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It’s a cruel irony that during summertime, a time when we have multiple opportunities to show more skin, and when we’d really like our complexions to be in peak condition, is also the time of year when many of us suffer from seasonal acne. Here are some of the main reasons for summer acne breakouts, along with some tips for avoiding (or minimizing) the problem.

Causes of Summertime Acne

High humidity levels in the summer stimulate the production of oil by the skin’s sebaceous glands, which can clog and become infected. Unfortunately, you are also more likely to sweat during the heat of the summer, and the heat opens your skin pores more than at other times of the year. The combination of these effects results in a greatly increased chance of clogged skin pores and acne.

The hotter summertime sun also exacerbates the problem – the sun’s UV rays can irritate and inflame your skin (even if you don’t burn), and many of the products we apply to protect our skin from the sun can also contribute to clogged pores, and subsequent infection. 

Sunscreen isn’t the only culprit. Tanning lotions and skincare products can have the same effect. Even if some of the products we use (including anti-acne medications) are antibacterial, they can dry the skin, which leads to increased oil production, which ultimately contributes to the same clogged pore problem.

We are also much more likely to encounter several other environmental skin irritants in the summertime – this list includes pool chemicals, bug sprays and food and drinks with high levels of sugar.

Ways to Combat the Problem

Given that you’re going to sweat more anyway, you can reduce the chance of acne breaking out by avoiding touching your face. Also, remove makeup before exposing yourself to the sun, or participating in activities that will result in your sweating more than usual. Spray-on antiperspirants can also aid in reducing body acne.

Skin cleansing and moisturizing remain essential during the summer, but you can reduce the potential for problems by cleansing your face using alcohol-free products, and substituting light mineral-based makeup for your heavy, oily products. “Comedogenic” refers to the acne that results from using skincare products that can cause oily skin, clog skin pores, and allow their subsequent infection by skin bacteria. We recommend switching to skin cleansers and moisturizers identified as “non-comedogenic.”

Although the link is less obvious, eating a healthy diet can keep your immune system working efficiently, which will lessen the chance of acne infections developing. Healthy diets include avoiding oily foods, red meat, refined carbohydrates, and especially sugar. It would help if you also tried to eat plenty of high-fiber fruits and vegetables and water-rich fruits.

This may seem obvious in the heat of the summer, but keeping properly hydrated will help. Not only by replacing the liquid that you lose by sweating, but also by allowing your body to more easily flush out toxins.

Vitamin and mineral supplements can also help reduce the intensity of acne breakouts – vitamins E, C, and B6 are often used, as well as Zinc and Selenium. Your doctor should be able to provide you with recommendations tailored to your particular situation, as well as with the best way to treat any acne infections that you have developed.

If you are having trouble with summer acne give Your Laser Skin Care a call at (323) 525-1516 to see how we can help you get back to clearer skin.

This week we want to focus on a lesser-known procedure that offers an effective way to tighten loose skin. And it’s easy, safe, non-invasive, and produces rapid results.

Our skin is a complex organ, consisting of several interconnected layers. The tone, elasticity, and resilience of our skin are primarily due to a layer of densely interwoven collagen fibers in the dermis layer, and it’s this layer that is largely responsible for how young your skin looks and feels. As we age, collagen begins to degrade, and the skin starts to lose its elasticity and resilience. This, in turn, leads to the sagging, lines, and wrinkles we try so hard to avoid. 

Surgical solutions (e.g., facelifts) are one way to try to address the problem, but too often result in unnaturally tight skin. Plus it’s an expensive, painful procedure with lengthy recovery times, and it carries the risk of serious side-effects. 

Laser skin tightening is accomplished by using focused laser light pulses to apply heat to the collagen fibers beneath the skin gently. This precise application of heat produces multiple benefits – existing collagen fibers are slowly redistributed and rearranged, resulting in improved skin tone. New collagen production is also stimulated, resulting in progressive improvements to the dermis layer, which continue for several months following each treatment. 

The laser technique can be used on virtually any part of the body but is most often used on the face, neck, and chin. Discomfort during the procedure is generally minimal and does not require any significant recovery time. Side effects are rare, mostly limited to very short-lasting local swelling. 

Depending on the area being treated and the degree of tightening desired, several treatments may be needed and are typically performed at monthly intervals. The best part is that improvements to skin tone will continue following each treatment, as the body is stimulated to create new collagen, and the results look completely natural.

The procedure also has a role in preventative skin care – stimulating the production of new collagen will also help to delay the treated area developing looseness in the future. So if you fear you might be prone to developing loose skin, you can even help ward off the problem before it becomes a problem. 

We offer a range of non-invasive cosmetic procedures, many of which can be combined with laser skin tightening. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, call us at (323) 525-1516 or visit us online at www.yourlaserskincare.com 

We typically use the various dermal fillers for lip and cheek augmentation, and to correct uneven or wrinkled skin, especially on the face and neck. However, Juvederm and Restylane offer many different product formulations, allowing them to be used in a wide variety of different situations. These range from the correction of small blemishes to larger-scale contour enhancement.

There are several lesser-known areas where these versatile dermal fillers can also be used – we’d like to highlight some of these in this post.

Facial Scarring

Permanent acne scars are a source of great concern to many. They’re hard to disguise using other techniques, but the depressed and pitted scars associated with moderate or severe acne can be treated effectively using dermal fillers. Fillers can be used to fill-in any depressed scars, resulting in a greatly improved complexion.

Hands 

Fillers are now routinely used to rejuvenate the loss of volume and thinning of the skin on the back of the hands.

Earlobes

Earlobes are quite prone to damage, which can include drooping as well as the loss of volume and wrinkles. Dermal fillers can provide effective relief for many of these problems.

Dynamic Facial Wrinkles 

Dermal fillers have been used successfully (along with other treatments) to restore a more balanced facial appearance. Although dermal fillers are typically used to address static wrinkles and volume loss, they can also help with dynamic wrinkles.

Noses

Dermal fillers have been successfully used to correct various nose problems, including uneven or unwanted contours. Although fillers won’t remove unwanted tissue, an unwanted bump can often be effectively straightened by adding filler to adjacent areas, such as the bridge of the nose.

In all of the above cases, dermal fillers provide a non-permanent solution – depending on the area being treated, and you can expect to need additional treatments six months to a year (or more) afterward. Dermal fillers can be applied progressively, allowing you to achieve your goals gradually, giving you a more natural improvement.

Give Your Laser Skin Care a call at (323) 525-1516 and we will be happy to help you schedule a visit in the Los Angeles area. We will be able to discuss the many available treatment options, and how they can be used to help address the areas you’re concerned about.

We recently came across descriptions of serious injuries caused when some people attempted to “freeze” parts of their own body, typically by applying ice packs for extended periods.  Needless to say, we’d very much like to dissuade anyone from trying to experiment on themselves this way – we’ll explain why “DIY CoolSculpting” is not only a particularly bad idea but potentially quite dangerous.

The Theory Behind CoolSculpting 

Medical research has demonstrated that fat cells are more sensitive to being damaged by low temperatures than surrounding tissue. By reducing the temperature of fat cells for specific periods of time, it’s possible to actually kill the fat cells, after which they will be naturally eliminated from the body over the days and weeks that follow. Fat cells expand or contract during your lifetime, but once killed they are not replaced. Hence any loss of damaged fat cells will be permanent. By targeting fat close to the skin, it’s possible to effectively remove fat deposits and cosmetically reshape parts of the body. 

Despite the fact that the technique is often referred to as “fat freezing,” fat cells are not in fact “frozen” when CoolSculpting is used. They are instead cooled to the precise temperature proven to be the most effective at damaging them.

What Equipment Is Used by Your Doctor?

Allergan produces the specialized equipment used in a CoolSculpting session. It uses a sophisticated control unit and applicators, which effectively cool the area being treated to a precise temperature while using suction to ensure that the skin stays in close contact with the cooling pads. The system ensures that fat beneath the skin is cooled to the temperature that’s the safest and most effective for fat removal. Several different applicators are available, depending on the part of the body that’s being treated. The process is designed to not only be effective at fat removal but also to protect your skin from damage during the process.

The Theory Behind DIY

If freezing fat cells kills them, why not just put on an ice pack and do it yourself? You can find “LipoBelts” online that claim to provide effective ways of eliminating fat. Regardless of how effective these seem, there is no medical evidence to suggest that they work, nor that they’re even safe to experiment with.

Potential Problems

The main problem with DIY methods is that you have to guess how cold your body needs to be, and for how long. To be both safe and effective, fat must be cooled to a specific temperature for a carefully controlled period. If incorrect temperatures are used (almost guaranteed to be the case when using ice-packs), you risk frostbite, pain, even serious skin burns. The risks of serious side effects greatly increase for those with circulatory problems or diabetes and could result in permanent tissue damage.

Ice packs also melt, making it impossible to maintain the precise constant temperature over time that’s needed for effective fat removal.

 There are other problems: ice packs are not adapted to the shape of the parts of the body that you’re trying to treat. So even if you manage to cool the area to the correct temperature and avoid any of the problems, you will not be effective at removing fat. You may also cause blisters if you allow your skin to warm up too quickly after cooling it. Finally, even if you do manage to kill fat cells effectively, you run a substantial risk of leaving your body misshapen and unnatural looking.

By using an experienced and qualified doctor to perform the CoolSculpting procedure, you will be maximizing the benefits you draw from the treatment while minimizing the possibility of undesired side effects. Your doctor will draw on their experience to ensure that you gain the most benefit from the smallest number of treatments, closely monitor the process to ensure you remain safe and tailor the process to ensure that your fat loss looks balanced and natural. 

We will be happy to answer any questions you have about CoolSculpting or any of the other non-invasive procedures we offer. If you are in the Los Angeles area, please visit us online or call us at (323) 525-1516 to schedule a free consultation.

Although Botox has a deserved reputation as a highly effective way to reduce or eliminate facial lines and wrinkles after they have begun to appear. In recent years, it’s also increasingly being used by patients in their 20s and 30s as a way to prevent these typical signs of aging from starting to develop.

There is some controversy as to whether Botox can have a long-term anti-aging effect, and if it is an effective way to prevent skin wrinkles from developing later in life, so we decided to summarize the main issues on both sides of the question.

How to Prevent Lines from Forming in the Future?

Some patients are more likely to develop lines and wrinkles than others – particularly people having more dynamic facial expressions, those who may be starting to develop persistent frown lines, and people with naturally thinner skin. Others are more genetically predisposed to developing lines in the corners of their eyes or between their eyebrows – you can get a good idea where you are likely to develop lines by using the example of older members in your family.

To prevent these problems from happening, your practitioner must be able to determine where facial lines are likely to develop in order to inject Botox effectively. Skilled practitioners use their experience of many years to do this. By analyzing the way your facial muscles cause your skin to move, they can predict where lines will eventually appear before they become apparent. In most cases, patients will already have very fine, barely visible lines that indicate where future problems are likely to occur.

Minimize Your Risk

Most negative Botox experiences are the result of the over-enthusiastic application of Botox by inexperienced practitioners. Using too much Botox in the wrong place is not only a waste of your time and money but is the prime reason patients complain about unnatural results.

There is often a very fine line between using an appropriate amount of Botox and using too much. The aim is not to leave you with frozen features, but to allow your face to continue to move naturally.

Consider Combining with Other Treatments

It may also be the case that using Botox in combination with dermal filler products is a more effective way to treat some types of developing facial lines, so choosing a practitioner who has expertise using both types of products is highly recommended.

Finally, there are other ways to prevent or delay lines and wrinkles from developing – you should already be following a routine that involves moisturizing and applying sunblock, with appropriate use of chemical peels and/or laser resurfacing. But there’s also often no effective alternative to Botox, especially when your facial expressions result in repeated flexing and stretching of the skin along fixed lines.

Your Laser Skin Care in Los Angeles specializes in Botox and Fillers injections, laser hair removal, vein therapy, chemical peels and IPL among many other services. Please call us at (323) 525-1516 or visit us online at www.yourlaserskincare.com to schedule a free consultation.

An IPL Photofacial is a well-established non-invasive procedure that uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to treat a wide variety of surface skin defects on the face. It differs from laser treatments by using a broad spectrum of light frequencies, in contrast to laser treatments which make use of a single light frequency. One advantage of using several light frequencies is that they can be used to target multiple skin layers and types of skin cells at the same time.

By delivering light energy both to the outer layer of the skin and to the skin cells underneath, IPL Photofacials can assist in healing visible surface imperfections, while at the same time stimulating the various processes by which the skin heals naturally, including collagen production. The IPL Photofacial results in clearer, more youthful looking skin – it can also be used proactively to prevent signs of aging from developing.

The IPL Photofacial’s ability to smooth surface imperfections allows it to be used to treat many different types of superficial skin imperfections, including sun damage, age spots, freckles, acne scars, and rosacea. It can also help to reduce the size of skin pores, improve skin texture and tone, and can reduce the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles by tightening loose skin.

In common with all cosmetic procedures, it’s highly recommended to start by consulting with a specialist physician, both to determine that the skin imperfections you want to address are appropriate for treatment by IPL, and perhaps to decide whether to combine the IPL Photofacial with other treatment options to achieve your aims in the quickest and most cost-effective manner.

The actual IPL treatment is done without anesthetic, although a cooling gel is usually first applied. The IPL pulses are gentle, and result in slight skin warming, accompanied by a snap similar to that produced by a rubber band.

Normal recovery time after an IPL procedure is minimal. Typically some redness and mild swelling occur – both should subside in the hours following treatment and can be concealed using makeup. You can expect to see results start to become apparent within 24 hours, and continue to develop in the weeks following treatment. Multiple treatments are often used to achieve better results and are typically performed after a three-week resting period.

Similar IPL techniques can also be used to treat skin imperfections on other body areas, including the neck, chest, arms, hands, back, shoulders, and legs.

For more information about the IPL Photofacial, contact Your Laser Skin Care for a free consultation.

CoolSculpting is rapidly gaining visibility as an effective way to target stubborn, hard-to-lose fat deposits. Although it’s not a cure-all, the technique is increasingly being seen as an extremely effective way of addressing the following classes of problems:

Double Chins and Drooping Neck Skin

This is perhaps the area most typically associated with CoolSculpting treatments – excess fat under the chin can be very effectively treated by CoolSculpting, and typically allows a significant reduction in this particularly visible, and for many people, very hard to lose accumulation of fat.

Love Handles

Another area that stubborn fat is often found – many patients find that even after extended dieting and exercise it’s not possible to eliminate the fat deposits that form on the side or flanks of one’s abdomen. Fortunately, CoolSculpting has also proven to be very effective at reducing or eliminating fat in this area and can be applied to both sides of the body at the same time, to ensure that you remain symmetrical as you lose the fat.

Upper Arms

Loose fat rolls under the arms are a particularly distressing symptom of aging for many, particularly for women. It’s relatively simple to isolate the unwanted fat and loose skin and treat them with CoolSculpting in an area that is very difficult to effectively target just through exercise. CoolSculpting results in gradual fat removal, allowing you to maintain a natural look during treatment.

Belly Fat

Treatment in this area normally takes more than one session to achieve wanted results, not least because quite large accumulations of fat can occur in this area.

Thighs

Both inner and outer thigh areas can be treated with CoolSculpting, and as with the other areas described above, the ability to treat both thighs at the same time allows a more natural look to be maintained, as unwanted fat is removed. The CoolSculpting technique has also been specially adapted to be more effective at treating this body area.

In all the above cases CoolSculpting works by permanently destroying fat cells. Each CoolSculpting treatment (depending on the area) typically removes approximately 25% of fat cells in the targeted area. It’s proven to be a very safe non-invasive technique with very limited side effects.

Your Laser Skin Care in Los Angeles specializes in this innovative CoolSculpting treatment. Please contact us at (323)-457-8740 or visit our website to schedule a free consultation.