Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin

January 19, 2015

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Pimples and Wrinkles

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin

Are you sure that the color of your skin is the right one? Do you occasionally or seasonally have skin colour variation? There will be no beauty if the skin color keeps changing. This is one of the biggest concerns to people globally who are very mindful of the beauty of their skin. This concern has triggered the home of skin care solution (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury) to come up with this informative article. In this write up, we will tell you what pigmentation is and also make known to you the effects of pigmentation disorders to the skin. While appreciating that skin pigmentation disorders affect the color of your skin, your skin gets its color from a pigment called melanin. Therefore pigmentation simply means that the coloring effect. Effects of pigmentation disorders to the skin are real and unhealthy. As I had said your skin gets its color from a pigment called melanin made from special cells in the skin. When these cells are damaged or becomes unhealthy, it affects melanin production. It is important to note that some pigmentation disorders will affect just patches of skin while others will affect your whole body.

Therefore those who have darker skin produce more melanin compared to those with lighter skin. Besides that pregnancy, Addison’s disease, and sun exposure all can make your skin darker. In the meantime Vitiligo is a condition that causes patches of light skin. Albinism is a genetic condition affecting a person’s skin. A person with albinism may have no color, lighter than normal skin color, or patchy missing skin color. Infections, blisters and burns can also cause lighter skin. By the way skin pigmentation disorders and irregularities are very common today necessitating the need to adequately understand the effects of pigmentation disorder to the skin.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Hyperpigmentation Disorders

Hyperpigmentation problems are particularly prevalent and many are associated with aging. While the triggers may vary, hyperpigmentation occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) become more active than normal, which leads to the production and deposition of more pigment (melanin). Conversely, hypopigmentation occurs when melanocytes are destroyed. Let us now consider some of the most common pigmentation problems as we progress into the discussion.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Age spots-sun spots (solar lentigines)

These are those conditions which are associated with aging, sun damage and, to a lesser degree, other forms of skin damage. Occasionally they are given a misleading name called liver spots since they are unrelated to the liver and in no way reflect liver function. Age spots colors varies from light brown to black and are mostly located in areas exposed to the sun like the hands, face, and arms. Nonetheless it must be noted that it is not very clear how the sun damage triggers age spots even though UV radiation produces mutations, local inflammation and other changes that increase local proliferation of melanocytes and activate melanin-producing genes. In most cases, age spots are harmless but may be cosmetically frustrating.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Freckles

Freckles (ephelides) are small, pigmented spots containing more melanin than the surrounding skin.
Freckles are not caused by aging or sun damage.
As opposed to age spots, freckles tend to fade with age.
Sun exposure, while not a cause of freckles, typically makes freckles much more prominent.
Freckles are found mainly in fair skinned people and tend to run in families.
The cause of freckles appears to be largely genetic.
Freckles are not considered a skin disorder and are harmless and for this reason, some consider them a cosmetic nuisance.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Melasma and Chloasma

Melasma is a condition characterized by increased tan-like skin pigmentation naturally having irregular, patchy scattering on the skin surface.
Chloasma is a variant of melasma happening mainly in women and associated with increased levels of certain hormones.
Chloasma may be triggered by pregnancy, oral contraceptives and occasionally other hormonal imbalances.

While we are appreciating that hormonal change are the most common cause of melasma and chloasma there are other factors which also plays a role. For instance, a blend of sun damage and certain ingredients found in deodorants, toiletry and other personal care products may result in melasma seemingly due to local sensitization of melanocytes. And yet again in some cases, melasma resolves on its own if the underlying hormonal imbalance is removed like for example when hormonal contraceptives are replaced by a non-hormonal method or after childbirth. If the cause is non-hormonal, avoiding sun exposure and reducing or eliminating suspect skin or body care products may improve melasma. In persistent cases, various methods of skin lightening may be used.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Hypo-pigmentation disorders

Hypo-pigmentation is far less common that hyper-pigmentation. Hypo-pigmentation occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) are either destroyed or stunned into inactivity. This generally occurs either due to serious skin damage like in the case of a burn or ablative laser resurfacing or due to an autoimmune disease where the immune system erroneously attacks melanocytes like in the case of vitiligo.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Prevention of pigmentation disorders

Most hyper-pigmentation problems are either caused or exacerbated by sun exposure. Therefore taking all the necessary sun protection is very important for preventing hyper-pigmentation. Other steps to avoid skin damage should also help. Women with history of chloasma may be able to prevent recurrence by using non-hormonal birth control methods. However before you take that direction, it will be very important that you bring that to the notice of your physician and balanced against the merits and the demerits of the non-hormonal alternatives. Finally this topic of pigmentation is very wide and because of the several coloring effects that come with it due to various factors, it will be very important that you schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today to help you understand the health of your skin for a better and sustainable glowing and healthy skin.

Effects of Pigmentation disorders to the Skin – Pimples and Wrinkles

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin

January 19, 2015

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Acne and Skin aging solutions

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin

The health of our skin has consistently been under attack by many elements. When the skin is suffering from any kind of infection however small it may be, the whole body is suffers because it is the skin that offers the first protection to the body against all other environmental effects. Therefore in our endeavor to keep our skin healthy, we are going to look into certain element that affects our skin negatively. Take acne for example which is a skin condition that causes pimples on the face. The effect of acne also introduces to the skin the whiteheads, blackheads, and red, inflamed patches such as cysts. Although most people tend to associate acne with teenagers and preadolescent kids, the fact of the matter is that a significant amount of people experience acne well into adulthood. It is because of this fact that we want to discuss the ant-aging and acne skin care for healthy beautiful skin with a view of finding solutions. To help us into the discussion we will be relying on the over two decades of expertise from the professionals at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. You are therefore free to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury to understand more about the health of your skin today.

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Adult Acne

Whereas this condition is associated with the young people, it is also affecting the adults in equal measure. The origin of adult acne comes as a result of an overproduction of the natural oil found on the face commonly known as sebum. The moment sebum blends with debris like dead skin cells, the combination starts to clog pores and follicles creating an atmosphere for P. acnes bacteria rapid development. This is what then causes the mad dash for the nearest concealer stick whose common problem areas include:

Neck
Back and shoulders
Chin, t-zone, forehead and nose

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Treatment of Adult Acne

The good news is that there are a number of steps we can adopt to prevent and correct adult acne. Fundamentally we must ask ourselves that is, what is the anti -acne products going to be enough? For adults suffering with acne this may not be advisable. Mature people (adult) will more than just anti-acne products. Actually you need something which will rejuvenate your skin and give you a noticeably brighter, more beautiful complexion. The motivation would be something which will eliminate your acne and protect your skin which can only mean to be “anti-aging and acne skin care for healthy beautiful skin”. Using these products will necessitate that you get adequate information from the experts less you make gracious mistakes which can take you several steps backwards. A phone call to doctor Akoury will give you the solutions to all your concerns. Nonetheless with the right anti-aging skin care products, you can take control of your appearance and transform your dilapidating complexion into a more rejuvenated skin that is brighter, healthier and appealing than ever before.

Up to this point, the next concern should be which anti-aging acne skin care products you should go for? To respond to this, when you visit the home of experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, doctor Dalal Akoury will tell you that for minimizing the size of the pore to protecting your skin against sun damage, you will need anti-aging & acne skin care products which will leave you acne-free and noticeably younger looking delivering the following result:

That which will make you feel more confident and composed restoring your lost self-esteem
That which will make you feel more in control and less anxious about your skin
That which will make you feel reborn, every time you look in the mirror and see a younger, prettier reflection with each passing day

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Taking Acne head on

For you to take this problem head on, you must first appreciate that this (Acne) is a chronic inflammatory disease just as had been indicated above. Acne prone skin spends significant time in the inflamed state. Remember that inflammation is a well-known accelerator of aging. It generates free radicals, activates matrix metalloproteinases (enzymes that break down the skin’s structural components like collagen and elastin), and promotes excessive cell proliferation and many more, all of which contributes to skin aging. The solution to your acne, at least to the degree of markedly reducing the number of inflamed lesions, is arguably the best skin anti-aging step you could make apart from sun protection.

How you treat your acne may have a major impact on the aging of your skin. Therefore anti-aging and acne skin care for healthy beautiful skin as a general rule is that, any treatment that causes skin irritation or excessive skin dryness should be used cautiously. Like for instance, irritation alone promotes skin aging. Excessive dryness reduces the skin’s ability to heal itself. Certain acne treatments should be used with a particular caution as far as skin aging is concerned.

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Benzoyl peroxide

This is a strong oxidizer that kills bacteria by generating oxygen free radicals. It is one of the most effective topical acne treatments in the market today. It is highly effective in killing against P. acnes (acne-causing bacteria). Besides that it has an advantage over antibiotics because bacteria do not develop resistance to it. Unfortunately, oxygen free radicals generated by benzoyl peroxide are damaging not only to bacteria but to your skin as well. They cause irritation and dryness, damage skin cells and skin matrix, and otherwise accelerate the rate of skin aging. An occasional, short-term use of benozyl peroxide produces relatively small long-term skin damage. However when used for a very long period of time especially at high concentrations, it is likely to age your skin prematurely.

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Topical retinoids

Topical retinoids are one of the common prescription acne treatments. Possible side effects include:

Over the long run, chronic skin irritation may accelerate skin aging. Neglecting meticulous sun protection, when using retinoid is likely to accelerate skin aging as well. However, the situation with topical retinoids and skin aging may be more complicated. In fact, tretinoin (Retin A), which is widely used is one of the very few drugs approved by the FDA as an anti-wrinkle agent. The good news is that when used carefully, retinoids actually reduce many signs of skin aging and may even inhibit some of the mechanisms of skin aging. That is why it is one of the best for anti-aging and acne skin care for healthy beautiful skin.

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Exfoliation

Exfoliation with alpha or betahydroxy acids is one of the best components of acne treatment programs. Even though it’s effectiveness against acne and to what degree is still under investigation, nonetheless it has been established that it improves the penetration of other treatments and again, when done with salicylic acid, it reduces the formation of comedone. Moderate exfoliation, especially with alphahydroxy acids, may also have some skin rejuvenation benefits. It must also be noted that as you opt for this, you must remember that excessive exfoliation may lead to chronic irritation, skin dryness and sensitivity thereby contributing to the aging process.

Anti-Aging and Acne Skin Care for Healthy Beautiful Skin – Acne and Skin aging solutions

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin

January 17, 2015

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin – Various treatment Applications

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin

In the beauty industry one of the most sort product is that which will deliver desired treatment result. It becomes very frustrating if you have a problem and you can’t get a lasting and permanent solution to your problem. The problem is even compounded if the subject matter involved is your skin. This is so because your skin makes the first contact with the public and its beauty is very paramount. Having introduced the effects of acne to the skin in the previous article, we want to look at the possible acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant skin. Doctor Akoury will be taking us through the discussion so that we can establish the treatment of acne and be bearers of glowing and radiant skin we are all looking for.

The experts are alluding to the fact that there is no cure for acne. However, we have several treatments designed to bring this problem to manageable levels. Acne is caused by various factors with each factor deserving a specific treatment or several of these factors. Another reason for the wide variety of acne treatment is that due to the complexity of acne causes no acne treatment appears to work for everyone. Besides, most people eventually find an effective treatment or a combination of treatments to control their symptoms. The experts have actually proven that both prescription and over the counter (OTC) acne treatments are effective. Remember that even though the OTC are good careful attention should be taken to ensure proper verifications if they contain scientifically proven active ingredients in sufficient concentrations. However the best thing to do is to work hand in hand with the professionals like experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. At this facility, you will not only get the accuracy of the medication but you will also be handled with dignity, respect and absolute care.

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin – Exfoliation with AHA and BHA

Even though this may not be effective on its own, it must be noted that exfoliation is a good component of acne treatment programs if used alongside other treatments. The function of exfoliation like removal of dead, hardened outer skin cells, these functions enables it to improve the penetration and application of topical treatments. Whether exfoliation helps clear dead cells from deep inside the pores is debatable, but if it does, that would be helpful too. Common exfoliating agents used in acne include:

Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) and
Beta-hydroxy acids (BHA)

Overall, BHA, particularly salicylic acid is considered to be more useful because they also reduce sebum production.

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin – Topical Antibacterial

Since bacterial growth like P. acnes in pores is a factor in the developments of acne, topical bactericidal agents have been used as a treatment. Like for instance, the benzoyl peroxide is a strong oxidizer which kills bacteria by generating oxygen free radicals. The strong suite of benzoyl peroxide is that bacteria do not develop resistance to oxygen. Meaning that, if benzoyl peroxide works for you it is likely to continue working as long as you use it. The downside is that free radicals are damaging not only to bacteria but to your skin as well: they cause irritation, dryness, cell damage and accelerate the rate of skin aging. Unfortunately, for many people, benzoyl peroxide is only effective topical treatment. In such instances, it is prudent to find the lowest (as low as 2.5%) possible effective concentration.

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin – Topical antibiotics

Topical antibiotics have an important advantage over benzoyl peroxide in that they kill acne-causing bacteria in a more targeted way, causing minimal collateral damage to the skin. Antibiotics most commonly used for topical acne treatment include erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline. Topical antibiotics are about as effective as oral ones but with far fewer side effects. However, if acne is present over large areas of the body, oral antibiotics may be easier to use. Antibiotic treatment for acne may not be sustainable over the long term because bacterial resistance may develop to any and all of these drugs.

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin – Oral antibiotics

Oral antibiotics used to treat acne include erythromycin, tetracycline or their analogs like doxycycline or minocycline. It has been established that oral antibiotic effective like topical antibiotics even though their usage come with a variety of side effects like diarrhea, dysbacteriosis, colitis and others. The advantage of oral antibiotics over topical is the ease of use, especially when acne affects large areas of the body. Also, occasional cases unresponsive to topical antibiotics (particularly those with deep cystic acne) would respond to oral administration.

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin – Hormonal treatments

Androgens are a major factor in acne and reducing the levels or blocking their action would generally improve acne. However, such treatments are inappropriate in men due to sexual and other side effects. In women, some estrogen/progestin contraceptive combinations were shown to reduce acne.

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin – Topical retinoid

Retinoid are active metabolites of vitamin A and their analogs. They improve acne by reducing sebum production and altering the lifecycle of epithelial skin cells. Retinoid which are commonly used for acne include tretinoin (Retin-A), adapalene (Differin) and tazarotene (Tazorac). Treatment with topical retinoid often causes temporary increase in acne outbreaks during the first several weeks of treatment. Besides that they may also cause skin irritation, dryness and flaking. Also, retinoid cause sensitivity to UV light and should not be used without a thorough sun protection.

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin – Oral retinoid

Oral retinoid such as isotretinoin (Accutane), are among the most effective acne treatments. They work by reducing production of sebum, altering the lifecycle of epithelial skin cells and possibly modifying other acne-causing factors as well. Isotretinoin has been shown to be highly effective in severe acne and can either improve or clear over 80% of patients. A course of treatment usually takes 4-6 month and, just like topical retinoid, may cause an initial flare up. As opposed to virtually all other acne treatments, isotretinoin often leads to long-term remission of acne. In those who relapse, recurrences tend to be milder.

Despite high effectiveness and durability of improvements, oral retinoid are infrequently used and are the treatment of last resort. Common side effects include dry skin and nosebleeds due to dry mucosa. Less frequent side effects include liver damage, permanent skin texture changes, and elevated blood triglycerides. The drugs have been linked to cases of depression and psychosis and therefore should never be used in women who are or are likely to become pregnant due to the high risk of birth defects.

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin – Other treatments

A number of other treatments supported by limited scientific evidence are currently in use on a relatively small scale. More research is needed to confirm and better define their role in treating acne.

Topical azelaic acid
Topical tea tree oil
Topical Niacin amide
Topical Retinaldehyde
Heat therapy
Phototherapy
Photodynamic therapy
Oral Vitamin B5

Acne treatment solutions for a glowing radiant Skin – Various treatment Applications

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin

January 17, 2015

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin – Known signs and Symptoms

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin

Being the largest body organ and very exposed to the surrounding, the skin is under high risks of various attacks and infections. Acne is just one of the many and it is an inflammatory skin disease affecting the pilosebaceous units (skin structures consisting of a hair follicle and its associated sebaceous gland). In this article, we are going to introduce the overview of the effects of acne to the health of the skin and latter progress with the discussion into the pigmentation disorders and treatment. On completion you will be well informed of all the effects of acne to the health of the skin so that you can take precaution in good time. In the meantime, the most common inflammatory manifestations of acne are pimples. No one would want to down the face infested by pimples and yet pimples are real and they our great concern. To deal with is problem (acne) among other skin health conditions, doctor Dalal Akoury formed AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where focus is on transforming each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Her practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. This is what doctor Akoury wants to see happen in the lives of people concern of the good health of their skin.

Before we get into the symptoms, it is important to note that acne usually develops in puberty due to the flow of testosterone, which is a necessary (but not sufficient) causative factor in acne. Genetic predisposition is an important determinant of who develops acne and who doesn’t. In many people, acne disappears by early to mid-twenties. Others continue to experience it throughout adult life, even though adult acne tends to be milder. Acne is very common and this is what we want to reduce if not to eradicate. To help us start off, the knowledge of acne is very important, therefore the following are some of the signs and symptoms for acne

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin – Signs and Symptoms

Comedone /Microcomedone – Comedone is enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil and bacteria and it’s the first and smallest type of lesion. It is also called microcomendone since it is not visible by the naked eye.
Open comedone /blackhead – This is a plugged follicle that reaches the surface of the skin. Take note that even though dark in appearance, this doesn’t insinuate the presence of dirt. The dark color comes from chemically altered oils and bacteria.
Closed comedone/whitehead – Ordinarily, this is a clogged follicle which stays beneath the skin. Whiteheads usually appear on the skin as round, white bumps 1-2 mm wide.
Papules – These are inflamed lesions that appear as small, pink bumps on the skin. They do not contain any visible puss.
Pustules/pimples – Pustules or pimples are inflamed pus-filled lesions red at the base
Cysts and nodules – These are large, inflamed, pus-filled lesions that are lodged deep and can drain, causing pain and scarring.
Scars – As they heal, acne lesions, particularly cysts and nodules and, less frequently, pistules may cause scars of various shape and size.

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin – How acne lesions develop

To understand the effects of acne to the health of the skin better, it will be important that we know how acne lesions are formed. For instance, excessive secretion of oils from the sebaceous glands combines with naturally occurring dead skin cells to block the hair follicles. Sometimes, excessive or altered keratinization (hardening and death of epithelial cells) leads to abnormal shedding of the skin lining of the pores. Oil secretions build up beneath the blocked pore, forming a comedone, which is a perfect anaerobic environment for the growth of the skin bacterium Propionibacterium acnes. Bacterial growth triggers inflammatory response, producing an inflamed lesion, such as a pustule or a nodule. After an inflamed lesion heals, a scar may develop.

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin – Causes of acne

The formation of acne is a joint force of various factors in line with genetics, age and gender. Also applicable is the lifestyle factors like diet or trainings which are also significant though in minimal portions. Some known factors which contribute to the development of acne may include:

Hormonal levels – Certain hormones, particularly androgens, such as testosterone and dihydro-testosterone (DHT), promote acne. Of importance are not only absolute levels of these hormones but also the levels relative to other hormones, such as estrogens and progestin’s. Acne tends to sparkle up when levels of androgens grow either absolutely or relatively to other hormones. This is one of the main reasons why acne sparkle-ups are linked to puberty and menstrual cycles.
Excessive sebum production – Excess sebum from overactive sebaceous glands is an important factor in acne. Excess sebum is most often caused by increase in absolute or relative levels of androgenic hormones. Remember that sebum production may also be increased by stress and heat.
Accumulation of dead skin cells – Excessive shedding of dead skin cells can plug the pore, creating a nutrient-rich anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment conducive to overgrowth of acne-causing bacteria.
Bacteria – Bacteria are part of the normal micro flora residing in pores. Under normal circumstances, the micro flora is in balance with the environment of the pore and does not cause any problems. However, various factors can tip the balance and cause bacteria to grow excessively. This triggers inflammatory response leading the acne lesions.
Skin irritation – Skin irritation does not generally cause acne by itself, but may induce a flare-up or exacerbate existing lesions.
Drugs, pollutants – Certain drugs and environmental pollutants have been linked to acne with varying degree of certainty like anabolic steroids, lithium, and barbiturates. Also remember that exposure to high levels of chlorine compounds, such as chlorinated dioxins, can cause severe, long-lasting acne, known as Chloracne.

Finally now that we have introduced the effects of acne to the health of the skin, I want to request you to stay on the link because we are going to discuss in the next article the treatment of acne. This is very crucial and you don’t want to miss it. In the meantime if you have any skin related problem and you are wondering how to go about it, worry no more. A phone call to doctor Akoury is all you need to schedule for that very important appointment of solutions.

Effects of Acne to the health of the skin – Known signs and Symptoms

Low level laser (light) therapy for skin rejuvenation

January 16, 2015

Low level laser (light) therapy for skin rejuvenation – Stimulating, healing and skin restoration

Low level laser (light) therapy for skin rejuvenation

The business of having a more rejuvenated skin is never ending. Every single day new methods and technologies are being developed to ensure that all forms of premature aging are contained. Low level laser (light) therapy (LLLT) is one of the many treatments methods. It is a fast-growing technology used to treat a variety of health conditions that require stimulation of healing, relief of pain and inflammation, and restoration of function. It is very interesting to note that even though the skin is naturally exposed to light more than any other organ, it still responds well to red and near-infrared wavelengths. The photons are absorbed by mitochondrial chromospheres in skin cells. Consequently, electron transport, adenosine triphosphate nitric oxide release, blood flow, reactive oxygen species increase, and diverse signaling pathways are activated. Stem cells can be activated, allowing increased tissue repair and healing. In dermatology, Low level laser (light) therapy has beneficial effects on;

Wrinkles
Acne scars
Hypertrophic scars and
Healing of burns

These benefits may not be very easy to understand how the come and that is why seeking the professional guidance will be very essential. Doctor Akoury a medical expert of more than two decades of experience founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where she has been offering skin care solutions to many people globally. Upon scheduling for an appointment with her she will tell you how Low level laser (light) therapy can be helpful in reducing UV damage both as a treatment and as a prophylactic measure. Like for instance in pigmentary disorders such as vitiligo, Low level laser (light) therapy can increase pigmentation by stimulating melanocyte proliferation and reduce depigmentation by inhibiting autoimmunity. Inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis and acne can also be managed. The noninvasive nature and almost complete absence of side effects encourage further testing in dermatology.

Low level light therapy – remember that biological reaction to light is not something new in this industry. In many times we experience this through our eyes which are obviously photosensitive. The human vision is based upon light hitting our retinas and creating a chemical reaction which allows us to see. Furthermore we experience this with vitamin D synthesis in our skin due to sunlight creating biochemical reactions. We experience this with suntans due to the light of the sun stimulating our melanocytes to proliferate and give us “brown” skin. Light reacts chemically with other things as well. That is why hydrogen peroxide is stored in dark bottles so that light can’t get in and initiate a chemical degradation. Light can photo-chemically affect all things eventually in one way or another.

Low level laser (light) therapy does not induce heating in tissue like surgical or aesthetic lasers. It’s all in the photochemical reactions of certain wavelengths of light with our cell membranes, cellular organelles and enzymes. Compromised cells respond better than healthy cells to photochemical reactions so that brief treatments with low level light on damaged tissue can induce a complex chain of physiological reactions to enhance wound healing and tissue regeneration, reduce acute inflammation, treat chronic pain and even to make our skin look younger and more vibrant.

Red light accelerates hair growth. It has also been shown to biochemically melt fat cells. Low level infrared light has been shown to significantly enhance the recuperation of stroke victims by shining a low level laser that you can’t even see or feel on top of your head for a few minutes at a time. Sounds like magic doesn’t it? Well it is. It’s light and it does seem to have magical properties. The science of this “magic” has become increasingly better explained in recent years and it is apparent that this is a valid therapy for many conditions. In spite of the scientific validity of Low level laser (light) therapy there are still many commercial claims for devices that are not well supported and some are in fact just plain unbelieving. The message to take from this though is to not throw out the baby with the bathwater when confronted with some of the fringe claims of LLLT. It has substantial merit as a valid therapy.

It has been called many names over the years including bio-stimulation, Low level laser (light) therapy, cold laser therapy, and more recently photo-bio-modulation. Low level lasers have been the primary instruments but there are also non-laser light emitting diodes (LED’s) and other light sources that are used.

In the U.S. one sees these low level red, blue, yellow and infrared lights used in sports medicine clinics as part of the physical therapy to enhance healing of joint and soft tissue injuries such as arthritis treatment, carpal tunnel syndrome or athletic sprains and injuries. It has been used prior to radiation therapy in breast cancer to prevent the inflammatory dermatitis which is frequently associated with this.

The devices are employed as one of the therapy options in pain clinics to treat chronic pain, including shingles pain. Some units are even being sold to the home market for general treatment of muscular and joint “aches and pains”. It’s used for things like low back or cervical neck pain, and is good to consider for use in hard to manage problems like fibromyalgia.

As we bring this discussion to an end, it will be necessary that we discuss how cosmetic procedures have for several have impacted on people’s lives. This has been done in two ways using these two main approaches.

The first approach would involve cutting, removing, mechanically readjust or implant something such as:

Facelift
Tummy tuck
Liposuction
Injectable fillers
Chin implants and many others

The second approach is where you damage the skin in a controlled and limited way and wait, the skin would then remodel itself as it heals, leading to a firmer, smoother texture. This approach may include:

Laser or plasma skin resurfacing
Radio frequency treatment
Fractional resurfacing
Ultrasound
Chemical peels and others

Like in all other treatment procedures, these two approaches have significant limitations as well.

The first tends to be very expensive (as is typical for invasive procedures), often requires prolonged recovery, may produce major side effects and does not improve skin texture.
The second one is also rather expensive, often requires some recovery time and not infrequently causes side effects, including significant ones, occasionally leaving the skin worse off than before.

Understandably, people have been searching for effective alternatives with favorable side effect profile yet without high costs and downtime. Finding such alternatives has not been easy. Topical agents may help to stave off the signs of aging and provide modest improvements but their effects tend to be neither quick nor dramatic. However skin needling appears promising and has a comparatively good side effect profile. However, some people find it unpleasant and also its popular DIY version may be less effective than the more aggressive and expensive professionally performed alternative.

Fortunately like we have indicated above, amidst these approaches low level laser (light) therapy seems to be very unique with very minimal side effects, no downtime, reasonable cost and a DIY option. Just for the a voidance of doubt low level laser (light) therapy is based on the ability of certain frequencies of visible and near infrared light to stimulate repair, renewal and remodeling of tissues, including the skin, as well as reduce inflammation and protect from certain types of tissue damage.

The main and best documented applications of low level laser (light) therapy in medicine are for tissue and nerve regeneration, wound healing as well as reducing pain and inflammation. More recently, low level laser (light) therapy has been used for skin rejuvenation. It has been reported to improve wrinkles and skin texture, reduce skin laxity and diminish scars. Some studies have established that it might also improve a number of skin conditions, including:

Acne
Certain pigmentation disorders
Burns and
Psoriasis

It is however important that you know that the findings about low level laser (light) therapy for skin rejuvenation and treatment is still under investigation and relatively immature. Besides that it is also important to note that low level laser (light) therapy is performed using either laser light or regular light. Laser light is different from regular light in that it is coherent (i. e. its constituent electromagnetic waves are synchronized) whereas regular light is not. Coherent light in LLLT devices is produced either by classical lasers or by laser diodes (a special type of light-emitting diodes or LED) whereas incoherent light is produced by regular LED. Finally this may look complicated but with the help of doctor Akoury you will be home and dry.

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