Wrinkles and Brown Spots
About Wrinkles
Wrinkles in the face are the result of several factors. The most common cause of wrinkles is the repetitive action of a muscle of facial expression causing a fold or indentation on the skin. A good analogy is to think about the repetitive folding of a piece of paper in the same area. If the same action is performed enough times, a permanent crease will be formed in the paper.
Another common cause of wrinkles is sun damaged or dehydrated skin. The more the sun damage to the skin, the less the collagen within the skin and the poorer the ability the skin has to repair itself. If the skin is dehydrated or dry, the quality and quantity of collagen in the skin is lower thus allowing greater ease in wrinkle formation.
About Brown Spots
Brown spots or areas on the face are usually the result of too much pigment. This pigment called melanin is produced by cells within the dermis or skin. There are many causes to brown spots including sun exposure, pregnancy, hormones and medications among others. It is important to remember that although most brown spots are benign areas of hyperpigmentation, a physician should look at your brown spots to make sure they are indeed benign.
Wrinkle Treatments & Brown Spot Removal
Because wrinkles and brown spots are localized to the dermis (skin), the ways that both are addressed are similar.
Wrinkles (fine lines ) are located within the dermis. Short acting procedures such as injectible products simply push or flatten the wrinkle from below. Long lasting procedures such as laser resurfacing, deep chemical peels and dermabrasion remove the superficial part of the dermis thus reducing the depth of the wrinkle. A good analogy is to think of a wrinkle as a scratch on a table and the way to get rid of it is to sand the area around the scratch and then to varnish the table.
Remember, the aforementioned procedures require a prescribed recovery period of at least one week and are performed in the operating room under twilight anesthesia.
Brown spots are also located within the dermis but in a more superficial location so the methods used to get rid of them are not as aggressive as those used in wrinkle removal. The Obagi™ system is used every day for a prescribed period of time and has no down time. Medium depth peels and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) also get rid of brown spots but they have an approximately 1 week recovery. Our Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach cosmetic surgeons will customize your treatment plan according to your concerns and lifestyle.