Does sunscreen provide complete protection?

The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of a sunscreen formula states the effectiveness of this cream when applied at an even layer of 2 milligrams per square centimeter, for blocking the effect of UV sunrays that cause sunburns. The SPF level is defined by comparing the effect of exposure to the sun causing burns to a body area with the evaluated sunscreen compared to the burns to a non coated area. SPF 15 means that compared to a body area without sunscreen, the area with sunscreen will require 15 times more UV to be equally burned compared to the same area without sunscreen.
SPF is evaluated per 2 milligrams of sunscreen per square centimeter, unfortunately most people apply less sunscreen than needed. This causes the SPF value to be reduced dramatically hence the person thinks he/she is protected but in reality the effectiveness of the sunscreen is reduced. Thinking that you are protected when in reality you are not is very dangerous as you might linger in the sun for longer.
Another problem with sunscreens is the fact that many of them protect mostly against skin burning, caused by UV-B.  There are three types of UV rays emitted from the sun, the skin cancer foundation has a good explanation about UV classification on their web site. The different types of UV are: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. Both UV-A and UV-B pass the ozone layer and reach the earth, most of the UV-C is absorbed by the ozone layer and does not reach us.
UV-A is the most dominant UV radiation reaching us from the sun. It is present throughout the year and during all day light hours. UV-A penetrates glass and clouds and has a deeper penetration depth into the skin than does UV-B. UV-A is a main inducer of skin ageing, wrinkles and skin cancer. It is the main contributor to tanning, it does so by inducing changes in the cell’s DNA, the skin darkens due to synthesis of melanin to protect the skin from further damage form the UV exposure. Tanning salons use mostly UV-A as the tanning source, the intensity in the salons can be 12 times higher than the natural UV-A levels from the sun.
UV-B penetration depth to the skin is superficial and it plays a major role in skin burning. As apposed to UV-A, UV-B is present in lower levels during different hours of the day, different seasons and various locations on earth and it does not penetrate glass. Similar to UV-A, UV-B contributes to skin cancer, and skin ageing.
Sunscreens were created originally to prevent skin burning and to block mainly UV-B. In recent years manufactures of sunscreens have added UV-A protection too, however the level of protection from UV-A is not included in the SPF classification. It is important to verify, when purchasing a sun block, if the formula claims to protect from UV-A and UV-B. If not specified it is probably UV-B protection only.
The problem with sunscreen is that people feel protected from the damaging rays of the sun while they really are not safe. Most people will assume that if they apply sunscreen on exposed areas, they can allow themselves to walk freely in the sun during the extreme UV hours (10AM-4PM). This is a very dangerous assumption as applying the sunscreen needs to be in the correct amount and the sunscreen needs to be of good protection values. In addition, no sunscreen provides complete protection and it is wise to always stay away from exposure during the extreme hours mentioned above.
Another misconception is that after about 4PM and in early morning hours (6AM-10AM) there is no need for sunscreen as the UV radiation is lower. Very wrong assumption! As mentioned above, UV-A is present most hours of the day, so be ware!
Most people are not aware that they need to apply sunscreen when driving or sitting in a car, or if sitting in front of a sunny window at home, the windows will not protect you, (unless they are coated with a UV protection film).
Below are the Prevention Guidelines of the Skin Cancer Foundation for wise protection from the sun:

“Prevention Guidelines
•    Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM.
•    Do not burn.
•    Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.
•    Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
•    Use a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher every day.
•    Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours, or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
•    Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.
•    Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
•    See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.”

If your skin has been damaged by years of exposure to the sun’s damaging rays you might be happy to learn that you can help reduce the damage by treatments offered by various technologies. Sun spots (liver spots) can be removed by skin resurfacing technologies and photo-rejuvenation technologies. In addition, a RF technology exists, that targets reduction of wrinkles, collagen regeneration, skin tightening that improves skin texture and lessens the ill affects caused by UV radiation.  For example, TriPollar RF treatments, have been proven to effectivly reduce wrinkles and tighten the skin.  TriPollar based products are maufactured exclusively by Pollogen Ltd.    You do not have to wait till you are in your forties or later to begin treatments; the earlier you begin the better.
To finalize this write up, it would be nice if we adopted the fashion of un-tanned skin as our ancestors admired during the renaissance and earlier periods. Of course this should not include the discrimination against darker color skin that accompanied the earlier age admiration of non tanned skin.
And finally, if you do spend significant time in the sun, make sure to follow the guidelines mentioned above and minimize the damage to your skin.

I have been grey since my late thirties and have not had the urge to cover the grey. I believe you are as young as you feel or as old as you see yourself. To be honest, it has not been easy to withstand the pressure from society,  friends try to refer me to their favorite hairdresser or even better, say kind words like ”you look very young but you will look much younger if you dye your hair”. The hardest hit was when I came to pick up my son from kindergarten and heard the kids yelling “Your grandma is here to pick you up”!!!! But still I did not fall into the hair dying loop (once you start, it is hard to stop).

Ageing is a state of mind

Fortunately, grey hair has become accepted in some western countries. Images of graying models are accepted and are considered sexy and fashionable. It is not about the hair color, it is about how you carry your body, your skin complexion, what you wear and the energy levels you portray.

Ageing is a state of mind, rather than dyeing hair to conceal gray, I prefer dancing, going to rock concerts and staying young at heart. I think that if you feel younger when you dye your hair, than go ahead and do it, feeling younger makes you younger.

Declaring emancipation from hair dyes does not mean letting age take its toll and leaving all to nature. Personally, I use anti-ageing moisturizing creams every day and try to maintain a rigid exercise program to keep my body and spirit in high energy levels. I am fortunate to work in the aesthetic industry so I have accesses to variable technologies that target the ageing skin. I have found Radio Frequency (RF), particularly TriPollar RF face treatments to be to be very pleasant, relaxing and effective from the very first treatment. What I like about these treatments is the fact that the results are not so drastic so I do not look like I had a face lift. Don’t get me wrong, the results are noticeable, acquaintances that had not seen me for a while have all commented on my fresh looking skin and fine complexion. The wonderful thing about it is that it looks natural and is indeed a natural skin rejuvenation process triggered by the treatment; the skin creates new collagen during a few weeks causing the results to improve over time.

So, if you are in the early graying phase and have been pulling the gray out (ouch!), first, pulling them out will not induce growth of more gray than you pulled out so if you want to continue pulling, go ahead. However, you will have to pull out many more hairs as you progress in age, so let it be and learn to accept the random gray hairs and view it as exotic. Later when your hair is mostly silver it can help to adopt the positive attitude towards your hard earned silver crown and learn to enjoy the respect and beauty earned with silver hair. So, go wild – go gray and enjoy a youthful approach to life with a silver crown on your head.

With proper attention and treatment, ageing signs of the hands can be reduced

Most women and some men (metrosexual men…) apply facial creams, eye creams and other anti-ageing treatments to reduce the signs of ageing of the face and body. However, hands, that are also an important age indicator, are failed to be addressed by many. Hands are the most exposed body part to ageing elements like water, house-hold chemicals and the sun, major skin ageing inducers that can be dealt with through proper measures. When dealing with ageing of hands, the symptoms include: ageing spots, thinning of the skin, general thinning of hands and protruding veins. The skin in general, including skin of the hands, produces less collagen as we age hence causing thinning of the skin, thus causing the veins to protrude and the hands to look bonier.

With proper attention and treatment, ageing signs of the hands can be reduced and the hands can look a few years younger. For those of you still young with beautiful hands, make sure to take measures to postpone ageing of hands by applying sunscreen to your hands twice a day. It is also important to wear gloves when washing dishes or if handling house hold chemicals. This will protect your hands from dryness and from the harsh effects of cleaners, detergents etc’.

To help with dry skin, apply cream at night and wear cotton mittens over the cream to enhance absorption.
A few technologies and some invasive methods have been introduced to address the different aspects of ageing hands. Combination of technologies will enable a full spectrum of treatment, however it is important to understand these options in order to ensure the correct sequence of treatment protocol as one technology can interfere with the effectiveness of other technologies if performed in an inappropriate order, timing etc’.
Photorejuvination technologies ( IPL and fractional laser) are well established methods for skin rejuvenation. These methods can help with the reduction of age spots and general improvement of skin appearance of the hands due to induction of new collagen growth and removal of age spots. Healing from photo rejuvenation treatments can take a few weeks because the skin is purposefully damaged to cause superficial skin injury, that induces scabbing, peeling and healing.
Dermal fillers, which are normally deployed for facial wrinkles, can be used for the hands too (for example Restylane) in order to restore “plumpness” and improve the general appearance. If you decide to combine dermal fillers with photorejuvination technologies, it is important to undergo the photorejuvination treatment prior to the use of dermal fillers to ensure that you do not interfere with the dermal filler’s action. It is also important to allow the hands to completely heal before undergoing the next type of treatment.
For treatment of protruding veins on the hands, an invasive cosmetic surgery is available where the veins are removed (of course the doctor will asses the blood vessels on the hands to ensure that the surgery does not damage the blood supply). This surgery requires a long healing duration (a few months) and is usually performed on one hand at a time.
A non invasive safe technology for the improvement of hand appearance is TriPollar RF (Radio Frequency). TriPollar RF treatments can be performed during lunch break short  office visits with no down time and with no need for healing. These treatments induce formation of new collagen in the dermis, hence improving skin texture and resulting with smoother, younger looking hands. TriPollar RF treatments can be combined with photorejuvination treatments to enable removal of age spots along with improvements of skin texture. If combining these two technologies, make sure that the hands have completely healed after the photorejuvination treatments before starting the Tripollar treatment protocol.

Can we get rid of cellulite?

What do people do to improve their body image?

Body lifts

Body lifts are invasive procedures that involve cutting away excess skin following drastic weight loss, pregnancy or age related skin laxity. Body lifts will improve firmness and enhance body contour but will not help with cellulite. If your reason for a body lift is poor texture of skin and cellulite, take into consideration the scars left by this invasive procedure and look for other options as body lifts do not improve skin texture and do not aid with the appearance of cellulite.

Liposuction

Liposuction is an invasive procedure for the reduction of localized fat and for improving body contour. Liposuction will assist people with large fat deposits in specific areas like the thighs, abdomen, arms etc’. Liposuction is a complicated procedure that should not be taken lightly. Side effects include infections, bruising and  uneven skin texture. Extreme side effects can lead to death. But as we are discussing cellulite in this post, liposuction will not help with reducing cellulite, if anything it can even increase the appearance of uneven skin. One option is to combine Liposuction with Trilipo technology.  The liposuction will reduce the fat and TriLipo will tighten the skin and help with cellulite reduction.

Anti cellulite socks and shoes

Special anti cellulite stockings and shoes have been introduced to the cellulite fighting market. The shoes claim to enhance blood circulation and the socks aid with micro massaging the legs to improve circulation and assist with cellulite reduction. One concern regarding the socks/stockings is in cases were the socks are too tight and can actually constrict blood circulation and increase spider veins or cellulite.

Exercise or Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS)

Exercise increase circulation and improves venous return, so does EMS which is a technology deployed by sport trainers and spas to improve muscle tone. However both methods will not improve the appearance of cellulite once it is already present.

The TriLipo technology solution
For cellulite reduction one needs to target the fat cells in the adipose layer of the hypodermis skin layer. These cells are the source of cellulite as they increase in size and push up against the dermis. TriLipo technology uses RF energy to target the fat cells in the adipose layer. Due to increased metabolism induced by the heat generated by the fat cell’s resistance to the RF energy, the fat cells release liquid fat  into the extracellular area. The release of these fatty acids causes the fat cells to shrink. The additional Muscle activation induced simultaneously with Tri-Lipo RF in the  device, enhances the effectiveness of cellulite reduction. Not only is the size of fat cells in adipose layer reduced but in addition the drainage of the released fat is enhanced due to increased venous return induced by the muscle activation by the Tri Lipo. In addition, the Maximus device induces an “internal massage” effect on the adipose layer, activating the muscles causes them to push up against the adipose layer “squeezing” more fat out along with the pushing down massage effect caused by the applicator while performing the TriLipo treatment.

Celllite reduction with trilipo tequnology

The Maximus system-powered by TriLipo technology,  is an excellent option to target cellulite, not only will it reduce the size of the fat cells in the adipose layer, it will also improve the skin due to generation of collagen and tightening of existing collagen, hence improving skin surface c and enhancing the results of cellulite treatment by the Maxi mus.

Voss Andreae sculptures are inspired by his scientific knowledge

The exhibition “Bodies”, that has been circling the planet, takes the integration between science and art a step further and turns science into the art pieces.
However, art and science are further linked by art work that is inspired by biological and physiological structures. Julian Voss-Andreae is an artist that combines his scientific background with his creations. He studied physics at the universities of Berlin, Edinburgh and Vienna and focused on Quantum physics for his graduate research. Voss Andreae has created large sculptures that are inspired by his scientific knowledge. Among his sculptures is the installation Unraveling Collagen.  According to Voss Andreae: “Unraveling Collagen is based on the structure of collagen, the most abundant protein in humans. In this sculpture I placed the initial emphasis on the structural role collagen plays in our bodies. The triangular cut-outs reveal the dominant force lines, reminiscent of contemporary steel construction. Collagen is mostly known for its role in aging: It is responsible for skin elasticity, and its degradation leads to wrinkles that accompany aging. During the creation of the piece, I departed from the actual molecular structure and opened up the intertwining helices towards the top which connects the piece metaphorically with aging.”
It is quite fascinating and symbolic that Voss Andreae chose to create the unraveling collagen rather than “healthy young collagen”, it is the natural process of nature and is actually a truer symbol of life and time line of the living body rather than a perfect intact triple helix collagen fiber.
“Fighting” the aging process of the collagen is the target of technologies in the beauty and aesthetic industry. It is the desire of most ageing women and men too, to slow down the signs of ageing and to repair the damage already done; this is achieved by stimulation of new collagen growth and tightening of the existing collagen hence mending of the “unraveling” collagen.

Collagen is mostly known for its role in aging

RF is also used as a treatment for uncontrolled bowel movements, uncontrolled passage of urine or esophageal reflux syndrome. In these cases the treatment includes microscopic RF targeting of the collagen in the organ wall. The creation of such focal, microscopic treatment within the cavity wall, results in reduced dynamic tissue compliance, and improvement in the pathologic conditions.

RF energy is also deployed in orthopedics for gentle ablation of tendons and ligaments, it is also used to coagulate and decompress disc material, healing tears or fissures. Pain management is also a vast branch of medicine that deploys RF. The default treatment of pain is usually by prescribed pain killers; these can be problematic as they are addictive and do have side effects. RF is used for pain management via a few different methods. The first method is by identifying the problematic muscle and healing it by heating the muscle by targeting it with RF. Other methods involve targeting the nerve tissue directly: a process called Radio Frequency Lesioning (RFL).  In this process continuous radiofrequency current is transmitted to a small volume of nerve tissue hence inducing heat generation, this causes disruption of pain signals from that specific area. This procedure has a selective effect on specific nerve fibers, reducing pain in target areas, but without affecting other sensory capabilities of the specific nerve.

Radio Frequency has been established in aesthetic medicine as a means to induce skin tightening and reduction of wrinkles, improvement of cellulite and body contouring. RF current is transmitted into the skin and heat is generated due to the resistance of the skin to the RF current. The heat induces shrinkage of existing collagen and stimulation of the fibroblast to generate new collagen. In addition, heat generated in the hypodermis adipose tissue (fat layer in the hypodermis) causes  release of liquid fat from the fat cells, thus inducing shrinkage of the fat cells in the adipose tissue which leads to circumference reduction and  improvement in  the appearance of cellulite.

Thermage were the first to introduce the first generation of mono polar RF for the purpose of body contouring and skin tightening in 1997. In mono polar RF one electrode is used to transmit the RF energy to the skin and a return pad is placed on the body to close the circuit. Mono polar RF devices use very high power (250-300W) as the treatment is not focused and the electrical current aimed at the dermis will actually dissipate throughout the body. The treatment is painful due to the high power it requires and a topical anesthesia is needed to tolerate the treatment.

Bi polar RF technology is the second generation of RF aesthetic devices; it uses 2 electrodes to transmit the RF current and does not require a return pad. The penetration depth is about half the distance between the 2 electrodes.  Most Mono and Bi polar devices require surface cooling in order to protect the epidermis during treatment.

TriPollar technology is the 3^rd generation of RF aesthetic devices. It uses 3 electrodes to transmit the RF current into the dermal and fat layers while protecting the outer most skin layer. The energy field created using this method is very condense and requires substantially less energy to achieve the desired heating of the treated area, hence enabling a safe pleasant treatment with the positive immediate and long term results of RF aesthetic treatments.

Even skin aging and wrinkles are associated with sugar consumption, so face it, there is no place for denial, any way you look at it…sugar is bad for you, too bad so many of us are  addicted to it…but how can one help the sugar addiction, when it adds that little sweetness and passion to life.

The cause of ill effects of sugar on the skin is the glycation process, in which the sugar in our blood attaches to protein molecules to form harmful new molecules called Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). The more sugar consumed, the more AGEs are developed.

Many clinical studies have been performed on the effect of high level of AGEs on collagen. Studies have found that excessive AGEs will cause collagen in different areas to go through changes that eventually will cause the collagen to become brittle and in skin this will cause wrinkles and dry, dull, and sagging skin.

Not only this but excessive sugar is also associated with inhibition of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) activity, since HGH is associated with tissue repair and rejuvenation, obviously, this will affect the aging process too.

The good news is that it is not too late to turn back the clock. First, you can decrease the amount of sugar you consume (not only pure sugar but fruit and carbohydrates in general). In addition, it is possible to generate new collagen through stimulation of the fibroblast present in our dermis and hypodermis. Stimulation of Collagen skin regeneration can be induced via the TriPollar Radio Frequency technology. Tripollar treatments can also help reduce circumference. The apollo and regen are two TriPollar technology devices that induce secretion of liquefied fat from the fat cells in the hypodermis adipose layer, thus reducing their size and leading to a decrease in circumference along with added skin tightening. Unfortunately, treatment with these devices is not an alternative to exercise and diet if one is a sugar addict.

It is important to note that a sugar rich diet cannot be balanced by collagen regeneration or other anti-aging treatments as the accelerated aging caused by excessive sugar will cause damage to the new collagen generated too.

The bottom line is always a negative outcome to sugar consumption, even anti-aging treatments will not help the ill affects of sugar if we swallow the chocolate while we treat our skin for anti aging and wrinkled skin.

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.