We all know what aging looks like—sagging skin, wrinkles, discolorations. But time affects each of us differently. Aging is not a unified force. So why do some people look older than they are while others look younger? How we grow older, as it turns out, is caused by many factors—some within our control and others beyond it.
Environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and genetics can all contribute to premature aging. But the most common cause may be the most preventable: photoaging. Thankfully, numerous aesthetic solutions exist to reverse common imperfections. What one form of light causes, other forms of light can repair.
So, what is photoaging? What forms of skin damage does it cause and how can they be treated?
The Carniol Plastic Surgery Guide to Photoaging – Symptoms & Treatments
At Carniol Plastic Surgery in Summit, NJ, we’re deeply familiar with the signs and symptoms of premature aging. Over the years, we’ve diversified our treatment offerings to give our patients complete, skin rejuvenation freedom.
Here’s what we’ve learned about photoaging in our years of aesthetic service.
What is Photoaging?
Human skin has been designed by nature to absorb and react to light. Different wavelengths have different effects. A healthy amount of sunlight is necessary for the production of vitamin D—a vital nutrient responsible for bone health and combating inflammation. But too much of a good thing can have serious consequences.
Ultraviolet (UV) light can cause skin damage at the cellular level, leading to such serious ailments as melanoma or cosmetic concerns like accelerated aging. Take this famous photo of a lifelong trucker, for example. After decades of driving on the left-hand side of the cab, close to the truck window, the left side of his face has aged noticeably when compared to the right.
What are the symptoms of photoaging?
As you may remember from middle-grade science class, light is energy and energy is heat. With a power source like the sun, UV light can quickly and comprehensively damage your skin. As such, the symptoms are wide-ranging:
- Blemishes (hyperpigmentation, freckles, liver spots, age spots)
- Deep fine lines & wrinkles
- Sagging skin
- Uneven skin texture
- Mottled complexions
- Melasma
- Redness
Treatments for Photoaging
At Carniol Plastic Surgery in Summit, NJ, we leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of perfect skin for our clients. To fully treat your photoaging symptoms, we may recommend a treatment or combine treatments for maximum effect. Here are just a few of the top photoaging treatments we offer.
Pico Laser for Dark Spots & Brown Spots
UV light is powerful, but so are picosecond (one trillionth of a second) bursts of concentrated laser energy. Pico laser treatments work because darker colors absorb light and heat at higher rates than lighter colors. This difference makes targeting your blemishes and destroying them for good possible.
The pico laser targets spots of hyperpigmentation (age spots, liver spots, unwanted freckles). These blemishes absorb light and heat to such a degree that the discoloration scatters permanently before it’s processed from the body by completely natural systems.
With no downtime and permanent results, pico laser treatments for hyperpigmentation are a primary weapon in the fight against photoaging.
Facial Rejuvenation
Thanks to modern aesthetic technology, there’s no shortage of non-surgical facelift alternatives. Facial rejuvenation—as the field is called—can combat numerous symptoms of photoaging in a single sitting for a renewed, long-lasting look.
At Carniol Plastic Surgery, we combine fractional laser lifts, dermal fillers, microneedling, and pico laser treatments to create new facial rejuvenation techniques. These new options can address sagging skin, uneven texture, hyperpigmentation, and even jowls and double chins all at once. Best of all, they address the finest of fine lines and the deepest of deep wrinkles.
Try our mini facelifts and non-surgical facelifts for yourself and enjoy the way you look with half a decade (or more) removed from your face.
Microneedling
When you were younger, cuts and bruises disappeared overnight. As children and even young adults, our bodies produced abundant collagen—a naturally occurring structural protein that assists in skin tightness, tone, and overall health. But as we age, our bodies divert resources and our collagen production slows. Naturally, visible wounds take longer to heal, but so do small instances of sun damage and photoaging.
To reverse sagging skin, flatten out wrinkles, and smooth your complexion, microneedling hacks your skin’s healing factors. A needle-lined pen creates incredibly fine channels in the skin (microchannels). Your skin registers these minor pricks as “damage,” and floods the area with collagen to repair them. But the microchannels are so small and the production of collagen so boosted that other, nearby forms of skin damage are treated as well, reversing years of acne scarring, blemishes, sagging, redness, and uneven textures.
RF Microneedling
RF microneedling combines the collagen induction techniques of its namesake with powerful, radiofrequency (RF) energy to create drastic results. After the microneedling procedure has been performed, RF energy is sent down into the lowest layers of skin. Here, that energy is absorbed as heat, warming the hypodermis (lowest skin layer) and encouraging the production of even more collagen.
By supercharging collagen production, RF microneedling supports near-total facial rejuvenation, turning back the clock on nearly every symptom of photoaging in a quick and comfortable treatment. Best of all, results can last for years.
Microneedling + PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Creepy though the thought may be, your blood can be used to heal you. Recent studies have demonstrated a link between blood injections and rejuvenation in mice. Thankfully, a similar principle allows us to maximize healing factors in your bloodstream for cellular regeneration wherever you need it.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains dozens of bioactive peptides—complex molecules that assist with healing, inflammation, and even immunity. To start, we take a sample of your blood and spin it in a centrifuge. This separates the PRP from regular blood. Next, we condense this PRP into a healing serum. Finally, we inject this serum into your facial tissues with a microneedling treatment, compounding the ultimate results fivefold.
These so-called “Vampire Facials” may seem eerie, but their results are anything but!
Reverse Photoaging with Leading-Edge Treatments at Carniol Plastic Surgery in Summit, NJ
Unlike genetics and certain environmental factors, you can prevent many of the common signs of photoaging by limiting your sun exposure and wearing a sunscreen rated SPF 30 or higher. That said, avoiding the sun is harder on a daily basis than it may seem. When the effects of photoaging stack up to make you look older than you feel, trust Carniol Plastic Surgery to pair you with the perfect treatment.
To learn more about our photoaging treatments, or to schedule your appointment today, give us a call at (908) 598-1400 or contact us online! You simply won’t believe your before and after!
Reverse Sun Damage & Look Your Best at Carniol Plastic Surgery Today!
Time, the sun, and genetics are all powerful forces that contribute to premature aging. But at Carniol Plastic Surgery in Summit, NJ, we offer curated facial rejuvenation services to turn back the clock on decades of sun damage. To learn more about our leading-edge microneedling, pico laser, and PRP services, call us today at (908) 598-1400 or contact us online! You don’t have to put up with worsening fine lines and wrinkles, sagging skin, or discoloration!