901 Health: Want to Rejuvenate Your Skin?

Specialists recommend the best ways to regain that youthful glow.

by

As the blustery days of winter unfurl, the result is often flaky, itchy skin. The season’s dryness can exact a toll that makes us look weathered — and who needs that? Take heart. With a little help from skincare professionals, your face can regain its youthful glow. We spoke with a dermatologist and a plastic surgeon to learn about treatments that help rejuvenate the skin and brighten your appearance.

Ease Those Frown Lines

Botox is a toxin that temporarily paralyzes muscles, thus reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Botox injections can help soften crow’s feet, furrowed brows, and those vertical lines that form between the eyes.

As a dermatologist with Memphis Dermatology Clinic, Dr. Emily Overholser has seen consumer practices change during her 10-year career.

“I’ve noticed a shift towards preventative procedures,” she says. Young women in their 20s and 30s are requesting toxins and fillers in hopes of slowing down the aging process. “Some do Botox now to prevent deep wrinkles that might come with age,” she says.

Overholser says your skin naturally loses its elasticity from age and sun damage. A dermatologist can assess your skin condition and help create a personalized care plan. “My goal is to not make you look frozen and half your age but to look well-rested at any age,” she says.

The Procedure: Botox injections take up to 30 minutes. You’ll notice a difference in one to five days. Results last for up to six months.

Chemical Peels

Once we enter adulthood, our bodies begin making less collagen, which serves as a natural “filler” to smooth skin and reduce wrinkles. But did you know collagen production can also be affected by lifestyle choices? According to the Harvard School of Public Health, too much time in the sun, smoking, excess drinking, and getting inadequate amounts of rest and exercise can accelerate the normal aging process of your skin. So now is the time to take action.

You can rejuvenate your skin and encourage collagen production several ways, via chemical peels or laser treatments. Chemical peels remove blemishes that appear on the skin over time, such as age spots and discolorations associated with sun damage. The use of chemicals as exfoliants often improves fine lines while tightening the skin, notes Dr. Phillip Langsdon, a plastic surgeon with the Langsdon Clinic.

Peels come in different strengths. A light peel uses a solution that contains glycolic acid or salicylic acid. It works by removing the upper layer of the skin. Once the peel is completed, new skin comes back smoother. The more damaged the skin, the stronger the peel, requiring a different formulation of acids. That also affects the length of time it takes to heal.

Langsdon says he and his wife, Carol, RNP, often try out new skin products and devices on themselves first to determine their effectiveness. Langsdon had a chemical peel several years ago, “and I was glad I did it, because now I know what my patients experience,” he says.

“I never tell a patient I can remove wrinkles,” he says, “but if I can, my goal is to reduce them and make the skin look better.”

The Procedure: With a light peel, you’ll experience some redness, mild irritation, and peeling. Symptoms may last up to several weeks. The result will be a brighter, more blemish-free appearance, though new skin may temporarily be lighter or darker than normal.

Laser Treatments

Laser skin resurfacing uses ablative or non-ablative lasers. Ablative lasers can get rid of acne scarring and deep wrinkles by removing the top layers of the skin, thus encouraging collagen production. Non-ablative lasers, such as pulsed light and fractional lasers, do not remove skin layers. These are used to address rosacea, port wine stains, cherry angiomas, and red blood vessel bumps.

The laser is moved slowly over the skin, taking a few minutes or longer depending on the treatment, as the laser pulses into the skin. Laser skin resurfacing may require more than one session to achieve the desired effect.

The ultimate goal is to achieve a smoother skin tone and texture,” says Overholser.

The Procedure: It may feel akin to a strong sunburn the first few hours after the treatment. But the initial discomfort will gradually lessen. Some downtime is required to ensure your skin recovers completely. Depending on the laser’s strength, there are possible side effects and risks. Review these issues with your dermatologist.

Say Goodbye to Bags and Wrinkles

Wrinkles often form in response to repeated facial expressions. Each time you use a facial muscle to squint or frown, a groove forms beneath the surface of the skin. As we age, our skin loses its flexibility and is no longer able to spring back in place, so wrinkles develop.

The gradual loss of your skin’s elasticity and volume leads to sagging and bagging, particularly around the eyes. Eyelid lifts and the removal of bags under the eyes generally require plastic surgery. But the results can be impressive, giving a well-rested appearance. And Medicare covers eyelid lifts if your vision is impaired.

Prepare For Your Consultation

• Define your goals.

• Determine issues you hope to address, such as lessening wrinkles or lightening dark spots.

• Ask questions. Find out the best treatment for your skin conditions, and learn what the recovery time looks like.

• Follow post-procedure instructions to ensure a full and safe recovery.

• Be realistic. You won’t reverse all signs of aging, but you can come away looking refreshed and renewed.

Seven Ways to Improve Your Skin

  • When shopping for new facial creams and serums, always buy products appropriate for your skin type.
  • Try a daily dose of Vitamin C serums to lighten and brighten the skin. Vitamin C has the ability to protect your skin from environmental stressors while aiding with dullness and wrinkles. Different formulations treat dry and oily skin, hyperpigmentation, even older skin.
  • Use a mineral-based sunscreen every day, one that contains zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and/or iron oxide, which blocks harmful UVA and UVB rays.
  • Add Retinol A as part of your nighttime moisturizing regime.
  • Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water.
  • Get seven to nine hours of sleep each night
  • Exercise regularly. Your skin will thank you.