This post was written by Dr. Jim English
The Egyptians once thought that a suntan was a sign of being under privileged because those that had one undoubtedly worked in the fields along the Nile River. To have the time and/or the resources to keep a tanned appearance today reflects just the opposite socially. However, years of sun worship can and will produce an aged appearance that most people find undesirable later in life. The problem is that once acquired, it is most difficult to eradicate. For millennia, humans would apply various and sundry remedies to their skin to remove the stigma of sun damage. The Egyptians would apply sour milk to their skin for exfoliation purposes from the lactic acid contained within. The Turks would singe their skin lightly with fire to remove the outer layers to improve and tighten their skin. The French would bathe in red wine to receive the oxidative benefit of the tartaric acid content within the grapes.
Fast forward to today and we are still trying to improve the ravages of the sun and age on our skin but now the gold standard is the fractionated CO2 laser. This newest innovation with the carbon dioxide device allows the penetration of its energy into the outer and middle layers of skin much like the greens keeper on a golf course when they aerate the greens. By burrowing as many as 250-500 minute holes per square centimeter on the skin’s surface, an organic debris field is created within its layers and the body’s defense mechanism is mandated to clean up the areas of damage much like a community would after a natural disaster. The end result is a better and more aesthetically pleasing outcome with the vast amount of sun damage and photo aging removed with one treatment.
The down time is minimized to days instead of weeks because the entire surface of the skin is not removed as it was just a few years ago. Also, this device can be used on any area of the body as it pertains to sun damaged and/or aged skin. The patient’s in my clinic are extremely pleased with their results and so am I. If you are not into bathing with sour milk or red wine, you might consider this treatment option for the improvement of your skin’s damage incurred as a result of living life.
Do you have any tricks like the Egyptians and the French in order to repair damaged skin? What are your favorite products to prevent sun damage?
Posted by Chevis English under medical spa and glowing skin. You can follow me on Twitter @chevis or @FaceDoctorette.
