Chemical peel, varicose veins, hair loss, freckles, fine lines & ages spots at Redding Dermatology.

Redding Dermatology offers several effective products and treatments designed to improve the appearance of skin.

Skin Care
Proper skin care is essential for having beautiful skin. Dermatologists are frequently asked for recommendations on skin care and makeup lines. Skin care product selections should be individualized and take into account the character of a person’s skin, the person’s skin care goals and any underlying skin conditions or tendencies. For these reasons, a qualified dermatologist is best able to suggest the most appropriate products for just about any situation. Regardless of the skin care regimen selected, each product in the regimen should be of the highest quality available. This is the philosophy of DermStore.com, perhaps the best place to shop for dermatologic products on-line.

Facial Skin Rejuvenation Products
Skin care products containing vitamin A derivatives or analogs as well as those containing glycolic acid have been scientifically proven to help rejuvenate facial skin. Other products including those containing vitamins C, D, and E may also help rejuvenate facial skin but scientific evidence confirming their value is limited. Sunscreens, of course, are a key part of any complete facial skin rejuvenation program since sun exposure is the main cause of facial skin aging. (sunscreen products) The best quality glycolic acid products, moisturizers and sunscreens can be purchased at our recommended website, DermStore.com.

Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a safe treatment that uses vacuum pressure to move microscopic crystals over the surface of the skin. These crystals remove dead and damaged skin cells and stimulate the collagen beneath the surface of the skin, creating better skin tone. By repeating the process over the course of several weeks or months, younger softer skin moves to the surface, revealing significant textural and color changes.

Microdermabrasion can be used to treat sun-damaged skin, fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, enlarged or oily pores, blackheads, whitehead and age spots. The most commonly treated areas are the face, neck, chest, hands and arms. Treatments usually take 30 to 60 minutes and cause minimal discomfort.

The results of microdermabrasion treatments are progressive and gradual. Many patients report that they immediately notice that their skin feels softer, smoother and younger looking. More pronounced changes in skin texture and color take place as additional treatments are performed. Maximal results are typically seen after five to ten treatments. Immediately after microdermabrasion treatment, the treated skin may feel warm and look somewhat red due to increased blood flow, but even these changes can be easily concealed.

Redding Dermatology offers microdermabrasion therapy with equipment designed and manufactured in France. The Parisian Peel microdermabrader is considered amongst dermatologists to be the finest equipment currently available. Dermatologists are best able to train and supervise microdermabrasion technicians so patients are able to receive appropriately aggressive treatment with minimized risk of complications. Dermatology groups are also the preferred choice for microdermabrasion therapy because dermatologists are able to recommend the best quality skin care products and prescription products to enhance and optimize the results of microdermabrasion treatment.

Glycol Acid Peels
Glycolic acid is a natural alpha hydroxy acid derived from sugar cane. It has been shown to be beneficial to skin aesthetics when used regularly as part of a skin care regimen. Glycolic acid is also used as a chemical peeling agent. Glycolic acid peels are typically milder than TCA chemical peels. The strength of glycolic acid peels can be adjusted based upon acid concentration and duration of skin contact. This flexibility allows patients to obtain results ranging from gentle and slow to aggressive and quick with little to no down time. At Redding Dermatology, glycolic acid peels are often provided in conjunction with microdermabrasion.

TCA Chemical Peels
Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) facial skin peels have been used by dermatologists for the rejuvenation of environmentally damaged skin for many years. This treatment is more aggressive than either microdermabrasion or glycolic acid peeling. Chemical peels are ideal for evening out mottled skin color and tone, removing brown sun spots and freshening up superficial wrinkles and skin texture flaws. The overall effect of chemical peeling typically results in a more youthful skin appearance. After a light or medium intensity TCA peel, patients can expect to have a week of recovery time during which the skin will look abnormal.

Chemical peels are typically performed in the dermatologist’s office. Topical anesthetic cream and, on occasion, nerve block anesthesia are used to control the discomfort otherwise encountered during application of the TCA. The skin is then carefully cleansed, de-greased and occasionally pretreated with peel enhancing products. Next, a solution of appropriate strength TCA is carefully and evenly applied to the entire face. After the peel is complete, cold gel packs are applied to soothe the treated skin.

Skin peeling and scaling develops over the course of several days. The skin revealed by this peeling process is typically softer, firmer, smoother, and more evenly pigmented. Although most chemical peels are not effective on deep lines, other alternative methods of treatment such as Botox and collagen are available and discussed below.

Click on any picture to see an enlarged
side-by-side before and after comparison.

right cheek - patient 1
before	after

left cheek - patient 1
before	after

forehead - patient 2
before	after

left cheek - patient 2
before	after

Botox Wrinkle Treatment
Botox wrinkle treatment is a very safe and effective way to minimize frown lines, crows feet, and forehead wrinkles. Botox treatment is “wash and wear”…it has no “down time”. Dr. Kraffert has advanced training and experience with this therapy.

Collagen Wrinkle Treatment
In areas where Botox treatment is not effective, collagen injections may be considered. The material used for collagen wrinkle treatment is a bovine collagen product. Collagen therapy is very safe. A skin test to exclude allergy to the product must be performed prior to therapy. Collagen therapy is useful for correction of lines and furrows anywhere on the face. It is particularly useful on the lower two thirds of the face where Botox is less appropriate. The laugh lines are good candidates for collagen as are the lines and furrows at and below the corners of the mouth. Collagen is also very useful for restoring fullness to lips that might otherwise be thinner than desired. The correction offered by collagen lasts a variable period of time ranging from approximately four to twelve months depending upon the type of collagen injected and the particular application.

Hair Loss
The health and appearance of our hair has tremendous social value. When hair thins or hairlines recede, both women and men often become very concerned. Pattern hair thinning or balding without excessive shedding is very common and is hereditary. Persons with this condition are usually able to identify the problem without the aid of a dermatologist. The tendency can be inherited from either the mother’s or father’s side of the family. The pattern of this hair loss is easy to identify in men. Women with this trait also develop thinning hair but do not become completely bald. They tend to develop more diffuse hair loss than men with accentuated thinning on the crown and preservation of the forehead hairline. The condition is called androgenetic alopecia and is also know as male and female pattern hair loss. It can start in the teens, twenties or thirties.

There is no cure for pattern hair loss, although medical treatments have recently become available that may help some people. People with this condition are often desperate for a treatment to arrest the process and re-grow hair. Magic potions, megavitamins, expensive shampoos, scalp massage devices and electric treatments are often sold to such people. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence that these treatments help in any way. Rogaine is one treatment that has been scientifically proven to help arrest pattern hair loss and re-grow hair for many people. Rogaine, a minoxidil solution, is applied to the scalp twice a day. Visible improvement typically occurs within four months or less. (Minoxdil products link) Another scientifically proven treatment available to men with pattern hair loss is a prescription pill called Propecia. Propecia is taken daily and is generally safe and usually effective but must never be taken by women of child bearing potential as it can cause problems during pregnancy.

Excess hair loss can have other less common causes. The term hair loss really includes two separate processes. One process is hair thinning without any excess hair shedding as discussed above and the other process is excessive hair fall out which usually leads to hair thinning. Because hair grows in cycles, most people shed about 50 to 100 hairs per day. Excessive hair shedding is less common than typical hair thinning and may indicate a medical problem. Possible causes include childbirth, high fever, thyroid disease, crash diets, low iron levels and major surgery. Many of these causes are treatable once the correct cause of excess hair shedding is determined. People who notice their hair shedding in large amounts after combing or brushing or whose hair becomes rapidly thinner or falls out should consult with a dermatologist.

Laser Hair Removal
In recent years, several lasers have been developed that safely and effectively remove hair. These lasers work on the principle of selective photothermolysis. Translated, this means that they use laser light to selectively heat up and destroy hair follicles. Redding Dermatology always opts for the finest equipment available and has chosen the Light Sheer Diode Laser due to its superior safety and efficacy profile. (additional laser hair removal information)

Leg Veins
Many women are troubled by the appearance of unsightly veins on their legs. These veins are known as spider veins or varicose veins. There are several methods available to treat and camouflage leg veins. Very large and bulging leg veins may indicate a problem with the valves of the vein network. Large veins generally need to be evaluated with ultrasound to determine if surgical repair of the valve system is required. For more typical visible veins ranging in size from that of a thin pencil to the caliber of a kite string, sclerotherapy is currently considered the treatment of choice.

Sclerotherapy is a non-surgical procedure used to treat unwanted, unsightly veins. This procedure has been used since the 1930’s. Sclerotherapy involves injection of a sclerosing (hardening) agent directly into the veins through a very fine needle. This solution displaces the blood within the vein, causing the vein to blanche or turn white. The vein then becomes irritated and swells shut, prohibiting blood from re-entering the vein. When the needle is withdrawn, pressure is applied to the area. Sclerotherapy causes the treated veins to disappear or become less obvious, usually fading in three to four weeks.

Depending on the size of the veins and other factors more than one treatment may be required. Numerous blood vessels can be treated in one session. With sclerotherapy treatment, one can expect a good result with 60% to 90% improvement in the cosmetic appearance of the leg veins. The advantage of sclerotherapy is that it causes minimal lifestyle disruption, is virtually painless, is extremely safe, has very few complications and can be done in our office.

Lasers have recently been approved for the treatment of leg veins. Unfortunately, lasers do not work as well or as efficiently as sclerotherapy for leg vein treatment. Different types of lasers are required for different size veins and this makes laser leg vein treatment impractical. For these reasons, laser treatment of leg veins is less popular than sclerotherapy.

In addition to treatment of veins, products have developed to safely improve the appearance of leg skin generally. As the skin tans, pigment tends to obscure the varicose veins, making them less visible. Sunlight, however, is harmful to the skin. In light of this, many women opt to use safe sunless tanning agents to add a golden glow to the skin on their legs and obscure the leg veins.

Cosmetic Dermatology