prejuvenate…so you don’t need rejuvenate.

Written By Samantha Davidson

For longer than anyone can remember people (and women in particular) have been employing rejuvenation techniques. Actresses used to ‘tape’ their temples underneath their wigs to get forehead lift, women slept with their face slathered in cold cream and their hands wrapped in paraffin to soften their skin and prevent wrinkling, ‘icing’ was a technique used to decrease puffiness in the face, eyes and jowls.  Worldwide  ‘pigmentation’ has traditionally been associated with working class due to working in the fields (of course an outdoor lifestyle is also great for your cardiovascular health - but I’m outlining our long standing societal trends)

My point is anti-aging and rejuvenation is not a new concept….what is new, is the concept of prejuvenation

A more preventative but also an attentive approach that involves appropriate skin care and treatments to maintain and stimulate collagen and retain skin elasticity, hydration and luminosity

Everyone has a story about a blistering burn in their childhood or days spent without hat, shirt or sun cream on. Well we can’t change the past and it’s important to grow up with a healthy balance of outdoor activities, but what we can change is how our younger generation looks after their skin and we can jump in and maintain our ‘skin fitness’ before we need to restore It.

Skin care

The first step goes without saying

Suncream!!

In Australia we are quite literally bathed in Sunlight - and it is harsh. Even if you are in an office job, you get sun in the car, at the shops on the weekend. Anywhere really.

SPF/Suncream decreases and prevents DNA damage caused by UVA, UVB and visible Light. That DNA damage is what leads to collagen breakdown, thinning of the skin and activation of melanocytes. In real time this means dry, dull skin,  pigmentation, wrinkles, sunspots and even skin cancers

So if I haven't been clear enough...wear your sun cream

Anti-oxidants

When applied to your skin these prevent damage from pollution, UV, radiation and general substances in the atmosphere, by essential ‘mopping up’ and neutralising harmful substances in the environment

Here’s a slightly more detailed explanation for the skin nerds out there…

Antioxidants are chemicals  that interact with and neutralize free radicals, thus preventing them from causing damage…but what’s a free radical

Free radicals are molecules that are missing an electron from their outer shell. That makes them unstable, so they go and steal an electron from the molecules in your skin cells, or from your blood cells or from wherever they can. That causes damage to surrounding cells because they are now deficient an electron. This destabilises the surrounding cells....long term this causes DNA damage, leading to signs of ageing and even skin cancer

Vitamin C is the best known and studied anti-oxidant in skin care , but there are a host of others that you might see popping up. Here are a few that are used regularly in cosmeceuticals. Apply your anti-oxidants in the morning, to minimise the harm caused by those free-radicals in the atmosphere

  • Reservatrol (the reason a little red wine is good for you- found in abundance in the grapes)

  • Ferulic acid

  • Vitamin E

  • Niacinamide

  • Green tea

  • Silymarin

  • Glutathione

Peptides

Peptides are the building blocks of all skin cells -  keratinocytes, collagen and elastin. By including these in your skin care you signal to the cells to generate more of the same. Providing your skin with peptides topically encourages your skin to continue to renew without depleting natural stores

Hydration

Having a humectant in you skin care draws and holds moisture in. This prevents a dry dehydrated appearance, making your skin look more subtle and less dry. It also decreases darkness around the eyes and the appearance of pores

One of the most effective humectants is hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring molecule in our skin, and when added to your skin care will help retain water

Retinoid/Retinol/Vitamin A

Most people are familiar with retinol as repairing and resurfacing skin, which it certainly can do. However, using this as an active ingredient early on can also help encourage ongoing production of plump, hydrated skin and help to continually repair damage before it becomes a problem

When the aim of your skin care routine is prejuvenation, retinol can be incorporated but it doesn’t necessarily need to be used every day.

Skin treatments

Here our main aim is collagen induction to maintain and prevent the inevitable loss that occurs with ageing, in addition to improving hydration, reducing pore size and allowing your skin to maintain a youthful glow

Notice - ‘maintaining’ is the key in all of these treatments, which means treatments are designed to give you radiance and glow without downtime. Think less caked makeup up, more glazed donut!!

Depending on your skin type the following  treatments will set you up for your best skin. All with minimal down time, because prejuvenation doesn't need an intense treatment regime

BBL Forever Young HERO

  • this is BroadBand Light delivered the skin to both remove pigmentation and minimise redness, but also functionally rejuvenates aged skin cells

  • When delivered regularly BBL will help to slow down the ageing process and repair any damage that has already been done

Moxi

  • a gently low down time laser that can be performed all year round and suits nearly all skin type. It is for patients aiming to repair those very early signs of sun damage and help to minimise cumulative solar damage in the future

  • Fractionated 1927 laser

Dermaclear

  • deep cleanse, exfoliation, hydration

  • regular treatments keep your skin nourished and decongested

Dermapen and laser genesis

  • collagen stimulation, pore reduction, improved skin texture, minimal pain and with regular treatments

Weekly LED healite

  • gentle, healing, relaxing

  • improves the rate of healing and


Samantha Davidson
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