The perfect treatment

Have you ever wondered why, after spending the same amount of money and

going for the same treatments as your friends, you do not get the same

results? The answer is simple — it is a myth that all skin types are the

same and will respond to different treatments the same way! The laser

treatment that did wonders for your friend might be totally ineffective for

you, simply because your friend may have a lighter skin tone than you.  One

of the most important steps skin care specialists have to take into

consideration when developing an effective treatment programme for you, is

to analyse your skin and your skin type.

Aesthetic doctors and skincare specialists use skin analysis and

classification to formulate the appropriate treatment for individuals to

ensure optimized results and prevent possible adverse reactions due to the

fact that we all have individual differences in our skins based on the

interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Through proper skin

analysis aesthetic doctors will be able to assess levels of hydration,

luminosity, texture, tone and colour, as well as the identification of skin

problems such as acne, blackheads, rosacea, pigmentation, oily skin, skin

sensitivity, wrinkles, pores and sun damage.

One diagnostic tool often used in skin analysis and classification is the

Woods lamp or the Visia skin analysis device.  In a totally dark room the

deep violet light of the Woods lamp is applied to the skin. Different

substances on the skin’s surface become luminous under the Woods lamp which

helps to distinguish normal healthy skin from damaged and dry skin. In

addition, hormonal pigmentation can be identified and classified as either

being epidermal or dermal in nature, an important classification for

effective treatment.

Another method of classification is the Fitzpatrick classification where

skin types are assessed for suitability for laser treatment and classified

as skin types I, II, III, IV, V and VI. For instance, when visiting a

skincare clinic in order to treat and improve  sun damage, the Fitzpatrick

classification for Sun Reactive Skin Type will be used, because it takes

into account the amount of melanin content in the skin, as well as the

capacity of the skin to produce melanocytes in response to sunlight. The

aesthetic doctor will factor in the effect of your specific skin type before

choosing the correct laser treatment for you. They will also identify your

risk for adverse reaction related to the pigment in your skin. Many lasers,

especially hair removal and pigmentation lasers, can interact with the

melanin in an individual’s skin.

The different skin types, identified by the Fitzpatrick classification,

react differently to the environment and therefore need different products,

treatments and active skin care ingredients.

People with skin type I are usually pale, with blonde or red hair, freckled

with blue eyes and likely to experience severe sun damage from ultra-violet

exposure.  They usually burn easily, without ever having a tan.

This skin type is believed to be highly susceptible to premature ageing and

skin cancers (including melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer) and

people with this type are therefore advised to take extreme care, use

sunscreen and protect themselves from harmful UV rays. Extreme sun exposure

can result in serious damage, premature ageing and skin cancers such as

squamous cell carcinoma SCC, Basal Cell Carcinoma BCC and Melanoma. Best

skin practices for type I skin are to minimise sun damage by using products

containing titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or avobenzone.  Internal skin

protection can be obtained with supplements such as Polypodium leucotomas

and Pycnogenol ® that will offer sun protection, increase resistance against

sun damage and offer protection against sun cancers.

In contrast people with skin type VI have a dark skin colour and are usually

of African decent. Chronic sun exposure in this skin type leads to uneven

skin tone and pigmentation. Skin type VI also reacts differently and at

times more severely to common conditions such as acne, eczema, dermatitis,

psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff) which can lead to potential

problems with pigmentation, uneven darkening or lightening of skin colour

due to the stimulation of melanin, a dynamic process which responds briskly

to various stimuli. This results in the skin being more reactive to an

impact which can lead to dark marks called post inflammatory

hyperpigmentation (PIH).  PIH may takes years to fade thus wearing a

sunscreen daily is essential to prevent PIH.  Best skin practices for skin

type VI are to stay out of the sun during the peak hours of 10:00 – 16:00

and to wear a SPF 15 – 30 sunscreen every day.

Despite best efforts with bleaching agents and exfoliation treatments,

pigmentation from PIH can be stubborn and long lasting. The new pigmentation

peptides and other active ingredients such as arbutin,  kojic acid and

nicotinamide  can be used safely and will not cause the sensitivity that is

associated with traditional lightening/fading creams such as retinoic acid

and hydroquinone. If pigmentation fails to respond to topical depigmenting

agents then it may be necessary to have in-office treatment with appropriate

chemical peels and the Laser Genesis procedure with a long pulsed Nd: YAG

which is safe for all skin types including skin type VI.

Next time you walk into a skin care clinic, make sure that your skin is

analyzed  by the skin care specialist  before any treatment  programme is

started. Visit www.skinrenewal.co.za