Are you guilty of “Confusing your Skin”?

Posted by Total Dermatology

Confusing your skin – Easy to do and not entirely your fault

On any given day you will see thousands of snippets or advice and advertising. “Take this” for more energy…”Take that” for better sleep…
“Use this” for younger skin…”Buy that” for a flawless complexion. So,  most of us “try that”, “use this” and completely and utterly confuse our poor skin.

I've tried everything the magazines said and my skin is having a fit!

Confused skin gets testy

By trying each new miracle cream or age reverser or spot stopper, it’s easy to create so much chaos that your skin simply stomps its little foot and screams “NOOOO!” And that “no” can look like breakouts and pimples, dry patches, redness, itching or even welts.

Basic rules for happy skin

Skin is pretty simple. Some basic rules always apply. Like, Keep it Clean. Treat it Kindly. Protect if from too much Sun. Be consistent. Honestly, your skin will look and behave much better if you stick to a consistent regimen and use the same old stuff every day.

So, how to not be guilty of confusing your skin?

  • Pick a cleanser for your skin type and condition (If you have no clue and no time to get a dermatology recommendation, Cetaphil is a safe bet for just about anyone on the planet).
  • Clean your skin every night – every night – every night. Clean skin can cast off toxins. Skin blocked with the day’s dirt, makeup and smog just lies there and suffocates – all night long!
  • Moisturize – Remember we live in a desert here in southern California. You need to drink water and give your skin a helping hand to stop dehydration on both the internal and external fronts.
  • Exfoliate – but gently. A cleansing brush does dual duty. If you’d rather use some kind of scrub, go easy – and only once or twice a week. (Actually a nubby washcloth works pretty well for most and can be used every day).
  • Protect. UV will seriously mess with your skin’s DNA if you let it.
  • If you have Melasma, you REALLY need to double down on your sun protection. You can use a chemically based sunscreen first and top with a sunblock that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
  • Touchy skin? Is it a new product? If it’s perfumed, skip it. If it burns and itches when you put it on, skip it. The only “but” here is when you are having your skin treated by a dermatologist and you are expecting some side effects.

Speaking of Dermatologists, we don’t take your money just to give you a professional opinion of what you can do to get – and keep – the skin you’re after. Magazines are pretty and the boxes at the department store are shiny and enticing…but only a skin pro can take a look at your skin and tell you the right “do this”! Give us a call and book a cosmetic consult with Dr. Pilest to discuss what’s right for your skin.

 

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Patient Testimonial

Posted by Total Dermatology

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Kale – A Winner Against Dietary Skin Smackdown

Posted by Total Dermatology

Kale – the newest front runner in healthy eating – is gaining quite a reputation for its nutritional value. What’s this got to do with your skin?

Photo by B*2 under the Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0.

From the website of Dr. Andrew Weil: “Kale is among the most nutrient-dense of all vegetables. One cup provides 1,327 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin K, 192 percent of the DV for vitamin A and 88 percent for vitamin C.” Check out the Tuscan Kale Salad recipe

Kale for Skin 

  • Vitamin C – a top antioxidant for skin
  • Vitamin K – strengthens capillaries and helpful to those who bruise easily (boost for those who have dark under eye circles?)
  • Vitamin A – another top antioxidant
  • Lutein - antioxidant with UV protection
  • Calcium for cell renewal and lipid barrier regulation
  • Acne help (high chlorophyll – see article here

The Livestrong blog has a nice article on Kale here.

Guilty of Dietary Smackdown for your Skin?

Most of us are aware that dietary choices make a big difference in skin health and appearance. With the typical American diet incorporating massive amounts of caffeine, sugar (another wrinkle making machine all on it’s own!) and deep fried fast food, it’s no wonder skin is more susceptible to aging and discoloration.

Our body has to spend a lot of its energy just getting rid of toxins. And guess what? A large percentage of those toxins are eliminated through our skin. (Could that BigMac be the culprit in last week’s acne breakout?)

A Few Clean Up and Fix Up Options

If diet’s already done it’s dirty work on your skin, there are some “clean up and fix up” options. Obviously good eating habits are a major component. Good ol’ H2O is first on the list; more fish and less fried fast foods; vitamin supplements; FRESH fruits and veggies. If you’re a fast food addict, start slowly and skin one fast food meal a week, then two, then three… We know that the science behind taste combinations in fast food is on purpose. It’s up to you to take back control of your eating if you’ve abdicated that responsibility.

Additionally, you can help clear up your acne with an acne laser and light system like Isolaz  – which helps remove the toxin buildup in pores. And you can banish a considerable amount of sun damage with fractional energy treatments like eMatrix - which is a wonderful choice for all skin types and especially those with more skin pigment.

 

Posted in Skin Care, Wrinkles | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

I Don’t Want a Nose Job – Is There a Fast Fix?

Posted by Total Dermatology

You don’t always have to use a hammer or a scalpel to reshape noses.  The typical “nose nob” can leave you with swelling and tenderness for months – not to mention the pain and cost of surgery. You can instead use a needle and an FDA approved injectable paste called Radiesse.

Nose Deformity before treatment

Nose Deformity from Accident before Radiesse

Whether the nose in question is suffering from a hump, a bump, a dent or a drooping tip, in a mere 15 minute procedure Dr. Pilest can re-sculpt and re-contour, providing patients a veritable “nose job” with no surgery, no pain, no agony and no waiting.

Results are instant. Aside from some possible minor bruising or swelling at the injection site, the finished corrections are instant, long-lasting and natural-looking.

Patients who choose this non-surgical nose shaping are usually surprised how much the subtle effects correct their facial symmetry. The nose is the balance point for the face and if it’s ‘off’ the entire face looks out of proportion.

Radiesse, injected in small amounts on either side of the nose, can visually straighten a nose that is slightly curved or narrow in the wrong places. Used at the tip, a downward sloping nose gains a more youthful upturn. Asian faces have a tendency to be less dimensional than Western faces, so building the bridge increases that 3-D characteristic.

Skin cancer removal can leave visible depressions and tissue deformity. A simple injection can now erase the physical reminder of the surgery in most cases almost completely.

Radiesse has a fantastic ability to mold to the desired contour. Unless a patient tells you he or she has had nonsurgical nose reshaping, you would never know.

Dents, scars from accidents, or asymmetries from genetics or surgery are all problems easily remedied with this dermal filler.

Safety and effectiveness have been proven.Longevity is usually 18 months or longer. Radiesse is a calcium-based product and degrades over time, so it’s not permanent, but touch up treatments will maintain a correction indefinitely. There are no age limits, making it appropriate for anyone from their teens to their 80′s.

Posted in Appearance, Dermal Fillers & Injectables | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Jowls and How to Get Rid of Them

Posted by Total Dermatology

Photos Courtesy Malthily Nandedkar, M.D. - Thermage

Jowls – even the sound of the word is enough to throw most of us into a panic.

The lower face “gives away” age like nothing else. Losing that crisp jawline seems to visually throw everything off.

What’s a girl (or guy) to do? New Beauty blogs about jowls and lists two of the the ways we help our own patients who are seriously unhappy with jowls. (We have a couple of other ways to tackle the jowl problem)

Radio Frequency Skin Tightening

Thermage relies on the body’s response to heat generated deep in the subdermal layers. First, old saggy collagen fibers scrunch up – then long term response over 4 to 6 months forces new collagen production that’s more tightly spiraled, thus firming up the treated area.  Typically patients notice a sharper jawline and a tighter upper neck and reduced jowling – all without surgery (though not at the same levels achieved with surgical skin excision and muscle sutures).

If you set your expectations at a realistic level, you’ll most likely be happy with Thermage. BUT, a word to the aging.  The older we get, the less responsive our own collagen production becomes. For that reason – and because we continue to age – those approaching and over 50 may get better results with the cumulative effects of more than one procedure.

Fillers to Fill & Lift

Fillers can be used not only in the cheeks to fill up the deflating facial balloon which can sometimes then pull up jowls, but also just foward of the jowl area to redefine the contour line. Sculptra is an excellent injectable product which actually stimulates new collagen, so you can achieve some excellent results that are borne of your own collagen. Not instant like a gel or Radiesse, but the effects last longer and are actually “you”!

Tightening with Fraxel RePair Laser

Not for the faint hearted, CO2 laser does what no other laser can – and that is actually reduce the amount of skin surface. Fraxel CO2 RePair laser ablates tissue – meaning that tiny columns of skind are vaporized. This reduces the volume of skin in one procedure. The vaporization and the heat response offer a double duty effect by shrinking total skin area and by spurring new tighter collagen.

Neck Tightening with eMatrix

eMatrix is a gentler option and more suitable than CO2 laser for skins that tend to pigment - requiring a series of treatments. More conducive to neck tightening, eMatrix uses radio frequency to resurface the skin – the same heat response works for new collagen build, but you also get the skin smoothing effects of resurfacing without the risk that comes with laser.

Jowl Surgery

Obviously if you have substantial laxity, nothing short of surgery will give you that defined jawline. But for many, and certainly for those who are surgery-averse, other options are well worth condsidering.

Related Blog

Have questions? Get a private phone consult from our Thermage and Laser Nurse Laura

 

 

Posted in Tightening and Contouring | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Staying young (and younger looking) with some simple Lifestyle Changes

Posted by Total Dermatology

Our practice focuses on “fixes” and “prevention” using technology. But looking younger and feeling younger adds up best when you practice a whole health program.

We came across a blog that undoubtedly will give you a few tips to help you stay on the path to wellness and good looks. Some culprits that you may not be paying attention to?

“Dr. Jennifer Landa, the chief medical officer of anti-aging regenerative medicine at BodyLogicMD, said before deciding on plastic surgery, people should realize staying young has a lot to do with lifestyle.

“Staying away from toxins is a big thing that people can do to avoid looking and feeling old,” said Landa.

The toxin BPA in plastic water bottles mimics hormones, especially estrogen.   That can give women an imbalance and increase risk of heart disease, causing organs to age. View the full blog on ClickonDetroit by Dr. Jennifer Landa

A big reminder to our readers? SUNSCREEN- it’s right up there with toothpaste, water, sleep and seat belts.

(We will expand on one tip noted in the blog  which says you should get 15 minutes of sun
exposure a day without sunscreen. That’s fine, but don’t get that sun on your
face! You can get ample Vitamin D synthesis from sun on other parts of your body
- Save your face with sunscreen all the time!)

Posted in Appearance, Skin Care | Tagged , | Leave a comment