TOP ANTI-AGING BREAKTHROUGHS (Part 1)

Top Anti-aging Breakthroughs (Part 1)

Anti-aging beauty products and clinic procedures have been coming out every year, each one claiming to be the new elixir of youth.  While some present scientifically solid and significant advances, many are simply hyped up rehash of old products and procedures with a new name. To guide you in what can really make a difference in your skin, we present to you a three part series on the top anti-aging scientific breakthroughs that can create your best skin ever. 

Nano-encapsulation Technology

Nano refers to size, the size of a virus. Nano is a billionth of a meter; a thousand times smaller than micro. The development of encapsulated nano sized active ingredients marks a major advance in skin care formulations. DERMAX Professional is the first Philippine brand which launched nano-encapsulated skin care products with enhanced effectiveness and stability.  Targeted skin absorption has vastly improved with the smaller particle size of the nano active ingredients.

Ordinarily, skin care actives would only lay on the surface of the skin accomplishing nothing beyond improving feel. For anti-aging products, the active ingredients must work inside the skin to have any effect at all. Nano-encapsulation technology has made it possible for actives to 

• go beyond the barriers much more easily,
• protect ingredients  from losing efficacy, and
• impart time-released benefit.

Anti-aging DERMAX products containing nano-encapsulated ingredients are NanoWhite, Hyal C, HYALIFT, Retinol C and UV MILK.

Fractional Laser Resurfacing

Many dermatologists consider fractional laser resurfacing as one of the most important breakthrough wrinkle treatments in recent years.  Prior to this, the gold standard in wrinkle removal was the traditional CO2 lasers, which completely ablate skin, resulting in horrendous downtime and complications. With fractional laser resurfacing, you still get the best way to remove wrinkles with less downtime and less complications. 

Fractional laser resurfacing uses beamlets of laser light to bore pin point holes in the skin. This prevents damage to the top layer of the skin, reducing downtime to just 4 to 7 days. The body’s natural collagen production is encouraged to work fast-forward, with effects that will last for years. 

What’s new: Aside from the CO2, new fractional lasers are now available that are more skin friendly, meaning there is less possibility of hyperpigmentation with Asian skin types. These are the Erbium:YAG laser, Erbium:Glass laser, and fractional RF (uses radiofrequency energy rather than laser). All these fractional lasers are available in SkinStation.

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This column was published in the Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section on November 5, 2013. The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. Skin Smart aims to clarify facts and myths on skin care. Send your questions and comments to info@skinstation.ph.  

IS THERE HOPE FOR OLD SCARS?

Is There Hope For Old Scars?

You have this patch of skin that grew over a cut when you were a child. As you become more conscious of how you look, the visible scar on your body is now a bothersome thought. Is there a way to remove this old scar?

A scar forms when your body heals itself. If the wound heals within two weeks, minimal collagen will be deposited and no scar will form. If the healing takes longer than 4 weeks, a scar will form. Semi-occlusive silicone ointments and sheets are used to speed up healing and prevent scar formation. Other factors are your age, sex, ethnicity, and your inherited tendency to scar.

How your scar looks depends on its location and how big and deep your wound is. Scars are often thicker, pinker, redder or shinier than the rest of your skin.

What we usually call a keloid is usually just hypertrophic scar, not yet in the magnitude of a keloid. This kind of scar does not breach the boundary of the wound. When the scar extends beyond the site of injury, it is medically termed a keloid. When the scar is indented or sunken, or has a pitted appearance, it is called atrophic. This type is often associated with acne, chickenpox, and other infections. Contracture scars are caused by burns, which cause the tightening of the skin. Serious burn scars are beyond the scope of this article.

What can we do with old scars? The truth is, the scars will not go away completely, but there are methods that can reduce their size and appearance.

1) Collagenesis involves repeated puncturing of skin with a microneedling device. The infusion of serum to even out discoloration, like collawhite serum, improves the effectiveness of the procedure.

2) Fractional Lasers, such as CO2 or Er:YAG offer the best result for atrophic and acne scars. Multiple sessions are usually required.

3) Dermalfillers using collagen or hyaluronic acid provide instant but temporary relief for pitted and sunken scars. Re-injection of filler is required every year or so. Artefill is permanent filler, but in inexperienced hands, this could cause permanent disfigurement.

4) Keloid Injection with corticorsteroid will flatten and soften hypertrophic and keloid scars. The steroid is injected into the scar itself, so there is minimal side effect. Repeat sessions may be needed.

5) Chemical Peels such as TCA can be used, with the depth of the peel controlled depending on the kind of scar being treated.

6) Scar Revision is a process of cutting the scar tissue out. After the excision, the new wound is usually closed up to heal, assisted by silicone sheeting to speed up healing and prevent new scars from forming.

Consultation with a doctor is the first step in determining the best scar treatment option for your specific case. Do not self-medicate, and do not waste your money on creams and potions claiming to erase scars completely.

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This was published in the February 12, 2013 issue of Manila Bulletin, Lifestyle Section. The author , Fred C. Reyes, is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulations Commission for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. He can be reached at fred.reyes@skinstation.ph. 

Is there hope for acne scars?

Is there hope for acne scars?

Most people recover completely from acne without any permanent scarring. Those with severe acne are not as lucky. They are left with disfiguring acne scars of various types that can leave them feeling self-conscious about their appearance. Picking, pressing or rubbing of pimples or whiteheads increases the possibility of scar formation.

When acne clears up, pink, red, or dark spots often appear on the skin. The good news is that these are not scars and will eventually fade. To be classified as scar, the skin defect has to persist for at least a year. Topical products with lightening and exfoliating ingredients like Retinol-C serum, NanoWhite cream, and AcneX soap can lighten these dark spots. Multiple sessions of mild glycolic peel combined with diamond peel may provide faster relief than topical medication.

Acne scars take several shapes. The back and chest get the hypertrophic scar, which is thick and lumpy. The face usually gets the depressed types of acne scars, named after their shapes.  The first is an ice pick scar, which is deep pitted with steep edges. The second is a boxcar scar, which has sharp, square sides to it.  The third is a rolling scar, which has wide, shallow and curved indentation.

Most successful acne scar treatments may take multiple sessions over a period of several months before significant improvement can be seen. The basic steps of acne scar removal may include a combination of the following procedures:

Dermal fillers: These are substance that can be injected into depressed scars to plump them up to the level of the surrounding skin. Hyaluronic acid injectable like Restylane and Juvederm are good fillers for shallow to deep acne scars. They can last from 3 to 18 months, depending on the material used. Your own fat, taken from another part of the body, can also be used as dermal filler and can last from 1 to 3 years. Ice pick scars may require dermal fillers.

Chemical peels: A chemical solution like trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or glycolic acid is used to peel away the outer layers of skin. The solutions are available in several strengths, and used according to the degree of peeling desired. A series of 4 to 6 superficial peels are effective for improving discoloration from acne, while medium depth peels or a deep peel can improve the appearance of atrophic acne scars. Healing can take from 3 days to 3 weeks depending on the depth of peeling. Avoiding unnecessary sun exposure, wearing sunscreen daily during the healing period and following post-care instructions are important to prevent unwanted side effects.

Fractional laser is available
 at SkinStation. 

Fractional lasers: Excellent results can be achieved for the boxcar and rolling acne scars with ablative fractional lasers using CO2 or Er:YAG. These lasers are called “fractional” because they work by resurfacing only a “fraction” of the skin at a time, leaving the surrounding area intact for faster healing. These lasers poke tiny microscopic holes in the skin down past the epidermis and into the dermis, causing new collagen to form, which fills in the acne scars and smoothens skin. The same basic principle is the basis for micro-needling procedure (dermaroller or auto stamping) which we call the COLLAGENESIS in SkinStation, but more sessions are needed to approximate the same benefits one can get from fractional laser resurfacing.

Scar surgery: The goal of scar surgery is to raise the scar to the level of the surrounding skin, thereby creating a smooth appearance.  Sometimes the scar is actually cut out and the edges of the remaining skin are brought together.  Fillers may be used to raise the affected area. 

Before committing to any medical treatment for acne scar, be sure you have all the knowledge you need to make an educated decision.  Have your free consultation with the doctors at SkinStation so that you fully understand the risks and benefits of each treatment option.

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This was published in the July 17, 2012 issue of Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section. The author is the CEO of SkinStation. He received the 2011 Outstanding Chemist Award from Professional Regulations Commission for his achievements in the field of cosmetic chemistry. He can be reached at fred.reyes@skinstation.ph.