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"What the Sun Does to Your Skin"
By Dr. Nita Patel
Nita Patel, M.D., graduated from the UCLA School of Medicine and completed
her dermatology residency at the UCLA and VA West Los Angeles Medical
Centers. Dr Patel is a diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology and
has special expertise in lasers, skin cancer surgery and cosmetic procedures.
She serves as faculty and teaches her techniques to physicians at laser
courses. Dr. Patel is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and
the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. She is currently an Assistant
Clinical Professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and serves on staff at
Centinela and the Daniel Freeman hospitals.
The Sun emits two fundamental types of rays that can cause damage to the
skin: UVB and UVA radiation.
UVB rays of light are responsible for damaging the upper layers of skin, or the
epidermis. This is how you get a sunburn. UVB rays also cause changes to
the epidermis resulting in age spots, damaged cells and even skin cancer.
UVB rays can actually cause damage to the epidermis in as little as three
minutes, and is at its peak between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. This is the most
dangerous time to be exposed to sunlight.
Of course, we are all exposed to sunlight throughout our lives. Over a 20- to
30-year period, damage simply accumulates. And in some cases, damage
which may have occurred when you were young doesn't manifest itself in
physical symptoms until 20 or 30 years later. For example, soldiers exposed
to extreme sunlight during World War II were found to have a higher incidence
of skin cancer in the period of time 20 to 30 years after exposure.
Today, we know that use of sunscreen can help minimize this damage. This is
the kind of prevention we must all use, even if we are just casually going out
in the midday sun for a seemingly brief period of time. I strongly recommend
sunscreen to protect your skin on a daily basis.
The second type of sunlight important to note are UVA rays. These penetrate
deeper into the dermis. This is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis where
we find collagen, which serves as the foundation for skin. UVA rays that
stimulate pigment-making cells produce a suntan. This is why UVA rays are
used in tanning beds. Unfortunately, UVA rays are also harmful and can
cause damage we refer to as "photoaging." This results in the formation of
wrinkles due to damaged collagen in the dermis. Chronic photoaging can
occur as a result of excessive exposure to the sun, even at relatively early
ages, or over a longer period of lifetime exposure. All of us experience this
nature of damage after a period of 20 to 30 years, and thus wrinkles inevitably
appear as we age.
It's important to note that UVA damage done to collagen in the dermis cannot
be reversed. The collagen destroyed cannot be repaired. It can, however, be
replaced by new collagen if the body is stimulated to produce it.
This is how NLite™ system for wrinkle reduction through laser collagen
replenishment works to reduce wri nkles. It "insults" or mildly stimulates microblood vessels in the dermis, which triggers the body's reaction of natural
collagen replenishment. This is a procedure that involved little to no pain and
produces a natural healing reaction without damaging the skin. The key is the
manner in which the NLite™ laser only insults the blood vessels enough to
stimulate the healing process of collagen replenishment. No damage is
caused to the epidermis or dermis with NLite™.
So while you can't reverse the effects of damage from exposure to the sun,
we can cause the body to replenish damaged parts of the skin, such as
collagen in the dermis. This is how NLite™ can replace damaged collagen
with new collagen. That's how wrinkles can be reduced even after years of
exposure to the sun.
"Cornerstone of an Anti-Aging Regimen"
By Dr. Jeffrey Rapaport
Jeffrey Rapaport, M.D., is Medical Director of the Cosmetic Skin and Surgery
Center of Fort Lee, and Assistant Chief of Dermatology at Holy Name
Hospital. He is a Phi Beta Kappa recipient from Emory University and a
graduate of the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. After
internship at Emory, he completed his advanced training residency at Thomas
Jefferson University, where he served as chief dermatology resident. Dr.
Rapaport is certified by the American Board of Dermatology and is a Fellow of
the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Fellow of the American
Academy of Aesthetic and Restorative Surgery and the International Society
for Dermatologic Surgery. He is a recipient of the American Medical
Association Continuing Medical Education Award and the American Academy
of Dermatology Award. Dr. Rapaport is the holder of three U.S. Patents for
dermatologic products. He has been a leader in aesthetic surgery, and has
performed thousands of cosmetic procedures.
In the ongoing struggle against the aging process, keeping the skin in good
condition usually seems like a Sisyphean task. In addition to the natural toll
advancing years takes on the skin, sun exposure, pollution, smoking and
stress are constantly causing further damage. Until very recently, the uphill
battle to look better has been both expensive and time consuming, based on
corrective rather than preventive methods. Used as part of a skin care
regimen, NLite™ can effectively help people keep the "rock" of anti-aging at
the top of the hill.
NLite™ was created to accommodate increasingly busy people who want to
cosmetically enhance the skin, but do not have the liberty to take time off for
more invasive procedures, such as laser resurfacing or the traditional face lift.
Most importantly, it is effective. I have done many procedures, seen good
results and patients are satisfied.
NLite™ is an effective way to replenish damaged parts of the skin, such as
the collagen which contributes to the appearance of wrinkles.
"Beyond Photorejuvenation"
By Dr. Steven B. Snyder
Steven B. Snyder, M.D., is a Board Certified Dermatologist and Cosmetic
Laser Surgeon who has been working with surgical lasers since 1984. Having
performed over 15,000 laser treatments, Dr. Snyder pioneered the
development and use of a diverse range of laser procedures. Dr. Snyder is
the first physician in the country to own the new NLite™ system for wrinkle
reduction through laser collagen replenishment and, to date, has performed
over 1,000 laser treatments for wrinkle reduction with this new technology. He
has taught the safe use of lasers to hundreds of physicians in various
seminars, instructional courses and workshops. Dr. Snyder has been
recognized nationally and internationally for his work in cosmetic laser
surgery. He is in private practice as the Director of the Dermatology Laser
Center in Owings Mills, Maryland.
In the last decade, there have been a variety of new procedures and
techniques developed to reverse the damaging effects on the skin from
exposure to sunlight. Some of the visible signs of this sun damage include
facial wrinkles, pigmented lesions ("age spots") and dilated blood vessels.
This article will explore photorejuvenation procedures and NLite™ as two
ways to improve the look and texture of sun-damaged skin.
Photorejuvenation is a process that may possibly improve the appearance of
skin by using light. This process rejuvenates the surface of the skin in a nonablative manner. It works by delivering specific wavelengths of light to
stimulate new tissue growth, contraction of collagen fibers and / or damage of
unwanted collections of cells.
Those who desire an improvement in the look and texture of sun-damaged
skin may be candidates for photorejuvenation. People must be willing to
undergo a series of treatments to achieve optimal results. Photorejuvenation
techniques primarily target the color and texture of skin, and secondarily have
an effect on wrinkling or scarring. Only a small percentage of the light used in
photorejuvenation techniques has a stimulatory effect on collagen production.
NLite™ is a new FDA-cleared, wrinkle reduction therapy that goes beyond
photorejuvenation with less risks. Unlike photorejuvenation techniques that
primarily focus on the color and texture of skin, NLite™ targets specifically
only the collagen layers beneath the skin's surface to reduce wrinkles. It does
not change the color of the skin. Instead, the laser stimulates the production
of new, natural collagen growth in areas where collagen had been lost or
reduced due to aging, thereby decreasing wrinkles from below the skin's
surface. With the NLite™ treatment, there is no redness, no burning, no
stinging, little to no pain, no anesthetic required, and patients can immediately
return to their normal activities following treatment.
NLite™ is a noninvasive, safe method to improve the look and feel of the skin
without undergoing the pain and downtime associated with deep laser
resurfacing or deep chemical peels. With NLite™, there is no risk of color
change, textural change or scarring. There is a small percentage of cases
where such problems occur with photorejuvenation.
NLite™ is the appropriate therapy for people who specifically wish to reduce
the appearance of wrinkles. For patients whose primary concern is facial
discolorations and who are willing to undergo a series of five to six treatment
sessions, photorejuvenation is the appropriate therapy.