Facial Skin Therapy Methods

• Microdermabrasion and chemical peels are the two most common and widely used anti aging skin care treatment methods available
• Thermage is a new facial therapy option that heats up collagen fibers beneath the skin to create a skin tightening effect
• Another new facial therapy and anti wrinkle skin care treatment now available is known as photodynamic therapy. This procedure has been commonly used in the past to treat skin cancer

The aging problem is not kind to all of us. As a result, we sometimes wish there was someway we could turn by the clock and at least make our facial skin look younger. After all, you don’t want people to guess your age (or an ever older age) when they first meet you. For this and other skin care problems, men and women seek out some type of facial skin therapy. But which is the best? Below we’ll look at a few of the older methods and some of the newer ones hitting the spas and cosmetic surgery offices around the country.

The Old Reliable Facial Skin Therapy Options

Some of the most common facial skin therapy choices include microdermabrasion and chemical peels. Both of these methods have been used for years. They also work in similar ways. Microdermabrasion treatments use directed crystals to destroy the upper layer of your skin while chemical peels use a burning agent to remove that layer. Both make way for the growth of newer, fresher, younger skin. And both are capable of getting rid of many superficial problems, such as light wrinkles and acne. Although the costs can be a bit high for the average consumer, they are more affordable choices than most of the newer procedures now hitting the market.

New Facial Skin Therapy Options

One of those new methods is known as Thermage. Basically, a specialized instrument is used to heat the collagen below the upper layers of skin using capacitive radiofrequency while also keeping the surface cool with a separate spread. As a result, the collagen immediately tightens up causing the skin to become tighter as well. Although patients do feel the heat, this one type of treatment lasts only 20 minutes or less so most people feel the discomfort is worth the fast results. The price tag is steep at $1,000 to $5,000 but since the improvements from one treatment can continue for up to six months and can then last for years the investment may be worth it.

A second facial skin therapy you might want to consider is called photodynamic therapy. Until recently, this treatment which is referred to as PDT has been used primarily for cancer treatments because it allows physicians to target and destroy certain patches of tissue that may contain cancerous cells. Now dermatologists are using this method for wrinkle reduction and skin conditions treatment, including rosacea, psoriasis, oily skin, skin discoloration, and more.

With PDT, a photosensitive chemical is applied to the skin. That area then reacts to the light source by releasing oxygen molecules which enter the skin and damage the cells so they need to be replaced with non-problematic ones. After the treatment, the skin continues to heal and to improve in appearance. Plus, the method results in less risk of scarring than more invasive techniques and even most other types of cosmetic procedures.

Of course these are only a couple of your options. You might also be interested in photofacials, plasma skin regeneration, or acne blue light therapy. As always, talk over all of these options with your physician or dermatologist to determine which would be best for your skin needs.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.