DERMATOLOGY
Dr. Larry Bishop
New technology offers an array of choices
WANT TO MAKE a difference in how you’ll look years from now? As we mature, pores become larger, skin develops lines, and age spots begin to show. The face starts to lose volume, which enhances the lines of a maturing face.
How can we slow down the changes that time brings, but do it in a way that allows us to still look like ourselves? The answers lie in three facets of the foundation of cosmetic skin care: Protect, Repair and Restore.
Protect: There are many facets of skin protection, but none of them are as important as protection from ultraviolet light. Although there seem to be as many sun protection products as there are stars in the night sky, many of them are inadequate for the serious consumer. Seek out a product that is cosmetically elegant (doesn’t leave the skin white), blocks both Ultraviolet A (the aging rays), as well as Ultraviolet B (the cancer-causing rays). SkinCeuticals’ Mexoryl-containing Active UV Defense is excellent and meets the above criteria, as do Neutrogena’s Helioplex and LaRoche Posay’s Anthelios.
NEW ERA: We’ve entered the era of non-surgical facial rejuvenation. There are a whole new generation of fillers that mimic a naturally occurring substance in the skin called hyaluronic acid, which gives young skin the plump, firm look and can help restore the fullness to cheeks and upper face.
If there is one thing about the “maturation” process that drives us all crazy, it’s the lines. As we mature, we begin to “iron in” lines of expression around our eyes, between our eyebrows and around our mouth. These lines begin to etch into our face beginning in our mid thirties, making us look tired, angry and older, particularly at the end of the day.
Amazingly though, if the muscles around the eyes and mouth are relaxed, the etched-in lines tend to diminish, and even disappear. The only current FDA-approved method of relaxing periorbital lines is Botox Cosmetic®. When used by experienced specialists, Botox has proven to be safe and effective when used in the minimal doses used for cosmetic treatment.
Repair: The accumulated damage from years of exposure to lights, toxic and irritating chemicals and the wear and tear of daily living takes its toll. You can, however, help reverse the changes by using the newest generation of antioxidants on the market. They help repair oxidative damage and enhance the natural healing mechanisms we already have in place. Two products that are at the cutting edge of reparative chemistry are Prevage MD and SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic. Each works with the body’s own repair mechanisms to fix the skin at the cellular level.
Beyond repairing the oxidative damage with anti-oxidants, another significant thing one can do is to add a retinoid to the regimen. Retinoids, of which Retin-A and Renova are the most well known examples, help rejuvenate the skin by increasing collagen formation in the layer just below the epidermis. This new collagen helps cut down on bruising later in life, makes the skin more resilient, and makes the skin look younger. Additionally, retinoids provide modest defense against the formation of skin cancers.
THERE SEEMS to be as many sun protection products as there are stars in the night sky, but many of them are inadequate for the serious consumer. Seek out a product that is cosmetically elegant (doesn’t leave the skin white), blocks both Ultraviolet A (the aging rays), as well as Ultraviolet B (the cancer-causing rays).
Restore: Ten years ago, the only way to achieve loss of wrinkles, improvement of dark spots and rejuvenation of the texture of the skin was to use a laser that ablated, or destroyed, the entire top layer of the skin. The result was raw, oozing skin for up to two weeks or longer; pink, shiny skin for up to two months and skin that was often abnormally light forever. All that has changed.
Now, we have an array of choices for facial rejuvenation. Intense pulsed light systems such as the Palomar Starlux Photofacial System and other systems such as the Lumenis PhotoDerm reverse mild to moderate sun and age spots, as well as the redness and tiny blood vessels that develop with time. This option also is fantastic for the “age spots” that develop on the hands.
For those looking for renewed collagen and treatment of textural changes, fine lines and moderate to severe age spots, the best new concept has been the development of fractional laser therapy. At the beginning of the “Fractional Age,” the Reliant Fraxel 1500 (also referred to as the Fraxel II or Fraxel re:store) was the most prominent member of the new class, but it has been joined by other systems such as Sciton’s ProFractional and Palomar’s Lux 1540.
These lasers nearly match the results of the older lasers as far as skin renewal, but with very important advantages — they do not cause the raw, oozing skin and prolonged “down time.” For many patients who want to look their very best, the fractional lasers have been a home run.
The Next Generation
Finally, we have entered the era of non-surgical facial rejuvenation. There are a whole new generation of fillers that mimic a naturally occurring substance in the skin called hyaluronic acid, which gives young skin the plump, firm look and can help restore the fullness to cheeks and upper face. The most well known of these are Juvéderm and Restylane.
And if those weren’t enough, there is a new, long lasting filler called Radiesse that helps fill in the deep furrows along the side of the chin and mouth, as well as augment the cheeks to restore the sagging architecture of the face.
Science has finally given us ways to protect, repair and restore our skin. With today’s emphasis on healthy lifestyles, it is now possible to look as good as you feel.
Dr. Bishop attended Wright State University medical school and then served nine years in the Air Force as a flight surgeon. An affiliate of MIMA, he specializes in cosmetic and surgical dermatology, including Mohs Micrographic Surgery, and non-surgical rejuvenation of the face. You may call Dr. Bishop at 321-751-9097, or CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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