Category: Rosacea

The Regenerative Properties of RetrinAL-NEW FORMULA!

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retrinal intensive cream

After the age of 30, it is recommended that you use some form of vitamin A in your anti-aging skin care regimen. Vitamin A works on wrinkles and photo-damaged skin by exfoliating the cells and encouraging new ones to form. While some skin types find that they do not tolerate this ingredient well, there is one product we have found that works well even for the most sensitive skin!

Dr. Fiona Wright’s Tip

Two popular forms of Vitamin A are Retinoic Acid (retin-A) and Retinol and although they work on wrinkles, they can be unbearably irritating for sensitive types.  For years, my solution to this dilemma, has been to offer my patients, RETRINAL by Avène which uses a specific form of Vitamin A called Retinaldehyde that is both effective and kind to sensitive skin. Retinoic Acid is the only ingredient that requires a prescription even though Retinaldehyde has a similar activity level. Both Retinaldehyde and Retinoic acid are substantially more active (500 times more!) than all other Vitamin A counterparts. Many of my sensitive skin patients have successfully added RETRINAL into their daily regimen and have gotten great results!

But, the exciting news for this product is that it now is offered as RETRINAL Intensive Cream which contains Relastide, an anti-aging peptide that helps keep collagen and elastin from becoming stiff and rigid while boosting  the efficacy of retinaldehyde. RETRINAL Intensive Cream delivers deliver 4 antiaging benefits: wrinkle reduction, radiance, skin elasticity, and skin quality (skin texture and tone).

Retinaldehyde and Relastide are available in very few products, which makes RETRINAL Intensive Cream by Avène  rather exceptional after all. Available at Skin MD and Beyond!

“Bye-Bye Blotchy Skin” with our NEW Photofacial Treatment – the IPL M22!

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One of the things we hear daily from men and women alike, is the regret of being a sun worshiper for years- mostly because the repercussion of those years stares back at them in the mirror on a daily basis.  As your age spots and facial veins make your skin look uneven and blotchy!  Are you tired of being “red-faced”? Do the over-the-counter remedies fail to improve your areas of concern? Then Skin MD and Beyond has your answer – because our New M22 Photofacial works better than ever!

Dr. Fiona Wright’s Tip

A Photofacial is an Intense Pulse Light (IPL) therapy used to reduce skin imperfections such as sun damage, pigmentation, melasma or the “pregnancy mask”, red or brown acne scars, rosacea, skin flushing, facial veins  and many more concerns in a safe and effective way.

As commented by RealSelf.com, the Photofacial M22 IPL treats multiple skin issues as the inventor (Lumenis) of intense pulse light therapy (IPL) technology has another new offering for the world of cosmetic improvements. With its OPT technology, exclusive to Lumenis IPL, it provides me with optimum choices to deliver the appropriate pulse for any application. I am able to control the pulse shape of the light in order to allow the best results and reduce the chances of skin damage in lesion treatment.

Our NEW M22 IPL treatment is designed to combat the effects of aging skin with a gentle non-invasive approach to areas of concern on the face, neck, chest, and hands. Say goodbye to concealers! IPL improves visible signs of facial aging and sun damage included pigment changes, coarse texture, spider veins, facial redness, and enlarged pores.

A series of five photo facial treatments are given at 3-4 week intervals.  Treatments are quick with minimal discomfort, leaving you to return to work or resume normal activities immediately following treatment. Just think about never having to hide those brown spots and red patches again!

Rosacea Flaring up this Season? Try These Handy Skin Tips to avoid that redness!

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Sure, Santa Claus looks so warm and friendly with those red cheeks, but those of us who suffer from rosacea can look and feel anything but cute. No one is sure of the cause of rosacea, although doctors have noticed that fair-skinned women of Irish or Celtic ancestry are genetically predisposed. Rosacea affects about 5% of the population, most often women between the ages of 30 and 40. The bad news is that during the winter season the dry air can add more stress to your skin making facial redness and rosacea worse.  But… the good news is that keeping rosacea under control can be  simple with a little tender loving care of your skin, and getting to know what can trigger those flare-ups.

Here are a few tips and tricks from Dr. Fiona Wright to lead you into the right direction for a flush free face.

Dr. Fiona Wright’s Tip

Find a skincare regimen that works specifically for you. Use a liquid facial cleanser that will clean your skin gently and without any stimulation that might cause flushing. Any type of abrasion can cause a flush. So leave abrasive products such as scrubs, buff puffs, or cleansing powders alone. Try my Fiona Wright MD, MILD GEL CLEANSER. This unique and refreshing cleanser gently washes away the impurities encountered daily without stripping the essential nutrients needed to heal your skin.

Soothe your skin with Aloe Vera and Cortisone. Containing high concentrations of Aloe Vera, my ALOE CORTISONE hydrating light weight cream will quench thirsty, dehydrated skin while relieving  redness, inflammation and dryness to sensitive skin.  This advanced formula of aloe and 1.0% hydrocortisone is a highly effective treatment designed to calm irritation and provide immediate improvement in the skin’s appearance.

Keep wrinkle creams to a minimum. If you have rosacea and want to use an anti-aging exfoliating cream that contains alpha hydroxy acids (glycolics) to prevent wrinkles, then it is important to keep the percentage of acid under 2.5%. If the package directions say to use cream twice a day, use it once a day, tops. If there is any redness at all, discontinue using the product.

Don’t skip the sunscreen. Avoid all the chemical sunscreens,( ie Neutragena, Aveeno)  and stick to a sunscreen that lists titanium dioxide and zinc as their major ingredient. It’s less irritating to rosacea-prone skin. My OIL AND CHEMICAL FREE MATTE FINISH SPF 30 is not only moisturizing, but this formula offers  17% Miconized Zinc which provides the highest level of skin healing properties in a sunscreen and has a of broad-spectrum UVA/ UVB protection.

Avoid sun exposure, stay cool and eat cool. Avoiding the heat outside and in foods can prevent you from forming a flush. So avoid spicy foods like pepper, chili and horseradish and try more cool greens that are high in vitamins A and C, beta-carotene and bioflavonoids. These ingredients have proven to improve rosacea conditions by boosting the immune system.

Stay merry this holiday season and avoid alcohol. Although alcohol is readily available at most holiday parties and get-togethers, avoid alcohol as is causes blood vessels to dilate and worsens rosacea.  Couldn’t help yourself and you had spicy food or a glass of wine? Apply a cold compress. This will constrict blood vessels and lessen the appearance of rosacea.

Remedies for the Red Face!

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Many people in Texas, including Renee, are perplexed with a red-faced complexion that never goes away! When this condition is chronic it usually caused by Rosacea. This long-lasting condition is characterized by facial erythema (redness). Rosacea typically begins as redness on the central face across the cheeks, nose, or forehead, but can also less commonly affect the neck, chest, ears, and scalp. In some cases, additional symptoms, such as semi-permanent redness, broken vessels and red acne may develop.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Rosacea but there is help! Photofacials or Intense Pulse Light (IPL) is the preferred treatment choice to remove redness, flushing, and dilated blood vessels found on your face, neck and chest. The benefits can last a long time – but with our Texas sunshine and heat – many people will require maintenance treatments 1-2 times a year depending on the severity of your condition.  The good news is that the treatments are simple, effective, cost-affordable and have no downtime!

Dr. Fiona Wright’s Tip

Rosacea primarily affects lighter skin complexions but can also affect people of other ethnicities. It affects both sexes, but is almost three times more common in women. It has a peak age of onset between 30 and 60. Triggers that cause episodes of flushing and blushing play a part in the development of rosacea. Exposure to temperature extremes can cause the face to become flushed as well as strenuous exercise, heat from sunlight, severe sunburn, stress, anxiety and cold wind. There are also some food and drinks that can trigger flushing, including alcohol, food and beverages containing caffeine (especially, hot tea and coffee), foods high in histamines and spicy food. Foods high in histamine (red wine, aged cheeses, yogurt, beer, cured pork products such as bacon, etc.) can even cause persistent facial flushing in those individuals without rosacea due to a separate condition, histamine intolerance.

With a little knowledge from above and with a series of effective IPL treatments designed specifically for your concerns, you can begin to enjoy that clear complexion you have always wanted. Call today for a personal consultation and watch your redness disappear, and experience a new self- confidence!

Who has the Fairest Skin of them All?

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Do you always dread it when the time comes to wash your face? Does your skin feel tight or waxy afterwards? Does it take an hour before your skin finally feels “normal” again? Your skin may be lacking the adequate hydration it needs and your facial cleanser may be stripping essential facial oils. If you answered yes to any of our questions, then Dr. Wright’s HYDRATING CLEANSER may be the answer you are looking for. This revolutionary water-based cleanser was design to cleanse skin thoroughly and remove make-up while allowing the skin to absorb its hydrating properties. This light-weight cleanser will provide the necessary moisture to prevent dry, red irritation and allow your skin to be more accepting of other products.

Dr. Wright’s Tip

An estimated one in four adults suffers from very dry skin, which is exacerbated in winter by cold weather and central heating. Left untreated, it can leave sufferers feeling uncomfortable or self-conscious.  Dry skin isn’t simply a cosmetic condition — it’s a symptom that the skin’s natural protective barrier has been damaged. This allows irritants, dirt, bacteria, and yeast into pores causing inflammation or infection. There is no easier way to strengthen the skin’s natural barrier for added protection against this damage than an effective healing and hydrating cleanser.

My fortified HYDRATING CLEANSER will remove all makeup and impurities while it treats environmentally damaged skin, giving it a renewed, nourished and silky smooth feel. It is Ideal for rosacea-prone skin, smokers, travelers and all skin types needing more moisture.

Picture Perfect at the Louvre!!!

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Today Tim and I spent the day at the Louvre. What beautiful paintings and Egyptian artifacts!  I was really surprised to see how rosacea was present hundreds of years ago – and that the artists accurately painted the skin condition.  This painting in the Louvre, “The Old Man and His Grandson” by Ghirlandiao  painted around the year 1480, is a well-known example of rosacea  painted in early art.

In doing some research I have also read that rosacea was mentioned in early literature. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Shakespeare’s Henry V included descriptions of men with red faces and enlarged noses.

For those readers who do not know what roscaea is – it is a condition of redness that looks like flushing or blushing of the face or neck. The flushing occurs when blood flow increases the amount of blood flow through small blood vessels and the vessels expand to accommodate this flow. The redness initially may come and go but becomes more permanent as the disease progresses.  Many people also have enlarged blood vessels under the skin, which are noticeable as red lines through the skin, especially when the overall redness fades. What many people do not know is that many people develop related problems affecting the eye- ocular rosacea. This can affect over 50% of people and can range from mild to severe.

If this skin problem sound familiar to you, then I recommend that you step out of the “old ages” and make a visit to the clinic. Together we can bring you into ”modern times” and clear your complexion just like the beautiful “Mona Lisa”.

Stay tuned for my next post!
Cheers, Dr. Fiona Wright