The treatments that we perform in a cosmetic dermatology clinic are aesthetic—to improve the appearance. The most commonly requested treatments are facial anti-aging rejuvenation—restoring a youthful, aesthetically pleasing, healthy look.

The basic areas cosmetic dermatologists assess when developing an facial anti-aging skin rejuvenation plan are as follows:

• The condition of skin should be smooth, without broken veins, sallowness, brown spots, large pores, bumps or growths. Skin should have good elasticity and reflect light well with a youthful healthy glow.
• The distribution of fat in the face should be greatest at the upper cheeks. The cheekbone fullness on the side of the face should extend as an oval towards the end of the nose, ending above the corner of the mouth. The temples should not be hollowed.
• The lips should be full and without surrounding radial lines. The bottom lip should have more fullness than the upper lip.
• The skin should be smooth without lines and wrinkles.
• The expression should be relaxed not appearing angry or stressed
• There should be symmetry of the facial structures with one side matching the other
• The shape of the face should be the “triangle of youth” and widest at the cheekbones tapering down the chin. It should not be rectangular or the “pyramid of age” with the widest area at the lower face.
• And most importantly the face should appear naturally youthful, not artificially enhanced.

Cosmetic dermatologists achieve a youthful, aesthetically pleasing, attractive face by following the 5 R’s of anti-aging treatments:

Repair, Relax, Restore, Resurface, Re-drape

• Repair Sun Damage—Reduce Lines, Wrinkles, Spots, Sagging
• Relax Muscle Action—Reduce Lines
• Restore Volume—Reduce Lines, Give Youthful Fullness and Lift Sagging Skin
• Resurface Skin Texture—Reduce Lines, Wrinkles, Pore Size, Scars
• Re-drape Sagging Skin—Lift and Firm

Stay tuned. Tomorrow I will begin to explain how we get there.