylane/Juvederm, Elevesse, Radiesse, Artefill and Sculptra) represent a new generation of alternatives to animal-based collagens. These newer products are more versatile in their weights and densities, biocompatible and longer lasting. Injectable fillers can be used to round out wrinkles, lines, and scars, or even to subtly give the face a more desirable shape.

In certain cases, treatment plans might also take advantage of removers of dynamic lines, like Botox, and fillers for volume restoration. Botox cosmetic acts as a safe, reliable medication, which blocks the actions of certain nerves. For wrinkles this means relaxing the muscles that crease the skin or pull the skin down.

Skin Rejuvenation – Summary

Clearly, skin rejuvenation can be effectively customized to individual treatment plans by combination of different modalities ranging from laser, light and other energy-based treatments to injectable fillers, volumizers, chemical peels and other non-ablative methods. The result is a smoother, clearer and healthier and more radiant skin.

A personalized treatment plan of pertinent modalities to skin rejuvenation is a veritable route to maintain youthful vitality throughout life.



Thanks to Dr. Franziska Ringpfeil MD. for contributing this article to our Anti-Aging blog:

Home Glycolic Peel

Microdermabrasion, an anti-aging skin treatment, is gaining popularity for its ease of operation and the benefits that it offers. There are many benefits of microdermabrasion. Its procedure has the potential to meet a variety of your cosmetic objectives like the improvement of fine lines, wrinkles, hyper pigmentation, acne, scars and stretch marks.

The microdermabrasion procedure has shown a lot of promise for the treatment of acne scars. Most people have got good results for the microdermabrasion treatment of their acne scars. These positive results have immensely contributed towards the success of microdermabrasion as a skin resurfacing treatment for acne scars.

The best thing about microdermabrasion treatment is that it is a very mild procedure. It scores over both chemical peels and dermabrasion as ablative resurfacing technique by being less traumatic and less time consuming. With microdermabrasion treatment there is no downtime required for the recovery. There are other benefits of microdermabrasion as well. This treatment is a lunch time procedure which you can get done at any out patient’s clinic. The easy to operate procedure can easily be performed at an average skin-enhancement clinic. The procedure uses a closed-loop negative pressure microdermabrasion unit that passes aluminum oxide crystals for abrading the skin under the negative vacuum pressure.

Practical Microdermabrasion Information

The right kind of microdermabrasion information is important before going for this treatment. Microdermabrasion treatment can be used to treat a vast range of skin imperfections. It is especially effective for treating skin aging and photo damage. Microdermabrasion can be used on most skin types and most of the skin disorders like aging skin, wrinkles, acne scars, enlarged pores, rhytides, keratoses, blemished skin, thickened skin and brown spots and pigmentation.

For most skin disorders, a minimum of five treatments is recommended. On average, the frequency of microdermabrasion treatments can vary between 4 to 8 treatments performed with approximately 2 week intervals between each successive procedure. The time interval is necessary for recovering the skin barrier function that is damaged after an aluminum oxide crystal microdermabrasion procedure is performed. Generally, it takes a time period of 1 to 4 days to recover the function and bring about an improvement in the skin tone. Repeating the superficial peeling procedure at 2-week intervals will allow sufficient time for the damaged skin to recover its barrier function. Most patients actually feel and see a difference after just one or two treatments, but scheduling additional treatments helps to increase and maintain the improvement. The skin improvement after microdermabrasion treatment is brought about by stimulation of fibroblast proliferation and collagen production. The new collagen deposition makes the skin smoother and reduces the visibility of skin blemishes.

Microdermabrasion treatment of acne scars requires more intense and aggressive treatment with more passes and more rounds of microdermabrasion treatment to get the best results.

Similarly raised or deeply pitted skin areas (possibly from old severe acne scars) and darker pigmented areas require multiple treatments.

Limitations of Microdermabrasion Procedure

Microdermabrasion is a mild procedure and it cannot be advised for those who have heavily damaged skin for which a more aggressive approach like a laser or a deep chemical peel needs to be tried.

Microdermabrasion is not able to remove tattoos, neither it is able to remove acne scars which are very deep down the skin. Similarly undiagnosed lesions, recent herpes outbreaks, warts, active, weeping acne (stages 3 to 4) and active rosacea are the skin disorders that cannot be treated with microdermabrasion.

Lastly microdermabrasion procedure is not suitable for patients who have had any type of facial rejuvenation procedure or treatment such as Botox injections, collagen implants, or chemical peels within the past 3-6 months.



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

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