February 6th, 2012
Top Ten Skin Issues And How To Repair Them…
It’s the little things in life that can drive you crazy. When you look at yourself in the mirror, you may think; Where did that wrinkle come from? Why can’t I get rid of all of these blackheads? What’s up with all of these broken capillaries?
Here is my list of the top ten skin issues and how to repair them.
Issue #1
Combination Skin
Do you have dry, itchy cheeks but a big blemish on your nose? I suggest looking for products that have salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is great for removing surface oils and niacinamide which is hydrating for the skin. You should treat combination skin like it is dry, with gentle, oil-based cleansers and regular cleansing, toning and moisturizing. Remember that oil desolves oil. You can also use a clay mask in the t-zone only to absorb excess oil without drying out the skin.
Issue #2
Persistant Pimples
Consistancy is the key when fighting acne if you want to see results. You should use a cleanser or scrub with alpha or beta hydroxy acids, salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide daily to wash and exfoliate. In an emergency, you can spot treat with a drop of benzoyl peroxide mixed with hydrocortisone cream on the blemish. Just don’t over do it with the hydrocortisone (it’s a steroid cream), acne could become worse. If your skin becomes too dry, decrease exfoliation to two times a week and look for a moisturizer that is noncomedogenic and make sure that you use a gentle cleanser. Do not use soap! Soaps can cause skin to dry out and become inflamed. That will trigger redness and more breakouts.
Issue #3
Dark Skin Spots
If you have dark skin, any slight slight mark(from injury, picking acne ect.) can turn into a hyperpigmented spot. Dark skin can also get dermatosis papulosa nigra which is a brown freckling around the eyes and checks. A good sunscreen is the best protection. Gel-based ones have a consistency that is better for dark skin.
Issue #4
Crow’s Feet
If you are concerned about crows feet (wrinkling around the eyes), your best investments are a pair of sunglasses and a good eye cream. Your sunglasses will keep you from squinting in the sun and creating more. It is also important to keep your eye area hydrated. The skin around your eyes is the most fragile skin on our face. Daily use of eye creams with peptides is recommended. Peptides will stimulate collagen and hydrate the fragile skin.
Issue #5
Acne Scars
Acne scarring can be challenging to get rid of. There can be post-inflammatory(red spots) and pitted depressions. If you have post-inflammatory scarring, a prescription retinoid or retinal will help to fade the spots gradually as will using sun protection. Chemical peels will fade them even faster. If your scars are the pit variety, I would consider Fraxel laser treatments, but the best thing to prevent acne scarring is to not pick at your face. If you have acneic prone skin, a series of facials every two weeks will get the bacteria under control and you underway to clear skin.
Issue #6
Stubborn Blackheads
The best way to tackle your blackheads is with a great facial! Nothing beats a deep pore cleansing, steam, extractions and a clay- based mask for those stubborn blackheads. Using products with salicylic acid will break down the sebum that gets stuck in the pores and causes blackheads. Clay-based masks will pull out impurities and tighten the pores.
Issue #7
Patchy Redness
Whether it is rosacea or broken capillaries, you can get rid of your patchy redness. You should use only products for people with sensitive skin, stay out of the sun (heat and light can dilate and damage the delicate capillaries). Make sure to wear sunscreen every day, even indoors. If redness is severe, wear an spf with a green tint as green cancels out red. Spicy food, caffeine and alcohol can trigger flushing. Eating bananas can help as well as they are loaded with vitamin K which is known to strengthen capillary walls.
Issue #8
Brown Spots
Hyperpigmentation or brown spots can make you look even older than wrinkles do. The first way to deal with them is to wear sunscreen or you will get even more and the ones you have may get even darker! Secound, is to use products with retinol, vitamin C, niacinamides and soy. These have all been found to fade hyperpigmentaion. Third, is to have regular facials, microdermabraisions and chemical peels repeated every three to four weeks.
Issue #9
Dark Circles
Dark circles around the eyes are difficult to treat because they have so many different causes: genetics, allergies, sun damage and even vascular problems. Make sure that you are using a great eye cream. Many now have pigment reducing vitamin C, retinols and soy. These will help with the pigmentation and keeping the eye area well hydrated.
Issue #10
Puffy Eyes
To reduce your puffy eyes, you need to get more sleep, drink extra water and avoid salty foods. For a quick fix, you can lay back and place a lukewarm chamomile teabag or a frozen teaspoon over each closed eyelid. If you chose the frozen spoon method, make sure to first coat each eye with eyecream. You can also place a cool, damp green teabag over each eye. The caffeine will relieve water tension.
Please contact Del Mar Plastic Surgery with any questions or to schedule a complimentary consultation.
Posted in Facial Rejuvenation, Home, Skin Care | No Comments »
January 19th, 2012
What is a liquid facelift?
It seems as though there are often trendy buzz words used in the world of cosmetic and plastic surgery and keeping up with what they all mean can be a daunting task. The liquid facelift or is one of the hottest new trends in non-surgical facial rejuvenation. For those who are not quite ready to undergo a major transformation or who want to get their “feet wet”, this combination of services may be just right.
A liquid facelift or nonsurgical facelift usually entails a few injections—performed in the office—of Botox and fillers. Botox is used in the forehead, frown lines and crow’s feet areas to smooth creases and reduce future wrinkling. In addition to Botox, filler, such as Juvederm, Restylane, or Radiesse is injected to plump remaining lines on the face such as smile lines and the pesky lines around the mouth.
Most packages also include some form of facial peel–either microdermabrasion, laser, or chemical peel to freshen the skin and give you a healthy glow. Of course, any of these services alone will improve the way you look and feel, but combining them in one visit will surely turn back the clock! Consult with Dr. Pollack about your liquid facelift today!
Kate
Posted in Botox, Facial Procedures, Facial Rejuvenation, Fillers, Frown Lines, Home, Juvederm, Liquid Facelift, Restylane | No Comments »
January 2nd, 2012
How can I look younger?
We all know the anti-aging basics. (In a word: Sunscreen). Here’s the skin-care news you can use to start looking younger right now!
“You look so young.” These are the words we long to hear- and we will go to great (silly and expensive) lengths to hear them. But at a certain point, maybe we should stop and ask ourselves: Is it really eternal youth that we should be pursuing? Should that be our goal? We all see people in the public eye who try to turn the clock back dramatically and end up looking freakish. When they stop trying so hard, they start looking better!
More and more doctors are warning of the dangers of pursuing youth at all costs- the frozen features, the painfull tauntness, the total absence of facial lines. Instead, we should think of “age maintenance“, which is finding the age at which you are happiest with your looks and doing the best that you can to slow down-not reverse or halt altogether-the aging process.
Consider the fact that the face has three different components: muscle, fat and the outmost layer of skin itself.
When we are young, those three parts are all one piece in a sense; but as we get older, each part of us may age in different rates depending on both our genetics and our environments. Muscle sags; we lose volume and plumpness as our face loses fat and bone; the outer layer of skin wrinkles. The idea behind age maintenance is to find what you consider a sweet spot in your appearance-say your mid thirties-and to restore what you have in looks. In other words, prevention is best and restoration is fine. It’s going to far that gets so many women into trouble.
Of course you will age. But there is more and more that you can do to slow the clock- on all parts of the face and body and for all skin types. Basics of good skin care include, a good skin-care regimen of cleansing, exfoliating, sunscreen, regular facial treatments and if money allows, the use of Botox/fillers and lasers. By doing this, you can radically slow down the process. Even more critical? You will look like yourself and not a cartoon of yourself as the years go by.
To acquire additional information and services offered at Del Mar Plastic Surgery, please contact us at 858-450-9100.
Marci
Posted in Botox, Facial Procedures, Facial Rejuvenation, Fillers, Frown Lines, Home, Liquid Facelift | No Comments »
December 7th, 2011
My Experience as “Mother of the Bride”
I have been the front office coordinator for Dr. Larry Pollack for close to ten years. Recently, I took on a new role when my daughter announced she was getting married!! All of the sudden I realized (as young as I am) that I was going to be “the Mother of the Bride”. As part of my strategic planning, I started on a skin care program with our aesthetician, Marci, immediately. It consisted of a series of mini peels and facials. Dr. Pollack then gave me a “liquid facelift” which included Botox on the forehead and eyes and some Juvederm filler in my lips. I experienced no down time and it was nice to look a few years younger and feel confident in all of the wedding day photographs. If you have a special event or wedding coming up in your future, this is a great way to get your skin in shape and minimize your pesky little lines. The day turned out perfect and I feel great about how I look!! Thanks Marci and Dr. P!!!
Tanya
Posted in Facial Procedures, Facial Rejuvenation, Fillers, Frown Lines, Home, Juvederm, Lip Augmentation, Liquid Facelift, Patient Testimonials, Skin Care, Staff | No Comments »
August 26th, 2011
Mens Skin Care In San Diego
At Del Mar Plastic Surgery we have always encouraged men to take care of their skin. Not only will regular skin care slow down the signs of aging and protect the skin from environmental damage, but it feels good too.
My skin care company, Lycopene Skin Care, has developed a unique skin care product designed specifically for men called Post Shave Balm. Used daily after shaving, it deeply hydrates and restores skin health. It is currently the only cosmetic skin care product in the US to use SYRICALM (TM) CLR, a patented botanical complex designed to reduce redness and calm irritated skin. The Post Shave Balm also contains Lycopene, one of the strongest anti-oxidants, and a combination of other healing botanicals, including Green Tea Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Glabridin, Jojoba Seed Oil, and Chamomile Extract. Also, a blend of High and Low Molecular weight Hyaluronic Acids locks in moisture.
Lycopene Skin Care Post Shave Balm is available at Del Mar Plastic Surgery or online at http://www.lycopeneskincare.com/. And by the way, it is also great for women after shaving or waxing!
Posted in Facial Rejuvenation, Home, Skin Care, Skin Care Products | No Comments »
July 28th, 2011
A Warm Welcome to Marci Pastel!
Welcome Marci! We are pleased to announce the addition of Marci Pastel to the team at Del Mar Plastic Surgery in San Diego. Marci will be joining us as a licensed aesthetician and will be available to tend to all of your skin care needs. Marci has years of experience in the skin and beauty industry and her impeccable skills impressed us greatly.
The focus of Marci’s care will center around your individual needs, whether it be just to relax in our spa room for a luxurious facial, or whether you have issues with pigmentation or acne. Our Italian Therabrasion treatment is her most frequently requested service. Make sure to ask for yours—even the express version if you are on the go!
Posted in Facial Procedures, Facial Rejuvenation, Home, Skin Care, Staff | No Comments »
July 22nd, 2011
Information and answers to common questions about plastic surgery, Del Mar, San Diego – Part 2
San Diego Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Larry Pollack
I WAS CONTEMPLATING LIP AUGMENTATION BUT DON’T WANT TO LOOK LIKE A DUCK, OR WORSE! IS IT POSSIBLE?
Yes. As a matter of fact, no-one having a lip augmentation should look like a duck. Lip enhancement should be no different than other cosmetic procedures we do as plastic surgeons–our goal should be to achieve an aesthetically-pleasing proportional look.
At Del Mar Plastic Surgery, I use a variety of techniques for lip augmentation. The most popular choice is fillers such as Juvederm or Restylane. Both are hyaluronic acid products which last between 6 to 9 months. There is essentially no downtime, as the lips can look beautiful and normal the next day. There is a small risk of bruising.
Another method that is gaining popularity is fat transfer. Fat is taken from another area of the body and injected into the lips. This can be done in conjunction with other procedures, such as a facelift or eyelid lift, or by itself. It can be done by itself in the office under local anesthesia, but there is a little more downtime because of more bruising and swelling. But, usually about 50% of the fat injected will be permanent.
MY EYES MAKE ME LOOK OLDER AND TIRED. WHAT CAN I DO TO LOOK BETTER?
This is a very common complaint of both women and men. Our eyes can be the first area on our face to show signs of aging. There are a number of procedures that can help, and the choice of procedures depends on the problem you have.
Upper eyelid lift, or upper blepharoplasty, is a simple procedure that removes excess skin from the upper eyelids. The scar is well hidden in the eyelid crease, and the healing time is about one week. For people who have baggy lower eyelids, a lower lid blepharoplasty can also be done. This removes or redistributes the bulging fat pads and also removes any excess skin. This procedure often can help treat the dark circles under the eyes sometimes caused by the fat pads.
I recommend a browlift if the eyebrows have dropped and are adding to the excess upper eyelid skin. I primarily do what is called an endoscopic browlift. This involves placing several small scars in the scalp, and using a small camera scope to release the muscles and tissue that cause the brow to drop. The brow is then elevated and anchored to the skull with dissolvable plastic hooks under the skin. Again, the brow elevation needs to be aesthetic to avoid the “surprised” appearance. The endoscopic browlift also has a quick one week recovery period.
Call Del Mar Plastic Surgery at 858-450-9100 to schedule a free consultation, or go to our website at www.delamrplasticsurgery.com for more information on these and other procedures.
Posted in Brow lift, Eyelid Lift, Facial Procedures, Facial Rejuvenation, Fat Transfer, Fillers, Frequently Asked Questions, Home, Juvederm, Lip Augmentation, Restylane | No Comments »
June 13th, 2011
Dr. Pollack’s Skin Care Products – Simply Natural
Working with my plastic surgery partners, I created a skin care line called “Lycopene Skin Care.” These products were formulated in Italy to be natural, organic, preservative and fragrance-free. Lycopene Skin Care products are made from the finest natural oils, botanicals and anti-oxidants.
Our goal was to create simple and natural skin care products that could be used by people of ALL skin types. Our main active ingredient is Lycopene found in tomatoes and watermelon, and is one of the most potent antioxidants. Antioxidants can help prevent and sometimes reverse cellular and DNA damage caused by the sun and environmental toxins and thereby heal damaged and aging skin.
The Lycopene Skin Care system is simple: A day cream called “Crema Rinnovante Lycopene” and a night cream called “Dermopeel Cream.” Our day cream has Lycopene, deep-hydrating botanical oils like almond oil and acmella oleracea flower extract sometimes called “nature’s Botox.” It also has an spf 16 protection and absorbs quickly into the skin to allow easy makeup application.
Our night cream, Dermopeel Cream, has Azaleic and Kojic acids derived from grain and mushrooms respectively which are natural skin lighteners to help brighten the skin and even skin tone. They also lightly exfoliate and stimulate collagen production. Dermopeel cream also provides deep nightime skin moisturizing with Mango and Shea butter, and skin repair with lycopene.
We have also recently formulated an Aftershave Balm for men also with Lycopene.
My organic skin care line was designed to be simple and natural and give you healthy and beautiful skin. Call Del Mar Plastic Surgery at 858-450-9100 for more information. You can purchase products directly via the internet at www.lycopeneskincare.com, or go to www.delmarplasticsurgery.com to schedule a free skin consultation.
Posted in Facial Rejuvenation, Home, Skin Care | No Comments »
June 7th, 2011
Face Lift Surgery in Del Mar, San Diego
The boomer generation is not aging like our parents. We are more physically active, more weight and health-conscious, and feel younger than our chronological age might indicate! However, those early signs of facial aging, such as loose neck skin or neck bands, early jowling, or prominent cheek folds, can make us look older despite our best efforts.
The Short Scar face lift, or MACS-lift, was developed by a plastic surgeon in Belgium to reduce the risk, the scars, and the recovery time for people who want facelift surgery but were afraid! Instead of a 5 or 6 hour operation, the short scar facelift takes between 2 and 3 hours. The scar starts in front of the sideburn area, extends inside the ear to the earlobe, eliminating the long scar of the standard face lift. Very little skin is lifted up to expose the sagging muscles, which are then tightened with suture. The excess skin is then removed and the incision closed.
Unlike the standard facelift, which has significant risks of nerve damage, blood clots under the skin, tissue loss, and visible scars, the short-scar facelift minimizes all these risks. The recovery is quick–most patients are back to work in 7 to 10 days, and light exercise in 3 weeks. Best of all, the results create a NATURAL, youthful face rejuvenation.
Dr. Pollack performs the short scar face lift at the Sharp Outpatient Pavilion, a state of the art surgery center adjacent to San Diego’s newest and most technically advanced hospital. Call us for a free consultation.
Posted in Facial Procedures, Facial Rejuvenation, Frown Lines, Home | No Comments »
May 18th, 2011
Cosmetic Surgery Makeover in Del Mar, San Diego
Chances are, once you have decided to undergo a facial procedure to enhance your appearance, you are fairly invested in how you look. The decision to undergo a facelift, browlift, laser procedures, or eyelid surgery is a big one! Give yourself plenty of time to heal and don’t expect to feel “normal” right away. Even the slightest changes to your face might make you uneasy at first. Here are some tips to feeling better quickly and maximizing your results:
• Once your doctor allows you to wear makeup, visit a specialist at your local department store who can help you color match your skin and cover any residual bruising.
• Interact with friends….the isolation of recovery can lead to post-op depression. Allow yourself to visit with people who love you.
• Get your hair done. If you need new color, spruce it up! Get a new style or a blow-out. Why spend all the money on surgery and leave your hair in an old, dull style?
• See a brow shaper. Eyebrows are extremely important in framing the face. Wax your brows and your upper lip for a smooth appearance.
• Most of all, take it easy on yourself. If your new look isn’t just right, give it some time. Cosmetic surgery “recovery” is not overnight.
Kate
Posted in Eyelid Lift, Facial Procedures, Facial Rejuvenation, Home, Liquid Facelift | No Comments »
