 |
 |
 |
Fig. 1. Improvement after one treatment with the
“Green Light facial” laser, the Gemini™ |
 |
| Fig. 2. Classic pigmentation of the sun-exposed upper chest, caused by photoaging from the sun. |
Premature Aging –
One More Reason to Limit Sun Exposure
By Gilly S. Munavalli, MD, MHS
Charlotte HEALTH&FITNESS magazine, Aug 2006
It’s summertime again…time to enjoy
the great outdoors with family and
friends. It’s also time to prepare and
protect against the sun’s harmful rays that
inevitably will strike and turn us red and
tan. Hopefully, we will all remember to use
our sunscreen because, most assuredly, the
sun can cause skin cancer through insidious
processes that take 10-20 years to develop
from time of exposure. However, did you
also know that the sun breaks down collagen
and causes premature aging of the skin
in a much more rapid fashion? Read on to
learn about so called “photoaging” and
how we can reverse these effects with the
wonders of cutting edge medical technology.
Predictably, demand for rejuvenating cosmetic
procedures is growing at a rate commensurate
with the aging baby boomer population.
Procedures for restoration of a youthful
appearance, including liposuction, laser
surgery, and fillers are seeing a large rate of
increase. Recent survey data from members
of the American Society for Dermatologic
Surgery (www.aboutskinsurgery.com) report over five million procedures performed in
2005, up dramatically from 2001. Minimally
invasive in nature, skin rejuvenation has
had the biggest jump in all cosmetic procedures
over that time period.
Photorejuvenation refers to the use of laser/
light-based devices to reverse the process
of sun-induced or environmental damage to
the skin. The goal is to improve cosmetic
concerns characteristic to photo-aged skin
on the face and body, including the presence
of brown spots, fine wrinkles, coarse
texture, prominent pores, and blood vessels.
In contrast, chronological skin aging results
in thinned skin with reduced elasticity, but
with maintenance of normal skin pigmentation
and texture. The next time you are in
front of a mirror, take a look at the left side
of your face, arms, and body in comparison
to the right side. It is not uncommon to see
more brown spots and fine wrinkling on
the left or driver’s side, an unfortunate
effect from exposure to the sun for years
while driving in the car. Yes, window glass
does filter out most of the UVB (Ultraviolet
B) light in sunlight which does cause skin cancer, but does not effectively filter out UVA
light which is the bigger culprit in photoaging.
Sunscreen and sun avoidance are our best
defenses against photoaging and we’ll talk
about these in another issue. Thankfully,
many devices exist which are capable of
treating photoaged skin. The most popular
of these are the “pulsed light devices”, also
known as IPL™, Photofacial™, and
Fotofacial™. They are not true lasers, in the
sense that they emit multiple wavelengths
of light. In contrast, lasers emit a single
wavelength of light. Consequently, pulsed
light can effectively eliminate multiple different
targets on the skin. Also, pulsed light
devices have bigger treatment tips so they
can contact and treat more skin with a single
shot. For example, both brown spots and
blood vessels can be simultaneously addressed
with a treatment of a pulsed light device.
Typically, this requires the equivalent of
two different lasers (one for red and one for
brown) to achieve successful results. One
exception to this rule occurs with the use of
the laser, called the Laserscope Gemini™.
Using this laser, the “green light facial” hits
both red and brown and can make a huge
difference (see Fig. 1).
Most discussions with cosmetic dermatologists
center on how to improve the appearance
of facial skin.
 |
Fig 3. Improvement in back pigmentation after just 3 treatments with the Solis™
|
Both men and women
alike note the aged appearance of their
non-facial skin, including the chest, arms,
and back, and inquire about treatment
options. These areas have been sunexposed
over many years and acquired a
noticeable and troubling appearance (see
Fig. 2). As mentioned before, pulsed light
devices are very effective to quickly treat
these skin changes. Facial skin is more easily
treated because the great blood supply
and preponderance of sweat/oil glands and
hair follicles allows for quick healing.
Unfortunately, the delicate and unforgiving
nature of non-facial skin is poorly understood
by non-dermatologists and other
providers who lack experience in treating
these areas. With the proper technique and
training, new generation pulsed light
devices, such as the Laserscope Solis™ can give great results with non-facial skin with
only 2 to 3 treatments (see Fig. 3)
The physicians at the Goslen Aesthetic and
Skin Center have years of experience and
multiple different technologies at their disposal (as described above), capable of tailoring
treatment specific to the patient’s individual
skin type and degree of photo-damage.
Treatment with either lasers or pulsed light
devices can be accomplished quickly in a
relatively pain-free, no-downtime, manner.
This allows us to achieve results as seen in
the photos. Please visit us for a one-on-one consultation with our physicians to develop a plan for allow your skin to look and feel its best!
back to Newsletter >
|
|
