Aging Skin Treatment Paths
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery says the natural aging process generally produces lines and wrinkles, age spots, splotches and pigmentation problems, broken capillaries, dull skin texture and color, and other skin flaws. The list matters because the complaints are so different from one another. A treatment aimed at dull texture is not automatically a treatment for broken capillaries, and a bundle that promises both under one price deserves a closer read. The society keeps a reference page on aging skin that covers these conditions.
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery also states that sun damage compounds the aging process. According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, anti-aging creams and topical products only treat the milder symptoms of aging, such as damage to the skin's uppermost layers. That draws a line worth asking a provider about: which of your complaints sit in the top layers, and which sit deeper.
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery adds that although it is not possible to turn back the hands of time, the effects of aging can be dramatically slowed down and improved. Slowing and improving is the realistic promise, and an offer that claims more than that should be asked to explain how.
Abrasion and light treatments for aging skin
- Microdermabrasion for Dull Aging Skin: the number of visits professional sources describe, how long a result is expected to hold, and what to ask before paying for a package.
- IPL Photofacial for Aging Skin: what intense pulsed light is used for, what the hours and weeks after treatment look like, and how to weigh a multi-session offer.
- Dermabrasion for Mature Skin Texture: where dermabrasion fits among these options and what to ask before comparing prices.
Dermabrasion also has its own reference page on dermabrasion for aging skin from the same society, which is worth reading before comparing it with the other two.
Terms that show up on treatment menus
Non-invasive skin tightening. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery describes non-invasive skin tightening procedures as non-surgical devices used to stimulate collagen production in the deeper layers of the skin. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery says results from skin tightening procedures which work on collagen stimulation can often take at least 3-6 months to see their effect.
Soft-tissue fillers. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery says all soft-tissue fillers are temporary, lasting anywhere from six months to two years, depending on the filler and type of procedure, and that some patients require maintenance treatments to achieve the best results.
Chemical peels. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery says chemical peels improve the appearance of aging skin by using a chemical solution to remove the outer layer of old skin, and that the new skin that replaces it is usually smoother and less wrinkled in appearance. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery lists fine lines around the mouth and under the eyes, wrinkles, mild scarring, age spots and sun damage among the things chemical peels can be used to treat.
Taking the questions to a consultation
Choose the complaint that bothers you most and read the matching treatment first. Then bring three questions: how many visits the price covers, how long the benefit is expected to last, and what keeping the result costs after the first course ends. A bundle that adds extra treatments should be priced against those answers, not against its printed discount.