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Variety of tools available to rejuvenate aging eye area
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WAILEA, Hawaii – Choosing the proper tool to rejuvenate aging skin depends on the cause, according to a speaker.
Tamara R.
Fountain
“Not all wrinkles are created equal,” Tamara R. Fountain, MD, said at the Hawaiian Eye 2015 meeting.
Some wrinkles and lines are caused by gravitational pull and loss of volume, that is, descent and deflation, she said. Treatment options are to use fillers and techniques to lift and inflate these areas, for example with brow and face lifts.
Muscle actions cause forehead rhytids as well as glabellar folds and crow’s feet lines around the eyes.
“Our tools here are to immobilize those muscles by temporary paralysis by using any of a variety of injectable products,” Fountain said.
Skin damage around the eyes from sun or smoking may be managed by exfoliation of top layers of skin.
“We can take off the top layer in a variety of fashions that doesn’t expose the patient to any carcinogens but also rejuvenates the skin,” she said.
As one ages, there is thinning, degeneration, disorganization and destruction of skin, regardless of the dermatological component. With chemical exfoliation, penetration of the agent causes temporary cell necrosis and inflammation, to which the body responds by repairing itself, thus rejuvenating the skin’s appearance, she said.
“I would caution first-time peelers … to keep your peels to people with lighter skin tones,” Fountain said.
Furthermore, for those just starting to offer chemical peels, “I would recommend that you stay with the superficial and maybe medium depth peels,” Fountain said. “I personally like to use 20% to 30% [trichloroacetic acid], which is readily available.”
Fountain said this kind of peeling is an easy, economical approach with minimal equipment needed. –
Disclosure: Fountain reports no relevant financial disclosures.