GLYCOLIC ACID OR HYALURONIC ACID ~ WHICH IS BETTER FOR ANTI-AGING?

 GLYCOLIC ACID OR HYALURONIC ACID ~ WHICH IS BETTER FOR ANTI-AGING?

Just because they share the word ‘acid’ in the name does not mean that they do the same thing - the ingredients and effects of each are actually quite different. Which one should you use for anti-agile purposes? Let’s look in more detail at hyaluronic and glycolic acid…

What is Glycolic acid? 

Glycolic acid (read in more detail in our previous blog for more information - here) is derived from sugar cane and is one of the most widely used AHAs in skin care products, it has the smallest molecules of all AHAs which allows for optimal exfoliation and absorption into the skin. Glycolic acid works by increasing the speed at which our cells rejuvenate or replace themselves. It works by dissolving the ‘glue’ that holds skin cells together - meaning that by using glycolic acid we can shed our dead skin cells faster than we would do so alone.

What is Hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a clear, sugar-based substance which is naturally found in our bodies - it is highly concentrated in our eye fluids, joints, and skin. It works by binding to water and helping to retain moisture (it can hold up to 1,000 times it weight in water), promote and protect collagen and provide flexibility and lubrication to said areas of the body. It keeps our skin looking plump and hydrated, as well as function at its best. When our natural store of hyaluronic acid begins to deplete naturally with age, we start to lose firmness and the skin becomes less able to retain moisture.

How do Hyaluronic acid products work? 

To reap the benefits of hyaluronic acid there are different ways to use the products on the market. To achieve long lasting and effective results, hyaluronic acid-based fillers are injected into  various layers of the skin. Otherwise, products can be applied topically as drops, moisturisers or creams. However, unless the product is effective, if it is not able to be absorbed by the skin, it will simply sit on top of the skin and provide a very limited and temporary amount of hydration. So the product must be of a certain standard and molecular structure in order to have the desired effect. The desired effect being that it stimulates collagen production, increases moisture levels, and strengthens the skin barrier - it should serve to make the skin stronger, firmer, and deeply hydrated on a cellular level.

How do Glycolic acid products work? 

Glycolic Acid can help our skin by hydrating it, smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles, improving our skin tone and texture, reducing the effects of sun damage, brighten the skin, reducing pre size, preventing ingrowing hairs, shed dead skin cells quickly, clear out pores which can help with spots and acne. 

Contrary to some reports, within a skin care ointment or cream, Glycolic Acid will not remove scars, it can have an effect on pigmentation  (such as slightly lightening a darkened patch of wounded skin), and improve a raised or pitted scar but will not remove them completely. 

There are plenty of over the counter options when it comes to choosing your product containing glycolic acid, generally these will come in varying strengths up to 10%. There are also stronger versions (up to 30%) which are present in a light chemical peel, though these are not advisable at home but by a professional practitioner or aesthetician. A dermatologist can administer an even stronger chemical peel including glycolic acid of up to 70% strength. 

The format in which you choose to apply glycolic acid to the skin completely depends on your personal skin type and needs. You may be content with an over the counter product containing a light percentage of glycolic acid to brighten your skin and give you a healthy glow, to give a smoother skin texture, prevent breakouts and even reduce fine lines. Other skin types may require a more professional approach and a stronger treatment. 

So which one do I choose for anti-aging purposes? Hyaluronic acid or glycolic acid?

In a nutshell, use both! Glycolic acid can be harsh on some skin types and, depending on the strength, your skin can take some time to adapt to using it so gradually build up the use of it over time. Beginning at 2/3 times a week and moving up to 4/5 if there is no sign of irritation, for example. Slowly increase over time until you can use it daily. If at any moment the skin becomes irritated then stop for a rest and begin the process again after a week or so at a lesser level. Glycolic acid works as an exfoliant and serves to improve skin tone and texture - this can mean that fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage / spots, etc can be reduced or improved over time. Hyaluronic acid works as a great source of hydration for the skin and promote collagen while reserving moisture. Both naturally occurring ingredients work well as individual skin treatments yet the two together can achieve smoother, healthier, more radiant looking skin. 

How to use both Glycolic acid and Hyaluronic acid together…

Due to the two products not being in competition with one another for their beneficial properties, they compliment each other really well when used in a personal skin care routine. The glycolic acid is your exfoliator revealing that radiance that has been hiding under the dead skin cells, and the hyaluronic acid is your day cream, gel, serum or mask, which locks in all that necessary moisture to keep your skin plump and hydrated. Rinse your face with water after using any glycolic acid product before moisturising with a hyaluronic acid based product.

Bottom line - use both! 

To speak to our skin care specialists and learn what is best for your skin type, please contact Ocean Clinic today. 

Combining Plastic Surgery with Non Surgical Treatments for best results - as recommended by Ocean Clinic, Marbella

 

Combining Plastic Surgery with Non Surgical Treatments for best results

A simple mistake when contemplating cosmetic treatments is to separate the worlds of plastic surgery and non-surgical procedures. Though there are some mighty differences between the two when it comes to recovery time, cost, and invasiveness, (as well as results) the two are not exclusive; in fact for optimal results, often the best option is to combine the two. 

This synergy is a highly effective method to achieve the desired overall outcome of many types of treatments to various areas of the body, especially in the field of anti-aging. These combinations also seemingly produce the most natural looking results due to the cumulation of each side of the surgical fence. Having plastic surgery can produce certain outcomes, as does nonsurgical treatment, however the two together can take the result that one step further. 

Dr. Kai Kaye, plastic surgeon, and Dra. Gabriela Casabona, dermatologist & head of aesthetics, both from Ocean Clinic, Marbella, suggest that the concept is to achieve a holistic regeneration approach, some layers can be treated surgically and others non-surgically; combining the two creates better results.  The following are some examples of combination treatments, as per their recommendation, which offer great synergy and impressive results…

Upper Blepharoplasty (surgical) combined with cosmetic injectables and fillers. Upper blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure which removes excess skin from the upper eyelid. When eyelids age or become ‘heavy’ the skin can start to fold and show, even hang over the eye and give an unwanted/uncomfortable appearance. Combining this procedure with cosmetic injections to tighten the muscles around the brow to create a lifting effect, as well as fillers to volumize the forehead and temples, gives an all round lift to the eye region and creates a natural, youthful, lighter look. 

 Co2 laser / peeling with Blepharoplasty. Again blepharoplasty can be combined with a non surgical treatment to create optimal results. Upper and lower blepharoplasty (lower being the use of various surgical treatments of the lower eyelid / eye-bag area), is often carried out alongside a Co2 laser treatment which serves to resurface, or remodel the skin. Laser skin resurfacing, also known as laser peeling, is a safe and effective method for improving the skin’s appearance. The laser reduces the appearance of wrinkles and any other minor skin issues; liver spots, sun damage, superficial scarring, etc.  The blepharoplasty procedure removes any excess skin, muscle or fat, tightening and rejuvenating the eye area whilst the laser fine tunes the skin around the eyelid areas, a perfect match to create a youthful, healthy, appearance with no excess skin or eye bags; a perfect match. 

Lower Blepharoplasty with Fillers to the Mid-face and Tear Trough. This time we are focussing on the lower eyelids where many people suffer with eyebags, dark circles, hollowing under the eyes, etc. Once the lower lids are corrected surgically via a lower blepharoplasty procedure, the fillers in the mid face and tear trough serve to complete a balance of volume and lift. This combination creates smooth, tightened and rejuvenated skin across the whole area.

Liposuction with radiofrequency skin tightening. As the liposuction procedure serves to remove excess unwanted fat from problem areas, the radiofrequency treatment helps to target deep fat tissue at a safe temperature which stimulates the natural elimination of fat cells. The two combined create optimal body contouring results. Liposuction is the surgical removal of fat deposits via a cannula using various kinds of suction techniques. Ocean Clinic offers various types of liposuction, the favorite often being the water-jet assisted version for minimal bruising.  

Jawline Mini Lift with Ulthera (for younger patients). Whilst the majority of people having face or neck lifts is generally associated with an older age group, there is a growing number of patients in their younger years who are opting for surgery. Due to their cases being less ‘severe’ than with older generations, people in their forties, for example, often have more subtle procedures which help to prevent and reduce their aging process rather than going through a major transformation at a later date. 

A mini lift at the jawline is a good example of this, as the skin begins to loosen and sag in this area it is the beginning of our aging process which over time worsens. To operate at an earlier age preserves those youthful looks, the surgery is far less intense, plus the results are more natural.

This procedure  is a combination treatment where, surgically, only the jowling of the mandíbule (skin excess forming jowls) is addressed, with a small incision around the inferior base of the ear/earlobe, while all other laxity in the neck or the mid face is addressed with High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU). The HIFU treatment we use at Ocean Clinic is an Ulthera device, which achieves neocollagenesis in all levels and layers of the skin and serves to lift and tighten alongside the surgery itself to achieve the most natural, youthful and long lasting look. The Ulthera device is the only one that has ultrasound technology which allows us to actually see which layers we are treating, making the procedure more effective. 

Microneedling with Facelift - Modern Facelift and neck lift procedures are the cornerstone of facial rejuvenation. The techniques have evolved over the last 50 years and recently saw the integration of novel techniques like facial fat grafting and skin resurfacing techniques (Microneedling or Peeling) that contribute towards more natural,  more complete results. 

Microneedling is a non-surgical skin treatment involving the insertion of fine needles into the skin to improve collagen production in order to regenerate our skin and maintain a more smooth, even tone as well as youthful appearance. When used in combination with a facelift the results are considered  more natural and longer lasting as the skin continues to create collagen over time. It can also be used in association with nano-fat (full of stem cells, stromal vascular fraction cells, growth factors) and other active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, vitamin C; exosomes that can boost the needle effect promoting a more long lasting stimulation of collagen. 

Bottom Line - there are many layers to our physical anatomy as there are to our wants and desires, when it comes to physical improvements this must be recognised, analyzed and many times a multi-faceted combination of treatments realized to achieve the optimum results. Therefore plastic surgery and non-surgical treatments are quite often “better together”. 

Contact Ocean Clinic, Marbella to discuss your next steps. 

What is HEAT? - Find out more on the latest concept in Aesthetic ~ Cosmetic treatments

What is HEAT? - the latest concept in aesthetic, cosmetic treatments… examples on how it is applied at Ocean Clinic, Marbella by Dr. Gabriela Casabona.  

‘HEAT’ is a concept created to make the best choices for an individual patient, using the least amount of product to achieve the best results in the shortest amount of time - thus making the treatments as highly effective as possible. 

Heat stands for 'Highly Effective Aesthetic Treatment', which is of course always the aim - however we administer a treatment, whatever that treatment is, we want the results to be the most effective possible. 

“Throughout my career I have learnt to recognize that many products can be delivered using the same device; a cannula to administer a filler for example, but if you do not study and understand the behaviour of each product inside the body, how it reacts, where it is positioned, the layer at which you administer it, etc. you can end up using much more product, achieve the same results maybe, but with a far less effective outcome. So HEAT, for me, means that I know exactly where my target is, how my product will behave once inside the treatment area, and how to get the best use of the product using the least amount possible within the least amount of time possible (least number of sessions, least amount of product administered and achieve the best results).” Says Dr Gabriela Casabona, head of aesthetic department, Ocean Clinic, Marbella. 

HEAT and Injectable fillers ~ To illustrate how to apply the HEAT concept within her practice, Gabriela explained that if, for example, she was setting out to achieve projection of the zygoma area (cheekbone area) using fillers, she would opt for injecting a bolus - the cannula is placed at a deeper layer and kept still while the filler is administered, to achieve a static ‘bolus’ of product which keeps its shape and position - “if I want to save product and create the optimum effect, I need to locate the exact layer and use the right amount of product to create a perfect bolus and achieve the right amount of projection. If I were to use retrograde technique (instead of a bolus) - this is where filler is injected in traces, small amounts over an area as the cannula moves - the same amount of projection would not be achievable using the same amount of product, it would need much more”, she explains.    HEAT and biostimulators ~ When it comes to biostimulators, another example of applying the HEAT concept is that some biostimulators accumulate in an area and create volume - but if we want a rejuvenation/regeneration effect in the tissue, we need the product to spread, we don’t want an accumulation, we want to rejuvenate the whole area. To know which product to select for which area, and how to apply it most effectively is vital to the HEAT concept.   HEAT and Ultherapy ~ If a patient was undergoing Ultherapy to achieve a non-invasive facelift, the practitioner would analyze and target the SMAS (Sub-Muscular Aponeurotic System) - a thin layer of strong connective tissue on the face. The SMAS is vital in anti-aging medicine as it is probably the most important support structure of the face. It surrounds and connects to both deeper tissue and the muscles that are responsible for our facial expressions. "I have to target the whole fascia system, the SMAS, and the skin. If I don’t use an ultrasound to locate the SMAS I will assume that a patient’s will lie at around 4.5mm, if she actually had her SMAS located at 3mm, for example, then I would have gone in too deep, administered the energy at a level where the result would not be as effective as at the correct level. When I look at the result, it won't be as good as if I had gone to the correct target to achieve lifting", says Gabriela. HEAT and Neuromodulators ~ When we inject neuromodulators there are two main decisions: where we inject to be most effective and how much product to apply. For best longevity my neuromoduator needs to be injected into the muscle. At Ocean Clinic we apply the HEAT concept, mapping our patients with USG. This means we can define precisely where the muscle is and how deep to inject - this aids in choosing the right needle and points at which to inject. This gives a better effect with less risk of heavy forehead or misplacements of points with the need for touch ups.  For more information on our HEAT concept, aesthetic and cosmetic treatments, please contact Ocean Clinic, Marbella today.  ReplyReply allForward