Blog — Great Skin Habits

Rosacea is a vascular disorder of the skin characterized by flushing, erythema, and telangiectasia. The visual side effects are typically prominent on the central face, including the nose, cheeks, eyelids, and forehead. Other clinical considerations in rosacea include papules and/or nodules that can lead to scarring. The one thing that all forms of rosacea have in common is chronic poor vascular hemostasis (blood coagulation). This leads to leaky vessels, pooling of blood, delayed removal of inflammatory mediators, and persistent perivascular inflammation. Prolonged inflammation leads to the formation of fibrous tissue and thickening of the skin which are characteristics of phymatous...

Top concerns for the eye area are the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. These are two different culprits but can occur together. Dark circles can appear for several reasons, mainly hyperpigmentation, vascularity, and shadowing. Dark circles are often genetically inherited in darker skin types. As with their areas of pigmentation, the eyes can get darker with inflammation including sun exposure and frequent rubbing of the eyes, often seen in those with allergies. There is no real treatment for inherited dark circles, although some improvement can be seen with skin lightening products, chemical exfoliation, and laser treatments, similar to that...

Hyperpigmentation, a discoloration of the skin that shows up as dark spots or patches, is a concern for many people. It can be caused and triggered by various factors such as inflammation, hormonal response, and sun exposure. There are three main types of hyperpigmentation that manifest in different ways. Melasma, sometimes referred to as chloasma or pregnancy mask, shows up as dense areas of pigment in the central third of the face. Sun-induced pigmentation is more sporadic and presents as spotty discolorations commonly seen on areas of excessive sun exposure including the bridge of the nose, cheeks, and forehead. Post-inflammatory...

What is this new craze micro needling that everyone is talking about? Well, the truth is, it’s not new at all. Although micro needling, in the medical sense, was first introduced in 1905, Cosmetic Needling was not introduced until 1995, and has been a buzz word ever since, gaining more and more momentum. The increase in popularity was due to the enhanced results that are achieved when one incorporates Cosmetic Needling to their skin care regimen. When we apply our skin care topically, the amount of those ingredients that will actually get delivered to the skin will be dependent on...

Exfoliation Exfoliating the skin to improve its appearance dates back to ancient Egyptians and is still popular today.  Several methods using everything from mineral scrubs to chemicals have been used in different cultures to treat the skin.1 The cosmetic benefits of alpha hydroxy acids were discovered when sour milk, containing lactic acid, was used in baths to soften the skin. In the mid-1800s, the use of aggressive exfoliation methods was introduced to treat various skin conditions. These sometimes-extreme methods were successful, but at an expense. The more aggressive the treatment, the higher the risk of side effects and complications. Today,...