Anti-Aging Management - Overview
The aging process is a combination of factors:
• Expressions and facial movements over time lead to the development of ‘dynamic’ wrinkles where structural fibres known as collagen and elastin become aligned in a particular direction. These are apparent in laughter lines and frown lines.
• Lines become deeper and more permanent as our skin’s ability to retain moisture reduces through reduced manufacture of various skin ingredients, such as skin lipids and hyaluronic acid.
• Reduced production of hyaluronic acid leads to a reduced capacity to hold water and also allows youthful short chain collagen fibres to come together and bind into longer more rigid collagen, which leads to an older face shape.
• Elastin production also decreases and gravitational effects then lead to sagging and bags and more pronounced ‘functional’ wrinkles and lines.
• A build up of lymph and an increase in pigmentation coupled with ongoing gradual damage causes skin imperfections such as thread veins, plaques and dark eye bags
The speed at which these changes happen vary with each individual and genetics have a lot to do with this, but free radical activity damages all these structures over time. Constant bombardment ages us all, but some are more resistant to their effects than others. However, reducing free radical stress is a major part of sustaining and promoting youthful looks. Free radicals are damaging chemicals produced as a by-product of most chemical reactions in the skin and they are also generated by exposure to many environmental and dietary things such as alcohol, cigarettes and UV radiation.
For further information consult your SkinMed accredited clinician.
ENERPEEL®
Exfoliation, Encouraging Repair and Rejuvenation
Skin rejuvenation procedures aim to stimulate skin remodelling processes; inducing fibroblasts to produce new fibres of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid while also activating enzymes to degrade the old skin fibrous matrix. To do this, surface trauma is created to disrupt the upper skin, releasing inflammatory skin chemicals which trigger erythema but also stimulate deeper skin remodelling activity.
The problem is that the degree of surface trauma becomes the limiting factor in terms of pain, skin peeling, frosting and client downtime; whether from chemical peels, laser resurfacing or physical techniques such as microdermabrasion or dermaroller use.
Enerpeel® is a medically licensed carrier solution which enables peeling solutions to work more effectively than on their own. Enerpeel® is a range of individually-tailored, medically-licenced chemical peels that have completed very successful clinical trials.
The Enerpeel® system is a nine product range with different combinations where the most appropriate acids have been selected for particular skin issues; ranging from pigmentation, wrinkles, scarring and oily skin. We have a range of peels for specific areas of the body, including the hands and neck. The respective peels have also been augmented with special ingredients to boost their activity. For example, a pigmentation reducer has been added to Enerpeel® Hands to reduce and suppress age spots.
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FILLAST®
Promotes Hyaluronic Acid Manufacture, For Hydration, Filling & Healing
Hyaluronic Acid captures and loosely retains water by forming a jelly like fibrous matrix between the spaces between cells, to act as a reservoir for the skin to sustain skin cell integrity (life). A loss of Hyaluronic acid can lead to a loss of skin density (Like an apple wrinkles when it loses moisture, the skin can do the same.). This also allows individual structural fibres like collagen and elastin to come together and bind so they become less fluid and more rigid, leading to an older face shape. Therefore it is important to sustain HA levels in the skin, which can be achieved using Fillast® .
Fillast® is a range of serums and creams which contain the key active ingredients for protecting existing hyaluronic acid and increasing dermal skin synthesis of hyaluronic acid, while also directly supplementing the epidermal levels by supplying intact hyaluronic acid to the upper layers of the skin, Fillast® also contains the two building blocks of hyaluronic acid and ingredients which stimulate its manufacture in the lower layers of the skin. A sugar known as Fucose is also present which protects and sustains already made hyaluronic acid. So you get an overall increase in levels over 30 days.
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TERPROLINE®
Skin Healing, Recovery and Scar Prevention
Collagen and Elastin are two key structural molecular chains produced by fibroblasts. Collagen in younger skin is shorter chain and more fluid and is known as Collagen Type-III. Over time as skin hyaluronic acid levels decrease, it reaches a level where collagen fibre binding accelerates and you get a much higher proportion of collagen as more rigid, thicker, less elastic fibres known as Collagen Type-I. Elastin levels also reduce in conjunction with collagen change leading to less elastic skin.
Fibroblasts slow down over time and so production of collagen and elastin is compromised, resulting in decreased skin quality, sagging and aging. Boosting fibroblast activity and supplying raw materials in a form fibroblasts can use to make new collagen and elastin is critical is slowing the aging process. Stimulating this fibroblast activity in a high hyaluronic acid environment will also encourage the collagen produced to remain as Type-III, achieved by using Fillast®.
The ingredients in Terproline® stimulate fibroblast activity, while providing the raw materials for new collagen and elastin. Terproline® has been used successfully in the healing of third degree burns, surgical procedures and in the management of scars. It improves elasticity and extensibility of the skin, promoting faster, more uniform healing and boosts recovery from the signs of aging and clinical treatments.
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HYDRATIME® & NUTRITIME®
Lipid Boosting and Water Binding
The lipids in the cell walls of skin cells and the oils produced by the skin have an important role to play in maintaining skin cell integrity (life) and influencing the aging process. Lipids are a critical component in maintaining the structural shape and moisture retaining functionality of the skin. The lowest level of the epidermis, the basal layer, continually produces new skin cells to replace those that are shed at the surface and supplementing the lipid density here can have a major influence on moisture control and skin condition.
Over time and due to factors such as hormonal changes, life changes and medication, the skin can become lipid deficient. Supplementing lipids in the skin so new skin cells are made with a high lipid density is essential for any anti-aging regimen. Ceramides are the raw material used to make lipids and supplying the full compliment of ceramides can help produce more lipid dense tissue.
Hydratime® is a light day cream and Nutritime® is a more nourishing night cream which both supply the full range of ceramides to sustain, protect and re-establish the skin's lipid and barrier properties They delivers numerous water binding agents to boost skin moisture levels and also provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial agents and also sun protection.
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SYNCHROVIT®
Retinol A Creams, which Increase Targeting of Dark, Under-Eye Circles
Dark under-eye circles affect the this delicate skin around the eyes. The capillaries are so small that red blood cells sometimes have to line up, one by one, to get through. Frequently, red blood cells get lost and wander into the surrounding skin. This isn't a problem - it happens all the time - your body has a mechanism to combat it.
Enzymes in your body break down the red blood cells, including their haemoglobin – this is the molecule that holds oxygen – so you can transport it around your body. When haemoglobin is broken down, its remaining components have a dark blue-black colour, just like a bruise.
This contributes to your dark under-eye circles and is taken away by lymph vessels but it can build up in the eye area.
Synchrovit® is a rapid acting Retinol A-containing product range and an effective free-radical scavenger, for use around the eyes, lips, face and neck. It contains encapsulated forms of vitamin A (Retinol) and vitamin E (Tocopherol), which exhibit potent antioxidant properties to mop-up free radicals generated by stress and 'life'.
Synchrovit® also contains Acetyl Glucosamine, Glucuronic Acid and Saccharide Isomerate, which improve skin tone & increase the skin's ability to hold water, through promotion of the biosynthesis of Hyaluronic Acid.
Synchrovit® EL for the eyes and lips also delivers Alpha Bisabolol which promotes effective lymph drainage, for those under-eye dark areas.
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LIPOACID®
Free Radical Scavengers To Relieve Oxidative Stress
Living your life, including drinking alcohol, consuming food, smoking, exercising, being exposed to polluted air and UV radiation creates chemicals which are absorbed into the skin where they damage and hasten the death of cells. These damaging chemicals are known as ‘free radicals’ and can also create inflammation, thus leading to alterations in pigment production, which can result in early age spots and also damaged blood vessels leading to spider and thread veins.
To control the effects of free radicals, antioxidants (or free radical scavengers) should be used. Antioxidants are chemicals which neutralise free radicals and prolong cell life. The difference between the level of free radical activity and the level of antioxidant activity is called oxidative stress (see the graph above). Powerful free radical scavengers are molecules such as vitamin C in a skin absorbable form like Ascorbic acid, but these only work in the water containing parts of the skin because they are not fat soluble. One can also obtain free radical scavengers (antioxidants) which also mop up free radicals in the fatty (lipid) parts of the skin such as skin cell walls. Alpha lipoic acid is the most active free radical scavenger and it operates in both the lipid and water parts of the skin.
Lipoacid® contains Alpha-Lipoic acid and Ascorbic acid. It also contains Octadecadioic acid which is also a powerful antioxidant but also has the ability to resist the inflammatory triggering of hyperpigmentation and thereby stabilise pigmentation, this can help to slow the onset of age and sun spots. Maybe this is the perfect anti-aging combination.
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THIOSPOT®
To Manage Age-Defining Hyperpigmentation
The most common inflammatory trigger is UV radiation, which normally triggers a general increase in pigmentation production so we become more "tanned." However, our internal bodily controls restrict over-production of melanin. When these control mechanisms are not at their peak, such as when pregnant or later in life, melanocytes may ‘break free’ of these restraints and over-produce pigment, causing the following conditions:
- Melasma
- Chloasma
- Pregnancy Mask
- Liver Spots
- Age Spots
Such discoloured skin occurs in areas that have the greatest inflammation exposure, such as the face, hands and arms. Often, one may suffer varying levels of darkening in different areas due to over-exposure to the sun. This is often in bonier parts, where the UV is ‘reflected’ back off the underlying bones which can have an enhanced inflammatory effect.
Thiospot® is a combination of three medically-proven ingredients which slow down excess melanin production. Newly produced skin cells take in less pigment as a result, so this newer, lighter skin can rise to the surface to replace older, darker skin with no bleaching.
Thiospot® has an anti-inflammatory agent to encourage the reduction of inflammatory triggering as well as an organic-based sun filter which is non-irritating (non-inflammatory) to cell membranes, unlike standard sun filters.
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