Dermacare of San Diego

It is a truism of life that if things are not maintained, they break down. If you own a house or a car, or are in a successful relationship, you know this is true. Our skin is no different. Without the investment of time, effort and money, the effects of age, genetics and the environment will conspire to make our skin look older than we feel. Without proper care, skin loses collagen giving us fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, brown and red spots develop, and our facial contours will change. Fortunately, there are things we can do to win this battle and maintain healthy, more youthful skin – daily, weekly, monthly & periodically.

DAILY

 A consistent, daily skincare routine has a significant, cumulative effect, even if you don’t see dramatic changes day to day.

• Sunscreen: Use a good sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection and a minimum SPF of 30. Don’t forget to reapply throughout the day according to the directions on the container. Chemical sunscreens only last about two hours, so without reapplying, you are not protecting yourself when the sun is most damaging. We recommend Colorescience waterproof powder sunscreen in a dispensing brush that is easy to carry in your purse and lasts up to six hours.
• Cleansing: Use a cleanser that matches your skin type. Don’t spend a lot of money on pricey cleansers; they all do about the same thing.
• Moisturize: Moisturizing actually helps to exfoliate your skin and helps prevent wrinkles by keeping your skin moist. Again, it is not important to buy an expensive moisturizer.
• Prevent Collagen Loss: Collagen loss causes wrinkles, crepiness, sagging and dullness. In addition to a moisturizer I recommend using products that contain the “big 3″ Retinol, Glycolic Acid and Vitamin C. The Dermacare skin care line contains concentrations of these key ingredients that are not available in over-the-counter products. Your Dermacare aesthetician will help you determine the best products for you.

WEEKLY

Once a week, take a little more time in your skincare routine to do a more aggressive exfoliation of your skin. This is especially important in warm dry climates, such as Southern California, that inhibit natural exfoliation and leaves the skin feeling rough and dry.

• Masks: Masks offers light exfoliation as well as pore cleansing to improve skin’s texture and pore function. Choose a mask for your skin type.
• Scrub: A scrub is an abrasive cleanser that removes the top, dead layers of your skin. I like the Dermacare self-heating, exfoliating scrub that breaks down the bonds of the dead skin cells and enhances exfoliation.

MONTHLY

Once a month include a deep, professional treatment that will give your skin a boost and help your regular skin maintenance to work more effectively. All of these treatments help maintain pore function to minimize acne, encourage skin cell turnover, which is good for collagen production, and lessening accumulated pigment changes. Ask your Dermacare aesthetician to customize a program that is right for you.

• Microdermabrasion: Polishes your skin to a healthy glow by safely removing layers of dead skin, improving the skin’s overall appearance.
• Chemical Peel: Exfoliates, clears breakouts, controls oil and improves skin texture.
• Facials: Deep cleaning, exfoliates and as a bonus is relaxing.
• Deep Pore Treatment: Penetrates the skin to eliminate bacteria, inflammation, dead skin cells and build up in the pores.

PERIODICALLY

If your skincare goal is to “roll back the years,” and restore the youthfulness and health of your skin, you should periodically use a professional regenerating skin treatment. Age, genetics, skin condition, skin type and your personal skincare “goals” will determine which procedure or combination of procedures (often the best approach) are right for you. Visit me or one of our experienced staff to determine the best course of treatment to achieve the results you desire. Here are some examples of recommended periodic treatments.

• Botox: Correction of “motion” lines in the forehead and between the eyes.
• Juvederm: To significantly reduce deep lines such as the “parentheses” around the mouth, lip lines or eye circles.
• Laser Treatments: Fraxel, Genesis and Pearl lasers all offer different types and levels of benefits to those seeking to improve texture, eliminate discoloration/spots, reduce wrinkles and stimulate collagen.

Wouldn’t it be great if, once corrected, our skin would stay forever young? Unfortunately the body will always return to its genetic “set point” and the effects of the environment; sun, pollutants, dirt, and smoke all conspire against us, but, with diligence and the benefits of modern technology we can minimize these effects and keep our skin looking youthful and healthy.

The results are starting to come in, and they are great! Universally, all of our patients are surprised at how little pain there is both during and after the procedure. One person started back on the treadmill the second day (not that I would recommend it!). Another person was so impressed with the result in the lower abdomen, they had to schedule another procedure to do the upper abdomen, which she originally did not think needed any treatment! Another person reported 4 inches off their waist only 1 wk after their procedure AND… the swelling hasn’t yet completely resolved! It is still going to get better. LifeSculpt: Laser Assisted Body Contouring is the newest procedure to be introduced at Dermacare. It is a privilege to be able to perform such an effective treatment for body shaping and the removal of unwanted fat.

At a social gathering in our yard, several of the guests were first time visitors and one was exploring and seemingly enjoying the garden with interest. Hoping to find a fellow gardener, I struck up a conversation and she asked who took care of the plantings and I informed her that I did. “I can tell” was her response. Amused by her response I wanted to clarify what she meant. It was her observation that paid gardeners often left all yards looking the same, perfectly cut and pruned straight lines or “balls” that left most yards looking and feeling the same as all of the rest. As passionate gardeners we prune our plants individually, letting the space and natural form of the plant dictate how it should be pruned. Consequently, there was a lot more variation and more character in the yard. Additionally, since I did not have a team of workers to help there were a few missed leaves and other imperfections that could be found on closer examination. The net affect of this individual attention was a back yard that was loved, relaxing and inviting, a place where people linger and enjoy their time with friends. When thinking about cosmetic treatments, I like to think the same way. Lets make choices that are right for the individual, not some cookie cutter approach where everyone looks the same and plastic. Let’s bring out the character and uniqueness of each person, creating an affect that makes others want to engage with you and enjoy your heart.

With each New Year, a large number of us commit to losing weight and quitting smoking, 2 great things for our health. One of the reasons we choose January to start our diets is that the prospect of dieting through the holiday season is daunting. January makes more sense, but we all know that there is nothing magical about the New Year.

Changing behavior is always a challenge. As a Family Doctor, I have had the opportunity of helping people sort through the crazy maze of weight loss plans and programs, high carbs, low carbs, no carbs, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, etc, etc. A few years back, the national institute of health brought together the top names in the weight loss field to try to reach a consensus on dieting advice. They could not do it, so what are we to do when we want to lose weight? I think basic physiology gives us some guidance. Though this is simple in concept it is much harder to pull off. To lose weight, one needs to eat fewer calories than they burn, i.e. eat less and exercise more, and eating less is the most important factor. (I know.-duh) I think the best way to eat less is to count calories. Not only does this motivate you to keep your calorie count down, it teaches you where your calories are concentrated so you can make better choices. In short, follow these guidelines to lose weight.

1. Reduce calories to ~1200cal/day for women, 1200-1600cal/day for men.
2. Increase your fruits and vegetables.
3. Exercise More: What exercise you do, is not as important as the exercising. Pick something you like. Remember, the exercise you do is always better than “the best” exercise you don’t do.
4. Choose a plan. What plan you choose is not as important as having a plan. My suggestion for a formal plan is Weight Watchers. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, then I suggest a website called “Livestrong.com“, this is place that makes it easy to track your daily calorie intake, track your exercise and has good online support forms.

When it comes to motivation for dieting there are three major factors that drive us to lose weight; to be healthier, to feel better and to look better. No matter which one of these is the dominating drive, all three will be achieved by getting down to our ideal weight.

It would be nice if our latest service to be introduced, the LifeSculpt(TM) Body Contouring Procedure, was a weight loss procedure. Though you may lose a couple of pounds with the procedure, it is really best at shaping the body you have. What they have found is a person’s satisfaction with the procedure is highly correlated with how well they keep their weight down after the treatment. Once the fat cells are removed, they don’t return, but with any future weight gain, fat is added to other areas. The ideal candidate for the LifeSculpt is someone who is already at his or her ideal body weight and have a stubborn area of fat that they cannot get rid of. If you, like most of us, have some extra pounds then you may still be a candidate for the procedure to help reshape specific area. However, you will get the most out of the procedure, if you use the experience to jump-start a commitment to healthy living, eating well, exercising regularly and enjoying the benefits of a healthier, shapely you.

(Our guest blogger, Bobbi, is one of Dermacare’s most experienced nurces, an outstanding laser technition.)

Those nasty brown patches and freckles on our hands, arms, chest and face, inevitable signs of aging?  NO!  They are the visible effects of sun damage.  The longer we’ve lived, the more sun exposure we’ve had = the more spots we may acquire.   But now, instead of covering them up with concealers and powders, we can eliminate them!  There is a treatment for everyone, including fade creams, retinols and glycolic acids.   However, I’d like to talk about my personal experience with my favorite treatment, FotoFacial or IPL (Intense Pulsed Light). ….

When I started working in the skin care industry almost 6 years ago, I was aghast  to find  out,  through the comments of my coworkers, that I was in dire need of IPL treatments!   I’m of Italian descent, and inherited my father’s olive skin.  So, I never really worried about the sun exposure I had over the years.  But, they were horrified by the amount of brown pigment I had developed across my cheeks and nose, and got me to the IPL room ASAP…Jump ahead a few months and 4 IPL treatments later, and my complexion was clear of brown spots, and the texture was soft and smooth!  From that moment on, I was a true believer in this light treatment.   Let me explain the process to you….

At Dermacare, the procedure involves the use of high intensity pulses of light, which are filtered through a small glass crystal applied to the skin.  The light pulses target the melanocytes (pigment producing cells) in the skin’s surface and the heat produced by the light destroys the melanocytes.  Within a few days, the visible brown freckling and sun spots darken, then lightly crust and fall off.  This leaves us with a clear, more even complexion.  The procedure lasts between 15 – 30 minutes.   Most clients liken the sensation of the treatment to that of a pinch or rubber band snap.  The majority of clients require no anesthesia, but if needed, a topical lidocaine can be applied prior to the procedure for added comfort.   After the procedure clients may immediately return to their normal daily activities, as this is considered a non-ablative procedure with minimal downtime.   You may leave the office slightly pink, but this coloring will fade rapidly.

Maintenance of your new, more beautiful, healthy skin varies between clientele.   I, myself, haven’t had an additional IPL treatment in years.  I maintain my skin with infrequent microdermabrasions and a sun block with SPF30.  An SPF30 SUNBLOCK is a MUST for us all.  However, some clients like to maintain their complexion with maintenance IPL every 6 – 12 months.

So you see, we may not be able to stop the aging process, or turn back time, but there are procedures we can employ to keep our skin as youthful and healthy as possible.

Good skin care includes sun protection.  I love the outdoors and all the great activities that we can enjoy here in San Diego, but be smart about it.  Not only does sun accelerate the aging process in the skin, it is responsible for increaseing the incidence of skin canncer.  Melanoma of course is the biggest concern.  Since treatment options are not yet outstanding, prevention is the key.  Other organizations do a good job at educating regarding this.  Check out this blog,  SunAWARE Blog,  for more information on the Top Sun Protection Initiatives of 2009.

I think all of us involved in skin care, both practitioners and consumers wonder if all we are doing really makes a difference.  A recent report in “Cosmetic Surgery Times” reassures us that we are making a difference.  In the study they looked at elderly Japanese men and women and compared lifestyle markers of occupation, marital status, smoking, alcohol consumption and sunscreen use in both groups.  The results showed that women had better skin.  Specifically, they had less pigmentation, smaller pores, better texture and fewer wrinkles compared to the men.  In terms of lifestyle choices only 2 factors were shown to positively influence this, not smoking and sunscreen use.

What makes this even more significant is that male skin should age better.  Men have thicker skin, more oils in the skin and consequently should handle the affects of aging and the environment better.  But women, take better care of their skin.  What we see here is the long-term benefit of theses practices.  I won’t say that everything we do to the skin works, but as an overriding principle, protecting your self from the sun and not smoking is very important, and overall skincare will make a difference.  You are not wasting your time. You will be maintaining that youthful glow as long as possible.

It was reported in the Wall Street Journal yesterday that the cosmetic services tax, “Botax”, will not be part of the health care bill.  This is good news for Dermacare and our clients.  Now, if we can only get the government to control their spending.

(Kelly is our guest blogger.  She is one of Dermacare’s esthetician’s and has a special expertise in eyebrow shaping)

Being in the skincare and beauty industry they are always coming up with new ideas to improve the areas we would like to change about ourselves. I don’t know about you but I was always having problems with my eyelashes being short and stubby. I would hate using the eyelash curler because I always thought that it was making my lashes brittle. I would see these women with really thick long lashes and was so envious.

Then Allergan, the creators of botox, created an amazing new product called Latisse. I was completely skeptical at first, I mean how can something really make your lashes grow?  It seemed way too good to be true.

I read up on all the ingredients found in Latisse. It was discovered when glaucoma patients started to notice that using their eye drops was making their lashes grow like crazy. Call it fate, but Allergan, took that info and ran with it. Now Latisse, applied nightly, can give you long thick lashes.

I have been using the product now for six months, and I am so happy. Even without mascara my lashes are darker and thicker. I am always getting compliments on how long my lashes are. If you don’t believe me, come on in and we can do a mini Latisse consult. I would love to show you my eyelashes.

One of the areas that clients are most concerned about when they come to Dermacare for a consultation is the eye area. There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, we all find big beautiful eyes appealing. I was looking at a picture of the 3 Kardashian sisters and trying to decide what made Kim the most stunning of the three. Part of the answer is her eyes, they are a little larger than her sisters and her eyelashes are bigger. They are all young so the lines and sagging are not an issue for any them. The second reason is that as we mature there are several changes that affect how our eyes look. Depending on genetics the degree to which these affects us varies between people. (Warning-Don’t read the next paragraph if you are easily depressed).

Because of osteoporosis the bony orbit gets larger and eyes can look more sunken in. Muscle activity around the eyes can accentuate our “frown lines” and “crows feet”. The fat pad under the eyes can push out giving us the dreaded bags under eyes. This can be further enhanced by a shift of the cheek fat pad. As this pad moves lower on the face, it leaves a trough under the eye, which makes the “bag” look bigger, and the dark circles more prominent. The skin in the upper and lower lids can grow, leading to sagging of the upper and lower lids. Our eye lashes also get smaller and thinner. And if that is not enough, the sun can thin the skin and increase brown pigment around the eyes. Now the good news, other than your genetics, there are things that can be done to address all of this.

First of all, preventive maintenance is important no matter how old you are. Calcium supplements, periodic dexascans, and medications, if indicted, all slow the bone loss process, so check with your primary physician. Next, sun protection protects the skin around your eyes, minimizing the loss of collagen and elastin, keeping the skin smoother and tighter as well as lessening the formation of pigment changes. I put skin care products more in the prevention and maintenance categories, rather than treatment, as they help maintain things rather than reverse changes. In this category our “big 3” are retinol, glycolic acid and Vitamin C products. These all help keep the skin thicker and tighter by keeping the collagen and elastin levels up in the skin.

Once things have progressed to the point where more aggressive treatments are necessary we have four treatments, Botox, Juvederm, Fraxel, and Latisse, that can reverse some of the changes in the eye area. The other option is surgery. If there is a lot of extra skin in the upper or lower lids, then surgery will be needed to remove the redundant skin. But, before then, consider these options. When it comes to frown lines (vertical line between eyebrows) and crows feet (lines at the outside corner of the eyes) nothing works better than Botox. It relaxes the muscles causing these lines to diminish and opening up the eyes. Juvederm can be used for the tear troughs under the eyes, as well as help resolve the sunken in look. Fraxel does 3 things and can safely be used very close to the eye. It helps tighten the skin, stimulated collagen to reduce the fine lines, and remove sun-induced pigment. Finally, Latisse has the outstanding ability to stimulate eyelash growth in an amazing way.

The best results come from combining all the preventive and rejuvenation treatments discussed. Come on in for a consult or ask us when you are in for your other next treatments so we can decide what are right for you.