Health dept
Dr. Glenn DeBias, founder and medical director of The Institute for Laser and Aesthetic Medicine says, “Our society can be very judgmental. We praise a youthful look.” And no doubt about it, people with an aged appearance seem to be easier to overlook. A reversal of traditional values, the modern and post modern world values youth, and people whose faces are prematurely aged often are left behind in the scramble to get the job, the promotion and social respect that a youthful appearance commands.
So why does our skin look older than we believe it should? Dr. DeBias credits what he calls accelerators for this unhappy phenomenon. Accelerators include genetics; people with fairer skin show the signs of aging faster. Diets that lack the proper nutrients, smoking and too much sun can also accelerate the appearance of age. The skin gets thinner, the pigmentation is irregular and with decreased elasticity, the skin loosens and wrinkles appear.
At one time surgical procedures were the only way to change this downward spiral. But there were drawbacks. The facelift was the recommended way to get a younger appearance. Dr. DeBias says, "Basically, the physician had to cut and pull the skin to tighten the face, but the reality was that the face changed while the body continued to age. Long term, there was a disconnect in the result.” The younger appearance sought, often ended up looking unnatural, sometimes even strange. Once the skin was pulled and cut, it couldn’t be redone if too much skin was removed. Besides that there was always the possibility of infection and the healing process was painful and took a long time.
People were looking for something better and less invasive than what plastic surgery offered. Hence, the development of aesthetic medicine. Aesthetic medicine is a broad term that encompasses all the strategies to help a patient develop their best natural look and maintain it,” Dr. DeBias says. And this the route he took, beginning in the late 1990s when many of these techniques were being developed.
A new tool that promised a minimally invasive approach to skin rejuvenation found its way into aesthetic medicine. The CO2 laser, already used in surgery for its accuracy and lack of leaving too much scar tissue, was enlisted by plastic surgeons to treat aging skin.
The concept was simple. If the beam from a laser were directed to the deeper layer of skin it could heat up water and that would cause the body to go into a repair mode creating more collagen and causing the outer layer of skin to shed.
There were some problems with the practical application of this new procedure. Doctors were too aggressive with this treatment causing long healing periods and complications such as, infection, thin skin and white lines. In 2004 Dr. DeBias changed all this and revolutionized the use of the laser with the development of the Active FX in 2004 or fractional CO2 laser skin resurfacing protocol as it is technically called.
This became and still is the gold standard of minimally invasive skin rejuvenation treatment. As explained on The Institute for Laser and Aesthetic Medicine’s website (www.ilamed.com), it is “a 7-10-minute procedure performed by Dr. DeBias utilizing a topical anesthetic and air-cooling device. It is well tolerated with 3 and a ½ days of transformation and recovery. The most dramatic results involve the 3 T’s – Texture, Tone, and Tightness of the facial and neck skin.”
The results of treatment are long term and can persist for many years. Most of the effects become visible right away but since new collagen formation can build up gradually, people look even better 3-5 months after the procedure.
Although the Active FX treatment has some competitors, it is the still the number one in world for skin texture, tone and tightness. “I have done 19,000 procedures, which is more than anyone in the world.” Dr. Glenn DeBias is considered the world’s foremost expert in the use of this procedure for rejuvenation and maintenance.
Aesthetic medicine compared with traditional cosmetic surgery uses non-invasive techniques that create a natural appearance of rejuvenated skin. Men are increasingly turning to physicians for skin treatments and now, according to Dr. DeBias, the ratio is something like 80 per cent women to 20 percent men. This male number continues to rise and men who undergo procedures benefit from their new youthful appearance in the same ways women do. They benefit economically, socially and have increased self-confidence.
Other minimally invasive procedures that are available at The Institute of Laser and Aesthetic Medicine include cosmetic injectables such as Botox and Restylane, which are quick fixes that can be used in conjunction with other treatments.
The Institute also has several treatments for removal of fatty tissue. One, SculptSure “is the world’s first FDA-cleared laser treatment for non-invasive reduction of fat of the flanks and abdomen. In one comfortable 25-minute treatment period, this gentle laser treatment not only reduces fat cells, but encourages the stimulation of collagen resulting in overall skin tightening of the area treated.” Smartlipo MPX™ and Vaser® Lipo & MicroAire® are also available.
Another treatment that offers many possibilities is the Venus Freeze, which uses radio frequency to stimulate the generation of collagen. This skin tightening procedure is pain free, and it helps in wrinkle reduction and skin tightening for the face, neck, and other body regions.
The bottom line is that people can do something about their appearance without having radical surgery. These procedures are affordable for everyone and because healing is quick, can be done in the normal course of life. Scheduling an appointment with The Institute of or Laser and Aesthetic Medicine is the first step. Once there the best options from a large assortment of treatments can be discussed.
The Institute of or Laser and Aesthetic Medicine is located at 10 Hyde Park, Doylestown, PA 18902; 215-230-1804 and 1030 Continental Drive, 3rd Floor, King of Prussia, PA 19406; 610-535-6868. To find out more about aesthetic medicine and procedures offered by The Institute of Laser and Aesthetic Medicine, visit www.ilamed.com.
Margo Ragan is a freelance writer and lecturer at Holy Family College who lives in New Hope, PA.