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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Hema Sundaram, MA, MD, FAAD
Five Tips for Skin Health and Beauty At Any Age
Sundaram Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery Center
. http://doctorhema.com

Five Tips for Skin Health and Beauty At Any Age

Five Tips for Skin Health and Beauty At Any Age

Did you know that skin is the largest organ in our bodies, and the outer mirror of everything happening internally? Being a board certified dermatologist means knowing how to analyze the skin as well as the hair and nails for any signs that can point to medical conditions involving the blood, intestines, heart, liver, kidneys, and every other body system. That’s why an annual skin check, as recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology, is an essential part of total health – think of it not only as a “physical” for your skin but for your whole body.

Healthy skin is even-toned, blemish-free, and has a radiant glow. An experienced dermatologist can even tell your stress level, what you’re eating, whether or not you smoke, and many other aspects of your lifestyle just from looking at your skin.

The first steps to achieving healthy skin are to get enough sleep, control stress, and eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of antioxidants and other nutrients that repair the skin and body. Antioxidants in the right formulations can also be effective when applied to the skin. There are now many other topical treatments with skin health and anti-aging research behind them such as retinol, growth factors, DNA repair, peptides and hyaluronic acid. The key is to look beyond the marketing hype, to find products with solid science and publications in medical journals.

Beyond topical treatments, more men and women who want to look and feel their best at any age are opting for new non-surgical procedures that give natural-looking results with no down time or scarring. These options can be fitted into any lifestyle, allow an immediate or very quick return to regular activities, and give great results if performed by a properly qualified doctor. You can gain a competitive edge professionally and personally, and project outwardly the youthful vitality and energy that you strive for internally.

Here are five key strategies to achieve skin health and beauty this year and beyond.

Select a Qualified Doctor

When you have cosmetic procedures performed, you are entrusting your face and body to the person who performs these procedures. It is essential that this person has been trained as extensively as possible in safety and advanced techniques. It’s not a good decision to compromise on either for the sake of a cheaper price, as you may then have to live with results with which you are not happy – or, worse, suffer the risk of complications from the procedure. It is important to select a doctor who has received appropriate training and certifications to perform aesthetic procedures, not just a weekend course.

The American Board of Medical Specialties oversees board certifications for physicians, and recognizes four types of “core” aesthetic specialists who are properly trained to be performing cosmetic procedures. They are Board Certified Dermatologists, Plastic Surgeons, Oculoplastic Surgeons and Facial Plastic Surgeons.

Here are three key questions you can ask during your consultation to check your doctor’s qualifications:

  1. Are you board certified in Dermatology or Plastic Surgery?
  2. Do you serve as a chair and teacher at the academy conferences of dermatology (ASDS and AAD) and plastic surgery (ASAPS and ASPS), as well as for university and other academic programs?
  3. Is your clinic a recognized research center, including for U.S. FDA studies of the newest technologies?

One key benefit of a Board Certified Dermatologist is that their dual medical and cosmetic training enables them to look at the whole of you, and make treatment plans with this “Big Picture” approach.

Find the Latest Techniques

One of the hottest trends for your face and body is non-surgical face lifting with Ultherapy, a new ultrasound treatment that specifically targets the deep tissues of your face, neck, chest and elsewhere to re-contour your jawline, tighten and lift your neck and cheeks, and lift sagging eyebrows. It also lifts the buttocks, arms, knees and other areas.

The GentleMax laser or the new Exilis Ultra – a more advanced, upgraded version of Exilis Elite – or eMatrix sublative radiofrequency lasers can be added for advanced facial lifting, contouring or skin resurfacing. They can tighten and lift sagging skin, melt unwanted fat, remove a double chin, fade wrinkles, sun spots, scars, prominent pores and other blemishes, improve stretch marks, and give your skin a radiant glow. These lasers can be used to achieve similar results on your body, including your neck, arms, torso and legs.

Another hot trend is microneedling with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) , the so-called “vampire facelift”,  which harnesses the power of your body’s own platelet cells to rejuvenate your face and body. Scientific research shows that PRP can also be used with advanced techniques to treat hair loss and restore a healthy pattern of hair growth. For the best and safest results, select a clinic where the dermatologist or plastic surgeon is personally performing the PRP treatments.

Natural fillers such as Voluma, Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse and Sculptra can be added to restore youthful contours to your face. These fillers are gently injected just beneath your skin to fill under-eye hollows and lines around your mouth, restore shape and fullness to thinning lips, re-contour your jawline and improve the shape of your nose with no downtime or scarring. Muscle relaxers like Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Daxxify or Jeauveau can be added to safely smooth out frown lines, worry lines, crow’s feet and wrinkles around your mouth and on your neck. For treatment that looks so natural that it’s undetectable, it’s best to have an expert Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon with in-depth understanding of facial anatomy perform these treatments.

The most expert treatment doesn’t just soften wrinkles – it can actually reshape your whole face to give it more ideal proportions while preserving your facial expressions so you never look “frozen”, and stimulate new collagen and elastin for long-term results. We’ve all seen bad Botox, fillers and lasers – but those who have expert treatments simply look youthful and are typically told by others that they never seem to age!

Don’t Forget Your Body

We all want to be in the best shape possible. Exilis Ultra and Vanquish are non-surgical, no-downtime, completely painless lasers to melt stubborn fat deposits from your abdomen, hips, thighs, arms, buttocks, chin and other areas. A select group of experts in the U.S. have served as physician trainers for Kybella, a non-surgical injectable treatment to dissolve unwanted fat from your chin and neck. All these treatments are performed in your doctor’s office, and you can return to regular activities immediately after treatment. LipoLite is a no-downtime laser lipo treatment that safely and comfortably removes fat deposits from your abdomen, thighs, buttocks, chin, arms and elsewhere, and also tightens the overlying skin. Advanced body sculpting combines these fat-busting technologies with lasers to improve cellulite, stretch marks and loose skin, and further reduce your thighs, abdomen, arms and other areas. You will typically drop several dress sizes and lose several inches.

Asclera is a new pain-free treatment for spider veins on your legs. It’s advisable to start this treatment in the fall and winter. For smooth, holiday-perfect skin and to be ready for summer, try the new GentleMax Pro laser, which safely and quickly removes hair of all colors, even light colored hairs, from all skin types. Treatment is very effective, and so comfortable that there is no need even for numbing cream.

A new and important part of wellness is feminine rejuvenation. Childbirth or aging can cause concerns that impact quality of life, such as leaking of urine when coughing or sneezing, vaginal dryness or less satisfying sexual function. These concerns were rarely discussed previously, but now can be addressed in many women by non-surgical treatment with the CO2RE Intima laser. There is no recovery time, and patients typically report dramatic improvements in their sense of wellbeing and quality of life. The difference between the CO2RE Intima and other treatments like radiofrequency that are advertised for feminine rejuvenation is that the CO2RE Intima is a true laser, to give quicker, longer-lasting treatment with fuller results. The first step is to consult with an expert in feminine rejuvenation, who will then devise the most appropriate treatment plan in collaboration with your gynecologist.

Be Time and Cost-Effective

The Syneron Triniti, eMatrix and eTwo lasers can rejuvenate all three layers of your skin simultaneously. You can remove sunspots and spider veins, improve wrinkles and tighten your skin during the same treatment session and return to regular activities immediately afterwards.

The CO2RE, eMatrix and eTwo sublative lasers are advanced fractional resurfacing treatments for ultimate skin rejuvenation through removal of wrinkles, acne and other scars, prominent pores and skin discolorations. The CO2RE Intima laser offer true feminine (vaginal) rejuvenation to improve symptoms related to childbirth or aging such as dryness

Final Tips

Advanced dermatology and plastic surgery clinics should offer many options, including a variety of different lasers, the newest equipment and techniques, intense pulsed light (IPL) photo facials, radiofrequency and infrared skin rejuvenation. Qualified dermatologists and plastic surgeons are properly trained in all these procedures and technologies. Those who are most on the cutting edge teach and train other doctors, are Principal Investigators for the newest research, and publish scientific papers in medical journals.

Selection of the most expert doctor assures you of a sophisticated action plan that can be individualized to address your own unique pattern of aging.

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