STEM CELLS & LASERS: THE SCAR-FIGHTERS

AnteAGE’s products are built around the philosophy of repair, restore and rebuild, the cornerstones of regenerative medicine.  

The CO2RE laser’s resurfacing technology brings the goal of younger-looking and feeling skin within reach. 

What happens when you put them together? Spectacular skin, with significant improvement of: 

• Acne scars (including tough-to-treat boxcar pitting)

• Fine lines and wrinkles

• Hyperpigmentation

• Pore size

• Texture and tone (including sagging skin)

AnteAGE

Shadow micro-needles — which are safe even for those who rank high on the Fitzpatrick Scale — stimulate the skin’s uppermost layers, prompting collagen production and an ensuing regenerative response. The brand’s Growth Factor Solution, meanwhile, delivers hyaluronic acid and other anti-inflammatory properties to the skin.

CO2RE

In addition to performing full and fractional resurfacing, the laser treats multiple skin ayers, improving firmness and also encouraging the production of collagen, which is vital to health skin structure.

Combined, you get dramatic results with minimum discomfort or downtime, and significant improvement to scars that have been traditionally difficult to treat.

Call us to find out more or book your treatment today!

REGENERATE YOUTHFUL SKIN!

Many skin care products promise younger-looking skin, but the fact is that while some may help you age better, there’s no product that can stop time. Stem cells, though, have proven invaluable in combating diseased cells and replacing them with healthy ones — could they have a similar effect on skin rejuvenation? AnteAGE, our newest skin care brand, asked that very question, and developed a line of both professional-grade treatments and retail products that rely on adult human stem cells. The results have gone above and beyond expectations!

How it works

When used topically, messenchymal (bone marrow) stem cells, along with proteins called cytokines, mimic the effect of having more stem cells. The more of these cells there are, the higher their ability to repair and regenerate, combating the effects of injury, inflammation and disease. These cells are the primary active ingredient in AnteAGE products, but we’ll focus on the Top 3 products you’ll want to have in your skincare arsenal. (Naturally, when used in combination with professional-grade treatments, the effects are boosted.) 

1. Serum

This comes in both medical-grade and retail formulations. Suitable for all skin types, this fast-absorbing formula made with physiologically balanced Stem Cytokines™, amino acids and protective antioxidants, restores your skin’s ability to heal itself at the cellular level. Anti-inflammatory, it soothes and calms skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while shielding skin from adverse environmental toxins.  

2. Accelerator

Moisturising and revitalising, the AnteAGE Accelerator maximises the beneficial effects of the Serum. Stem Cytokines™, combined with vitamins and antioxidants, deeply nourish the skin, enhancing its inherent ability to heal itself from the inside out. This product goes a long way to strengthening the skin barrier and keeping the microbiome in perfect balance. It also reduces the appearance of large pores by properly hydrating skin, and is a champion at defending the skin against free radicals.  

3. Eye

It makes sense, doesn’t it? The sensitive skin around the eye area is where most people begin to notice signs of ageing. Again powered by AnteAGE’s Stem Cytokines™, this luxurious formula minimises the appearance of lines, wrinkles, puffiness, and even that tough-to-combat under-eye darkness. Filled with powerful antioxidants designed to shield this delicate area from free radicals, it simultaneously firms and tightens skin. This wonder product also combats the undesirable effect of blue light on skin (think hyperpigmentation) and even boasts synthetic snake venom for a botox-like lifting effect.   

This amazingly revitalising routine — which also contains super-ingredients like niacinamide, smart vitamin C, and retinol alternatives — can be used on their own or in combination with other skincare essentials. 

Contact us to find out more about this amazing skincare line and the products and treatments we offer. Welcome to the future of skincare! 

THE HYPE AROUND HYALURONIC ACID

If you’ve ever had an injectable dermal filler, you’ll probably be familiar with hyaluronic acid (H.A. for short). It’s one of the main ingredients in the cushiony, gel-like substance we inject beneath the surface of the skin to help even out deep lines and soften creases as you age. In its injectable form, it prolongs the effects of the filler — but its topical form has amazing benefits as well. Just look at SkinCeuticals’ H.A. Intensifier, a serum that strengthens skin’s natural hyaluronic acid levels and keeps it well hydrated, firm and plump. Many of our patients use it after a dermal filler treatment, but it can be part of any skin care regimen.

Hydration is skin’s golden ticket: get the moisture balance right and you will see reduced signs of ageing, not to mention your skin will be more resilient and heal itself faster, often with less scarring. Because of its amazing ability to retain moisture, hyaluronic acid is a popular ingredient for skin care products — but have you ever wondered how it interacts with all the other stuff that’s in there? Does it peacefully coexist with gentler ingredients, or overpower them? Let’s go through a simple skin care routine to find out…

1. Cleansers

Many of our SkinCeuticals cleansers, gels and exfoliating scrubs have ingredients that interact in different ways with hyaluronic acid. 

2. Serums

Our range of SkinCeuticals serums have ingredients that naturally interact with H.A. Let’s see how they do…

3. Moisturisers

The SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 is probably one of the best creams on the market, with very effective anti-ageing effects, while its Metacell Renewal  is also excellent at minimising the early effects of ageing. There’s also a game-changing nighttime moisturiser for skin that tends to be on the dry side, Renew Overnight Dry, that gently exfoliates while hydrating. Here’s how some of their ingredients react in combination with H.A.

So the results are in! H.A. is flexible enough to complement most other ingredients, with its superpower hydrating effects always at the forefront, and making your skin brighter, firmer and more beautiful. 

SWITCH YOUR SKIN INTO GEAR WITH SKIN CYCLING

How can switching up your skin care routine help the health and appearance of your skin? The TikTok trend of skin cycling took off after New York-based dermatologist and IG user Dr. Whitney Bowe wrote a blog post about the potential benefits of “cycling through your nightly skin-care products to drive the best results”. By creating space in your routine to allow the skin barrier to recover, she found, skin can both feel and look healthier.

This is something dermatologists have long advocated through the rotation of skin care products, but Dr. Bowe gave it a name — and a really easy-to-follow process. Many of her clients, she found, “were taking a kitchen sink approach to their skin care, mixing and matching ingredients that simply don’t play well together”. She also noticed a focus on “ingredient-specific products […] with a ‘more is better’ obsession”.  

When it comes to skin care, sometimes keeping it simple is best, so Dr. Bowe’s skin cycling is built around a four-night cycle, which you need to repeat. The whole process, therefore, take eight days.

Night 1 — Exfoliation  

Go for chemical exfoliants like serums as opposed to rough physical scrubs, which can feel harsher on the skin.  

Night 2 — Retinoids 

This might be a tricky step for some. Many retinoids, which are chemical derivatives of Vitamin A, are over the counter formulations (La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel is a good one.) There are also stronger ones that dermatologists may prescribe to deal with skin conditions like acne. Not everyone’s skin tolerates retinoids well, however, and if used in conjunction with other ingredients it’s not ideally suited for, redness and irritation can result.  

Our suggestion if you can’t handle the retinoids? SkinCeuticals’ Phyto A+ Brightening Treatment allows you to achieve the same clear, even-looking skin that acids and retinoids typically achieve. And don’t get us wrong — retinoids are super-effective, but for those with more sensitive skin, such vigorous treatments can actually throw off the skin’s delicate pH balance, causing inflammation, breakouts or even discolouration, particularly in skin of colour. Pairing Phyto A+ with a good daily use moisturiser can achieve similarly visible results, but without the side effects.

Nights 3 and 4 — Recovery 

This is the part where you allow your skin to rest so that its barrier has the time and space to repair itself. This requires using products that moisturise and hydrate.

In our tropical climate, especially given the challenges with Sahara dust and recent extremes of temperature — either very hot and dry or very rainy and humid — hydrating skin is really important. Skinceuticals offers a wide range of effective moisturising products. Its Hydrating B5 Gel also works wonders when it comes to hydrating skin. 

Results 

After you’ve stuck to Dr. Bowe’s routine for two cycles, you skin should retain more of a natural glow, and feel a lot more healthy, radiant and properly hydrated. If you continue to intermittently work skin cycling into your routine, she’s found that it can even have an impact on reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, and lessening the occurrence of breakouts. Dr. Bowe says it works really well for sensitive skin too, though we’d be conservative about the retinoid night depending on what you skin can tolerate.  

Takeaways 

Here are a few key things to remember: 

• Don’t overuse skin care products; less is often more

• Your skin will respond in its own unique way to skin cycling — or any skin care routine, for that matter — so don’t compare, and don’t be afraid to adjust the process to suit your needs

• Sometimes, you’ve got to rock the boat to bring about positive change

• Have fun with it — we’re sure the results will be worth it

MANAGING MENOPAUSE

As if menopause doesn’t come with enough unwelcome changes — from hot flashes to vaginal dryness — many women also find themselves having to deal with the visibly embarrassing effects of hyperhidrosis. Researchers suspect that hormonal fluctuations during menopause may cause the condition to take hold, as many women complain that hot flashes bring on their hyperhidrosis. 

So what to do when you feel trapped between the two extremes of hot flashes and excessive sweating? We’ve got you covered…

1. Go for the Botox

Thanks to its overuse as a cosmetic treatment, Botox has garnered a bit of a negative reputation, but it is actually a useful, safe, and effective medical tool. It is also affordable and generally requires little to no downtime — and when it comes to hyperhidrosis, it can be a lifesaver. 

Prior to Botox, patients could only get long-term relief via a type of surgery called a sympathectomy, in which the nerves that control sweating are removed — quite a drastic measure. Simply injecting Botox into the areas that produce most hyperhidrosis symptoms can offer as much as a 90% reduction in sweating, simply by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses to the sweat glands. That’s life changing! 

In terms of what to expect, we do the treatments in our office, with no patient downtime. After taking your medical history, finding out about any medication you are on, and determining whether you are a good candidate for the procedure, we inject the areas you’re having the most difficulty with when it comes to excessive sweating — generally, the armpits, palms, soles of the feet, and in some cases, the forehead, scalp or groin. The process only takes a few minutes and you can use a numbing agent on the area prior to receiving the injection, though most people find it painless or report only mild discomfort. Some patients do experience slight swelling or redness at the injection site, but this is temporary and usually dissipates quickly. 

2. Get to the CO2RE

Our CO2RE laser comes with an amazing extension — the CO2RE Intima — which is single-handedly transforming women’s vaginal wellness, improving debilitating conditions like incontinence, dryness, postpartum issues and changes related to menopause. 

\With its full fractional resurfacing, this super-laser treats multiple skin layers, enhancing firmness and encouraging the production of collagen in simple, 10-minute treatments. While carbon dioxide (CO2) technology has long been used in gynaecology, the CO2RE is customisable and minimally invasive, working wonders with vaginal dryness, soft and scar tissue resurfacing, and being used diagnostically for certain pre-cancerous cervical abnormalities. 

There is also little to no downtime involved in these treatments, which means menopausal women no longer have to suffer through painful or uncomfortable intercourse as a result of vaginal dryness. This gentle laser treatment rejuvenates women’s intimate areas and restores control of their sexual health. The peace of mind that comes from no longer having to deal with issues such as itching, irritation and oversensitivity, incontinence, and increased instances of urinary tract infections, is nothing short of liberating.

To find out more if either of these treatments can improve your quality of life post-menopause, give us a call or come in for a consultation.