Category Archives: Skin Care

Skin Care Peptides and Vitamin C

Peptides in Obagi Hydrate Luxe

Peptides in Skin Care

Peptides, another hot topic in skin care, signal cells to stimulate collagen and elastin. Peptides are short strings of amino acids which can act as signaling molecules to help slow down visible signs of aging. Obagi Hydrate Luxe is the first and currently the only product at Surgical Artistry which contains peptide technology. Obagi Hydrate Luxe containes two key peptides which reduce the appearance of fine lines and increases skin firmness: Chronoline and Kollaren. This was my attempt to teach and discuss within our Modesto office.

Vitamin C in Skin Care

Vitamin C is used by fibroblasts to make collagen and elastin. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant which has a photoprotective effect by reducing damage to cells and DNA which are caused by oxidation from UV light exposure. Oxidation is also caused by pollutants over time. The vitamin C also protects the sunscreen from oxidative changes caused by UV light. This allows the sunscreen to work with less degradation from ultraviolet light.

Skin care is an integral part of plastic surgery.

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Thank you! Enjoy! Disclaimer: double check the facts, I’m just writing all this off the top of my head. Facts can change over time too.

When to restart Tretinoin after an Obagi Blue Peel Radiance Peel

I got this question today, and it’s a question we address constantly. I thought I’d write about restarting facial topical Tretinoin after a Blue Peel Radiance (Obagi) Peel treatment on the face.

When should I re-start Tretinoin again after I receive a Blue Peel Radiance Peel (Obagi)?

The quick answer is about 6 days to restart your tretinoin, also known as Retin-A (among other names). The range for most patients would be 4-8 days. Some can restart sooner if there wasn’t too much irritation from the Obagi Blue Peel Radiance.

The problem of starting Tretioin too soon after a Blue Peel Radiance is that your skin may become too irritated and uncomfortable.

The same goes for restarting all the other Obagi Nu-Derm skin care products which may have been stopped – such as Exfoderm, Exfoderm Forte.

Everyone’s skin is a little different and every esthetician, doctor, dermatologist, surgeon, nurse has a different plan. My guideline of about 6 days works for us at Surgical Artistry, Modesto. But please consult your own practitioner for their own preferences. Our plastic surgery office is directed by Dr. Tammy Wu, Plastic Surgeon and we are located in Modesto, California. Different locations and different climates on the skin affect these recommendations on returning back to tretinoin use.

Other important aftercare instructions for Obagi Blue Peel Radiance Chemical Peel:

Download the Blue Peel RADIANCE After-care Card here or with the below link.

http://obagi.com/sites/default/files/bluepeel_ttearpad.pdf

The pdf file above will talk about the importance of applying Sunscreen.

When to consider another Blue Peel Radiance Chemical Peel.

One can consider another Blue Peel Radiance chemical peel about 1 month later. Theoretically, one can consider a repeat Blue Peel Radiance as close as 2 weeks apart. The purpose of “stacking” the peels closer together is to continue to get better results. After about a series of 5 peels, the improvement is at it’s maximum, and then the goal is maintenance which may be achieved with continued peels every 2-3 months.

A Recent Botox and Dermal Filler Review for Calvin Lee, MD in Modesto, CA

Botox and Dermal Filler review for Calvin Lee, MD Modesto, CA. November 2013.

The review can be found here: https://plus.google.com/102548094439476506081/about?gl=US&hl=en-US

I have saved other (older) plastic surgery and botox reviews here.

Thank you very much for the Botox and Juvederm and Boletero review. It’s very much appreciated. And I will continue to do my best to improve and live up to those high standards written in these very kind reviews.

www.SurgeryToday.com
(209) 551-1888

Derma Pen Recommendations

For our Modesto Plastic Surgery Practice, I’ve come up with these guidelines.

Derma Pen is a modality for improving:

Rosacea
Scars
Lax Skin
UV Damage
Stretch marks

Is the DermaPen a New Invention?

Yes and No. The makers of Derma Pen thinks it’s a new invention. However, I’m an acupuncturist who does cosmetic acupuncture. This idea of wounding the skin with a needle to cause more collagen growth is not new. From what I know, this needling concept has been used thousands of years ago in acupuncture. Most acupuncturists today don’t know the art of cosmetic acupuncture. It requires additional training. However, I (Dr. Calvin Lee) was very interested in cosmetic acupuncture because it complements our Modesto Plastic Surgery practice.

But I must say the concept of attaching 11 cosmetic acupuncture needles to the end of a machine is a new concept. What this can do, I cannot do by hand. I am simply not patient enough to cover as much ground as this machine can. Finally after 5000 years, there is an improvement to acupuncture!

The Boston Channel website regarding Cosmetic Acupunture – interviews Dr. Calvin Lee (me)

Derma Pen Rivals Lasers?

Article on Automated Microneedling Rivals Energy-Based Tx

Cost of Derma Pen Procedure:

MD model (deeper) of the Derma Pen, not the Aesthetician Model (less deep)
Done by a Surgeon who is trained in aesthetic injections for the face, who is also an Acupuncturist who is also trained in Cosmetic Acupuncture (um, that’s me).
Includes addition of Kerotinocyte Growth Factors with no additional cost – right where the skin is most absorbent. Yes, growth factors is another craze in the skin care industry.

$400-$500 per session. Prices change, please call us for more info.

PRIOR TO DERMA PEN PROCEDURE:

1) Stop Tretinoin/Retin-A x 2 days before procedure
2) Avoid prologned / direct sun exposure or sun burns to the treatment area for 2 days
3) Skin should be clean and makeup free before coming for the procedure
4) We will place numbing cream containing Lidocaine 15 minutes before the procedure.

How often can the Derma Pen be done?

ANSWER: You should see an improvement in your skin after the first visit. You can have them as close as once per month. At this time we are recommending, once per month for the first 5 months, the after that possibly every third month to continue to show improvements.

How long does Derma Pen results last?

I’m going to answer this based on what I’ve seen with my Cosmetic Acupuncture practice. With Cosmetic Acupuncture, after about 10 sessions, we have seen patients keep their changes for about 2 years. I think we’ll get to that result after 4 treatments with derma pen. But the reason people keep getting treatments after 4 sessions is that improvements continue on and I think folks would be excited to see the clock turn backwards even more.

Post operative care after DERMA PEN:

1) Stay away from sun exposure x 7 days
2) Wear hat x 7 days (wear as much as you can)
3) Do not wear sun screen x 12 hours (we don’t want this to absorb into your skin)
4) Do not wear make-up x 12 hours
5) Cold sore patients may want to take medication
6) Use your serums: Phyto, B5 Gel, Vitamin C gel right away and daily afterwards to take advantage of the greater penetration after Derma Pen
7) Your skin will be dry and a bit red for the next 2-3 days after the procedure. Moisturize with Phyto, B5 Gel, and/or any other favorite moisture product of yours.

Can DermaPen be used for darker skin?

Yes, Derma Pen can be used on skin of all colors.

www.SurgeryToday.com
(209) 551-1888

Day 3 Vegas Cosmetic Surgery Aesthetic Dermatology Conference

Today’s highlights involved meeting the worlds most prolific injector of Botox. He works in Singapore. He gave a great lecture about injecting Botox in a certain way which could work for some Keloid scars. The protocol is detailed and he shared it with the attendees of the Vegas Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic Dermatology Conference.

I attended a few sessions on laser and Cool Sculpting. Cool Sculpting is a method of non surgical fat reduction. It uses the idea of cryolipolysis. CoolSculpting is a trademark owned by Zeltiq. They hosted a cocktail hour at the conference at around 6:15pm tonight.

I got a chance to greet the reps for Allergan at the Convention. What was interesting today for me was getting more information about doing virtual patient follow ups. I didn’t think I was ready for such a thing, but it’s out there. It’s kind of like recording your post op visit on a secure youtube website and then having the doctor review it later and write you some secure email.

I particularly liked the sessions on TCA peeling.

We also spent some time with another cosmetic plastic surgeon from Modesto, CA. It was good to see another familiar face at the meeting.

In the evening, there was a dinner program put together by Valeant – the owners of Restylane, Perlane, Sculptra, Dysport, Obagi, and Renova (a form of Tretinoin). We saw some live amazing cosmetic injection techniques by some legendary doctors.

I am getting so overloaded with all this great information!

Continuing Medical Education for Calvin Lee, MD, Modesto Surgeon

Lifelong student of Surgery, Medicine, and Health. Surgical Artistry (209) 551-1888