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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.

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.

November 2009

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