Cosmetic Surgeon Melbourne VIC - Dr Craig Rubinstein & Dr Jane Paterson

Cosmetic Surgery for Women’s Skin Clinic is a great new addition to the clinic. Supervised and run by our Plastic Surgeons Dr. Craig Rubinstein and Dr. Jane Paterson. It provides our surgical patients post operative scar revision treatments with Fraxel laser technology and a place where they can maintain and refresh their facial skin. Our Dermal Clinician and Nurse Injector have formal university qualifications and are specialists in their field of work. They endeavor to be at the forefront of providing and bringing you the safest, effective products and treatments available.

1. Minimise UV radiation exposure
Excessive UV radiation exposure from the sun or from artificial sources such as solariums can cause several skin problems, including pre-mature skin ageing. UV radiation can produce oxygen free radicals in the skin that damage the skin's collagen and DNA, and lead to the formation of wrinkles, skin pigmentation, visible blood vessels (redness), and skin cancers. You don't even have to get burnt for these things to happen. Cumulative UV radiation occurs over your lifetime, so daily protection is important.

You can avoid excessive cumulative UV radiation exposure by;

Covering your skin with appropriate clothing or by finding shade during the day

Avoiding the sun during the peak UV times - usually from 10am to 2pm (or 11am to 3pm daylight saving time)

Never using solariums

Wearing appropriate sunscreen. Get into a habit of wearing sunscreen daily, especially on exposed areas such as the face, irrespective of the weather. We recommend physical sunscreens, which contain nanonized zinc or titanium.

2. Use a topical retinoid
Topical retinoids were first used in the treatment of acne many years ago. Those who used it not only found an improvement in their acne, but a noticeable improvement in their skin quality, texture, and tone. Today it is used as both an anti-ageing cream as well as an anti-acne cream. Topical retinoids can help to;

Improve skin turnover - As one gets older, skin turnover slows down. Topical retinoids can help to improve and speed cell turnover so your skin behaves as a younger skin. Improved skin turnover can also help to reduce acne.

Controls oil production - In those with excessive oil production, topical retinoids can help to moderate oil product and reduce acne

Reduce DNA mutations and damage from UV exposure

Improve wrinkles, pigmentation, skin tone and texture.

3. Laser away imperfections
Lasers can help to treat various skin concerns and rejuvenate skin. Lasers emit a specific wavelength of concentrated light that has a particular effect on the skin through its attraction to a certain target in the skin. For example, certain laser wavelengths are attracted to brown spots, and others to capillaries. By being more attracted to a certain target in the skin, lasers are able to specifically target a certain problem such as a sunspot, whilst not affecting normal skin to any significant extent.

4. Peel away the old…
Chemical peels are a method of removing or exfoliating the top layers of skin and stimulating new collagen production from beneath. Chemical peels come in various strengths to suit your lifestyle and skin condition or type. Lighter peels can be performed, such as low concentration lactic or glycolic peels, and these have little or no downtime. Usually multiple treatments of these are required for the best results. Alternately, you can have deeper peels such as the TCA (trichloroacetic acid) peel at higher concentrations which cause some downtime, but induce more profound improvements in the skin. Peels can help with skin tone, skin texture, wrinkles, pigmentation and scarring.

5. Mineral make-up
What is mineral make-up and how does it differ from other make-up? Mineral make-up is composed of mineral substances found in nature, including mica, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide. Mineral make-up has certain advantages over conventional make-up, as it is anti-inflammatory, works as a sunscreen, is non-comedogenic (won't block pores), and gives skin a smooth and flawless appearance. It is particularly suited to those with acne or rosacea, and can be used on any skin type.

6. Anti-wrinkle injections
Anti-wrinkle injections are administered into specific facial muscles to help prevent creasing of the skin during certain facial movements. Repeated facial expressions such as frowning or raising of the forehead can cause etching of lines into the skin, like creases in a piece of paper that has been folded many times. Furthermore, anti-wrinkle injections give the skin a smooth and relaxed appearance. Generally, these injections can be performed quickly, simply, and safely, and last about 3-4 months in most cases.

7. Dermal fillers
As a baby, our faces are like a fully inflated balloon - full and smooth. With age, volume is naturally lost from the face, and like a balloon that has lost some air, it can become more wrinkled and less firm. Dermal fillers can be used to combat the problem of facial volume loss, and help to rejuvenate the appearance of the skin. Dermal fillers are strategically placed under the skin in areas such as the cheeks, around the eyes, and lips to re-inflate these areas, back towards their previous state. There are various types of dermal fillers available. They vary in longevity, consistency, reversibility, and cost.

8. Medical grade skin care
Medical grade skin care are skin care products that contain active ingredients that rejuvenate, renew, replenish, and protect the skin. Although many skin care products on the market claim to do this, they simply do not have any significant amount of active ingredients and simply coat and cover the skin. This may lead to some short-term improvement in the look and feel of the skin, but impart no long-term benefit on the skin. Medical grade skin care contains active ingredients such as;

Topical retinoids (see above)

Zinc/titanium (sunscreen)

Niacinamide (Vitamin B) - helps to improve skin immunity and cell metabolism

Anti-oxidants - including vitamin C, help to mop up free radicals caused by environmental damage

AHA/BHA (alphahydroxy acids/betahydroxy acids) - help to exfoliate and renew the skin

Growth factors - a relatively new addition, growth factors help to repair and regenerate skin