I hear you....OK....it has been a lot of information on skin...I know. This will be the last installment on skin, at least for a little while. I am going to talk a little about skin color changes or dyschromias. No YouTube this week...couldn't find a good one for ya'll.
What causes dyschromia in our skin?? The same old things...too much sun and poor skin care habits. Added to these problems are hormone changes, rosacea, venous changes in the skin, skin thinning with age, etc. All of these problems create the browns and reds that become apparent as time progresses. The terminology for dark spots are poikiloderma or brown spotting that usually occurs on the chest after years of tanning and melasma or brown discoloration on the cheeks and face in a mask like distribution. Melasma can occur in younger women during pregnancy and is certainly related to hormonal changes with pregnancy and menopause. When the sun is added to these changes, it can be dramatic. We also can get vascular changes in the face. The most common areas are on the cheeks and around the base of the nose. Here you may see visible veins, small cherry red spots, even a generalized redness.
After identifying the changes, what can we do about them?
There are many approaches and all of them begin with good basic skin care. I recommend some type of retinol cream and a topical vitamin C along with this. To help tame those brown spots I also add hydroquinone to turn off the melanocyte that produces the pigment. Retinols are vitamin A compounds that help thin the "dead" layer of skin and stimulate growth of new skin. Over time they make a big difference. Sun screen is also crucial to help stop the damage. At Total Body Surgical, we use the Obagi system because they are pharmaceutical grade and make a dramatic difference over time.
After taking care of the basics we can address the color issue with lasers and Intense Pulsed Light or IPL. The IPL is a flash lamp system with wavelengths that target the pigment we want to get rid of. The reds are diminished and the browns crust off while turning off the melanocyte. IPL treatments are usually done in a series of 3 to 5, about a month or so apart to be successful. Vascular lasers are used to treat hemangiomas, visible veins, and larger red spots. These treatments can be combined with milder forms of laser skin resurfacing. At Total Body Surgical we use Cutera technology. This system has the Limelight IPL system that is good at treating multiple pigments in the skin. We also have the Pearl which is mentioned in this segment,
The Pearl is a good way to get immediate results with the added benefit of "buffing" the skin. This creates a new skin feel that is softer, recreating that glow that is age defying. The treatments can be "stacked" on each other to get the benefits of both. When used for treating pigment, recovery times are usually no more than 4 days.
Well, that about covers the face. From facial skin care to face lifting and implants.
We have extended the breast augmentation special pricing through July so don't miss out, -Breast Aumentation....ACT NOW!!!
I am also working on a special Pearl package for the fall (you should not be tanning when we do it) as this is the perfect time to start.
Next week....tackling obesity with the Lap Band!!!
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