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Jul. 14th, 2009

Sun Damage Skin - Laser Skin Pigmentation Treatment

Having enjoyed the sunshine during the summer months, many people will now be seeing the after effects it has on their complexion, especially in regards to uneven skin pigmentation. Yes the sun has its benefits, it can be great for getting rid of acne spot for example, but it has a lot of downsides especially the aggravation of brown pigmentation in the face and body.

The reason for this is that the pigment producing cells (Melanocytes) are stimulated very easily by UV light, something the sun has an awful lot of. Once this stimulation occurs, melanin is over-produced and forms in an uneven pattern of patchy pigmentation on the skin. The best prevention for this is a simple one, sun block! Of course this is prevention and won’t help if you’ve already made that mistake of going out unprotected.

Now not all skin pigmentation is caused by sun damage, such as Melasma, which is hormonal, Chloasma, which occurs during pregnancy and Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH), which is caused after some kind of damage or trauma to the skin followed by exposure to the sun. However for now we will talk about sun damage pigmentation and how it can be treated.

This is a very common occurrence in lighter skin types. It appears as freckles or brown spots of pigment, often known as sun spots or liver spots, on the back of hands, face, neck and decollete.

This type of pigmentation has no pattern or symmetry to it; in fact, it follows a pattern dictated by the side most exposed to the sun which in the UK is the right-hand side. A study conducted on American truck drivers found their most sun damaged side was the left side, in particular the face and arm, as a result of driving with their arm resting on the open window of the truck door.

This form of skin pigmentation responds well to chemical peels but it also responds well to laser therapy.

This laser skin pigmentation treatment utilises Intense Pulse Light (IPL). IPL is a well known method of hair removal and very popular in many beauty salons and cosmetic clinics. When the hair is removed, the IPL is attracted by the dark colour of the hair bulb; following the same logic, the light is attracted by all red and browns on the face or body provided there is a good enough contrast between these colour and the background skin tone.

The problem with people who want this treatment to remove the irregular pigmentation is that they are often sun worshippers, those who spend all their time in the sun getting a tan without the right protection. Now these people can be treated, but treatment cannot occur until their tan has completely faded, or else the laser cannot pick up the contrasting colours of the skin and the pigmentation.

With the right assessment of the particular type of pigmentation and the right treatment applied, very rewarding results can be achieved. There are many reputable clinics that offer laser skin pigmentation treatment such as Glancey Medical with clinics located in London and Essex, who can advise you on your skin pigmentation condition and how to best treat it.

Jul. 8th, 2009

Laser Hair Removal - How Good Is It?

This month's focus is on Permanent Hair Reduction, or as it is more commonly know; laser hair removal.

The use of lasers has proven over many years to be without a doubt the best form of long lasting hair removal; we will go in to detail as to why later. Laser hair removal is most commonly used on the upper lip and chin area, the underarm and the bikini zone. However it is just as effective on the arms, legs and back areas. Obviously laser hair removal isn’t just for ladies either, and many guys have the procedure to be rid of excessive hair or unsightly body hair.

Now for the more technical part!

The principle of treatment is that light energy (Laser) is directed at the hair follicle. The wavelength of light energy is absorbed by the melanin pigment in the hair as it sits in the hair follicle, and this absorption results in a short heating effect that damages the cells lining the follicle and which are responsible for hair growth.

As it is the melanin pigment that is affected by the heat energy then melanin needs to be present and unfortunately this is only the case in dark hair (brown or black) thus it will not be effective on blond, grey, red or light hair. Many people believe that skin colour is a factor however this is not true; laser hair removal is safe to use for any skin type.

Now that covers the “why?” but what else makes it the best treatment? Well the other bonus is that unlike electrolysis for example, there is no scarring or sigh that the treatment has occurred, apart from some redness for a few hours.

“Wait a minute! Redness? So it hurts?”

Well to say it is painless would be untrue, but it is not painful per se either. It falls somewhere between, but an anaesthetic cream is used to ease the feeling on more sensitive areas along with the laser tip being cooled to make the experience more comfortable. The sensation is described as a slight stinging sensation by many people, and it’s probably about right; compared to electrolysis it is much more pleasant.

For best effects normally about 6 treatments are required, though good results can come after only 4. It is worth noting that on the face up to 8 treatments are sometimes necessary (due to hormonal reasons).

The benefits are normally visible after 2 or 3 treatments, and they continue up to the last. It also means that shaving, waxing and hair removal creams are no longer required and can give a huge confidence boost to people who have suffered with unnatural or excessive hair growth.

There are many clinics that can offer laser hair removal, but make sure you use a reputable clinic with an experienced cosmetic doctor.

All of the clinics in the Cosmetic Clinics Group provide laser hair removal and are all ran by experienced and fully trained professionals, plus you can use the website to find you nearest clinic and many of the clinics offer special deals such as Mulberry House in Northampton who offer a sixth treatment for free! If you pay for five laser hair removal treatments in advance, now that’s a bargain!.

For more information on laser hair removal or to book an appointment consultation or treatment for visit the Cosmetic Clinics Groups’ website at www.cosmeticclinics.co.uk

Jun. 25th, 2009

Benefits of Differing Dermal Fillers

There are a lot of dermal fillers on the market at the moment and we have decided we would compare some of the market leaders; or rather the differences in what they are composed of, rather than specifically choose products themselves (as many are fairly similar).

So what are the 2 differing types we are going to compare? Hyaluronic Acid and Polylactic Acid, the former being used in products such as Restylane and Juvederm the latter in Sculptra.

Hyaluronic Acid Gel is the main component in many dermal fillers and, just like Polylactic Acid, offers excellent results. It is an injectable gel that offers immediate results to the treated area. The gel lifts folds and wrinkles and is perfect for nasolabial (nose to mouth) folds, frown lines, fine lines and wrinkles, tear troughs, hands and the neck and cleavage areas. Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers are perfect for lips and lip lines as well.

As stated the results show immediately, and it offers a very natural looking results. It has very little if any side-effects associated with it but does have some minor after-effects such as minor redness, swelling and possible bruising. It normally requires one or two treatments to get the desired results, and they will normally last around 4 – 12 months depending which brand of filler is used. Fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm are proceeding in around to £200 to £1000 mark.

Sculptra uses the suspension of polylactic acid to achieve its results, this involves the acid being released in the desired are over time and in turn this causes the stimulation of new collagen. This means the effects are not immediate but instead they improve over several weeks. However as it stimulates new collagen formation in the skin it means it looks completely natural.

Like hyaluronic acid, polylactic acid suspension is perfect for all facial areas, hands, neck and cleavage areas, but it is not suited to lips or lip lines. However Dr Tanqueray of Mulberry House believes that Sculptra offers a more comprehensive approach as it allows him to look at the face as a whole and restore volume in a more general and balanced way, so it may not be as good for lips, but is arguably the better option otherwise.

Again there are little to no side-effect associated with this treatment and the side effects really only include possible bruising as a common factor. It normally requires 2-4 treatments for the best results and costs start at £400 and go up to around the £2000 mark. However this treatment tends to last 18 months to around 2 years, making it a much longer term solution.

Both of these dermal fillers can actually be used together to give outstanding results were needed and both are available from Mulberry House Clinic.

Jun. 24th, 2009

Radiage - Tighter Skin Without Surgery

Selston Cosmetic Clinic introduced the Radiage skin tightening procedure to their comprehensive list of treatments a little over 12 months ago. Since then it has proved very popular and successful with outstanding results.

Radiage is one of the newest non-ablative cosmetic procedures for the rejuvenation of the skin. Radiage is the name of the treatments and the device used for the procedure as well.

So how does it work?

The Radiage heats and modifies the collagen in the skin and causes it to tighten and contract. The result is loose skin on the neck is lifted and wrinkles are almost entirely removed; the skin feels tighter and smoother than before.

Most patients see results immediately on the skin’s outer surface while the Radio Frequency (RF) energy slightly heats and modifies the soft tissues under the skin. The final results come from the collagen contracting and tightening thus smoothing the skin.

Radiage is a walk in/walk out procedure with virtually no down-time. Many people have this treatment in lunch breaks and head back to work after.

For the desired effects and looks a course of 6-8 treatments every 2 weeks is recommended.

It is important to not that Radiage does not work for everyone, and you will be advised on this by your cosmetic specialist. However Selston Cosmetic Clinic offer a free trial session of Radiage so you can see for yourself if there are benefits or not from this amazing procedure.

Roberta James is a lead Cosmetic Nurse at Selston Cosmetic Clinic in North Nottinghamshire. Roberts runs the department for Microdermabrasion, Skin Peels, Radiage, Laser Hair Removal and Laser Skin Rejuvenation.

Jun. 15th, 2009

Vibro Lipo - Another Amazing Liposuction Alternative

Recently Dr Bassi of Selston Cosmetic Clinic, part of the Cosmetic Clinics Group, travelled to Belgium to witness and assess one of the latest Liposuction procedures – Vibro Liposculpture.

The Vibro Liposculpture system was demonstrated to Dr Bassi, and Selton Clinic’s lead Vaser Lipo technician Mags Whyler, by Dr Safar, an eminent liposuction surgeon in Brussels. Dr Safar has performed more than 5000 liposuction procedures and has been using the Vibro Lipo system for over 10 years.

Currently Vaser Lipo is one the optimal forms of non-invasive liposuction and provides fantastic results, proof in point is that Selston and many of the other Clinics in the Cosmetic Clinics Group utilise Vaser Lipo. However Vaser Lipo is best suited for small to medium volumes of fat removal. This means that those patients who need much larger amounts of fat removing cannot be realistically treated except by traditional liposuction, which is a much longer and more expensive treatment that required hospital time.

Vibro Lipo solves this problem is a big way. Whilst Dr Bassi and Mags were in Brussels they observed Dr Safar perform the Vibro Lipo procedure on a lady from Russia. The procedure was performed under local anaesthetic and the lady was aware and quite chatty (if you understand Russian that is). The end results were very impressive, with a staggering 3.5 litres of pure fat removed from the upper and lower abdomen and anterior flanks of the client.

Since then the Vibro Lipo system has been integrated and installed at Selston Cosmetic Clinic and Dr Bassi and the team hope to use this new technology to provide a much wider selection of treatments for their clients regardless of shape or size.

Dr S.R. Bassi is the leading cosmetic physician and Mags Whyler is the lead Vaser Lipo technician at a top cosmetic clinic in North Nottingham - Selston Cosmetic Clinic.

May. 28th, 2009

Macrolane Breast Shaping - Advanced Techniques

Macrolane breast shaping injections are a fairly recent addition to the range of cosmetic procedures available in the UK, being introduced around 12 months ago. Due to this there are approxinmately 50 clinics that offer the Macrolane treatment, though the numbers are increasing.

Macrolane is a Non Animal Stabilized Hyaluronic Acid (or NASHA) based product manufactured by Q MED, a Swedish company. It takes principles form Q MED’s Restylane range of facial dermal fillers, especially their Sub Q line of fillers. The Restlyane family of cosmetic products is considered one of the market leaders for its results and it has been used to treat over 9 million patients to date.

Macrolane is a much simpler procedure than standard breast implants and is used to enhance cup size and shape the breasts for a more desired look. Unlike the typical implants you hear about, Macrolane only increases a cup size by 1 or 1½, but this is to ensure the optimal breast shaping is achieved.

Before the Macrolane procedure there are several factors the cosmetician will take into account such as what method or technique will be used for anaesthesia, the incision site, the canula track, how much of filler is required and where it will be placed in the breast to achieve the desired shape.

Anaesthetic is applied to the breast to alleviate any discomfort or pain. One hundred mls per breast was the standard amount injected, though it is now fairly common practice to inject around 120mls per breast (sometimes more, up to around 140 - 150mls if required though this depends on the client’s pain threshold entirely). Several cosmeticians are now using fine spinal needles which are considered a much more comfortable option when injecting anaesthetic.

The incision site that the Macrolane filler will be injected has become something of a controversial debate. Many cosmeticians are now beginning to inject Macrolane from above the breast as opposed to the more conventional method of injecting from under the breast. The reason injecting from the top is controversial is that each injections incision will leave a tiny scar, no big deal per se, but Macrolane normally requires a top up every 12 months or so, thus the procedure and in turn the injection will have to be repeated. These repeat injections can lead to a more noticeable scar over several injections, however if the injection is administered under the breast this is much less noticeable and hidden by the shadow of the breast.

The actual site of product placement is crucial to achieve the most optimal results. The Macrolane breast shaping injections need to be carefully placed in the retro-mammary space between the breast mammary gland and the pectoralis major muscle in the chest. The cosmetician must always ensure that the track of entry of the canula is sealed.

So over the past year or so the delivery of Macrolane breast shaping injections has developed as cosmeticians gain more experience with the product and procedure this in turn has led to more confidence in the product and procedure from clients considering this treatments.

Dr S.R. Bassi is the lead cosmetic physician at Selston Cosmetic Clinic, North Nottingham’s premier medical cosmetic and laser clinic. Visit our website or give us a call to find out more about Macrolane.

May. 6th, 2009

Microdermabrasion - Q & A

Recently I was asked a few questions about the benefits and uses for medical microdermabrasion so I thought I’d post a few here for people to browse through and hopefully answer a few questions.

Q: What are the benefits and advantages of Microdermabrasion?
This is probably the most important question and one that requires answering before anything else. The benefits are what it can be used to treat, which includes acne scarring, stretch marks, age and sun spots, wrinkles and several other skin related issues.

The advantages of Microdermabrasion are that is has very little risk or side affects associated with it, that it takes only a short while for the procedure, normally around 20-30 minutes, it is one of the invasive cosmetic procedures available as it merely removes the top layer of dead skin and it can be used on many areas of the body, including the hands, face, neck, chest and back. Other advantages include the very minimal (if any) down time and that microdermabrasion requires no anaesthetic. It can also be used on all skin types and colours.

Q: Is microdermabrasion safe to use if I have Eczema?
No. We would never suggest microdermabrasion for people who suffer with eczema as it is invasive to the skin. This in turn can aggravate or worsen the condition and should be avoided. This is important to remember if you are thinking of using a home microdermabrasion kit.

Q: Can microdermabrasion be used on whiteheads (spots)?
A: Yes it is quite safe to use microdermabrasion to treat whiteheads. Microdermabrasion cleans deep into the pores of the skin and removes excess oil and dirt which clog these pores up. After treatment many whiteheads are removed and stubborn one that are not, are greatly reduced in visibility.

Q: Will microdermabrasion make my skin dry?
As a rule no, such an occurrence is extremely rare. If you do notice your skin becoming dry after treatment it is fine for you to simply use a variety of skin creams or lotions to rehydrate it.

Q: Can microdermabrasion be used to treat Rosacea?
Due to its nature, microdermabrasion is not a viable way to treat Rosacea, as a matter of fact using microdermabrasion will actually aggravate the condition making the symptoms worse. Again it is important to remember this when considering a home microdermabrasion kit – don’t!
There are other cosmetic procedures available to treat Rosacea, such as cosmetic laser surgery, but microdermabrasion is not one of them.

Q: Does Microdermabrasion help reduce signs of ageing such as age spots and wrinkles?
Microdermabrasion is very effective in making skin appear younger after treatment. First up it will leave a more rejuvenated and fresher layer of new skin once the old layer is stripped away. Secondly it even out the skin texture which mean the removal or reduction of superficial wrinkles. Finally it can minimise or even remove age spots when removing the dead skin layer.

Q: Will microdermabrasion make my skin look healthier?
Microdermabrasion stimulates skin cell renewal which is required to achieve good levels of density and elasticity in the skin. Along with this cell renewal, the vacuum function of the microdermabrasion tool sucks up dead skin, dirt and hardened oil on the skin which improves the skins texture and tone.

If you have any more questions regarding microdermabrasion or its benefits or issues that may be associated with it, please ask us and we will try to help as best we can.

Roberta James specialises and runs the Medical Microdermbrasion and Chemical Skin Peels department at the Selston Cosmetic Clinic in North Nottinghamshire.

May. 1st, 2009

Dermaroller Therapy - Skin Rejeneration

Dermaroller Therapy is a new treatment to help rejuvenate the skin and help with the problem of ageing skin, sun damaged skin, acne scarring and stretch marks.

Dermaroller therapy utilises a technique called collagen induction therapy, or “skin needling”. What this involves is a specially designed medical device with multiple fine needle points is rolled across the skin. This causes miniscule pin pricks which the body in its wisdom sees as damage to the skin. It then goes about healing the injured area as it normally would any other wound.

The repair and regeneration process then begins as new collagen and elastin is produced and continues over the following few weeks, and over a course of treatments you will see much improved results.

What is surprising to most people is that the procedure is remarkably comfortable – it only requires a topical anaesthetic cream which is very effective to the depth required for this treatment. The experience will range from pleasant to only mildly uncomfortable; many patients have found it genuinely relaxing

The procedure itself takes around half an hour. Following the treatment the skin will appear red for a short while only, similar in appearance to moderate sunburn. Most of the redness settles rapidly over a couple of hours and is easily covered. The skin is usually completely recovered by the following day.

These results of this collagen induction therapy are equivalent to the results that can be obtained by aggressive laser treatments, but without the risks or downtime, and at a fraction of the cost. Dermaroller therapy is availble at Mulberry House cosmetic clinic.

Apr. 29th, 2009

Fresher Skin with Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is removal of the dead outermost layer of the skin (the stratum corneum) by passing a collection of fine medical grade crystals across the skin, which causes light abrasion.

Microdermabrasion is a safe and painless procedure that is used to remove sun damaged skin, remove or lessen scars or to treat acne. The treatment has a proven track record having been used to treat hundreds of thousands of patients over the past 10 years with fantastic results.

The two most common and recommended microdermabrasion procedures are:

Crystal microdermabrasion
Crystal microdermabrasion systems are the traditional treatment of choice and rely on tiny crystals that are blasted onto the skin to perform the exfoliating process.

Diamond microdermabrasion
Diamond microdermabrasion systems operate without the need for crystals. The exfoliation process occurs when a diamond tipped head makes contact with the skin and abrades against it.

Regardless of whether it is either the crystal or diamond microdermabrasion systems used, the dead skin cells are sucked away from the face.

The procedure itself typically takes around 20 minutes to complete and the results show through almost immediately. The procedure can take a little longer depending on the severity of the condition to treat and the requirements desired.

For the best results a course of treatments of microdermabrasion is normally recommended, though this will be discussed and advised at your first consultation.

Feb. 3rd, 2009

Obagi Nu-Derm

At Mulberry House Clinic, we have been offering the OBAGI Nu-Derm system for over 2 years now and we are extremely impressed with the results, along with our clients who are seeing the benefits for themselves. OBAGI Nu-Derm was first developed 20 years ago by Dr Zein Obagi, a dermatologist who practices in Beverley Hills.

We started off feeling a little reserved about recommending it too strongly but we now have a lot of experience with it in all skin types and take the view that it would almost be negligent of us not to make sure that you are aware of the benefits!

You should consider OBAGI if you would like:

- smoother, firmer skin
- healthier skin function
- brighter, fresher appearance
- significant reduction in pigmentation of virtually all types
- even skin colour
- improved fine lines and wrinkles
- improvement in acne or acne scarring
- reduced oiliness
- long term skin protection
- potential reduction in skin cancer risk
- improvement in skin quality and colour in the neck and décolleté regions .

These are big claims, but ones we are happy to make on the basis of the results we have seen (to hear what our client’s have to say click here). For even greater improvement in skin tightness, scarring or deep pigmentation there is the option of an OBAGI blue peel, but quite often the results with the skincare alone mean a peel is not necessary.

Improvement is usually noticeable within 2 weeks, with best results taking up to a few months.

Research has shown that Nu-Derm also improves the results of other cosmetic treatments - the degree of improvement and satisfaction with Botox, dermal fillers, laser treatments and Thermage were all greater in people who had been using OBAGI Nu-Derm.

If you are serious about improving and looking after your skin in the long term OBAGI will deliver.

Whether you are already using it or are new to the range Mulberry House Clinic is offering a £20 discount on purchase of a full pack of OBAGI Nu-Derm, Crx or Elastiderm Decolletage from now until the end of February. As prices will be increasing after this now is an excellent time to start your OBAGI programme.

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