In your 20s, skin is generally free of the signs of aging. Start a medically supervised treatment plan now to protect your skin from the harmful effects of sun and environment.
Proper cleansing, moisturizing, and use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily will help ward off early wrinkles and enlarged pores. Mild peels and topical treatments may help control acne.
Botox® injections can prevent lines and filler agents such as Radiesse®, Restylane®, Juvéderm®, and Juvéderm Ultra Plus® can be used to fill out smile lines and augment lips.
For unfavorable size and shape of body features, surgery may be in order. Rhinoplasty, otoplasty and other aesthetic procedures can often be performed.
Decreased firmness and skin elasticity are a natural part of aging. Introducing anti-oxidants into your skincare routine can help prevent sun damage that leads to lines and age spots. Also, alpha hydroxy acids in conjunction with retinoids and topical antioxidants can restore a youthful appearance to the skin.
Non-invasive laser procedures may improve fine lines, brown spots, and broken blood vessels. Botox® injections can diminish laugh lines and create a smoother forehead. Fillers like Radiesse®, Restylane®, Juvéderm®, and Juvéderm Ultra Plus® can be used to fill smile lines and augment lips.
For those in their 40s, damage caused by sun exposure become apparent. More aggressive skincare can help combat the visible signs of aging. A combination of topical solutions like tretinoin (Retin-A), AHAs, and BHAs, along with microdermabrasion brings the best results.
There are many procedures available to smooth and tighten skin. Photofacials, chemical peels, and topical treatments are effective in decreasing the signs of aging as well as minimizing pore size. Fillers like Radiesse®, Restylane®, Juvéderm® and Juvéderm Ultra Plus® can help restore volume in the mid-face and fill smile lines. For upper face and forehead lines, Botox® injections may be in order.
For those who choose the surgical route, face, brow, eye and neck lifts are very popular procedures.
By age fifty, regular skin examinations by a certified aesthetician or plastic surgeon are essential.
Maintaining natural moisture is more difficult. Peels and light therapy in combination with ultra-hydrating home care can help maintain the balance. Laser resurfacing combined with fillers to restore volume can provide an impressive rejuvenation.
In all likelihood, more extensive facial rejuvenation and resurfacing procedures will be necessary at this stage. Depending on your appearance goals, comprehensive surgery can reverse signs of aging in the face, brow, mid-face, and neck areas. A facelift or brow lift in conjunction with laser resurfacing can yield dramatic results. The payoff for more invasive surgery is a natural, more supple look that is virtually undetectable.
Skin Care
Skin Resurfacing - Opting for Chemical Peel
Chemical peels are a category of advanced clinical skin rejuvenation treatments that help to reverse the signs of aging and the damage of past sun exposure and have been used in France since the late nineteenth century. They have been used in North America since the 1920s and are now accepted and well-recognized procedures particularly for treatment of sun damaged and aged skin. Chemical peels can be performed on all parts of the body: face, neck, chest, back, arms and legs.
A variety of chemical agents are used to cause inflammation and irritation to the superficial layer of the skin. Three of the most commonly used peeling agents are:
- Phenol and its derivatives,
- Trichloro-acetic acid (TCA), and
- Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as glycolic acid.
The subsequent realignment of the skin's collagen-building blocks after the chemical peel leads to a smoother, younger look.
Chemical peels can effectively improve a wide variety of skin conditions including:
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Uneven pigmentation
- Shallow acne scars
- Sun-damaged skin
- Age spots
- Freckling
What benefits can a chemical peel yield?
Sun-damaged skin characterized by fine to moderately coarse wrinkles, irregular pigmentation, dilated blood vessels and scaling wound, all benefits from a chemical peel. Light-skinned patients are better candidates than those with darker skin because they tend to have fewer pigmentation after the procedure. Individuals with sagging and excessive skin are not candidates for this procedure since chemical peeling improves skin quality but does not reduce excess skin. An eyelid lift for example, removes redundant skin, but chemical peeling may be necessary to remove the fine wrinkles.
What is involved in a chemical peel?
Chemical peels can be categorized as mild, moderate and aggressive. The extent of skin damage determines the type of peel which is used and the depth of peeling necessary.
Mild chemical peels: A solution of 30 to 70% glycolic acid or 10 to 15% trichloroacetic acid may be used.
Moderate chemical peels: 20 to 45% trichloroacetic acid is used.
Aggressive peels: 45 to 60% trichloroacetic acid phenol or baker's solution (a modified phenol preparation) may be used.
Many dermatologist, plastic surgeons and other esthetic surgeons are now using milder agents in a series of applications rather than using more aggressive agents on a single occasion to provide the best results with the least amount of risk.
The glycolic acid peels are particularly popular, because they offer the least risk of pigment changes and scars as well as the shortest period of recuperation after the procedure. In contrast, with the phenol peels, there is a greater risk of scar and pigment changes, a longer recovery time, and the risk of damage to the heart, liver and kidneys.
The steps involved with each type of peel are similar, with some differences.
If phenol is used for the peeling procedure, a pre-operative assessment of the heart, liver and kidneys is necessary. This is not necessary with glycolic acid and trichloroacetic acid peels.
With all types of peels, the skin is cleared with degreasing agents such as, acetone, alcohol or Povidone iodine (Betadine), as these encourage better penetration to deeper levels and greater uniformity of the peel.
The chemical agent of choice is usually applied with cotton swabs or gauze over the designated areas. Feathering, using less or lower concentrations of the agent, is performed as the physician moves from the face into the neck or hairline regions. This avoids any obvious demarcation between peeled and untreated skin.
Skin Care Products
Introducing the Latest in Skin Care Technology...
Aging skin is accelerated by free radicals such as UV sunlight, smog, and bacteria to name a few. Your skin is in a daily battle, and you must do your part to fight back! Our REPAIR'ATIVES City Living Skin Care products offer a high-quality, yet affordable way to arm yourself from accelerated aging by cleansing, protecting, and regenerating your skin.
REPAIR'ATIVES City Living Skin Care by Dr. Sergio Maggi is a simple, four-product system for Cleansing, Protecting and Regenerating your skin. This system has a proven blend of pharmaceutical-grade ingredients with high-potency antioxidants that will give you the tools necessary to reach your skin's "Ageless Potential."
A busy lifestyle and exposure to the elements are your skin's main opponents in the fight against aging. Layers of dead skin build up on your complexion daily. These layers harbor bacteria which can cause aging, blemishes and the look of a dull, heavy complexion. We know how important it is for people on the go to have a fast skin care regimen of premium-quality, effective products.
City Living Protective Serum
Reach your ageless potential by using this lightweight, antioxidant-filled Protective Serum to cover and protect your skin from free radical damage and outside elements.
Use the Protective Serum every day to achieve hydrated skin and a layer of protection. Apply a generous layer of product each morning after cleansing. Then just apply makeup and go!
In addition to Dr. Maggi’s line, we also carry the full line of Obagi products.
Obagi Nu-Derm System®
This prescription-strength skin care system transforms your skin at the cellular level, correcting the signs of photodamage and restoring healthy cell function. You aesthetician will prescribe a specific dose and frequency to exfoliate old skin; minimize your lines, wrinkles, and age spots; and reveal the youthful new skin within.
Other Helpful Tips for Caring for Your Skin
If you desire good skin, you really need to make a concerted effort towards achieving it. Develop good skin care habits that become part of a daily routine:
- A healthy diet, composed of whole grains, fruits and vegetables along with exercise and adequate sleep is essential for healthy skin.
- Avoid exposure to the sun, but when you must, use a sunscreen to protect your skin from damage.
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily, to keep your skin hydrated.
- As a guideline your skin needs two staples: a cleanser and a moisturizer.
- Other products might include toner, exfoliator and eye cream or gel.