cosmetologists Archives

The cosmetic enhancement industry has seen rapid growth over the past ten years. The sheer number of images that we are exposed to of people receiving treatment to fight the effects of aging is staggering. You see them in movies, television, and magazines. As a matter of fact, a study conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons predicts that the number of cosmetic procedures undergone each year will have grown by an amazing four hundred percent between 2005 and 2015. A large part of the reason for this is that injections have been replacing more invasive surgical procedures such as face lifts. Injections are both less expensive and offer almost no downtime in comparison to surgical procedures, making them a very attractive option.

Recently, a panel discussion on the future of cosmetic enhancements was held in Toronto, where many of the city’s most respected plastic surgeons, cosmetologists, and dermatologists met to discuss some of the latest changes and the future of the industry. Dr. Sheetal Sapra, director of dermatology at the Institute of Cosmetic and Laser surgery says that back in 1990, nearly all of the cosmetic work that was conducted in Canada was performed by plastic surgeons. This has changed quite drastically. Now only about twenty percent of the work that they do is surgical in nature.

The reason for this change is something called combination therapy. Combination therapy is the use of several different facial injections in combination with one another to receive the desired cosmetic effects. Some of the treatments that may be undergone include Botox, which is a neurotoxin that temporarily paralyzes the muscles of the face, causing them to relax and allowing wrinkles and creases in the face to smooth out. Other treatments such as Restylane, Juvederm, and Perlane contain within them synthetic fillers that help to rejuvinate a sculpt the skin. These fillers include hyaluronic acid and collagen, which are natural proteins produced by the body that help keep tissue healthy. They may also include artificial chemicals that help give form to the face. Other treatments include laser treatments which can be used in order to remove brown spots or rosacea from the face. Fractional tightening is another option which can be used in order to smooth wrinkles and creases, improve the texture of the skin, and fight acne scars.

Dr. Stephen Mulholland, one of Canada’s most respected plastic surgeons, claims that about sixty minutes of work and three thousand dollars is enough to take five years off of somebody’s face today.

Acne scars can often leave a person feeling self-conscious and unattractive, inhibiting their behaviour and self-expression in many ways, but with the number of surgical and cosmetic treatments available, it’s possible to feel beautiful and self-confident again.

The best type of treatment depends on the types of scars and the available cosmetologists in your area.

Essentially, there are three distinct types of treatment.

The first type of treatment for acne scars is resurfacing both the scars and the surrounding skin. Using procedures like chemical peel treatments, an exoderm lift, laser resurfacing, and cry slush superficial acne scars can be abraded.

A chemical peel treats shallow scars by using chemicals like resorcinol, tretinoin, lactic acid, salicylic acid, phenol, tricholacetic acid, and glycolic acid to peel away the old skin. Depending on the extent of acne scarring, the chemical peels may be mild, moderate, or deep. With the old skin removed, new skin, free of acne scars, can grow in its place.

An exoderm lift has to be done by a reputable cosmetologist otherwise it can result in permanently scarring the face. Alternatively, if performed expertly, it can create a dramatic change, removing hypertropic and deep acne scars. Unlike a chemical peel, which uses only a single chemical, this procedure uses a precise combination of 12 different chemicals and oils.

Laser resurfacing treats superficial and moderately deep acne scars by resurfacing and augmenting skin tissue through laser ablation and fractional laser.

Finally, cryoslush, also known as cryo-peeling, uses carbon dioxide to peel away scar tissue.

The second type of treatment for acne scars is filling in the depressions created by the scar. By smoothing over the sides of the skin that create the depression, scars are less noticeable. Injected dermal fillers can raise the scar to the surface of the skin, thus removing the depression in the skin.
And the of third type of treatment for acne scars is using surgery to correct the scars using procedures like dermabrasion, needle subcision, and acne scar revision.

Dermaabrasion can be used for shallow to deep scars, as well as hypertropic ones. The skin is abraded using a high speed rotating brush with either an aluminium oxide crystal or a diamond tip.

Needle subcision works on each scar separately, cutting off the fibrous tissue beneath depressed scars and bringing them up to the surface.

Finally acne scar revision works on each scar individually using the best treatment for that scar like graft or excision or subcision.