10 Ways to Prevent and Treat Crow’s Feet
October 26, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Crow’s feet are the wrinkles that form on your temple and cheek around your eyes. The best advice I have about crow’s feet, or any wrinkles for that matter, is to put off getting them for as long as possible. All winkles can be improved with cosmetics, but the more winkles you have, the more difficult and expensive it is to improve them.
- The most important thing you can do to minimize crow’s feet is avoid squinting. Contracting the large muscles around your eyes is a significant cause of these wrinkles. The more you contract these muscles the more your crow’s feet will develop (you can see clearly in this picture). The best way to avoid squinting is to always wear sunglasses when outdoors, even when it’s cloudy.
- Because ultraviolet light damages your skin’s delicate collagen, avoid excess sun exposure. Always apply a broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB light. UVA, the ultraviolet light responsible for winkles, passes though car windows. When you think about all the hours you spent driving, you’ll realize it’s a lot of time to make your crow’s feet worse.
- Unfortunately, you don’t have to be a lifeguard to develop crow’s feet. Most women (and men) don’t realize that they are squinting for eight hours a day at their desk. Be sure there is no glare on your computer monitor and that your glasses or contacts are the optimal prescription for you.
- And of course, don’t smoke. Ever. Smoking not only damages collagen, but also causes you to squint to keep irritating smoke out of your eyes.
If you are reading this post and you already look like the woman in the picture, then don’t despair, even the worst crow’s feet can be improved.
- There are countless creams that promise to smooth your crow’s feet, but few (if any) really deliver. My advice: don’t spend hundreds of dollars on super antioxidant creams. Antioxidants don’t treat wrinkles, they help prevent them and there are much cheaper ways to do that.
- Remember that all winkles look worse when the skin is dry and dull. Because of that, any cream that brings moisture into your skin and gives you a healthy glow will make your crow’s feet look better, even if they don’t actually treat the wrinkles. Find a moisturizer you like (I often recommend Olay Regenerist Eye Cream for about ) and use it everyday for two weeks. This alone can give you results as good as a salon, but for a lot less money and effort. If you don’t believe me, then grab your digital camera and take a few before and after pictures of yourself. You’ll be amazed at how good a little moisturizing cream is at treating wrinkles.
- The one class of cosmetic ingredients that might be worth paying for are retinoids. Topical retinoids help crow’s feet by inducing new collagen growth in the skin. They are available in over the counter creams labeled as retinol and in stronger prescription strength creams such as tretinoin or Renova©.
- The most efficient way to treat crow’s feet though, is with Botox®. Botox works by weakening the obicularis orbis muscle. Because you cannot contract this muscle, the crow’s feet wrinkles won’t appear. This both minimizes the wrinkles you have and prevents new wrinkles from forming.
- Injectable fillers can also be used to plump up the crow’s feet lines, smoothing them out. They are good for crow’s feet that are visible when your face is relaxed and work best when used in conjunction with Botox.
- Lastly, surgical treatments such as chemical peels and lasers can improve crow’s feet by inducing a regrowth of collagen. Remember that a treatment that has minimal side effects (redness and peeling) will also have minimal results. Deep chemical peels and deep laser treatments give the most dramatic results, but also have the highest risk of side effects; often a week or more out of work is needed to allow your face to heal.
This post is written by Jeffrey Benabio, MD and is protected by Creative Commons Copyright.
Photo credit: Wendy House
Dr. Amerian to Film Fourth Year of Television Show "10 Years Younger"
October 25, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
By now, nearly everyone has seen at least one episode of the television show "10 Years Younger." On the show, the patients undergo a series of non-surgical facial rejuvenations designed to make them look ten years younger. Dr. Amerian has been a consulting dermatologist for the show since its very beginning in 2005, and she has had a lot of fun working with the patients. During the more than 20 episodes she has filmed, Dr. Amerian has been able to demonstrate nearly all of the techniques of non-surgical facial rejuvenation.
Recently, the producers of the show asked Dr. Amerian if she would participate in filming the show's fourth season. Dr. Amerian was very happy to agree to their request. Look for her on The Learning Channel (TLC) beginning in the fall.
Dr. Anterasian Demonstrates Fraxel Repair Laser to Physicians
October 25, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Reliant Technologies, the maker of the Fraxel Repair laser, invited Dr. Anterasian to participate in an educational conference on this laser last month. At the conference, Dr. Anterasian performed a Fraxel Repair laser treatment on an actual patient in front of the other physicians who were present. Approximately thirty physicians attended the conference and as a result of this demonstration, they were able to learn how to perform Fraxel Repair laser treatments. Dr. Anterasian is one of the few physicians in Southern California performing Fraxel Repair laser resurfacing, and he was happy to demonstrate his technique for performing this procedure to the other physicians who attended the conference.
Dr. Anterasian Selected to America’s Top Surgeons 2008
October 25, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Dr. Anterasian is proud to announce that he has been honored by selection to "America's Top Surgeons" for the year 2008 by the Consumers Research Council of America. This selection was made based upon Dr. Anterasian's twenty three years of experience as a surgeon, his board certification, continuing medical education, membership in professional societies, and his consistently excellent work. Dr. Anterasian would personally like to thank all of his patients who have selected him to do their surgery, laser work, and cosmetic rejuvenation, and he looks forward to helping many more patients in the years to come.
Treatment of Scars
October 25, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Many people have scars that they find unattractive. In addition, the presence of the scar may continue to remind the person of an experience from the past that was upsetting such as a cancer treatment, a traumatic injury, or a medically required surgery. Scars like these can occur on any part of the body. Other times, the scars are simply the result of an earlier childhood or teenage ailment such as acne or chicken pox.
Thanks to modern medicine, there are now many ways that scars can be cosmetically improved. In this month's newsletter, we will review the different types of scars and the methods available to improve the appearance of unfavorable or unsightly scars.
Scars come in several different types.
- Hypertrophic scars: Hypertrophic scars are raised, firm, thick, and red.
- Atrophic scars: Atrophic scars are depressions in the skin that result from the loss of collagen.
- Keloid scars: Keloid scars are raised reddish nodular scars that are quite firm and relatively large. With a keloid scar, the size of the keloid is actually larger than the size of the original surgery.
- Acne scars: Acne scars are very common. Although they may occasionally be hypertrophic or keloidal, they are usually atrophic. The most common type of atrophic acne scar is referred to as an "ice-pick" scar. Ice-pick scars are narrow with sharply demarcated tracts that can reach deep into the skin.
Options for improving the appearance of scars include the following:
- Steroid Injection – Steroid injections are often used to treat hypertrophic scars and keloid scars. With a series of steroid injections, the inflamed raised scar should flatten out and become less inflamed and less irritated. Although steroid injections may be used alone, combining steroid injection with laser treatment enhances scar treatment.
- Vbeam Laser – The Vbeam laser is an excellent choice for hypertrophic scars and keloids. In research studies, there has been significant improvement in scar redness and in reduction of bulk following Vbeam laser treatment. Generally, after three or four treatments, the scars are flatter and less red. The Vbeam laser procedure is very well tolerated, with patients only feeling a mild snapping sensation. There is no downtime after a Vbeam laser treatment.
- Fraxel Lasers – The two Fraxel lasers will improve all types of scars and they are the most commonly used lasers to improve the appearance of scars. The most common scars treated with the Fraxel lasers are atrophic acne scars and surgical scars. However, even traumatic scars resulting from injury to the skin can be improved with the Fraxel lasers. Often, Fraxel laser treatment is combined with steroid injection to provide optimum improvement of the scar.
Patients undergoing Fraxel laser treatment of scars may choose between traditional Fraxel laser treatment and Fraxel Repair laser treatment. With traditional Fraxel laser treatment, patients undergo a series of 4 or 5 Fraxel laser procedures at monthly intervals, with no downtime, to improve the scar. The improvement in the scar results from the new collagen that is formed as a result of the laser treatment. This procedure is FDA approved for the treatment of acne scars and surgical scars, and it will also improve all other types of scars as well.
With Fraxel Repair laser treatment, patients generally need only one or two treatments; however, depending on the size of the treated area, there may be a few days of downtime with Fraxel Repair laser treatment. The improvement in the scars following treatment with the Fraxel Repair laser results from immediate shrinkage of the scar tissue followed by new collagen growth. Like the traditional Fraxel laser, the Fraxel Repair will improve all types of scars, including acne scars, surgical scars, keloid scars, and atrophic scars.
- Surgical Scar Revision – Occasionally, a scar that healed poorly needs to be surgically removed and stitched using very precise and careful surgical technique. In properly selected patients, this will result in a much-improved scar. However, surgical scar revision is only rarely necessary, and nearly all patients can have their scars improved without surgery, using lasers and steroid injections.
Any of our patients who have a scar that they do not like are invited to call our office (1-866-811-7986) and make an appointment with either Dr. Amerian or Dr. Anterasian.
Face and Neck Rejuvenation Special Offer
October 25, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
For women and men who would like to
improve the appearance of their face and neck, we are offering a special
rejuvenation package using the new Fraxel Repair laser. The package begins with
a complete Fraxel Repair laser treatment to the face. This treatment will
significantly improve wrinkles, furrows, fine lines, textural irregularities,
brown spots, and other pigmented skin lesions. Then, we will perform a
complete Fraxel Repair treatment on the neck and on the upper eyelids. This
makes it possible for our patients to rejuvenate their face, neck, and eyelids
with this one procedure.
We are offering this special rejuvenation
package for 50 until August 29th. Alternatively, for patients who so
choose, the treatment may be limited to the face and eyelids for 50. The
regular price of Fraxel Repair treatment on the face, neck, and eyelids is
00, and the regular price of Fraxel Repair treatment limited to the face is
00. Thus, both special offers represent discounts of over 00 from the
regular prices.
In our office, all
Fraxel laser procedures are performed by Dr. Anterasian, a board certified
surgeon. Dr. Anterasian was one of the first physicians in Los Angeles to use
the Fraxel laser, and he has extensive experience with the procedure. Dr.
Anterasian has personally performed over seven hundred Fraxel laser procedures.
Any of our
patients who wish to take advantage of this special opportunity to rejuvenate
the skin of their face, neck, and eyelids are invited to call our office and
make an appointment with either
Dr. Amerian or Dr.
Anterasian.
We invite any of our patients who may be interested in non-surgical eyelid rejuvenation to contact our office and make an appointment with either Dr. Amerian or Dr. Anterasian.
Fraxel Repair Laser Special Announcement
October 25, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Dr. Amerian and Dr. Anterasian are proud
to announce that we have received our state of the art Fraxel Repair Laser and
are now using it to perform skin rejuvenation procedures. The Fraxel Repair is
the newest member of the Fraxel family of lasers, and it provides an additional
option for skin resurfacing. The major difference between the Fraxel Repair and
the original Fraxel is that the light emitted by the Fraxel Repair laser is based
on carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of erbium.
The use of carbon
dioxide as the source of the laser light results in the Fraxel Repair laser
being a more effective skin tightener than the original Fraxel laser. In
addition, it allows us to complete the laser treatment in only one or at most
two treatment sessions. These are two of the major advantages of the Fraxel
Repair laser.
The Fraxel Repair
laser is FDA approved for the treatment of wrinkles, furrows, fine lines,
textural irregularities, pigmented skin lesions, and vascular dyschromia.
(Vascular dyschromia is the medical term for broken capillaries and diffuse
redness.) It is most appropriate for patients who have moderate skin laxity,
brown sunspots, and relatively deeper lines and wrinkles on their face and
lips.
When used on the
face, treatment with the Fraxel Repair results in visible skin tightening and
significant improvement in wrinkles and pigmentation in the treated areas. The
laser will also improve brown pigment, acne scars, and other facial scars. The
skin heals with greatly improved texture. The result is smoother, tighter, and
younger looking skin. Often, only a single treatment is needed. Some patients,
however, may wish to undergo a second procedure to further enhance their results.
Fraxel Repair treatment does have some downtime. A full-face treatment
generally has three to five days of downtime.
The Fraxel Repair
may be used to treat the entire face or it may be used to treat smaller areas
such as the upper lip and eyelids. When the upper lip or eyelids are treated,
the result is a much smoother upper lip and more open upper eyelids.
In addition to its
use on the face, the Fraxel Repair may also be used to treat the neck and
chest. In these off-face locations, the laser treatment again results in skin
tightening, improved skin texture, and improved skin color in only one or at
most two treatments.
The Fraxel Repair
laser is truly outstanding. Because we are so excited about this new laser, we
are pleased to make available to our patients the following special offer.
Non-Surgical Eyelid Tightening and Eyelid Rejuvenation
October 24, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
During the past four years, there have been dramatic and revolutionary advances in laser technology. By applying these new technologies to the eyelids, it has become possible to rejuvenate and tighten the eyelid skin in nearly all patients without surgery. Today, surgery only needs to be done on the most severely aged eyelids.
In order to match the correct eyelid rejuvenation procedure to the right patient, we divide the eyelid skin into three degrees of laxity: mild, moderate, and severe. Patients who only have mild eyelid laxity are best treated with the eyelid Thermage procedure. Eyelid Thermage is a procedure that smoothes the texture of the eyelid skin and deceases eyelid hooding and wrinkling. Patients benefit from a single treatment that has no downtime. Patients who have had eyelid Thermage, which is also known as the “Eyes by Thermage” procedure, report that their eyelid sagging is improved and both the upper and lower eyelids are tighter. The eyes look brighter and appear more open. In addition, the improved smoothness of the skin makes it easier to apply eye make-up.
Eyelid Fraxel is intended for patients who have developed moderate laxity and crepiness of the skin of the upper and lower eyelids. The procedure reduces skin crepiness, softens lines and wrinkles, tightens the skin, and produces an overall skin rejuvenation effect. The eyelid Fraxel procedure utilizes Fractional Resurfacing Technology. The laser delivers a series of closely spaced laser spots to the skin while preserving normal healthy skin between the laser spots. This preservation of normal untreated skin between the laser spots results in rapid healing after the treatment. Traditional Fraxel laser resurfacing is generally done as a series of four or five treatments given at monthly intervals. The eyelid treatment is generally done in conjunction with Fraxel laser treatment of the face. The procedure has minimal or no downtime. After completing their treatments, patients can reliably expect the skin to look more youthful and rejuvenated.
Patients with more severe laxity are best treated with the Fraxel Repair laser. With the Fraxel Repair, patients obtain significant tightening of their eyelid tissues in a single procedure, which is a welcome advance. Fraxel Repair eyelid treatment can be done by itself or it may be combined with treatment of the face. Patients who undergo Fraxel Repair treatment should be prepared for three to five days of healing following the procedure.
Eyelid Thermage, eyelid Fraxel, and Fraxel Repair all stimulate the production of new collagen in the eyelid skin and promote tissue tightening. This new collagen is living tissue, and for this reason, the improvement in the eyelids following any of these treatments is long lasting and should persist for years.
Regardless of which technology is used to treat the eyelids, the rejuvenation may be further enhanced with Botox and dermal fillers. Botox is used to soften the lines around the eyes (crow’s feet lines). Dermal fillers such as Juvederm and Restylane are used to soften the depressions and folds that form below the eye (known as the tear trough). By combining Thermage or either of the Fraxel lasers with Botox and dermal fillers, nearly all of our patients can achieve very natural eyelid tightening and rejuvenation without undergoing a surgical procedure.
We invite any of our patients who may be interested in non-surgical eyelid rejuvenation to contact our office and make an appointment with either Dr. Amerian or Dr. Anterasian.
The New Fraxel Repair Laser
October 24, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
The Fraxel Repair is the newest member of the Fraxel family of lasers, and it provides an additional option for skin resurfacing. The major difference between the Fraxel Repair and the original Fraxel is that the light emitted by the Fraxel Repair laser is based on carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of erbium. The use of carbon dioxide as the source of the laser light results in the Fraxel Repair laser being a more effective skin tightener than the original Fraxel laser. In addition the Fraxel Repair will improve brown pigment, fine lines, acne scars, other facial scars, and facial redness.
The use of carbon dioxide as the source of the laser light in the Fraxel Repair results in significant skin tightening. In addition, it allows us to complete the laser treatment in only one or at most two treatment sessions. These are two of the major advantages of the Fraxel Repair laser.
The Fraxel Repair is best suited for patients who have moderate skin laxity and relatively deeper lines and wrinkles in their face and lips. It can be used to treat the entire face or it may be used to treat smaller areas such as the upper lip and eyelids. When the upper lip or eyelids are treated, the result is a much smoother upper lip and more open upper eyelids.
In addition to its use on the face, the Fraxel Repair may also be used to treat the neck and chest. In these off-face locations, the laser treatment again results in skin tightening, improved skin texture, and improved skin color.
This laser is FDA approved for the treatment of wrinkles, furrows, fine lines, textural irregularities, pigmented skin lesions, and vascular dyschromia. (Vascular dyschromia is the medical term for broken capillaries and diffuse redness.)
Like the original Fraxel, the Fraxel Repair utilizes Fractional Resurfacing Technology. The laser delivers a series of closely spaced laser spots to the skin while preserving normal healthy skin between the laser spots. This preservation of normal untreated skin between the laser spots results in rapid healing after the treatment.
The Fraxel Repair may be used by itself or in combination with the original Fraxel laser. When used in combination, the Fraxel Repair is used to treat the more affected areas of the face where the lines are deeper and the tissues have more laxity, and the original Fraxel is used to treat the less involved areas.
Treatment with the Fraxel Repair results in visible skin tightening and significant improvement in wrinkles and pigmentation in the treated areas. The skin heals with an improved texture. The result is smoother, tighter, and younger looking skin. Often, only a single treatment is needed. Some patients, however, may wish to undergo a second procedure to further enhance their results.
Fraxel Repair treatment does have some downtime. A full-face treatment generally has three to five days of downtime.
Advice on Oily skin
October 20, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Remember, there is no way to completely prevent oily skin from occurring, but hopefully these tips will help keep the oil and acne under control:
- Although dirt and oil on the surface of the skin do not cause acne, excessive oil on your skin may exacerbate the clogging of pore openings, so proper washing is often a good way to keep the situation from becoming worse. Most topical acne medications have a drying effect on oily skin.
- Try a mild cleanser that cleanses without drying.
- Do not use any oil-based cosmetics, which will only aggravate oily skin.
- Use water-based, non-comedogenic cosmetics.
- Remove your makeup before going to bed, but avoid cold creams and lotions.
- Eat a healthy well balanced diet.
- Reduce stress. Doctors have seen a connection between stress and acne for a long time. Studies have shown that the body produces more androgens when a person is under stress. The increase may trigger acne flare-ups by stimulating the sebaceous glands to pump out more sebum. Even physical stresses, such as colds, allergies, surgery, or menstration, can trigger break-outs.
Procedures for this problem
Oily skin Questions & Answers
Why is exfoliation so important for oily skin?
Since small pores are what give the impression of smoothness, oily skin's larger pores can make it appear rough. Excess dead skin cells and blackheads can actually stretch a pore too making it appear even larger. By deep cleansing the pores of this cellular debris, exfoliation makes larger pores appear smaller.
If I have oily skin, do I still have to moisturize?
Yes, absolutely. The biggest mistake is to strip away all oil, because the skin reacts by creating even more oil.
None of the above is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please consult your doctor.
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Pure and Potent Skin Care
