Skin Care Guide

Creating a Healthy Vibrant Glow is the Goal of Skin Rejuvenation.

Young skin is bright, clear, and vibrant looking. It has a glow, we call this luminosity. With age, the skin begins to thin, gets discolored, looks dull, feels coarse, and shows fine lines and wrinkles, and we eventually lose this youthful luminosity.

Our comprehensive skin rejuvenation in San Diego program is designed to restore aged skin and help reestablish that beautiful healthy glow. For our younger patients or those following our treatment program, we aim to preserve your vibrant look. A good skin care program incorporates both an at-home skin care routine and office-based skin treatments that are safe and based on science and results. Maintaining an organized skin rejuvenation routine is essential to slowing down the rate of aging of the skin. In addition, a healthy diet, low stress, sleep, and an overall healthy lifestyle can have a significant positive impact on your skin.

Skin Rejuvenation by Dr Amir Karam

Basic Care Involves the Use of

Sunscreen, sun protection
Skin Care
BBL Photofacial Therapy
Chemical Peels
Laser Resurfacing
Profractional Therapy
Botox

Through a one on one skin consultation, we help our patients get informed and organized so that they can get the most out of their treatments. We believe strongly that treatments need to be effective as well as cost effective. That is the standard we use when recommending skin care treatments.

The basic components in a good skin care and skin treatment regimen are the following.

Sunscreen And Sun Protection

Excessive sun exposure accelerates facial aging. The combination of regular sunscreen use and physical sun protection will not only significantly reduce the rate of aging and preserve the youthful tone and texture of the skin, but it will also significantly reduce the risk of skin cancer. This is perhaps one of the most important lifestyle changes you can do for yourself.

A simple rule when searching for a good sunscreen is to find one that contains an SPF of 30 or greater but also has a physical blocker such as zinc or titanium oxide. The percentage of zinc or titanium oxide should be greater than 8 or 9%. Sun Protection means wearing hats and clothing that covers the arms, neck, and chest.

Skin Care

We believe there is a fundamental combination of skin care products that every person needs in order to effectively treat the changes that occur with aging. Our philosophy and recommendations are based on solid science and outcomes. We know how confusing the topic of skin care and products is. We want to simplify this very confusing topic and get you on a long-term program. The acronym GRASS forms the basis for our simplified program for non-surgical skin rejuvenation in San Diego.

Growth factors- this class stimulates the skin cells to produce new collagen and elastin to help keep skin looking thick and healthy.
Retinols/Retin-A- this class also works to stimulate the cells to produce collagen and elastin to maintain skin thickness and also helps exfoliate the upper layer of the skin. In combination with growth factors or used alone, you will see improvements in tone, texture, and brightness.
Antioxidants- Vitamin C and E are potent antioxidants used to minimize free radical damage.
Specialty Products- This is how we customize the program according to your specific skin needs.
Sunscreen- the use of broad-spectrum sunscreen is essential to reduce exposure to harmful UVA & UVB Rays.

BBL (Broad Band Light) Photofacials

The Sciton BroadBand Light (BBL) at Carmel Valley Facial Plastic Surgery is the most advanced intense pulse light treatment on the market today. The Sciton BBL (BroadBand Light) procedure revitalizes the skin enhancing its luminosity. It targets brown and red pigments. The result is the skin appears more even colored and bright. In addition, BBL has been shown to stimulate the production of collagen & elastin, helping to maintain a youthful skin structure.

What it Treats

Age spots
Spider veins
Rosacea
Freckles
Brown/Red Lesions
Acne
Hair removal
Read more about BBL Photofacials

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are an excellent approach to treat sun-damaged and wrinkled skin. There are a variety of different chemical peel agents available. These can be customized to treat a specific skin condition and skin type. Regardless of the type of peel, a well-done chemical peel leaves the skin glowing. The improvement in texture and improvement of pigment discoloration (brown spots) can be dramatic. Peels can also eliminate fine lines and wrinkles.

As part of our skin rejuvenation treatments, we offer a range of chemical peel treatments ranging from light micro peels to medium depth TCA peels. The downtime ranges from no downtime for the light peels and between 5-10 days for medium depth peels. These procedures are well tolerated without anesthesia. Chemical peels can be done in combination with botox and filler treatments as well as with facelifts, eyelid surgery, or fat transfer.

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Carmel Valley Plastic Surgery - Dr. Karam Gallery media

Laser Resurfacing (Erbium:Yag)

Micro Laser Peel

We are proud to introduce the latest technology in superficial skin resurfacing using the Sciton Micro Laser Peel. This state of the art Laser Peel provides dramatic long lasting results with minimal discomfort and downtime.

Laser Skin resurfacing treatments are intended to reverse the negative effects caused by environmental and aging factors to restore a healthy youthful appearance. The laser peel precisely ablates and removes the thin top layer of the skin in order to eliminate damaged skin cells. The removal of damaged skin cells improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, tone, and texture.

What it Treats

Fine Line and Wrinkles
Scars
Keratosis
Sun damage (e.g., freckles)
Pigment irregularities

Profractional Therapy

The Sciton Profractional Therapy is a solution to treat the after-effects of aging and environmental factors that contribute to the breakdown of collagen and elasticity in the skin. This fast and easy treatment aerates targeted areas of the skin to thicken the tissue and help to stimulate the body’s natural production of collagen. In as little as one treatment the body will develop rich new collagen and you will experience tighter rejuvenated skin. Unlike full field resurfacing which removes the entire surface area of a treatment site, the Profractional Laser pinpoints narrow-diameter channels into the deep layer of the skin called the dermis. This triggers the body’s collagen generating process. This new collagen results in added thickness and resilience to the skin.

What it Treats

Fines lines and wrinkles
Elasticity (collagen depletion)
Scars

TRL (Deep Laser Resurfacing)

For deeper lines and wrinkles, TRL is the treatment of choice. Having the ability to tune the laser to deeper levels required to tackle deep lines and wrinkles allows us the versatility needed to address even the most sun damaged and aged skin.

Successful treatment of those stubborn vertical lines around the lips makes this procedure very popular. It can be done alone or in addition to our other non-surgical skin rejuvenation procedures for the face.

Botox

Botox not only improves wrinkles, it can prevent them. Wrinkles form as a result of facial muscle contraction leaving creases on the skin. During youth, the skin is elastic and will rebound. However, as one ages, the elastic quality of the skin diminishes resulting in wrinkle formation. Botox relaxes the muscles that cause wrinkles on the face, thereby preventing their formation. Additionally, well-done Botox can have a very positive impact on the expression of the face. It is used primarily in the upper face. The results last between 3-4 months.

Nano Peel

In circumstances in which no downtime is required, our Nano Peel offers a quick refreshed skin appearance by removing a very superficial layer of dull skin. This is perfect to reestablish your glow before a weekend or an event. This procedure is done in about 15 minutes with no anesthesia.