COMMON COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY PROCEDURES

The skin is the largest and most visible organ of the body. As skin ages, it becomes thinner and less elastic. Collagen and elastin, the tissues that keep the skin firm, become weaker. These changes lead to fine lines, sagging skin, and other unwanted signs of aging.

The goal of facial rejuvenation is to give the patient a more youthful look by diminishing the signs of aging and the damage caused by years of unprotected sun exposure.

Spider veins are small superficial blood vessels that appear red or blue in the skin. They commonly occur on the legs, but are also found on the face or other areas of the body.

These dilated blood vessels may be short, unconnected lines, each about the size of a large hair, or connected in a "sunburst" pattern. They may look like a spider web or a tree with branches. Spider veins can occur in a small area where they are not very noticeable, or they can cover a large area of skin and be very unattractive.

Chemical peeling is a technique used to improve the appearance of the skin. A chemical solution is applied to the skin which causes it to separate, peel off, and allows new skin to regenerate. The new skin is smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin, and may also be more even in color.

An important advance in skin rejuvenation, laser resurfacing can diminish the signs of aging, treat skin damage, and correct acne scars. Using a wand-like laser hand piece, undesired skin cells and wrinkles are softened or removed.

Also called laser peeling, laser resurfacing is relatively bloodless and offers the dermatologist more control in the depth of penetration of the skin’s surface, allowing increased precision and safety in treating delicate areas, such as around the lips and eyes.

Years of squinting and frowning can leave deep wrinkles that form between the eyebrows and may extend to the bridge of the nose. Wrinkles and frown lines also may appear across the forehead and at the corners of the eyes (“crow’s feet”).

Dermatologists can quickly and safely inject botulinum toxin ("Botox") during an office visit to diminish these wrinkles and lines that create an angry or sad look, and detract from a pleasant facial appearance.

Soft tissue fillers are flexible substances that can be injected into the skin to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, plump lips, fill hollow cheeks, repair various facial imperfections, improve scars, and elevate deep folds. The result is a smoother, more youthful appearance with minimal "downtime" and maximum safety.

Men and women can accumulate excess fat that is not easily shed by exercise and diet. Extensive surgery was usually required to remove stubborn fatty deposits; however, in the early 1980s, dermatologic surgeons pioneered liposuction techniques and developed tumescent liposuction which changed surgical fat removal completely.