Pollogen Blog » antiaging

Before and After-the ecological aspect

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 09:32:26 +0000

“Before and After” (B&A) photos are usually linked to the aesthetic or design industries. The most impressing way to demonstrate a change in wrinkles or body contour is to display photographs of the body area before and then after a treatment or a series of treatments.
Working in the aesthetic industry has triggered the urge in me to take the B&A to a different level and to contribute to society and mother earth by using B&A photos for socially and ecologically responsible projects.

Picture taken before cleaning the beach

I have selected to photograph very dirty beaches in my vicinity, clean them and then photograph them after they are clean.
The planet is ageing in a very ugly manner; a walk on the beach in some areas is a depressing adventure, the footprint of our consumption is everywhere. I have actually found tooth brushes, facial cream tubes, moisturizers, combs, hairspray cans and much more, spread on the most amazing beaches. Most of these items did not land on the beautiful sand because of the beach goers; they actually ended up on the beach through the sea and through city gutters.
As consumers, it is our responsibility to dispose of garbage responsibly, we can also help by purchasing only things we need and when we do purchase, don’t necessarily choose the cheapest, it is important to purchase items that will last and will not end up in the landfill after one use.

I started my B&A project a few months ago. I apply sunscreen (SPF 30) over my favorite antiaging moisturizer to keep my middle eastern skin protected, I wear long sleeve shirts even on hot days and I try to operate early in the morning or late afternoon. While cleaning, I always meet people that join the “party”, some help clean and some will help carry the bags to the nearest garbage collecting zone.
I must admit that since I have started looking closer at the garbage at the beaches, I am careful about avoiding taking bags when I shop and am vigilant about recycling bottles, batteries, cans and what ever can be recycled.
Help the planet avoid “ageing”, join the antiageing treatment for the beaches and areas around you by joining cleaning groups and by disposing of garbage responsibly.
Below are some photos of some cleaning projects I executed.

After cleaning, the beach looks so appealing

Popular Dermal Fillers

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:45:47 +0000

Aging is a natural process that all women and men who live to a ripe mature age will experience. Even though aging is also associated with wisdom and experience, it is not easy to convince oneself that the wrinkles and sagging skin are actually a wonderful sign of the wisdom acquired through life experience. In the past the only treatment option for aging skin and body involved invasive surgery that often results in an extreme change of facial expression and proportions and requires substantial recovery time.
The aesthetic industry has evolved in the past years offering many viable alternatives to the knife. Dermal fillers have become a common treatment for aging skin, and wrinkles. Contrary to face lift results which induce tight, flattened pulled skin, derma fillers, when injected correctly, will result in a natural fuller look (When done poorly the outcome can include lumps and granules or even out of proportion facial contour).
Derma fillers are minimally invasive treatments and most can be performed during a lunch break with minimal recovery time. Common side effects include bruising, swelling, pain and at times, allergic reaction. Results are temporary, lasting 6-18 months, depends on the filler and the individual being treated.
It is very important to carefully select the treating physician, a good question to ask a physician would be how many times he has performed a certain procedure with a certain dermal filler, make sure he is very familiar with it (Not sure what to suggest as an acceptance number in the answer to this question. I personally would probably feel better with an answer of above 50 times).
There are different types of dermal fillers out there, some are synthetic some natural.
Early dermal fillers were of synthetic origin (silicon) or natural source (bovine- cow) collagen and fat.
Bovine (cow) collagen was the first approved dermal filler in the United States in the early 1980’s. The leading brand of bovine collagen were Zyderm ® and Zyplast.
It was considered the gold standard and all other dermal implants were measured compared to its effectiveness. Results can last 3-18 months, although many recipients report that a repeat treatment is usually required at 3-5 months.
Human collagen was introduced to the aesthetic market in the late 1990. The leading brand was Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast (manufactured by the same company). Cosmoderm is used for treatment of superficial wrinkles, Cosmoplast for deeper wrinkles.
Natural hyaluronic acid is a very popular derma filler due to the low allergy rate and the good results it provides (Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm and Prevelle Silk). Hyaluronic acid is a naturally accruing component in the skin and composes a large percentage of the extracellular matrix. Hyaluronic acid in the epithel is linked with collagen production and increased skin hydration, enabling fuller smoother looking skin. In 2003 the FDA approved the use of hyaluronic acid (Restylane) as derma filler for the temporary treatment of wrinkles.
There are quite a few available dermal filler brands available, listed below are a few popular brands with explanations about their way of action, and advantages.
Restylane – Produced in Sweden, the first hyaluronic acid filler made of non animal source. It is used around the eyes, lips and nasolabial area (folds around the nose and mouth). It is claimed to last 6 months but there are reported incidents extended durations of the treatment effect (up to18 months).
Perlane – Manufactured by same company that produces Restylane in Sweden. Consists of hyaluronic acid but larger molecules than Restylane, therefore is more suitable for deeper wrinkles. It also seems to have a longer efficacy period even though the FDA has approved it as a dermal filler for 6 months.
Radiesse – Contains calcium hydroxylapatite which are small calcium spheres in a gel base. The injection of the filler actually serves to “plump” the injected area and also induce generation of new collagen that is layered on the sphere structures. The allergy rate to this filler is very low and the manufacture claims that the small calcium spheres and the gel will actually disintegrate but the newly generated collagen will be significant enough to sustain the treatment effects. Radiesse is also suitable for treatment of HIV patients suffering from facial lipoatrophy (diminishing of facial fat), a condition induced by HIV treatment drugs.
Evolence – Made of Porcine collagen (pork) which is very similar to human collagen therefore it is a good dermal filler as allergy rate to it are very low, in addition the side effects are minor.
Prevelle silk – Hyaluronic acid combined with Lidocane (a local anasthsia agent). Combining the filler with lidocane enables treatment of sensitive areas (like the lips) with very little discomfort.
Juvederm – Hyaluronic acid filler manufactured by allergen (same company that produces Botox). It is especially suitable for larger filler “jobs” and correction of irregularities and deep wrinkles.
Some customers prefer combination of various treatments for targeting the aging skin and body. If you are looking into combining dermal fillers with other skin tightening methods make sure to enable about a month or even longer (follow the manufacture’s specific instructions) to enable the filler to complete its course of action before indulging in other anti ageing treatments.

Menopause in men?

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:27:51 +0000

Menopause is a condition associated with women defined by the cessation of the monthly menstruation cycles. Menopause is characterized by an array of physiological and emotional changes related to the drop in levels of estrogen and progesterone. These include: hot flashes and night sweats, sleep disturbances, decline of bone mass that may lead to osteoporosis, irritability, increase in cholesterol level, depression, thinning of the skin, atrophy of the breasts and reproductive organs, memory loss and loss of sex drive. There have been claims that men also experience a similar condition to menopause, labeled andropause, climacteric or viropause. The definition of andropause as defined by online Merriam Webster dictionary:

“A gradual and highly variable decline in the production of androgenic hormones and especially testosterone in the human male together with its associated effects that is held to occur during and after middle age but is often difficult to discriminate from the effects of confounding factors (as chronic illness, stress, or medication use) that can depress testosterone levels—called also male climacteric, male menopause, viropause”

Similar to females, some males experience the symptoms approximately around age 40 ±, (interestingly parallel to the “midlife crisis” men are linked with). However not all males go through andropause.

According to an article by Duncan C Gould, published in the British Medical Journal, the term menopause is not suitable for men as it indicates a sudden drop in sex hormones however the drop in testosterone in males is gradual. Below a certain plasma level of testosterone, males might experience symptoms similar to female menopause; therefore, unfortunately, the term male menopause has been used too freely.

Studies demonstrate a decline in testosterone levels that begin in early middle age and then progresses in a linear fashion. Concentrations of available testosterone decrease by as much as 50% between the ages of 25 and 75 years, and it has been suggested that as many as 50% of men over the age of 50 have lower levels of testosterone compared with peak early morning levels in young men. Lower levels of testosterone are linked to testicular trauma, hereditary factors, insulin levels and obesity. In addition excess intake of alcohol along with a stressful lifestyle are also linked to lower levels of testosterone.

Symptoms typical to drop in testosterone levels are very similar to women’s menopause side effects and include:

Hot flashes and night sweats.

Mood instability and irritability

Loss of bone density

Restless sleep

Decrease in sex drive and erectile dysfunction

Increased body fat and decrease in muscle mass

Testosterone replacement treatment relieves many of these symptoms but does not help in most cases of erectile dysfunction and does not increase the sex drive.

When a male suffers any of the symptoms listed above it is a good idea to be tested to verify if these conditions are related to a disease or to a drop in testosterone levels. Drop in testosterone levels could also be a symptom of other diseases and should be addressed appropriately by a medical professional.

If indeed men suffer from menopause, or any other term you wish to use, it is obvious that the aging process in men and women is a decline in what our western culture views as the ideal of the youthful image. Men too lose body tone and gain excess fat in the abdominal area along with the drop in skin elasticity and appearance of wrinkles.

I believe that the sexual drive is also related to the image we have of our body. When we age, it is difficult to feel sexy if the image we see of ourselves in the mirror is far from the image portrayed by the media of the youthful sexy object. If we do not like our body as we age, how can we feel sexy and how can we be in touch with our sex drive?

One option of feeling better about our sexuality as we age is to take care of our body. It does take extra effort to keep up with the natural aging path. It is important to be physically active, eat healthy food, avoid the sun and keep a positive outlook on life. There are many non invasive methods available for treating the aging skin of men. These include antiaging creams and masks, and treatments that induce collagen generation along with skin tightening and fat reduction. Improvement in appearance can sometimes induce a better self image and help one feel better about his sexuality, hence increase the sex drive and alleviate some of the symptoms associated with aging, menopause, andropause, climacteric or viropause.

Anti aging review – Treat your skin to diamonds …

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:31:23 +0000

No, this is not a heading for a jewelry review it is all about antiaging treatment; Dermolissage by EnDouceur is a breakthrough diamond Microdermabrasion system for wrinkles reduction. It is equipped with wrinkles treatment heads that exfoliate the top layer of the skin while delivering potent topical cosmeceuticals at controlled intensities. These infused topical solutions revitalize the skin and actively help treat the aging skin. According to EnDouceur, normally the large protein molecules in these anti aging solutions, will not penetrate the Epidermis; however, this technology can achieve deep infusion of these large molecule solutions, vitamins and beneficial ingredients since it causes our natural skin barrier to “break up” (mechanically with the movement of the diamond head) while concurrently bringing the flow of topical solution in contact, under negative pressure, with the “broken” skin layers.

Acording to EnDouceur, Dermolissage can be used effectively for the treatment of dry skin, Acne, Hyperpigmentation, Rosacea, Telangiectasias (broken blood vessels) and rough skin.

A very effective treatment for aging skin rejuvenation and tightening would be to combine the Dermolissage, which treats the superficial skin layer, with a device that targets the aging skin from deep from inside, for example the TriPollar RF treatment.

A good combination treatment will include a 10 minutes facial anti aging treatment with the TriPollar RF technology. TriPollar will induce immediate results of tightening the existing collagen and will also induce a long term anti wrinkle process by building of new collagen due to stimulation of the fibroblasts. Following TriPollar treatment, performing a Dermolissage diamond microdermabrasion session will be very beneficial as the TriPollar will ‘prepare’ the skin for the Dermolissage treatment and enable an enhanced penetration of the treatment solutions used during the diamond microdermabrasion. This combination treatment is great for targeting the skin’s most superficial layer while also affecting its inner layer and inducing long term anti aging effects of collagen growth.