Skin medications and treatments come and go with the wind. The latest, greatest breakthrough to skin treatment is often a humorous memory a few years later. The simple fact is skin care is a complicated matter with many different aspects involved. Most topical over the counter treatments are primarily geared to covering up skin issues, not treating them. Yes, they claim to treat the underlying problem, but you usually will see a note in small letters indicating the FDA has not tested or approved the claim. Put in simple terms, the claims being made are a bit overoptimistic.
If you wish to improve the health and appearance of your skin, there are options available. Traditional courses of treatment include Retin-A, the wonder skin care drug and various other creams and acids. There are, however, a few new technologies that are being used in the treatment of skin issues that are proving to be revolutionary.
IPL is a new treatment that is producing tremendous results. IPL stands for intense pulse light and similar to a laser treatment. The treatment is undertaken by exposing the skin to multiple wavelengths of intense light. This stimulates the underlying dermis material of the skin to produce new cells through slight heating. The physical improvements include reduction of age spots, spider veins, pigment variations and reduction of pores. The treatment can also be used to reduce unwanted hair. IPL is not a one time treatment. It takes multiple sessions to obtain the desired effect. While this may be considered a negative, it is important to note that you are able to return to work, etc., immediately after the treatments, which minimizes any interruption in your life.
Thermage skin treatments are another new technology that is getting a lot of publicity. At first, it was believed thermage was the big breakthrough in skin care. The technology takes the novel approach of stimulating the dermis while leaving the outer layer of epidermis intact. In so doing, the body is believed to shed the damaged outer skin while replacing it with healthier, new skin cells. The treatment actually works, but one problem has arisen. Patients report that the improvements only last three to four months. At the end of the day, thermage skin treatment is just another temporary treatment, not the end all it was supposed to be. Still, three months is better than nothing.
The medical technology field is hyperactive. New technologies are produced regularly. Many of them offer the hope of total medical solutions, but hope does not always translate to fact. In this case, IPL therapy seems a much better long-term option than thermage skin care.
