In your 20s, skin is generally free of the signs of aging. Start a medically supervised treatment plan now to protect your skin from the harmful effects of sun and environment.
Proper cleansing, moisturizing, and use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen daily will help ward off early wrinkles and enlarged pores. Mild peels and topical treatments may help control acne. Botox® injections can prevent lines and filler agents such as Restylane®, Radiesse®,and Juvéderm™ can be used to fill out smile lines and augment lips.
For unfavorable size and shape of body features, surgery may be in order. Breast augmentation, breast reduction and other aesthetic procedures can often be performed. Liposculpture and body contouring may also be an option.
Decreased firmness and skin elasticity are a natural part of aging. Introducing anti-oxidants into your skincare routine can help prevent sun damage that leads to lines and age spots. Also, alpha hydroxy acids in conjunction with retinoids and topical antioxidants can restore a youthful appearance to the skin.
Non-invasive laser procedures may improve fine lines, brown spots, and broken blood vessels. Botox® injections can diminish laugh lines and create a smoother forehead. Fillers like Restylane®, Radiesse®, and Juvéderm™ can be used to fill smile lines and augment lips.
Many women find that the rigors of motherhood have an undesired effect on their appearance and confidence. For this group, tummy tucks, breast lifts, and breast augmentation are popular procedures.
For those in their 40s, damage caused by sun exposure become apparent. More aggressive skincare can help combat the visible signs of aging. A combination of topical solutions like tretinoin (Retin-A), AHAs, and BHAs, along with microdermabrasion brings the best results.
There are many procedures available to smooth and tighten skin. Photofacials, chemical peels, and topical treatments are effective in decreasing the signs of aging as well as minimizing pore size. Fillers like Restylane®, Radiesse®, and Juvéderm™ can help restore volume in the mid-face and fill smile lines. For upper face and forehead lines, Botox® injections may be in order.
For those who choose the surgical route, face, brow, eye and neck lifts are very popular procedures.
By age fifty, regular skin examinations by a certified aesthetician or plastic surgeon are essential.
Maintaining natural moisture is more difficult. Peels and light therapy in combination with ultra-hydrating home care can help maintain the balance. Laser resurfacing combined with fillers to restore volume can provide an impressive rejuvenation.
In all likelihood, more extensive facial rejuvenation and resurfacing procedures will be necessary at this stage. Depending on your appearance goals, comprehensive surgery can reverse signs of aging in the face, brow, mid-face, and neck areas. A facelift or brow lift in conjunction with laser resurfacing can yield dramatic results. The payoff for more invasive surgery is a natural, more supple look that is virtually undetectable.
Scar Revision & Scar Removal
Scars, whether they’re caused by accident or by surgery, are unpredictable. The way a scar develops depends as much on how your body heals as it does on the original injury or on the surgeon’s skills.
Many variables can affect the severity of scarring, including the size and depth of the wound, the blood supply to the area, the thickness and colour of your skin, and the direction of the scar. How much the appearance of a scar bothers you is, of course, a personal matter.
While no scar can be removed completely, Dr. Dickie can often improve the appearance of a scar, making it less obvious through the injection or application of certain steroid medications or through surgical procedures known as scar revisions.
Type of Scar
Keloid scars are thick, puckered, itchy clusters of scar tissue that grow beyond the edges of the wound or incision. They are often red or darker in colour than the surrounding skin. Keloids occur when the body continues to produce the tough, fibrous protein known as collagen after a wound has healed.
Keloids are often treated by injecting a steroid medication directly into the scar tissue to reduce redness, itching, and burning. In some cases, this will also shrink the scar. If steroid treatment is inadequate, the scar tissue can be cut out and the wound closed with one or more layers of stitches.
Hypertrophic scars are often confused with keloids, since both tend to be thick, red, and raised. Hypertrophic scars, however, remain within the boundaries of the original incision or wound. They often improve on their own, though it may take a year or more, or require the help of steroid applications or injections.
Procedure
If a conservative approach doesn’t appear to be effective, hypertrophic scars can often be improved surgically. Dr. Dickie will remove excess scar tissue, and may reposition the incision so that it heals in a less visible pattern. This surgery may be done under local or general anaesthesia, depending on the scar’s location and what you and Dr. Dickie decide. You may receive steroid injections during surgery and at intervals for up to two years afterward to prevent the thick scar from reforming.
Consultation
Contact the Royal Centre of Plastic Surgery for more information on scar revision and other possible cosmetic enhancements that you might be considering and to schedule an in-depth consultation with Dr. Dickie. Let us help you achieve your desired look. We are committed to helping you look and feel great.