Spa+Clinic Team Winter is the time to encourage clients to have their skin resurfacing to address lines, wrinkles, pigmentation and more. Plastic surgeon Dr Darryl Hodgkinson explains why.
No matter what technique is used for resurfacing to address lines, wrinkles, pigmentation and improve texture, the new tender skin which is exposed will be pink and/or red for a varying amount of time.
This fresh skin when exposed to the sun – especially in the summer months – can become brown or hyperpigmented. There are three types of resurfacing:
- Laser
- Chemical peels
- Dermabrasion
At our clinic we use all of these techniques in order to improve skin which has usually been damaged by the sun. In fact, with expertise, all these techniques can be combined and when used appropriately can address myriad problems.
For example, fine wrinkles such as those around the eyes can be improved with laserbrasion; deeper wrinkles around the mouth such as ‘smoker’s lines’ might best be addressed with dermabrasion [or microdermabrasion, depending on your qualifications and level of training] and hyperpigmentation and browny splotchiness of the skin or a sallow complexion are best reinvigorated by chemical peeling.
For people with less severe pigmentation or who do not have the time to recover from a complete skin resurfacing, lighter forms of peeling are available. These include low percentage trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or alpha-hydroxy acid peels. They are appropriate for more minor pigmentation and, when used in conjunction with microdermabrasion, can give the skin a fresher, cleaner look.
For those small red veins on the face, the KTP laser is available to get rid of these broken capilliaries. Again, for the best results, a combination of procedures can be used.
Pictured at top is quite a dramatic case of a patient I had who required a full face resurfacing for severe damage from the sun. At the same time I performed an upper eyelid blepharoplasty (lift) giving an overall refreshed and more youthful appearance.
Dr Darryl Hodgkinson runs The Cosmetic and Restorative Surgery Clinic in Sydney’s Double Bay. He is recognised worldwide as an expert in cosmetic plastic surgery with more than 30 years’ experience in both cosmetic and plastic/reconstructive surgery. Dr Hodgkinson did his plastic surgical training at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in the US and is among an elite group of a very few surgeons to hold two degrees in plastic surgery from American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons, Canada. He is a past President of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS) and currently on their Board of Censors. Dr Hodgkinson is also the founder and a director of Operation Restore Hope Australia. This Australian-based charity draws on the talents of medical professionals from all over the world to educate medical professionals and care for children in the Philippines with cleft lip and palate.
www.cosmeticsurgeryoz.com.au
