Human skin naturally has a type of protein that gives it elasticity and flexibility. This protein forms a net all over your skin, and gives it the ability to stretch and return to its natural state. However, despite its natural elastic ability, your skin can get damaged when it is stretched too quickly. Stretch marks start to appear when the skin is pulled far beyond its normal limit. The same thing happens when the skin is forced to abruptly contract due to massive weight loss. Understanding Stretch Marks Too much stretching or contracting damages the protein fibers of your skin. When this happens, you will notice faint lines forming over the damaged area. These reddish or purplish lines are called stretch marks. These lines are actually miniature scars that form on top of the overextended protein fibers. These lines will naturally start to fade after a few weeks. However, it will take an extremely long time for these to completely disappear. In fact, there are some cases in which the lines do not completely heal, leaving behind unwanted scars. Home Remedies for Stretch Mark Reduction Other than the visible lines, they do not have other physical effects on the body. They do, however, have a big effect on a person’s self-image and confidence. Beauty magazines are teeming with tips on how to make stretch marks go away. You may try out simple home remedies to help them heal faster. Rubbing lavender oil on the lines three times a day will help lighten the lines. Using Aloe Vera gel and vitamin E creams will help you get rid of stretch...
Laser resurfacing is an effective technique for improving sun damaged skin, aging skin, flattening protruding acne scars, and eliminating wrinkles. Laser beams selectively vaporize scars and wrinkles. In this method, since the laser is more precise about controlling the depth of penetration, it makes it a very safe treatment. There are two types of lasers the doctor may choose to utilize. First, is the carbon dioxide laser, which dispenses short bursts of extremely high energy. It takes away skin layers, one at a time, unfolding fresh new skin underneath. It produces a decreased risk of complications and scarring. Erbium YAG Laser: Best for Sensitive Areas and Mild Skin Imperfections The second type of laser to be considered is the Erbium Yag laser, which delivers a wavelength that softly penetrates the skin and is hugely absorbed by water. It clears away layers of skin with high quality precision. The Erbium Yag laser is usually chosen for patients who possess low to moderate discolorations, surface scars, and facial wrinkles. The softness of this laser is chosen for areas where the skin is more sensitive, especially around the hands, neck, mouth and eyes. This laser is also the best choice for individuals who cannot tolerate prolonged redness after the procedure and those with darker skin types. The carbon dioxide laser, on the other hand, is a more effective method for helping patients with severe sun damage and deeper facial wrinkles. Laser Resurfacing for Acne Scars and Collagen Regeneration Lasers are also very effective for acne resurfacing. Most damage from the environment occurs on the outer layer of the skin. By using a...
Laser resurfacing, or a laser peel, is a procedure that involves the treatment of uneven skin tone, wrinkles and acne scars. Laser peeling improves the appearance of the skin, allowing for a smoother, fresh complexion. Procedure Laser skin resurfacing is a treatment that utilizes a laser to create a smooth, new skin appearance. The laser will destroy the outer layer of the skin, which has been damaged by age, spots, pigmentation problems, wrinkles, acne, and the sun. A regeneration of new skin cells will occur, creating a smoother finish. The laser will work to even out pits caused by wrinkles and acne scars. The laser peel will precisely pinpoint the exact problem areas and focus only on those. Cost Laser peels, on average, cost $2,222. However, that price will vary depending on the area of the country you live in, the number of sessions required, and the extent of the treatment. Laser skin rejuvenation usually requires only a topical anesthetic, but for deeper treatments, general anesthesia is available. The charge will increase for general anesthesia, and the use of an anesthetist. Additionally, the patient may have to purchase antibiotics, prescription painkillers, special washes, dressings, and ointments if the treatment is a very deep one. Each cosmetic surgeon is different, some charge extra for those items, while others include them in the laser peel price. Because a laser peel is an elective cosmetic procedure, it is not covered by health insurance. However, most doctors offer financing options where the laser peel can be paid over time. Risks and Complications Laser peels often carry some of the same complications as plastic surgery, such as infection, scarring,...
Titan is a non-surgical laser device used to tighten the skin by stimulating collagen remodeling in the deeper layer of the skin called the dermis. It can be applied on the face, neck, abdomen, arms, legs, buttocks and any other part of the body suffering from skin laxity. If you keep getting frustrated over all forms of wrinkle products in the market and want a younger skin without needle pricks or going under the knife, Titan skin tightening is an excellent option for skin rejuvenation without the hassles of plastic surgery and a long recovery period. Titan’s unique wavelength range and treatment parameters make it special from other laser resurfacing devices. Its carefully selected range of light energy provides a more uniform distribution of heat. In the United States, it has been cleared by the FDA for topical heating of tissues to tighten and improve circulation to the skin. In Europe and Canada, it is widely used in the treatment of wrinkles and for general dermatological use. How Titan Works A safe infrared device is used to deliver heat on the skin’s dermis, resulting to the contraction of collagen. This gives the skin a tightened and lifted look. The heat also stimulates the formation of fibroblasts that will give rise to collagen, thereby achieving continuous skin tightening over time. The outer layer or epidermis is prevented from heating up through its built- in cooling device, which keeps the surface safe from any heat-related injuries. Is Titan Skin Tightening For You? If you long for a younger-looking skin by getting rid of sagging skin in a fast, non-invasive manner, titan...
Laser resurfacing, or laser peel, lasabrasion or laser vaporization, is a method of skin rejuvenation using a wand-like laser device. Laser resurfacing offers more control in penetrating the depth of the skin, thus allowing precision and safety. It aims to reduce wrinkles, acne scars, skin pigmentation, and other blemishes. Laser resurfacing can also be used to tighten and contour the chin and jaw after liposuction of the area for removal of the excess fat. It is a fresh and advanced take on the traditional ways of skin resurfacing like chemical peeling and micro-dermabrasion. Background Earlier technologies made use of continuous wave carbon dioxide (CW CO2), which removed sun-damaged skin layer by layer to allow the resurfacing of newer, smoother skin. The side effects of redness, swelling, skin infections, discolorations, and scarring made it a less appealing despite its favorable results. To lessen the thermal injuries, pulsed and scanned CO2 was developed. Erbium: YAG laser later came out but its efficacy was comparable to that of CO2 pulsed and scanned technology. Both are classified under ablative techniques because they target mainly the upper layer (epidermis) of the skin and a little of the deeper layer (dermis). Presently, non-ablative and fractional resurfacing methods have been developed to achieve excellent results but with minimal downtime and side effects. In contrast to the ablative method which aims for the top layer more than the deeper layer, the non-ablative variety targets the dermis, while leaving the epidermis intact. This stimulates collagen remodeling for a tightened and better skin texture. The ablative method produces more dramatic results but the non-ablative’s faster recovery period makes it...
Your skin doesn’t have to resemble a moon crater, crumpled clothing, or a spotty Dalmatian. Now, there is an innovative way of reducing the ugly marks left by acne, or the lines that accompany aging, and the dark spots that ruin your looks. Fractional laser resurfacing or fractional thermolysis is a new method of skin rejuvenation that was commercially introduced since 2003. What sets this apart from other laser resurfacing methods is that it only treats a fraction of the skin, leaving the surrounding areas alone. This allows a faster or virtually no downtime than the earlier laser technologies. How Does Fractional Laser Resurfacing Work? A fractional approach to resurfacing means that only specific areas are targeted using lights that are delivered in small, closely spaced micro beams. Both the epidermis and dermis are penetrated. Only a small proportion of the skin receives the laser light, while the other zones in between are left intact. This way, the skin heals much faster because only fractional damage was caused by the heat of the light source. The micro injured cells start the process of healing with collagen remodeling. The healthy unaffected tissues help to fill in the damaged area with new cells. The skin tightens and its texture improves. The treatment is comparable to a pixel by pixel retouching of a digital photograph. Some of the fractional laser systems commonly used are Fraxel, Active Fx, Palomar Starlux 1540, Pixel CO2, PROFractional Erbium, Pearl Laser, Juvia, and Affirm. Skin Conditions That Can Be Treated with Fractional Laser Resurfacing Wrinkles Acne scars Traumatic scars Sun damage Brown spots Is Fractional Laser Resurfacing...
Our skin is consistently exposed to elements including ultraviolet rays of sun, dust, environmental pollutants, and chemicals in various cosmetics and toiletries. Moreover, our skin also continues to age alongside our body, sometimes in a more accelerated manner than the rest of body because of the free radical and oxidative damage of highly processed foods we ingest. The forces of gravity, hormonal imbalances, drug ingestion, smoking, pregnancy and various illnesses also play their role. The end result is premature aging of skin which manifests itself in lines, wrinkles, blotchy skin color and various types of spots. Various methods have been devised and used for combating these effects and to rejuvenate the skin once again. As expected, face, head and neck are the most common areas for which rejuvenation treatments are sought. The most commonly used and reliable methods for treating the sun damaged and aging skin are chemical peeling, dermabrasion and laser skin resurfacing. Chemical peels, dermabrasion and laser skin resurfacing all achieve results in basically the same way. Layers of your skin are removed and, as the healing process progresses, a new, healthier-looking skin emerges. Am I a good candidate for laser skin resurfacing? You will be a good candidate for laser skin resurfacing if you have any one or more of the following conditions: Wrinkles including ‘laughter lines’, ‘frown lines’, skin changes around mouth that cause ‘lipstick bleed’ Sun-damaged facial skin Lines around eyes- ‘crow’s feet’ Brown spots or blotchy skin coloring Skin growths that have potential to become cancerous Scars of acne or chicken pox Superficial facial scars from a past injury You will not be...
