Anthelios (with Mexoplex)
The Benefits of Medical Skin Care
Some people may be surprised to learn that the skin is actually classified as one of the organs of the human body, and as such it’s the largest and most expansive one that we have. No other organ is on the front lines and exposed to the stressors and pollutants of the world around us quite like our skin. It’s also true that our facial skin reflects aging more readily too; it’s always on display and when collagen levels are not what they once were it become quickly apparent. Daily washing and applying moisturizers and skin rejuvenating products works well for many people, but for some people medical skin care options will be something they’ll want to look into.
Finding a skin care treatment that works is really dependent on the individual. What is effective for one person may not be effective for another. For example, a person who has a stronger genetic predisposition to developing wrinkles will be less satisfied with a standard OTC anti-aging cream than someone who doesn’t have that predisposition. In addition, don’t think that these skin care interests are exclusively for women. Men are increasingly interested in maintaining the health of their skin too.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular medical skin care treatments and products here, along with how exactly they’re beneficial as well as other information that will be helpful if you’re interested in medical skin care products or a treatment to restore the appearance of your largest organ.
Medical Skin Care Treatments
Botox
Speaking of wrinkles, the most well-know medical skin care treatment these days is Botox. It’s effective for reducing the appearance of frown and brow lines, crow’s feet, and other wrinkle-prone locations on the face. The active ingredient in Botox that causes the muscles under the skin to relax and prevents them flexing and causing wrinkles is actually a toxin – Botullinum – and a neurotoxic protein.
This medical skin care treatment is very popular because of its near-immediate effectiveness; smoothing of wrinkles is usually visible within three days of the treatment and then peaks at about 2 weeks following. Botox must only be administered by a physician, as there are very real risks if too much is administered. Be sure to confirm the reputability of any skin care clinic you’re considering visiting for a skin care treatment.
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is also a popular one these days, and it uses a new technology device to smoothen and brighten skin, soften lines and wrinkles, eliminate acne and reduce acne scarring, or lessen age or sunspots. Microdermabrasion treatments usually take 15 to 30 minutes, and most patients have 6 or so treatments with 2 weeks to a month in between them in order to get the best results from their skin care treatment.
Ultherapy Skin Lifting
There are many newer medical skin care treatments out there these days, and touching on all the popular ones would make this page stretch on too far. We’ll conclude our discussion of them with another one that’s growing in popularity quite exponentially these days – Ultherapy skin lifting. It’s a non-invasive ultrasound treatment that lifts and tightens skin around the neck, brow, and chin. These 3 areas are where signs of aging (skin laxity in this case) tend to be seen first, and for this reason it’s no surprise that Ultherapy is becoming as popular as it is.
The term Ultherapy comes from the fact that ultrasound energy is used to slowly tighten and lift loose skin. Patients like that it’s a non-surgical approach that’s still very effective, and it’s becoming renowned for the way it promotes deep collagen building in the skin. The initial results from the approximately 1-hour sessions are impressive, and what’s also a big plus is that these results continue for 3 to 6 months following the procedure.
Medical Skin Care Products
Some of you may be more inclined to using medical skin care products at home rather than go to all the trouble of arranging and affording a medical skin care treatment. This is always especially true of men, but the convenience and priced-right appeal of it will sound good to many women too. Let’s list out a few of the most popular medical skin care products people are using these days.
Retinol Complex Creams
First among medical skin care products popular with women are retinol complex creams. These medicated creams contain Vitamin A1, aka Retinol, and it’s a proven effective reagent for rejuvenating and revitalizing skin to give it a healthier, more youthful look.
Dimethicone Protectant Cream
This medicated cream protects and promotes the healing of severely chafed, chapped, or cracked skin while also providing pain or discomfort relief. It’s OTC, meaning it’s available without a prescription and if any woman also has a baby then Dimethicone cream is also reported to be very good for soothing diaper rash.
AHA Skin Peels
The epidermal skin is always in a state of flux as skin cells die and are replaced by new ones. Removing dead skin cells is one way of improving skin’s texture and overall appearance, and removing debris from pores and unclogging them goes a long way as well. Alpha-Hydroxy Acid skin peels (sometimes also called Aqua Peels) are non-invasive, deep cleaning solution that rids of the skin of dead cells and impurities more efficiently than nearly any other method.
Newer Advances in Medical Skin Care Technology
Two of the more promising new advances in aesthetic dermatology are liquid nitrogen cryotherapy and red-light photodynamic therapy. As a skin care treatment, both are very new and rather radical in the way they approach solving a specific skin complaint. LN cryotherapy is used to treat actinic keratosis and other superficial cutaneous lesions (including skin tags). The blast of nitrogen from the applicator freezes the lesion and it then turns black and falls away from the skin.
Red-light photodynamic therapy is another medical skin care advance that’s worthy of some fanfare. It involves using a 5-aminolaevulinic (ALA)-based gel product along with red light PDT laser light therapy lamp as a minimally-invasive yet very effective treatment of skin keratosis on the face and scalp. Ever greater numbers of private dermatology and skin care clinics across the country are starting to offer red-light PDT therapy to patients.
