Turning Back the Hands of Time
By Diana Clarke
When you shop for an anti-aging cream at your department
store's cosmetic counter or at a drug store, are you confused about
the number of choices? Well, you are not alone.
In a recent survey conducted by the American Academy
of Dermatology, 94 per cent of the 2,079 American women surveyed are
confused about over the counter and prescription anti-aging products
as well as anti-aging treatments available at their doctor's office.
"The best place for consumers to find answers to their
questions about aging skin is from their dermatologist, since we are
the experts in the diagnosis and medical, surgical and cosmetic treatment
of aging skin," says dermatologist Arielle N.B. Kauvar, MD, Clinical
Associate Professor of Dermatology, New York University School of
Medicine, New York, NY. "Potentially, women could save time, money
and confusion by simply seeking out the advice of a dermatologist,
rather than guessing what might work for them."
The survey also found that over 69 percent of women
are concerned by the visible signs of aging, such as fine lines, wrinkles,
and dryness, 47 percent want to improve the look of the skin around
their eyes , and 18 percent want to improve the look of the skin around
their mouth.
Over-the-Counter Anti-aging Products
"An alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) product can also help
remove the dead outer layers of skin, leaving the face with a fresh,
younger appearancek, says Dr. Kauvar. "AHAs are particularly beneficial
for wrinkles around the mouth and eyes, which are two areas of the
face where women would like to see the most improvement."
You should also look for over-the-counter topical
products with the anti-oxidants, vitamins C & E.
"But the most important thing consumers can do to
prevent aging skin and further damage is to protect themselves from
the sun," recommended Dr. Kauvar. "Consumers should wear a broad-spectrum
sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays from the sun, and has
a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher."
Anti-aging Products by Prescription
To reverse the signs of aging consider using retinoids,
a vitamin A cream that can help reduce fine lines, wrinkles and age
spots.
"As long as patients have realistic expectations of
the kind of improvements they can achieve, both over-the-counter or
prescription treatments remain a valuable tool in the treatment of
aging skin," remarked Dr. Kauvar.
Cosmetic Treatments
Are you also confused by treatments offered by your
dermatologist? More than 78 percent of the women surveyed wanted to
know how long the anti-aging benefits would last and how invasive
the treatments are.
Non-ablative laser skin rejuvenation plumps up skin
when a laser or light source is absorbed by the water in the skin
cells. Another treatment is microdermabrasion, where crystals of aluminum
oxide on the skin are removed with a vacuum line, thus removing the
outer layers of the skin. Chemical peels refer to a chemical solution
placed on the face to remove the outer, dead layer of skin, leaving
new skin underneath.
You may wish to try injectible fillers and botulinum
toxin to reverse the signs of aging. injectibe fillers are injected
in the skin to reduce winkles, furrows and hollows in the face. Botulinum
toxin is injected to relax the muscles to soften frown lines, crow's
feet and other wrinkles.
"All of these options are perfect for people with
busy lifestyles who do not want the inconvenience of a long recovery,"
said Dr. Kauvar. "Each of these procedures can often be performed
in under an hour, require very little or no downtime, and allow healing
to occur rapidly. Most important of all is that there is minimal discomfort
to patients during these procedures."
Dr. Kauvar encourages patients who are considering
a cosmetic treatment to ask their physician questions about:
- Doctor's credentials and training
- Expected results
- Recovery time
- Risks
- Cost
About The Author: Diana Clarke is a teacher, freelance
writer and founder of The Sun and Your Skin, a website on life and
light at http://www.yourskinandsun.com.
