Sun Damaged Skin: Part 2

Tackle Fine Lines, Wrinkles & Thread Veins

For anybody who missed Part 1 of the September focus on Sun-damaged Skin, we are devoting our current blog posts to tackling the 4 big effects of sun damage, namely Dehydrated Skin, Pigmentation (sun/age spots), Thread Veins and Fine Lines & Wrinkles. If the jury’s still out on whether to use an SPF throughout the year, check out our facebook post https://www.facebook.com/theottoclinic/ of the man who had been a truck driver for 28 years – the side of his face which was exposed to UV rays through the window clearly shows the invasive effects of prolonged sun exposure on unprotected skin.

In our last blogpost “Summer Skin Rescue: how to rejuvenate sun-damaged skin", we discussed how skin aging is caused by the sun and how to deal with dehydration and pigmentation, two very common problems. This post exclusively tackles the two other major effects of sun on skin namely Thread Veins and Fine Lines & Wrinkles.

Thread Veined Skin Rescue Guidelines:

So, what are thread veins? Thread veins are also known as spider veins or broken capillaries. The proper medical term is “Telangiectasia”: they are small, twisted blood vessels which are visible on the skin’s surface and can be red, purple, or blue. They usually form on the face and legs which are most exposed to the elements. Thread veins may be influenced by genes, hormones and lifestyle choices (e.g. smoking, over-weight, inactive, sedentary lifestyle).

It should be noted that thread veins on the legs can often be symptomatic of underlying varicose veins which can go on to cause problems at a later time. If you want to tackle thread veins on your legs, the first sensible step is therefore to get the underlying causes investigated before considering any treatments.

So we will content ourselves to dealing only with facial thread veins in this post. Over the last 12 years, we have devised a very effective solution which combines in-clinic treatments with our Beaute Pacifique product range. Each treatment protocol will vary slightly depending on the patient’s skin but our general approach is as follows:

Step 1: initial consultation with patient to assess the damage and put together a patient-specific action plan

Step 2: Our treatment recommendations will usually include laser on the affected area – again the number of treatments will depend on the individual’s skin condition. For thread veins, we normally use PPx Therapy which is a very gentle laser that uses a combination of pneumatic energy and broadband light to painlessly destroy the veins. We have found that PPx is also extremely effective when used on other skin problems – we have had particular success with Acne, Rosacea and facial redness, and Age Spots.

Step 3: Patient will be advised on general skincare and beauty routine including diet going forward to maintain vein-free skin.

Step 4: We advise the use of a Beaute Pacifique* rescue pack featuring Cleansing milk for dry skin, Enriched toner for dry skin, Clinical 3 Super Booster & Creme Paradoxe Anti-Ageing day cream.

The key takeaway from any discussion on facial thread veins is that they can come back easily so it is imperative to follow your therapists’ recommendations which will include advice on lifestyle and skincare. But, as always, one of the best habits you can acquire is the application of SPF every day!!

Fine Lines & Wrinkled Skin Rescue Guidelines:

Now when it comes to Fine Lines and Wrinkles, there are many treatments to reduce them such as the use of Botox and fillers however, in our opinion, PRP, which is the signature treatment of The Otto Clinic, is the best non-invasive treatment in the market today. Much research has been carried out on the effectiveness of PRP proving what an amazing treatment it is. If any further proof were required, we only need consider the range of its applications in medicine: “PRP (known as Platelet Rich Plasma) application, is becoming a more widely practiced standard in sports medicine, orthopaedics, traumatology, general surgery, dentistry, veterinary and cosmetology (Hall et al., 2009; Virchenko and Aspenberg, 2006). The concept of using PRP derived from the patient’s own blood to improve tissue function by rebuilding its morphology and improving its metabolism sets itself apart from conventional means of interaction with tissue and together with tissue engineering, sets a new course for the development of medicine (Creaney et al., 2011)” (Source:NCBI, Journal of Human Kinetics).

Another key influencing factor to be aware of when tackling Fine Lines & Wrinkles is that night-time is the most important time of the day for your skin – this is when it repairs and renews itself so the evening skincare routine is crucial to maintaining young-looking skin. We would therefore recommend the following:

Step 1: Always double cleanse at night! Because the first cleanse removes the built up dirt and debris on the skin’s surface while the second cleanse ensures a deeper clean, getting right to the heart of the pores so that your anti-aging creams can do their best job overnight!

Step 2: Use a fragrance-free/alcohol-free toner such as Skinceuticals Equalising Toner

Step 3: Follow this with a rich, nourishing night cream suited to your skin type. Here for example, you could use Skinceuticals Resveratrol B E (specially formulated to improve firmness and elasticity) and Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 which is an anti-aging corrective moisturiser that nourishes and rehydrates skin.

Step 4: Lots of sleep! For more information on the powerful benefits of sleep, check out our blog post "5 Great Reasons to Get Your Beauty Sleep" .

*(Beaute Pacifique is one of the leading skincare brands in the market today which specialises in skin conditions such as acne and rosacea as well as ageing skin. Beaute Pacifique’s mission is to create products that do not just improve the surface appearance of the skin but actually improve the biological function of the deeper levels of the skin using active ingredients).