Non-Invasive Skin Rejuvenation
Treats Aging Skin with Light
by Diana Clarke
If you want to improve the appearance of your skin but
don't want to undergo an invasive procedure, non-ablative
skin rejuvenation may be your answser. Non-ablative or
non-invasive tools can reverse the effects of aging skin, such as wrinkles, mottled skin tone and broken blood
vessels.
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Photomodulation
Photomodulation is a non-invasive
procedure that activates skin cells with pulses
of low-level, non-thermal light energy. This procedure converts light energy within the skin cells,
like photosynthesis, which takes sunlight and converts
it into food energy in plants. A product containing vitamins, nutrients and
antioxidants is applied to the skin before the treatment, to enhance the effects of photomodulation. As a result, skin cells
act more like younger cells.
In a recent clinical trial, 90 females with sun-damaged skin
received an average of eight
photomodulation treatments to test the procedure’s
effectiveness in reducing the appearance of facial wrinkles,
pigmentation, redness, pore size and roughness in the
eye area.
“The results of our study using photomodulation were very
significant,” said Robert A. Weiss, MD, Associate
Professor, Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md. at the
American Academy of Dermatology’s 2003 Annual Meeting in
San Francisco.
“One week after the last treatment, we observed a 62
percent global improvement in the appearance of skin in the
eye area, including a reduction of 26 percent in skin
roughness, 30 percent in elastosis (or yellow,
irregularly-thickened skin), 14 percent in pore size, and
25 percent in redness. Clearly, photomodulation is an
extremely safe and effective treatment option for patients
looking to improve the appearance of aging and sun-damaged
skin without any downtime. Continued improvement is seen
even months after treatment. ”
Photorejuvenation
Photorejuvenation is another new non-invasive treatment
that repairs collagen in the dermis,
or bottom layer of the skin, while gently erasing signs of
aging in the epidermis, or top layer of skin. This
treatment delivers pulses of
light to the dermis, which injures but then repairs
the collagen. But the epidermis is rarely
injured by this procedure.
On the surface of the skin, photorejuvenation delivers pulses of light that can reduce the
signs of aging, fine wrinkles,
freckles, irregular pigmentation, and
dilated capillaries commonly associated with rosacea.
Four to six 30-45 minute treatment sessions
three weeks apart is recommended.
“What makes photorejuvenation so appealing is that it can
rapidly treat the entire face – not just a single problem
or area – with little or no downtime, minimal discomfort
and very little risk,” said Dr. Weiss. “In addition,
photorejuvenation has been found to be extremely effective
in improving the appearance of the neck, chest and hands –
which can be difficult to treat because the skin is more
delicate in these areas.”
Photorejuventation can also be combined with
other treatments, such as laser
resurfacing, chemical peeling, microdermabrasion,
and botulinum toxin to improve results.
“We know botulinum toxin is highly effective at erasing
wrinkles and deep facial lines, but it really doesn’t
affect the uneven skin tones and red and brown colors that
make a person’s face look older,” explained Dr. Weiss.
“When combining the two procedures, photorejuvenation is
used first to treat a patient’s overall complexion and
botulinum toxin injections are administered following this
treatment to fill in wrinkles. The results of this combined
procedure are immediate, and the patient does not incur any
additional downtime.”
Patients should choose a
qualified dermatologist or dermatologic surgeon
who has experience with the new non-ablative treatments.
And they should discuss the pros and cons of different treatments to decide which one is best for them.
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Last modified: 09/09/03
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