New Technologies Allow You to Look
Years Younger Without Surgery
Baby
boomers battling sun damage, age, acne, rosacea, melasma, and hyperpigmentation
have increased the demand for non-surgical approaches to facial rejuvenation. This has resulted in many new non-ablative
technologies including laser, light based LED, muscle stimulation/micro-current,
and the ultimate, skin tightening with dermal heating devices such as the new
Titan. Unfortunately, not one
technology can produce a complete result.
It is important to combine good skin care, AHA chemical peels,
microdermabrasion, photodynamic therapy, lasers, pulsed light, muscle
stimulation (medilift), botox, and filler agents such as Restlyne to achieve a
complete effect, resulting in the non-surgical face lift and rejuvenation. The combination of these technologies is now
the standard and can be accomplished in just a few hours with no down-time.
VISIA – Complexion Analysis of Sun
Damage http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/health/edell/050504_he_skin_scan.html
The first step towards rejuvenation is predicting
the future of your skin and a detailed plan of treatment, this is made possible
with the latest breakthrough in digital technology. Now, for the first time,
it's possible to find out how fast the skin on your face and neck is destined
to age and what damage has already been done. The VISIATM Complexion Analysis
provides breakthrough digital high-resolution photographs and computer analysis
of the skin's complexion, enabling you to discover what issues may be causing
additional signs of aging in your skin.
The VISIA takes high quality digital images
of the various layers of skin. The images are then analyzed by the computer to
measure skin conditions, wrinkles, evenness, spots, texture, pores and
pigmentation as compared to the same age group and ethnicity. The skin is
analyzed in the following categories: brown spots; pores; porphyrins (bacteria
beneath the skin that causes acne, redness and thereby uneven tone to the
skin); wrinkles; evenness; and UV spots.
The UV mode, which is extremely important
here in Baja California, shows subsurface skin conditions, including sun damage
that will give you a picture of what your skin will look like ten years from
now. If people don't start taking preventive and restorative measures to
reverse damage now, it will be much harder to fix the problems in the future.
And best of all, the cost of this procedure is extremely inexpensive around $50
USD. The computer program then produces
a complete plan, including all possible treatment modalities based on the
findings and six complete photos of the skin that the patient takes home with
them.
Skincare- http://www.shorelaser.com/Cosmeceuticals.html
Appropriate skincare is fundamental
to any regimen for facial rejuvenation, with aggressive sunscreen protection
being first and foremost. Mild photo-damage responds well with a combination of
sunscreen and a variety of cosmeceutical preparations such as vitamin C containing
products, peptides, alpha/beta hydroxyl acid preparations and light peels. Moderate photo-damage is best approached by
the addition of retinoids such as Renova and Retin A and bleaching agents such
as Hydroquinone. Note: Generic Retin-A
is available here in the baja for approximately $50 pesos at any pharmacy.
Retin-A: http://allaboutplasticsurgery.com/retin-a.html
Photo-rejuvenation, AHA Chemical
Peels, and Microdermabrasion
The facial canvas is best addressed
by photo-rejuvenation and a combination of microdermabrasion and or AHA
chemical peels. Removal of the dead and
damaged skin cells results in improved
quality, texture, color, and elasticity of the skin. After the treated skin regenerates (3-5 days), there is a
decrease in fine wrinkling, a more even skin tone, and improvement in skin
quality. Lasers and light sources are
used to address telangiectasias (spider veins), hyperpigmentation (brown
patches), age spots and benign pigmented lesions and to stimulate collagen
production. Deeper pigmentations such
as melasma is best addressed with chemical peeling and laser combination.
Photodynamic Photo-rejuvenation
Some patients have exaggerated photo-damage
manifested by actinic keratoses (pre-cancerous lesions) and more pronounced
hyperpigmentation, vascular anomalies and pigmentary changes. For these patients, the use of
5-aminolevulinic acid in conjuction with photo-rejuvenation is appropriate. This treatment is very successful in
treating acne as well.
Actinic Keratoses:
abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/health/ wabc_oncall_012204_lightcancer.html
Acne: http://www.allaboutyouth.net/alavideo.htm
Muscle Stimulation and Microcurrent http://www.leafskincare.com/movie5.html
A total rejuvenation
would not be complete without addressing both the muscles of the face and loose
skin for a complete lift. You may have seen this non-surgical face lift, the
newest rage in Hollywood, featured on E-entertainment, Oprah, or Good Morning
America. Why all this notoriety?, because for the first time, an efficient and
effective method has been developed for a non-surgical face-lift and body
contouring.The Diamond Medilift®
provides a 5-wave length device that can be used to tone muscles anywhere on
the body as well as decrease and mobilize fat in certain areas. This technique
is based on the response of muscles to electric stimulation. Electric
stimulation has been used for years to stimulate muscle tone. It is clear that
with age, muscle weakness and decreased tone are prevalent. Although one may
exercise facial muscles, it is very difficult to do so when there are 108
muscles in the face. With proper pad placement, the muscles of the face can be
stimulated to increase their size and tone. This will fill in the gaps that
cause wrinkles from poor muscle tone. Equally important is the ability of the
Medilift® to tone and
tighten the skin over the muscles with micro-current. The program usually
requires 12-18 treatments. These can be done 2-3 times per week. Just one
treatment will clearly shows the ability of this technique to elevate the
drooping eyes and muscles.
The Titan Procedure: http://www.monaspaandlaser.com/news.htm
This safe,
comfortable, and non-surgical laser treats lax and redundant skin throughout
the body – and stimulates long-term
collagen rebuilding. A new non-ablative medical device: Titan has been
successful in producing skin contraction leading to lifting of eyebrows and/or
improvement of lower face and neck skin laxity. This device has also been used
successfully in other body areas such as abdomen, arms and thighs. Immediate
changes have been noticed in the vast majority of patients. Patient satisfaction has been remarkable. There is no down time
and no incisions or scars either. Additionally, the patient will look like
himself after the procedure. The results have a remarkable natural look which,
plastic surgery rarely can match. The patient will look less tired, with a
freshened look. Patients can go back to
their normal activities right away. Erythema (redness) is sometimes seen in
patients with fair complexions, but it usually fades within an hour. Procedure time 45min to 1 hour one to two treatments. Results immediate – continued improvement
over next 3-5 months.
Botox http://allaboutplasticsurgery.com/botox.html
Botox
offers excellent results in the glabella (area between the eyes) forehead,
periorbital area (around the eyes) and selected rhytides of the lower face
(vertical lip, lower chin). A more immediate and complete result is seen when Botox
when combined with photo-rejuvenation.
Time 1 hour/ Results 5 days
Fillers http://www.restylane.com/consumer/DynPage.aspx?id=8597
Deeper
wrinkles and acne scaring are best addressed with fillers. Semi-permanent fillers are used widely for
this indication. The newer hyaluronic
fillers Restylane and Aquamid last much longer than the once used collagen (9
months and 5 years respectively). The
best approach is to usually wait one week after photo rejuvenation to assess
the appropriate need for the fillers. Time 1 hour – results immediate
In summary,
remember, be aggressive with your sunblock and be sure to reapply every 2-3
hours, it is the first step in prevention of photo-aging. Define a clear plan for rejuvenation with a
complete diagnostic evaluation. Use the
listed websites for more information on non-surgical rejuvenation
procedures. By combining all the new
technologies for muscle and skin tightening, collagen stimulation and skin
resurfacing a younger looking you is just hours away.
Cathy Dammann-Fleishman is a Certified
Advanced Medical Aesthetics Practitioner and has certifications in Aesthetics,
Light and Laser Therapies, Massage, Microdermabrasion, Chemical Peels,
Electrolysis and Hair Removal. She is
the owner of Spa Cielo, specializing in the newest technologies for non-surgical,
non-ablative, anti-aging, skin and body rejuvenation. Spa Cielo is located in San Jose del Cabo, Plaza Los Portales, 3rd
Floor Blockbuster Building. 624-128-4501
New Machine
Evaluates Skin's Sun Damage
May 5 — Most of us are careful to avoid the effects of the sun on
our skin. But as careful as we are there may be a toll. Now a new high-tech
machine is giving patients a unique look at the condition of their skin. Dr.
Dean Edell reports.
We know the sun can be
bad for our skin, and most of assume any sun damage would be clearly visible...
maybe not.
Christine Harney, patient: "I initially came here because I had a lot of dark sun spots."
Christna's sun spots had gotten darker during her recent pregnancy although she tried to avoid the sun.
Even if you're really careful about applying sunscreen, most faces still show some amount of sun damage. If you want to know how much, a new machine provides a photographic report card on the condition of your skin.
Walnut Creek dermatologist Dr. Jerome Potozkin is one of the first Bay Area doctors to use the new Visia system. As Christina's face is scanned the computer creates a series of photos evaluating the condition of her skin.
Jerome Potozkin, M.D., dermatologist: "With the VISIA system we are able to show patients not only what they can see on the surface but what also what's hidden underneath."
For instance on Christina's first visit, the photos showed splotches and uneven skin tone. But the real surprise was the scan showing much more ultraviolet damage than expected. The photo highlighted 31 points of UV damage not visible to the naked eye. It scared Christina.
Christina: "Instant panic and it made me start using 60 sunscreen immediately."
And Dr. Potozkin began a series of five photo-facial intense pulsed light treatments to reverse the damage and resurface Christina's skin.
Christina is halfway through her treatments and is back to see how her skin is doing. When her original photo is compared to today's scan there's a definite improvement. The freckling, sun spots and discolorations are practically gone leaving smoother skin.
Christina: "It's been great, people notice all the time."
The most dramatic improvement was the UV scan. Christina's orginal 31 spots are reduced to only four, real proof that her laser treatments are working.
Dr. Potozkin: "We can quantify the results. It allows us to have more validity to any studies were doing and evaluating new technologies."
And Christina agrees, the scan was invaluable.
Christina: "It helped motivate me to do something about the sun damage that I had and to prevent any further from happening"
After all, seeing is believing.
There's no extra charge for VISIA. The doctor includes it as part of a patient evaluation appointment costing about $85.
More Information:
· Procter & Gamble press release
Newswise — The ongoing quest for healthy, beautiful skin is typically considered a woman’s pursuit. However, with the advent of the ‘metrosexual,’ the gender lines are becoming more and more blurred when it comes to what’s male and what’s female. Dermatologists say skin care is one area seeing a gender shift, with the ‘average guy’ becoming more interested in maintaining the look of healthy skin while protecting it from environmental factors. And yet, in spite of this evolution in personal care, one thing that has not changed is men’s desire to keep skin care simple.
Speaking today at the American Academy of Dermatology’s (Academy) Derm Update 2004, dermatologist Christopher B. Harmon, M.D., clinical instructor, department of dermatology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Ala., discussed three basic steps men can follow to achieve healthy skin.
“While men are increasingly more motivated to take care of their skin, they generally will not comply with complicated or time-consuming routines,” said Dr. Harmon. “The key to skin care for men is to create a simple, daily program that is high on results and low on maintenance.”
STEP 1: Select an Appropriate Cleanser
According to Dr. Harmon, the first step men should follow in a daily skin
care routine is to wash their skin once a day using a cleanser that is
appropriate for their specific skin type. Mild, hypoallergenic cleansers that
are fragrance-free
are generally good products for men with fair complexions, blonde hair and blue
eyes. These cleansers also work well for men with sensitive skin that becomes
easily irritated.
Individuals with oily skin should use more drying cleansers, such as those containing alcohol, which dissolves the oil on the skin. Men with oily skin also can use plain soap and water. Conversely, men with dry skin should avoid astringents and any product with alcohol because they easily strip away moisture from the skin.
STEP 2: Moisturize
Once skin is clean, the next step men should follow in a daily skin care
routine is to moisturize in order to hydrate the skin. For men, daily
moisturizers help maintain a balance between oiliness and dryness and therefore
play an important role in keeping skin healthy. However, these moisturizers
also should offer sun protection against harmful UVA and UVB rays, as well as
antioxidants to guard against free radicals in the environment that can age the
skin.
“All-in-one products are the key to simplifying this step for men,” advised Dr.
Harmon. “Men should look for moisturizers containing a broad-spectrum sunscreen
with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, as well as antioxidants in
order to maximize the application’s benefits while avoiding the use of multiple
products.”
Dr. Harmon went on to say that individuals with oily skin do not need the heavy
oils found in some moisturizers and should use moisturizers specifically
designed for oily skin. Those with sensitive skin should use moisturizers
designed for this skin type because they tend to be less abrasive and contain
gentler, yet still effective, ingredients.
STEP 3: Apply a Topical Retinoid
For most men, the final step in a daily skin care routine is to apply a topical
retinoid at bedtime to decrease acne and oiliness, reduce the appearance of
fine lines, wrinkles and age spots, and help prevent the signs of aging. The
daily use of retinoids also may protect again future skin cancers by promoting
cell turnover and eliminating pre-cancerous, sun-damaged cells.
“Retinoids are very effective in reducing the appearance of sun spots and
aging,” said Dr. Harmon. “However, products containing retinoids may be drying
and increase the chance of skin flaking and redness, so it’s important to also
use a moisturizer that contains sunscreen in order to keep skin hydrated and
combat the increased sun sensitivity that is associated with these products.”
While retinoid products (most commonly retinal) are available over the counter
(OTC), some men may need higher levels of retinoids than what are available OTC
in order to see results. Dr. Harmon commented that prescription retinoid
products have the greatest amount of scientific data to support their
effectiveness and contain retinoic acid or tazarotene as the active ingredient.
According to Dr. Harmon, “Effective skin care doesn’t have to be time-consuming or fussy. Regardless of gender, if a person is having difficulty figuring out the best way to care for his or her skin, my advice is to work with a dermatologist who can help identify the best skin care program for the individual skin type.”