From the latest technologies in beauty enhancement and care to the evolution of dermatology itself, experts say there has been a redefinition of skincare like never before. Ankita Jain reports
Beauty care has been an important facet of human life since the dawn of civilisation but now everybody seems to be a moving dictionary on alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), free radicals (extremely damaging), chemical peels, UV rays, melanin blocks, retinols, Vitamin C and so on. Constant scientific research is promising newer chapters to the beauty story. Now there is a new tribe called skin aestheticians, who literally get under your skin and help you fight the damaging effects of time and elements.
“In the last decade, dermatology has seen many rapid strides. From a field that had very less relevance for the general masses to a sought-after speciality for most individuals, dermatology has come a long way. The chief reason has been the advancements made in dermatology in the field of aesthetics, fuelled by the people’s desire to remain young and beautiful. This shift in perception about dermatology is the most important advancement,” said Dr latika Arya, one of the renowned practitioners in the city. “Among cosmetic procedures, the advent of second generation, focussed lasers which offer greater precision and faster healing are the latest advances. They are sub-categorised for specific problems. Fractional ablative and non-ablative lasers are used for acne scars, there’s the pain-free hair removal laser, the fractional Q switched Nd: YAG laser for birthmarks, tattoos and pigmentation. Newer technologies such as High Intensity Focussed Ultrasound (HIFU) for skin tightening and
lifting and cryolipolysis for body fat contouring have become popular. Besides, these newer advancements to treat skin ageing, chemical peels, fillers, botox, laser rejuvenation, thread lifting and platelet rich plasma treatment have all revolutionised the outcomes in antiageing segment.”
“Most recent are more of PRP(Pan-Retinal Photocoagulation), stem cells for both skin and hair, mesotherapy and collagen resin thesis devices like Ultherapy,” said Dr Reema Arora, who has been working in this field for around 20 years.
Asked what people look for among cosmetic treatments, Dr latika elaborates, “This generation of baby boomers is working till a very late age and wishes to keep looking young and delay ageing. They are looking for skin treatments which are safe, effective and don’t have a major recovery time. They are looking for results which are natural. Everyone wishes for a glowing, healthy looking, even toned and wrinkle-free skin.”
“Younger individuals in the age group of 18-30 visit more often for treatments like laser hair reduction and controlling acne, acne scars and hair fall. Older individuals visit more often for anti-ageing procedures that go beyond botox and cosmetic surgeries. Hair transplants, one of the most common procedures in men, is now being sought across a wider age category from 18 to 80,” added Dr Aakriti Mehra.
About the latest technologies, Sheep placenta is the newest beauty treatment on the block — a medical facial that gives deep hydration and a complete rejuvenation. A big hit with A-listers like Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham, this routine takes over an hour and is now gaining popularity in India. The skin is first primed with a choice of treatments and then the sheep placenta extracts are applied to the area. The facial starts with a thorough cleansing followed by surface exfoliation after which the skin is gently polished. There are many more like, carboxy therapy, cog threadlift for lifting jaw and cryolipolysis which uses cold pressing methods to kill fats.
“A majority of the patients are in the age group of 25 and 45 years. In my practice, women are more common than men, probably due to them being more conscious about their skin. The most common reasons they visit for are acne, pigmentation, melasma, dark circles, ageing skin and hair fall. Other common reasons are eczema, atopic dermatitis, infections, urticaria, psoriasis, vitiligo etc,” added Dr latika.
She also talked about the evolving concept of the dermatologist as a confidante. “Earlier he/she was only a doctor for itches, rashes and treating skin diseases. But now the dermatologist is considered as a doctor to be visted regularly even in the absence of skin disease to maintain a healthy and youthful skin. A dermatologist is nowadays considered as the doctor of beauty and youth.”
While throwing light on the concept of skincare, they also shared their most challenging cases so far. “One of the most challenging cases was of a teenage boy who had a severe and stubborn acne bout due to which he went into depression and had stopped going to school for over a month. The mother was extremely worried as the boy was in Class XII. He had already visited a few dermatologist in the city but was getting worse instead of improving. I treated him with lot of counselling and the required medication, which gradually cleared his skin and he soon regained his confidence,” revealed Dr latika.
“Challenging cases are encountered on a day to day basis, but the biggest challenge is to deliver optimum results at a reasonable cost while surpassing the expectation of the patient,” said Dr Aakriti.
Talking about genetic skin diseases, they said, “The post-Human Genome project era has led to remarkable progress in the understanding and management of genetic skin diseases. New discoveries in cutaneous genetics have led to newer ways to approach skin diseases. For example since the genetic defect in atopic dermatitis was unravelled, it has led to better treatments for control and prevention. The implications of these discoveries are immense; they provide means to translate these findings into therapies that will undoubtedly improve patient care and afford those afflicted a better quality of life.”
Several cosmetic clinics have mushroomed riding the bandwagon of popularity of cosmetic and anti-ageing treatments. However, one needs to be careful in choosing a clinic, by checking whether it is being run by a qualified dermatologist or not. The competition is here to stay but at the end of the day, only the clinics which provide high quality ethical treatments are going to sustain.