The Holiday Facial Rejuvenation Makeover

This holiday season, our office is offering an exceptional facial rejuvenation package so that more of our patients can truly look their best at this special time of year. The package begins with the Thermage procedure to lift and tighten the skin of the face and upper neck. After the Thermage, our patients can choose between having either a Botox treatment to two areas of their face or a treatment with one full cc of Restylane.
 

In our office, the Thermage procedure is performed entirely by a physician, not a nurse. We do a series of five complete passes over the face and neck, and all of our patients receive 600 Thermage pulses to ensure an optimum result from the procedure. Our patients have been quite pleased with their results from the new five-pass Thermage.
 

In some other physician offices, patients are treated with only one or two passes of Thermage, using only the 150 or 450 pulse tip. These treatments are less effective; our office does not recommend or perform these less effective Thermage treatments.
 

We are offering this holiday package for $2500 during November and December only, which is more than a $750 discount from the regular price. Any of our patients who wish to take advantage of this special rejuvenation package are invited to call our office at 310-829-9396 and make an appointment with either Dr. Amerian or Dr. Anterasian.

Acne Scarring

Although acne is traditionally thought of as a disorder of the teenage years, long after those years have passed and the acne condition has faded, many adults are left with facial scarring from acne they had years earlier. Thanks to modern medical advancements, there are very effective treatments available today to treat acne scarring.
 

Acne is a disease that often leaves scars behind. There are several different kinds of acne scars. Pitting scars are commonly known as “ice pick scars.” The more crater-like scars are known as “depressed scars.” In addition, changes in the color of the skin can also occur at the site of previous acne lesions. The skin can end up darker than normal, lighter than normal, or redder than normal.
 

For a single ice pick scar, the most effective treatment is simple excision. However, when the scarring is more widespread, other methods must be used to treat the scars. Dermabrasion was one of the first methods developed for treating acne scars, and it is still used today. With dermabrasion, a rotating wire brush or a spinning diamond burr is used to smooth down the surface of the skin. As the skin heals, a new layer of skin replaces the abraded skin, resulting in an improved appearance in the treated area. However, dermabrasion can require 10-20 days to heal, and may result in redness that can persist for several months. For these reasons, other methods were developed that have quicker recoveries and fewer side effects.
 

We are now using the Fraxel laser for acne scarring. We believe that the Fraxel laser is the best modality available today for treating more generalized acne scarring. With the Fraxel, the facial skin is resurfaced over a series of 4 or 5 treatments. Because the Fraxel laser preserves normal healthy skin between the areas of skin that the laser has treated, healing and recovery occur more quickly after each laser treatment.
We have been extremely impressed by the improvement in acne scarring after Fraxel laser treatment. The Fraxel laser is a “home run” when it comes to the treatment of acne scarring.
 

Our patients who have acne scarring are invited to call our office and make an appointment to have their scarring evaluated. In addition to scar excision, dermabrasion, and Fraxel laser resurfacing, other treatments for acne scarring are also available. Thanks to the development of a number of different techniques, acne scars can be treated with a variety of safe and effective procedures that improve the appearance of a patient’s skin. With all of the modalities available today for treating acne scarring, no one should ever have to live with their acne scars.
 

Question of the month – What are Antioxidants?

Although it may seem obvious, an antioxidant is a chemical that prevents other chemicals from becoming “oxidized” and undergoing a chemical change. In the body, highly reactive substances called free radicals are constantly being produced. Free radicals can readily damage the body’s own cells. In living tissues, antioxidants remove free radicals before they can damage normal tissues.
 

Although more research needs to be done, free radicals damage healthy cells by injuring DNA, proteins, and other structures within the cells. It is believed that this speeds up the aging process, weakens the immune system, and may contribute to the development of cataracts, heart disease, and various forms of cancer. For these reasons, it is important that everyone consume enough antioxidants. The best sources of dietary antioxidants, such as vitamins A and C, are vegetables and fruits. Carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, peaches, green peppers, strawberries, citrus fruits, and tomatoes are excellent sources of dietary antioxidants. In addition, wheat germ, nuts, and whole grains are good sources of Vitamin E, which is also an antioxidant.
 

From the dermatology perspective, exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun will result in the production of free radicals. Several studies have suggested that antioxidants help protect the skin from the damaging effects of the free radicals that result from sun exposure. For this reason, Dr. Amerian recommends that her patients use a topical antioxidant preparation as part of their daily skin-care program.