Skin Rejuvenation- Non Surgical and Topicals

What procedures can remove wrinkles, scars, and uneven pigmentation?

• Botox: Well-known for years, Botox injections provide a small amount of botulinum toxin which can smooth wrinkled brows, neck, or lines around the mouth and "crow's feet" around the eyes. Botox can even reduce moderate to severe frown lines. It works by reducing underlying muscle movements that contribute to the wrinkles. The effects of Botox will last from three to six months.
• Fillers: Fillers can include the body's own fat, hyaluronic acid and poly-L-lactic acid. Also called dermal fillers, additional products include calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) and polymethylacrylate (PMMA). Each dermal filler is formulated to provide results for certain textures, depths of injection, and density. Fillers can soften brow furrows, crow's feet, and frown lines. They can lift and enhance cheeks, smooth lip lines, and also fill and soften scars, including acne scars.
• Chemical peels: Chemical peeling resurfaces the skin using acid solutions. Acids most commonly used include glycolic, salicylic, or trichloroacetic acid. Peeling can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, age spots, precancerous skin conditions like actinic keratosis, and other scars and discoloration.
• Microdermabrasion: Microdermabrasion abrades the surface layers of the skin with small aluminum hydroxide crystals. The procedure is quick, and it's also relatively less expensive than some other options.
• Microneedling: Using a specialized tool with many small, sharp needles, doctors repeately cause tiny injuries to the skin. Skin responds by making more collagen and elastin to heal the injuries. These are the proteins that make skin more flexible and youthful-appearing. Microneedling can be combined with similar acids to the ones used in chemical peels to increase the effect.
• Laser therapy: Dermatological lasers can remove deep lines and wrinkles. They can also improve skin texture and tighten the skin's tone. Because lasers can target specific cells and skin layers, they are able to be used to treat birthmarks, including port wine stains. Lasers can also treat spider veins.
• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL): Similar to laser therapy, in that it uses light frequencies, but different because it uses a broad spectrum of light wavelengths, IPL is able to absorb excess pigment and restore an even complexion. IPL can stimulate collagen production. IPL has very little, if any, recovery time needed and it does not remove any layers of the skin. IPL is helpful in treating sun damage, freckles, and excess pigment. It can also treat spider veins.
• Thread lift: Cosmetic surgeons suspend portions of the skin with temporary sutures (stitches). It helps to provoke a natural healing response that can produce longer-term healing and skin tightening. "Instant face lift" products are clear adhesives that can produce short-term facelifts or short-term body lifts that reduce or eliminate the appearance of cellulite or wrinkles.
• PRP injections: Platelet rich plasma (PRP) uses your body's own platelets, a part of your blood, to help to minimize pores, wrinkles and fine lines, and skin volume loss. Platelets can help to stimulate increased collagen and elastin, promoting a more youthful appearance. PRP therapy can also help to reduce hair loss and smooth surgical scars.

• 1
  americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org/procedure-learning-center/non-surgical/skin-resurfacing-guide/
• 2
  health.harvard.edu/aging/want-to-take-years-off-your-face-these-treatments-can-rejuvenate-your-skin