10 most common skin concerns that women face

During the month of August, women from all walks of life are celebrated. They are the backbone of society and are known to support those around them.

Women also share some common issues, such as skin concerns. With over a decade’s worth of experience in the aesthetic industry, the team at Skin Renewal has listed some of the issues that women face.

Those are:

1. Adult Acne
2. Pigmentation
3. Scarring
4. Spider and varicose veins
5. Damage from the sun
6. Stretch marks
7. Rosacea
8. Ingrown hairs
9. Moles
10. Wrinkles and crepey skin

The physical appearance of these conditions is only one part of the overall health picture. A holistic approach to anti-ageing investigates the possibility of underlying causes to the problem at hand. 

Adult acne

Think of the skin to the body in a similar way that you would of the dashboard to a car. When a light flashes on the dashboard of a car, it signals that something needs to be fixed in order to keep it functioning optimally. In a similar way, if the skin reacts with acne or pimples, it is telling us that something is not functioning optimally inside the body.

In clinic treatments include:

* Chemical Peel: Peels for acne patients include the Beta Salicylic acid peel, Azelan, Modified Jessners Peel and TCA peels (for post acne scarring) – depending on skin type and budget.
* Laser Genesis procedure: A five in one treatment reduces the size of the sebaceous gland, which eliminates inflammation, reduces pore size, improves acne scarring and pigmentation.
* Carboxy therapy is the injection of tiny amounts of CO2 gas, which stimulates a healing response and helps to heal nodules and heal active acne by destroying the bacteria in the lesions. This also helps to prevent scarring and strengthens the skin.

Pigmentation

There are different types of pigmentation – hormonal pigmentation, superficial hyper pigmentation and dermal pigmentation.

Pigmentation can be avoided by using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF daily. Pigmentation is a dynamic condition and needs to be managed daily and indefinitely. One day of unintentional sunburn can set your condition back.

The treatment of pigmentation would depend on the type of pigmentation and on the depth of the pigment. Superficial hyperpigmentation is the most common form and can be treated with a combination of superficial chemical peels or lasers such as the Limelight Laser or the Fraxel Dual.

In clinic treatments include:
* Fraxel™ DUAL incorporates 2 lasers in 1 and shows results in as little as 2 to 3 treatments. The addition of the 1927 Thulium laser ensures that all forms of pigmentation and pre cancerous skin lesions can be treated, while the 1550nm Restore wavelength targets skin texture and improve deep lines and acne scars as well as the treatment of sun damage and pigmentation with hardly any downtime.

Scarring

Scarring occurs when the skin is cut or broken, in which instance the body naturally mobilizes a process to repair the wound. The blood vessels constrict and clots form to minimize blood loss. A hardened scab is formed, which naturally protects the area while the body continues to heal the wound underneath.

After a while, the scab naturally falls off, indicating that the initial repair has finished. The area is, however, far from healed. It can take months or in some cases even years for the skin to return to normal strength, depending on the size, depth, and location of the injury.

Many scars eventually fade, but depending on the severity of the wound, some tend not to go away completely. The larger and deeper the wound, the longer it takes to heal and the greater the chance of a visible scar.

In clinic treatments include:
*  Carboxy therapy – Tiny amounts of Carbon dioxide (CO2) are injected just beneath the skin. The body interprets this as an oxygen deficit and naturally responds by increasing blood flow and growth factors to the area. This provides a surge of oxygen and nutrients to the treated area and improves circulation, resulting in cell restoration. The increased blood flow stimulates collagen, which allows the scar to heal.
* Dermapen Skin Needling is based on the skin’s ability to repair itself. These procedures are performed in a safe and precise manner using the sterile Dermapen needle head. During the treatment, the Dermapen is gently moved over the skin creating what the body perceives as “mini wounds”. This stimulates the release of growth factors that trigger the production of collagen and elastin, which is all part of the healing process. This new, fresh collagen remodels over time, resulting in an improvement of the treated area.
* Pearl Rejuvenation – The Pearl has a computer guided scanning device that can be programmed to remove specific layers of tissue uniformly. Depending on the depth, treatments can range from being mild to very aggressive. A variety of conditions ranging from age spots to deep wrinkles and scars can be treated.

Spider and varicose veins

This is a very common problem that many women suffer from. Varicose veins usually appear later in life, because hormonal changes play a role in vein health. These veins tend to appear during pregnancy and menopause.

Another factor that might play a role in their development is being overweight – the extra weight puts extra stress on the capillaries. Lack of movement has also been identified as a cause, so a good solution is to ensure proper blood circulation.

Professional treatment options are done under the supervision of medical doctors that will reduce the appearance of unwanted varicose veins.

Damage from the sun

Without protection from the sun’s rays, noticeable changes to the skin can be caused. Freckles, age spots, pigmentation, leathery skin, fine wrinkles, a blotchy complexion and skin cancer can all be traced to sun exposure. Visible signs of ageing from sun damage can show as early as your twenties but it’s between 35 and 49 that the damage really comes to the surface. Preventative protection is first prize, but fortunately, there are treatments available to help counter the damaged and dehydrated appearance of skin.

By stimulating collagen production in the skin, the elasticity will be restored and the plump appearance of the skin will return with treatments such as the Fraxel Dual laser, chemical peels, carboxy and laser genesis.

Stretch marks

Stretch marks are the red or purple coloured marks that develop on the skin when it has been excessively stretched, usually during pregnancy, weight gain, growth spurts or muscle growth due to exercise.

Stretch marks occur in the dermis, which is essentially the layer of skin that assists in retaining skin tone. When the dermis is over-stretched the fibers within it tear and this results in the scar tissue formation which we observe as a stretch mark on the skin’s surface.

Although no treatment, except for surgery, is fully effective, there are various other methods that can provide relief from the most obvious signs of stretch marks, such as Laser Genesis, which has been clinically proven to produce collagen, Dermapen Skin Needling and Carboxy Therapy which are able to cause collagen stimulation and remodeling of the area, resulting in the marks being less visible.

Rosacea

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin disease that causes facial redness and sensitivity, leaving the skin with small, red, pus-filled bumps or pustules.

It affects mostly adults between the ages of 30-60, appears to be more common in women and usually occurs in fair skinned people. The main problem with rosacea being that it affects one’s appearance and as a result can lower your self-esteem and self-confidence in yourself.

The problem with rosacea is that it is a progressive disease and it can worsen over time. It tends to occur in cycles and flares up every couple of weeks or months and then reduces again.

The cause of rosacea is unknown, but is probably a combination of hereditary and environmental factors.

In clinic treatments include:
* Laser Genesis procedure: A five in one treatment, reduces the size of the sebaceous gland, reduces inflammation in the papule and nodule, reduces pore size, improves acne scarring and pigmentation.
* For deep nodules, the Titan is a deep infra red laser/Light procedure that reduces inflammation and kills the bacteria in the deep painful nodule(s) and helps prevent scarring.

Ingrown hairs

Ingrown hairs can be addressed with laser hair removal, which uses an infrared light to target the germ cell in the hair follicle. The hair must be present in the follicle for the laser to work, thus no waxing or plucking can be done before the treatment. Unwanted hair can be shaved or cut.

Data has shown that about 30-90% of the hair does not grow back after the end of the treatment cycle. 100% removal can’t be guaranteed, and people do need occasional maintenance or touch-up treatments.

Body Renewal is committed to the latest technological innovations in this field and offers a laser/light treatment for any skin type and hair color excluding grey or white hair.

Moles

Moles can be removed for aesthetic reasons or for medical reasons. The latter in particular when there are potential signs of melanoma.

Moles can be removed via a shave excision, where it is cut off with a sharp scalpel blade, punch excision, where the mile is twisted out with a small apparatus or through surgical excision for larger moles.

Wrinkles and crepey skin

Even though there are treatments that instantly change the appearance of lines and wrinkles, it is recommended that people focus on the condition of their skin in order to maintain a youthful appearance.

Dull skin leaves the skin with an overall lack luster, lifeless and sluggish appearance. What you want to achieve, is to encourage the skin into the habit of faster cell turnover, thus removing dull skin and stimulating collagen.

There are a number of treatments that increase the cell’s turnover, such as superficial chemical peels, skin needling, Carboxytherapy, laser treatments and most recently, the Vampire Facial.

To find out more about the conditions that mostly affect women and the recommended treatments, as well as the four pillars to addressing ageing skin, visit Skin Renewal at www.skinrenewal.co.za