Maintain Healthy Skin and Wellness

Q: Why is healthy skin so important to maintaining our overall health?

A: Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It must endure environmental exposures every day and still last you a lifetime. This protective covering is thinnest on your lips and eyelids and thickest on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet.

Skin scientists believe that extrinsic factors such as sun exposure are 90% responsible for skin aging. It is important to protect your skin and maintain its health so that it can fulfill its key functions:

• Heat Regulation
  • Skin regulates body temperature by sweating or secreting moisture from sweat (suderiforous) glands. As sweat evaporates, your body temperature cools. Excessive sweating is an embarrassing medical disorder known as hyperhidrosis. If you suffer from it, BOTOX®or Dysport™ can provide relief.
• Excretion
  • Perspiration is the process by which the sweat glands excrete waste materials
• Secretion
  • The sebaceous glands secrete oil to lubricate and maintain the health of your skin. Sometimes, these glands go on overdrive, producing a real problem with acne that may require facials, peels or BBL™ laser to control and provide relief.
• Absorption
  • The skin’s epidermis contains an acid mantle layer which limits the substances able to enter and affect your body through your skin.
• Protection
  • Fat cells provide insulation and protection against trauma to internal organs. Skin protects your body from the harmful effects of light. It also acts as a barrier against the invasion of bacteria.
• Sensation
  • Nerve endings in the skin allow us to feel sensations such as heat, cold, touch, pleasure, pressure, and pain.

 

Effectively Treat Common Skin Conditions

Q: What skin conditions are commonly treated in your office?

A:

• Acne
  • Acne is the most common human skin condition, affecting nearly 45 million Americans per year. It develops on the face and body where more oil glands are present – face, scalp, chest, back and neck. There are many different types of acne, and each patient case should be evaluated uniquely.

    Depending on your skin type and the nature and severity of your acne, you can be treated with:

    • Topical or oral prescriptions
    • Facials
    • Chemical peels
    • Broadband Light laser treatment

• Hyperpigmentation (Skin Discoloration)
  • Hyperpigmentation is the darkening of an area of skin. Some skin types are more susceptible than others to this condition.
  • Causes of hyperpigmentation include:
    • Sun damage from UV exposure
    • Hormone flunctuations due to pregnancy or menopause (i.e., melasma)
    • Skin injuries such as acne scarring

Before using skin-lightening products (i.e., HQRA+) to lessen hyperpigmentation, consult with Dr. Macdonald or his licensed medical esthetician.

High percentages of strong ingredients in lightening products can cause further irritation and lead to more discoloration. On rare occasions, hypopigmentation (loss of skin color) can occur in darker skinned individuals. We always exercise caution in treating darker skin.

If HQRA+ (hyrdroquinone plus retinol A) or chemical peels are ineffective in sufficiently lightening the pigment in your skin, Phototherapy BBL™ is a great treatment option.

• Rosacea

This is a challenging vascular, inflammatory skin condition. Rosacea worsens and can cause permanent skin damage if left untreated. It is characterized by persistent redness and/or breakouts on the central areas of the face, namely the nose, cheeks, forehead and chin. Currently, there is no known cure for rosacea.

According to the National Rosacea Society & Rosacea Research & Development Institute, more than 45 million people worldwide suffer from rosacea. In the US alone, the count ranks in the high 16+ million, with most people not even aware they have the condition.

Luckily, many good medical therapies are available for controlling rosacea symptoms. Consult Dr. Macdonald for a diagnosis and treatment remedies which may include Phototherapy BBL™ and/or prescription medications (topical and/or oral medications). Read more in-depth facts about rosacea and treatment from the National Rosacea Society.

• Aging

Skin ages as a result of many different factors that can be broken into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic damage prevention is the key to turning back the clock on your skin’s youthfulness.

Intrinsic or uncontrollable aging is chronological and genetic. Facial wrinkling, expression lines, and drier, more sensitive skin results from intrinsic factors. With advances in cosmetic medicine, development of deep expression wrinkles can be modified or minimized with use of BOTOX® or Dysport™.

Extrinsic, or more controllable factors of aging, refer to exposure to the sun and/or pollutants which cause a breakdown of the skin’s structure. This leads to discoloration, wrinkles, skin growths and even possibly cancer. Diet and adequate hydration play roles here as well.

Visit our skincare products page to check out our MAC MD aesthetics™ Anti-Aging Kit. We also offer a variety of medical-grade sunscreen products to help you combat extrinsic aging factors.

We recommend daily use of these rejuvenating and protective products, along with periodic peels and facials. This consistent practice produces your best-looking, healthiest skin.

Reduce the Appearance of Freckles

Q: What can I do to lessen the amount of freckles on my face?

A: Freckles that are present since your early childhood are part of your genetic make-up. Many people who have a naturally freckled complexion try to even their overall skin tone with frequent UV exposure and tanning.

This only leads to additional sun-induced freckling and skin discoloration. The appearance of these “freckles” can be significantly diminished with use of chemical peels or Phototherapy BBL™. And these skin treatments can both be applied effectively to reduce freckles on more than just your face. They’re also commonly used to treat: chest, backs of hands, shoulders or arms.

Laser Effectively Treats Adult or Teen Acne

Q: Why do I have acne in adulthood as bad as or worse than when I was a teenager?

A: Acne is becoming an increasingly common skin challenge in adults. Adult acne affects more women than men. It is often caused by hormone fluctuations and/or stress. This first contributing factor can be helped with good aging hormonal management. The stress factor can be minimized with a regular practice of yoga and meditation.

Adult acne most commonly affects the lower areas of the face, while adolescent acne is more widespread. As skin ages, oil production slows, making it critical to choose skincare products that are not too drying. This is a difficult tightrope to manage for adults who suffer from acne.

Acne affects each of us differently as we age and should be treated accordingly. At the Aesthetic Surgery & Skin Rejuvenation Center, we offer a number of different approaches to the treatment of adult acne–from a specially designed and formulated group of skin care products, to prescription medications, to chemical peels to laser treatments.

Please book your complimentary skin consultation with our Medical Esthetician using the form to the right. If you feel your acne issues are particularly severe, request a consultation with Dr. Macdonald. He can help you design an aggressive plan to start managing this difficult problem.

 

Managing Teenage Skin Issues

Q: Do you have affordable skin treatments specific for teens?

A: Yes! We know how big of an impact acne can have on a young person’s self-esteem. So we’ve designed a specific Teen Facial that’s clinically effective, deep-cleansing and refreshing, plus educating for the teenage patient.

Our Teen Facial is half the price of our adult acne-focused facial treatment. We want to make this treatment accessible to all teenagers suffering with acne.

Also, we offer MAC·MD aesthetics™—Dr. Macdonald’s specially formulated medical-grade skincare line. Our products include the anti-acne kit known as the Clarity family of products, formulated for daily care of acne-prone skin.

Booking a Cosmetic Tattooing Consultation

Q: What happens in my cosmetic tattooing consultation and is there a fee?

A:  There is a consultation fee of $85. Thao Duong, our semi-permanent cosmetic tattoo artist consults with you for a full hour. She takes before photos of your face. Together you review many other before & after patient photos and discuss what your particular goals are for makeup tattooing.

Next, Thao applies removable makeup in shades that accentuate your natural eye color. She selects shades that mimic the ultimate hand-blended color she intends to use for your cosmetic tattooing procedure.

She then captures another photo of you. This helps you envision your potential new look and feel confident in deciding if it’s for you.