Me and My Collagen

Collagen is a protein and is found in all body parts, including the largest organ of the body - the skin – and is made up of three strands of repeating amino acids coils coiling into the unique collagen triple helix. Various types of collagen are found in the body and are required to build new cellular structures – like skin – and to repair any damage caused. Types I, III and V are specific collagen types involved in the health of your skin.

Together with soft keratin, the collagen and elastin fibers are responsible for the strength and elasticity of the skin – and degradation of the collagen leads to aging and accompanying wrinkles.
With the onslaught of normal aging, the collagen in our skin is under attack from various factors that hasten the degradation of collagen. Sun tanning and sun exposure are two of the main culprits of collagen deterioration in our skin and inflammation also destroys collagen. Large amounts of free radicals – which are formed during normal body functions (oxidation), can also destroy collagen – and here a person can specifically look at pollution and toxins in your environment, toxic heavy metals, fat filled diet, high sugar intake as well as cigarette smoking and consuming alcohol.

A Finnish study found type I and III collagen synthesis is decreased and the regulation of the Extra Cellular Matrix turnover is altered in smokers, which may lead to deterioration of the tensile strength and resiliency of skin in the long term. So stop smoking unless you want to age rapidly and call us to help you get they heavy metals out of your body that are high due to the Cadmium in the cigarette paper. We can help you anti-age internally and externally.
While we’re on the point of cigarette smoking, it is important to note that the body requires vitamin C in order to make collagen. Without collagen, many things in your body will deteriorate at a hastened pace. Smoking kills off the ascorbic acid molecule. This molecule deficiency is one of the reasons smoker’s skin ages rapidly.

Excellent examples of vitamin C shortage and its effect on collagen are the old English sailors who suffered from scurvy, a shortage of vitamin C, on long voyages. Their bouts with scurvy resulted first in loose teeth and ultimately in death – since collagen could not be formed to keep the body together.

Although it may sound flippant to talk about physical appearance in the face of death, it would have been interesting to note the skin condition of these sailors – as a shortage of vitamin C would have shown very quickly in the tone and health of their skin.

Visit our website for more information, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

Revolutionary New Treatment For Acne Scars, Upper Lip Lines & Stretch Marks

The medical roll CIT (collagen induction therapy) is a procedure developed to promote collagen deposition in the dermis, just below the surface of the skin. It is an effective procedure for acne scarring, stretch marks and upper lip wrinkles.

The procedure can be done under local anesthesia or with IV sedation. The procedure involves rolling a small device over the skin. This causes tissue regeneration and collagen deposition under the skin. The growth of new collagen fills in the depressions caused by acne scarring or by the resorption of collagen, as seen in the wrinkles formed in the upper lip. Because the collagen is formed by your own body, the results are permanent.

Conventional treatments for acne scarring and upper lip wrinkles are centered around resurfacing techniques, such as dermabrasion, CO 2 laser resurfacing, or deep peels. All of these modalities work by removing a layer of skin. Apart from being painful, they do pose risks, such as scarring and changes in pigmentation. The medical roll CIT works underneath the skin to promote collagen deposition, not by removing skin. In fact, the surface skin stays intact. There are no raw surfaces. The advantages are many. First, the risk for scarring is extremely low, because the procedure does not remove any skin. Second, there is no risk of pigment changes (changes in the color of the skin). And third, healing is painless and the recovery is relatively fast.

Visit our website for more information on Acne Scar Treatments, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

Mom, Would You Erase the Signs of Pregnancy?

More and more women are turning to post-childbirth cosmetic surgery. Nothing compares to the joy of motherhood, but the havoc you go through to get your body back into shape can bring tears to your eyes. That's why more moms are turning to combined surgical procedures, also called a Mommy Makeover, to recover their pre-pregnancy bodies.

Mommy Makeover, aka “The Mom Job”

These patients are young moms who are doing their best to take care of themselves, but their bodies have gone through some irreversible changes that they find discouraging.

What does childbirth do to your body?

Often, abdominal skin that becomes stretched during pregnancy doesn’t snap back after the baby is born. In addition, the rectus abdominis muscles, which run vertically, can separate and become lax, adding to the abdominal protrusion. The breasts often sag after delivery and/or breastfeeding because the skin covering them gets overstretched when breasts become engorged during pregnancy and nursing but remains lax after they return to their pre-pregnancy size. The result is less support for the breasts. Some women also lose breast volume as a result of pregnancy. (Nursing does not result in smaller breasts.)

Many mothers today are not “just” mothers — they have professional lives outside their personal life as mommy. And, they don’t want to look like the stereotypical mom. They want to feel better about their bodies, and that desire shouldn’t be dismissed or criticized, says sociologist Victoria Pitts-Taylor, Ph.D., author of "Surgery Junkies: Wellness and Pathology in Cosmetic Culture" (Rutgers University Press).

Visit our website for more information, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

Want To Have Beautiful Skin Again?

Who needs nice skin? The multi-billion dollar cosmeceuticals industry testifies that much of what we call ‘beauty’ depends on that thin parchment that wraps us from head to toe. It not only transmits both the shape of our body and its sensation, but is also the principle medium of sexual attraction. It's our skin - the most visible yardstick for observing the effects of aging.

As far as your skin is concerned, the sun is not your friend. Excessive sun exposure is very damaging to all layers of the skin. Also, the effects of sun exposure are cumulative over a lifetime – just like radiation exposure. Fun in the sun at age 20 means paying the bill with the appearance of your skin at age 40. You start to see wrinkles, large pores, brown spots, thinning and uneven skin tones. This result is that you look older than you are. It’s important to realize that the effects of photo-aging are the most preventable cause of aging skin. These effects can also be reversed with a physician supervised skin rejuvenation program.

Chemical peels are the workhorse of a solid skin rejuvenation plan. When done in conjunction with a home skin care program, the changes can be remarkable. They work by causing several layers of the skin to dry up and peel away over several days, exposing a new layer of undamaged skin. Peels come in three basic flavors: superficial, medium and deep. They vary in the depth of the effect and the resultant downtime involved. TIFM Aesthetics has developed one of the most effective superficial peels available on the market called the "ApothéPeel". This peel can be used on all skin types, is painless and results in almost no downtime.

Specifically, the ApothéPeel can:

• Improve the tone, texture and clarity of your skin
• Reduce or eliminate age spots, freckles, and hyper-pigmentation (melasma)
• Soften lines and wrinkles
• Banish acne skin conditions and reduce or eliminate acne scars
• Stimulate the production of collagen for firmer, more youthful skin
• Can be used on arms, hands and neck

In only 10 minutes, you can have beautiful skin! This procedure can restore sun-damaged, wrinkled, blemished, acne-scarred or blotchy skin to its original youthful appearance. The results are a smoother, more even-toned and textured skin. The skin will look younger, tighter and fresher than before. Our free consultation will guide you in selecting the most comprehensive and individualized skin care plan to return your skin to optimum health.

Visit our website for more information, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

Got 30 Minutes? Lose a Few Years with a Lunchtime Peel

When someone asks "what did you do for lunch today", you could soon reply by saying "I had a Lunctime Peel and lost a few years off my face!".

If small wrinkles, skin breakouts and age spots are preventing you from looking your best, you don’t have to settle for layers of expensive skincare products to improve your complexion.

Today’s innovative skin rejuvenation treatments can help improve your skin from the inside out, and treatments such as the ‘lunchtime peel’ are a quick and easy way to enjoy a mini-facelift – without painful surgery or incisions.

A short series of superficial chemical peels lays the foundation for an effective lunchtime peel. If you’ve got 30 minutes to spare over your lunch break, give your looks a boost with these anti-aging skincare treatments:

How the Lunchtime Peel Works

The latest and most effective advancement in superficial chemical peels is the ApothéPeel. The ApothéPeel is easy to apply and painless too! This peel can help treat several types of skin conditions including:

• Sun-Damaged Skin – Any age spots, skin pigmentation and skin discoloration can be dramatically reduced after a deep exfoliation treatment.
• Acne Scars and Superficial Scars – The ApothéPeel can help buff away the top layer of skin so that you’re left with a clearer, smoother complexion.
• Aging Skin – Wrinkles, fine lines and even slightly sagging skin can be treated with chemical peels that help tighten and tone the skin from the inside out. If you have enlarged pores that are often the source of breakouts, chemical peels can be particularly effective in shrinking the pores and reducing your risk of breakouts.

Key Benefits of the Lunchtime Peel

In addition to being a quick, safe and effective treatment, the lunchtime peel has several other benefits:

• No Discomfort – You won’t need anesthesia or any type of medication to recover from this facial rejuvenation treatment. The lunchtime peel is simply a deep exfoliation treatment that will cleanse the pores, reduce oily patches on the skin and leave the skin clean and fresh.
• Low Risk of Side Effects – Almost all skin types respond well to chemical peel treatments, and the procedures present very few side effects. This reduced risk makes it easy to manage skin after the treatment and enjoy the benefits right away.
• Low-Priced Treatment – When you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on skincare treatments, a chemical peel can help you balance the budget. These skin rejuvenation treatments are inexpensive, and you will see results immediately. Problem skin may require a series of 3-5 treatments to see dramatic results, but even then, the total cost is considerably lower than other facial rejuvenation procedures.
• Quick Procedure - Most people who book a lunchtime peel can be in and out of the doctor’s office in under 45 minutes, and the treatment itself only takes between 20-30 minutes. If you want to improve the look of your skin and ward off the signs of aging, a lunchtime peel may be a quick and effective way to begin your anti-aging skincare plan.

Visit our website for more information on Lunchtime Peels, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.