Your skin must deal with a variety of conditions that are caused by one or more factors. These factors include the natural aging process, genetic predisposition, hereditary traits, environmental exposures, trauma / injuries, opportunistic diseases, and fungi. With all of these skin conditions to deal with - its no wonder so many people spend a substantial amount of their discretionary income on protecting and rejuvenating their skin. Some of the most common conditions we treat at the Newport Beach and Beverly Hills, CA skin care practices include:
- Wrinkles
- As we age, changes in the connective tissue reduce the skin's strength and elasticity. This is called elastosis and is common among those continuously exposed to extreme weather - including the sun. Elastosis produces the leathery, weather-beaten look common to outdoor workers and certain sports professionals. Minor wrinkles - particularly those around the eyes, on the forehead, and along the upper neck line, can be substantially reduced with traditional laser microdermabrasion and diamond peel microdermabrasion.
- Bleeding under the skin
- Caused by Cherry Angiomas and in some cases, spider veins, these fairly common afflictions vary in size and location. Though they can occur almost anywhere, they seem to develop mostly on the trunk. They are most common after the age of 40. In some cases these and the more common spider veins can be easily and almost painlessly removed and the affected area substantially improved in appearance. See "Spider Veins" below for more information.
- Skin dryness
- Our sebaceous glands produce less oil as we age. Men experience a lesser decrease but women begin producing less oil after the onset of menopause. This causes skin dryness that must be treated regularly in order to maintain a more beautiful, youthful appearance.
- Smile lines
- These lines, starting just above the bottom of the nose and trailing downward toward the outsides of the mouth, are a natural indicator of advancing years. They can make a significant impact on your appearance but can be reduced or eliminated with either surgery or a series of treatments that rebuild the collagen and generate skin growth. This non surgical facelift is also augmented with collagen fills or the use or Restylane - a new, long lasting "filler" that is injected subcutaneously.
- Expression lines
- Also referred to as furrowed brow, these lines are most noticeable on the forehead and between the eyebrows. They are most successfully treated with regular Botox injections. An ongoing program of Botox injections 2 - 4 times per year will assure the patient that her forehead will always be smooth and youthful looking.
- Acne scars
- It is important to note the difference between treating Acne and treating Acne scars. Acne is a condition that responds to a variety of medications ranging from gentle to aggressive. The more aggressive medications often have side effects - but slow or end the Acne condition more quickly and more completely. The gentler Acne medications are slower to take effect - but have fewer side effects and thus, are more easily tolerated by the patient.
- Acne scars are actual damage to the skin. Scare tissue has built up as a result of the Acne condition and irritation caused by scratching or possible incorrect uses of abrasive or caustic treatments. Rapid reduction of Acne scars is most effectively done using certain types of microdermabrasion procedures that gradually reduce the thickness of the scar tissue that built up over the duration of the Acne condition. Repeated, scheduled treatment of gentle - possibly Diamond Peel Microdermabrasion procedures - gradually reduces the scar tissue in stages. As the scar tissue is brushed away, the skin layers beneath are stimulated to regenerate new, healthy skin cells which are pushed to the surface. Eventually, a much larger percentage of the affected area is populated by healthy skin cells and normal cosmetic treatments can begin for a more natural and youthful looking skin.
- Spider Veins
- The traditional method of treating spider veins and Port wine stains is with a procedure called sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy injects a mild irritant solution directly on the site of the spider veins and creates a mild, controlled injury that stimulates the body's natural healing mechanisms to grow new tissue on the weakened area. To augment the sclerotherapy, several variations of highly controlled light flash therapy are used to accelerate healing and cause afflicted areas to heal and clear more quickly.
- Redness, broken capillaries, brown spots, fine wrinkles and large pores
- These conditions are very common among men and women above the age of 50. They simply occur because of hereditary predisposition and exposure to the elements. Our FotoFacial procedure goes beyond modern laser pulsed light treatments with highly controlled light exposure based upon the specific condition of our patient. With FotoFacial therapy, skin is remarkably rejuvenated with no patient downtime. Patients experience smoother skin and significantly visible improvements in irregular pigmentation, fine wrinkles, and reduced pore size. Flushing and symptoms of Rosacea improve more than 75% - most of the time.
General advice - the most common enemy of young, healthy looking skin is dryness. Dryness occurs naturally as we age. The easiest way to counteract skin dryness is to regularly apply moisturizers, often as much as 2 - 3 times a day. You have many choices among skin moisturizers but a little knowledge and advice from your skin care Physician, or Dermatologist, can help you make the right choices throughout your golden years.
As a general rule, it's best to avoid petroleum based moisturizers because they have very little healing effect and inhibit your skin from breathing. This can actually accelerate the aging process. When you wash, be sure to use mild soaps. Harsh soaps, though they may seem more effective in (caustically) removing certain types of dirt and grime - have a tendency to dry the skin out. This is exactly the opposite of what you are trying to do with moisturizers.
You may have heard about Shea butter. If you haven't tried it yet, do so. Shea butter is getting a lot of attention from skin care experts because of its healing component -- the percentage of Shea butter that is a natural medication. The healing component of Shea butter is much higher than that of any other moisturizer. Shea butter is available under a variety of brand names and your skin care Physician has some favorites that have worked best for his or her patients.
If you decide to use Shea butter, Shea butter can be processed in several different ways. Be sure to use unrefined shea butter and avoid buying shea butter processed using chemicals (eg, hexane). High quality, unrefined shea butter is available from many sources.
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restylane
wrinkles
spider veins
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