Tightening and Lightening in Santa Barbara: Evolutions Event Recap

Santa Barbara cosmetic surgeon Dr. Terry Perkins (and also founder and Medical Director of Evolutions) gave a very informative presentation this evening at our Educational Event.  A recap of the presentation follows:

“Tightening and Lightening” Plus Sublative Rejuvenation

PART 1: TIGHTENING YOUR SKIN

What is skin laxity and how can we treat it?
The skin becomes lax, and has more of a “hanging” appearance, due to damage to and loss of collagen and elastin. Skin laxity can be attributed to the natural part of aging but it is also relate to sun damage.

How can we treat skin laxity?
There are surgical options such as traditional surgery (facelift) and deep peels that help restore collagen and tighten the appearance of the skin. There are different ways to treat skin laxity non-surgically and that includes light based, radio frequency, and focused ultrasound treatments.

Treating skin laxity non-surgically involves sustained heating of the dermis. The immediate effect is collagen contraction and the long term effect results in the stimulation of new collagen to be produced. When we heat the dermis in these tightening treatments, the epidermis (outermost layers of the skin) are protected.

Who are the best clients for a skin tightening treatment at Evolutions?
Age is not a barrier. Clients can range in age from 30 to 80+ years. Best results are usually seen with clients that have a minimum amount of excess fat in the area of concern and when their skin is neither very thin or very thick. Non-surgical tightening is great for someone who wants to address their skin laxity but is not ready for surgery. It is important to have realistic expectations. Skin tightening treatments at Evolutions can turn back the clock a few years, but not decades.

Titan Skin Tightening Treatment
Titan Skin Tightening Treatment

Titan Skin Tightening Treatment

 Titan uses an infrared light to heat the dermis, well beneath the surface of the skin. The heating contracts existing collagen and stimulates new collagen to be produced.

On the right is a before and after photo (courtesy of John Hunts, M.D.) of a Titan treatment on the eyelids. The “after” photo was taken two weeks after the 5th treatment.

Titan treatments can be done on many areas of the body including the jawline, under the chin, and the abdomen to tighten the skin and reverse the signs of aging. Results are cumulative and most clients have two to four treatments over a few months although a single treatment may produce good results for some.

 

ReFirme Treatment
ReFirme Treatment

ReFirme™ Skin Tightening Treatment

ReFirme™ features the revolutionary elōs technology which simultaneously combines the power of bi-polar radio frequency (RF) and light energies to precisely heat the dermal tissue in the targeted treatment area.

ReFirme™ treatments can help be done safely and effectively on the face, neck, abdomen, upper arms, and knees. In addition to improving skin laxity, it also addresses wrinkles and textural irregularities.

Total Tightening Treatment at Evolutions

This treatment combines ReFirme™ and Titan into one treatment to maximize the benefits of both treatments. Total Tightening synergistically works to heat the entire upper half of the dermis. With each treatment, the existing collagen is tightened as well as stimulating new collagen production that results in tighter, “fresher” skin.

The results are cumulative and therefore we recommend a package that includes 4 treatments done four to six weeks apart. Total Tightening is truly “the best of both worlds” in non-surgical skin tightening technology and is exclusive to Evolutions Medical Spa.

PART 2: LIGHTENING  – IMPROVING EXCESS PIGMENTATION

What is pigmentation?
Pigmentation refers to the coloring of person’s skin, often it is the word pigmentation is used when it is distinctive or in excess (as in spots on the skin). Pigmentation is created by melanin in the skin. Different skin types have different levels of melanocytes and that is how different skin colors occur.

Why does the body produce melanin?
Melanin is produced at a normal level based on skin type. However, when the skin is exposed to trauma, inflammation, or exposure to the sun (a suntan is equal to a skin injury), the amount of melanin rises in response to these events. Melanin can also be accentuated by hormones, birth control pills, and pregnancy.

When Pigmentation Problems Arise
Over-stimulated melanocytes create appearance problems such as sun damage, age spots, “liver” spots, freckles, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and melasma (dermal and epidermal pigmentation).

Treatment for Pigmentation 
There are quite a few options for excess pigmentation:

Sunscreen: prevention is your best defense against pigmentation. Use it daily, year round!

Home Care: bleaching agents can help to lighten the skin while exfoliating agents can help to brighten the skin. Recommended bleaching agents are Obagi Clear, C-RX Night (with hydroquinone), Revale Illuminesse Brightening Complex, Nia24 products, and retinoids.  Exfoliating agents increase cell turnover to freshen the skin. Examples of effective exfoliating agents are alpha-hydroxy acids, amino fruit acids (AFA Exfoliating Gel), and retinoids.

Chemical Peels: exfoliate and increase cell turnover in a short amount of time with chemical peels. Recommended chemical peels offered at Evolutions include the Clay Mask Peel, Alpha Beta Peel, Jessner’s Peel, and Obagi Blue Peel. Read in depth about what chemical peels do, how they feel, and descriptions of all the chemical peels offered at Evolutions in this blog post.

Vibradermabrasion: treat superficial pigmentation problems with no downtime through Vibraderm, a physical exfoliation. Adding on a Vibraderm treatment to facials and peels as a pre-treatment will improve the penetration of the products and/or the peel. Vibraderm does not have a suction component to the treatment so there is no risk of broken capillaries as there is with a microdermabrasion treatment.

Light-based Treatments: use intense pulsed light (IPL) and radio frequency technology to reduce excess pigmentation. They are safe and non-invasive.

  • FotoFacial RF™: this is the “gold standard” for the treatment of pigmentation and works deeper than most chemical peels. It is available in a series or in combination with other treatments such as a FotoPeel, FotoPeel Plus, and FotoFacial Genesis packages.
  • Q-Plus C (Q-Switched Laser): this laser can treat spots individually or can treat an entire area with our new Q-Peel package. The Q-Switched Laser works in pulses of billionths of a second to “explode” pigment. It can treat pigmentation issues (spots) as well as tattoos of all colors.

Sublative Rejuvenation Plus DNA Repair (New!): a fractional resurfacing device that uses radiofreqency energy instead of light to treat wrinkles, pigment, acne scarring, skin laxity, tone and texture. A Sublative Rejuvenation treatment has less downtime and discomfort than older fractional laser devices (i.e., the Fraxel). A DNA stem cell ampoule is now included with the treatment. The stem cell ampoule introduces genetically flawless live stem cells which influences the older cells to replicate stronger, healthier, more youthful-looking skin cells. This is an FDA-approved treatment that is clinically proven to renew compromised skin. Sublative Rejuvenation can be combined with other light-based treatments such as the FotoFacial RF or Total Tightening.

Chemabrasion: this surgical procedure combines a deep peel with dermabrasion. It treats wrinkles, sun damage, and pigmentation issues. The change can be dramatic. Downtime is approximately one week. This is done by Dr. Perkins at Cosmetic Surgery Center located near Cottage Hospital. Please call his office at 805-563-0000 for a consultation.

In conclusion, Dr. Perkins stressed the importance of daily use of sunscreen. The best way to treat sun damage is to prevent it! When pigment issues do arise, Evolutions offers a number of medical spa treatment options, for all areas of the body, with “at home” options also available.

Evolutions always offers a complimentary consultation for your skin concerns. Please call us at 805-687-0212 to make an appointment or fill out our online consultation form