Delay the Effects of Facial Aging Part I

Give Yourself a Rejuvenated Face

Do you have new lines or wrinkles appearing overnight?

Have you been thinking of correcting your skin tone, blemishes and texture?

Is your face has been losing volume and your skin folds are becoming more prominent?

If your answer to any of these questions is “yes”, you will benefit from a variety of non-invasive and non-surgical medical cosmetic treatments. These treatments help restore and refresh the natural look and appearance of your face and skin.

It is well known that the aging process is inevitable; however, researchers have found that 30 percent of the aging process is genetic and 70 percent is affected by our lifestyle and behavior choices.

It is time you take matters into your own hands!

The skin is the largest organ of the body. It varies from one area of the body to another, and it also differs among individuals.

Natural aging of the face is caused by extrinsic (external) and intrinsic (internal) factors.

The most common external factor that causes significant damage to our skin is overexposure to ultraviolet light (sun rays). Smoking is another significant contributor to facial aging. Therefore, the number one anti-aging product is the application of a good-quality sun block, appropriate for your skin type. Also, if you are a smoker, discuss with your physician treatment alternatives to help you quit smoking.

Another crucial anti-aging treatment is the daily care you give to your skin. Cleansing, exfoliating, hydrating, treating and nourishing the skin are essential steps to maintain and optimize the condition of your skin by increasing the rate of cellular turnover. As we age, medical skin care products are recommended to achieve better results for your skin. These types of skin products contain a higher concentration of active ingredients which are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Commercial and store brand skin products have a lower concentration of these active ingredients, and you end up paying mostly for their name brand and advertisement.

As we age, these are the facial changes that occur:

– Loss of elasticity and tone due to collagen and hyaluronic acid breakdown causing lines and wrinkles. Collagen is the major structural protein for the entire body.

– Decrease in the cell turnover rate of the skin, causing the surface of the skin to become dry and rough.

– The upper layers of the skin can get very thin making it look translucent and revealing broken capillaries and increased redness.

– Uneven tone mainly caused by sun damage and hormonal changes during pregnancy, menopause and oral contraceptives.

– Frequent contraction of the facials muscles causes pronunciation of lines, wrinkles and creases that become more visible with the face at rest.

– Loss of volume from the “fat pads” and bone. Gravity causes stretching and laxity of the supportive tissue, making areas of the face drop, creating deep skin folds such as smile lines and marionette lines.

If you have been considering starting a medical skin rejuvenation process, I recommend you not to wait until the skin has lost a significant amount of elasticity, then requiring plastic surgery. However, a face lift will not provide relaxation of the dynamic wrinkles that occur with muscle contractions or restore volume loss that occurs with aging. These types of changes will require non-surgical medical cosmetic treatments. I admit there are some situations where surgical interventions are required, as with droopy eyelids, double chin or saggy skin on the lower face and neck area.

If you are on a budget and you would like to start improving the condition of your skin and delaying the aging process, there are some less expensive alternatives you can receive without breaking your pocket and with no downtime…

Restoring skin tone and texture, and diminishing lines and wrinkles:

I recommend my clients to start with a series of chemical peels or microdermabrasion or the combination of both. Chemical peels have been used for decades to revitalize and resurface the skin, by removing layers of dull and dry skin. There are several types of chemical peels and each type will have a different concentration of the acid in it.

Microdermabrasion (MDA) uses fine aluminum oxide crystals or a diamond tip to manually exfoliate layers of dead skin cells, revealing healthier skin.

The combination of microdermabrasion and chemical peel (Micro-Peel) will enhance the results, revealing healthier and smoother skin with an even tone.

On average, visible improvement of the skin occurs after the fourth or fifth treatment. According to the client response to the treatment, we can change the type and concentration of the chemical peels to obtain better results. Studies have shown that these cosmetic procedures help stimulate the rebuilding of collagen and skin cell growth, returning firmness and a healthy glow to the skin.

Clients with advanced aging of the skin can benefit from other types of aesthetic treatments such as ablative lasers, radiofrequency or deeper chemical peels. Usually, there is a downtime with these types of procedures, from 7 to 14 days.

Maintenance treatments are required and the frequency will depend on the rate of cellular turnover and sun damage. Prices for chemical peels can vary from $75 to $500 per treatment.

Repairing sun damage and improving skin tone:

If you are a good candidate, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is an excellent treatment to remove unwanted skin discolorations and sun spots without harming the skin.

– IPL technology utilizes a broad spectrum light source to target and destroys unwanted blood vessels, uneven discolorations due to sun damage or skin redness. Also, IPL can be used for hair removal. IPL can stimulate the formation of new collagen, toning the skin, and decrease lines and wrinkles. A series of treatments are recommended to obtain maximum results. Prices for IPL can vary from $250 to $ 500 per treatment.

– Chemical peels are another safe alternative for clients who have darker skin tone and who are not good candidates for IPL treatments.

Maintenance treatments are required, and the frequency will depend on your home skin regimen and sun exposure.

Removal of red spots, broken capillaries and rosacea:

As I previously described, IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is an excellent modality of treatment, helping even out-skin tone by coagulating and destroying facial veins and broken capillaries, while leaving the surrounding skin unchanged and unharmed.

Vascular Lasers are another excellent alternative for larger facial and leg spider veins.
Maintenance treatments are required and the frequency will depend on sun exposure and Rosacea flare-ups. Prices for IPL can vary from $250 to $500 per treatment.

Studies have shown that by starting these treatments before the visible signs of aging on the face, it can delay the aging process from 5 to 10 years or even more in some patients. Remember, the end result will depend of your home skin care regimen, sun protection and application of a sun block with the right SPF for your skin type.

Also, it is important to provide your body with balanced nutrition, rich in essential nutrients, and supplemented with whole food daily multivitamins, calcium, vitamin D3 and omega-3 fish oil. These supplements will help restore your skin, as well as your hair and nails, which are an extension of your skin.

It is not necessary to receive all these aesthetic treatments at one visit. At The Aesthetic & Wellness Center, we listen to your concerns and give you the best treatment options.

Next month will continue our discussion in Part II.