Cosmetic aging is a topic of interest for a lot of people. We know that our skin is going to age, and we may have a vague idea of what to do about it. Where we often go wrong is in our timing. Often, the signs of aging are not addressed until they become noticeable. Then, when we want to reverse the signs of aging, we wish to do it as quickly as possible. Many of our patients ask what they can expect from their treatment of choice. In that, what they want to know is what a single treatment will do for them. Here, we discuss what you need to know to avoid disappointment with your selected beauty treatment.
THE DEPTH OF COSMETIC BEAUTY
Beauty is much more than “skin deep” as the old saying would have us believe. First of all, our truest beauty is the light that shines from within our personality. Secondly, on a purely physical level, there is much more to cosmetic beauty than what we see on the surface. The beauty of the skin originates from the activity in the deeper layers of tissue that are not seen with the naked eye. These layers, including the dermis, are where cellular regeneration occurs and where vital skin proteins, including collagen and elastin, are made.
The cells that make collagen and elastin, our feisty fibroblasts, are hard at work during our youth. It would seem that they all but wear themselves out in the first 30 years of life because, after that time, our fibroblasts do very little collagen- and elastin-producing. Regardless, the body continues to use about 1 to 2% of existing proteins each year. This is why, by age 40, we start to see fine lines around the nose and mouth.
MANAGING THE SIGNS OF AGING CAN BE EASIER
Knowing that collagen and elastin are what firm and smooth the skin, and knowing that these proteins are produced by fibroblast cells that go to sleep at some point, we can see that we need to wake up these cells if we want to foster tissue resiliency. Fibroblasts wake up for 4 to 6 months after treatments that focus on them, like microneedling and laser skin rejuvenation. However, depending on the degree of aging that has occurred, it may take a series of treatments just to kick start these cells back into action.
If you’ve ever wondered, the reason most treatments need to be repeated is that fibroblast cells need continual stimulation to do their work in the skin. If you’d like to know which collagen-stimulating treatment would work best for you, schedule a visit to our Houston office. Call 713.955.6560.