How to keep it beautiful, fresh, and reduce fi ne lines

It doesn't have to be so complicated; skin care, I mean. Many professional skin-care lines have become very complex and timeconsuming, almost to the point of losing our attention. My philosophy is much simpler and proven effective with high resolution digital facial mapping. I use the acronym GRASS.

G – Growth factors. Think of these as the cell phones of the skin. Our skin cells use these factors to communicate with each other and control production and degradation of collagen, elastin, pigment, etc. As we age, growth factors are reduced, and this plays a significant role in aging of skin.

R – Retinol. This is a Vitamin A derivative that is very effective in reducing fine lines and roughness of skin by increasing the turnover rate of our skin cells. With a thinner outer dead layer, the skin looks smoother and younger. Caution, though: If using a Retinol, you must use a sunscreen.

A – Antioxidants. Vitamin C and E are powerful antioxidants. They are helpful in helping the skin fight off the damage of pollutants and sun exposure. Used topically, antioxidants can reduce free radical damage leading to more youthful skin.

S – Sunscreen. An effective sunscreen is a must for any skin-care system. Without UV protection, positive results with anti-aging skin care are impossible. There are chemical sunscreens and physical sunscreens. The chemical ones must be reapplied every 90 minutes — not realistic when wearing makeup. The physical sunscreen last much longer and are not “used up” in the process. The latest advancement is the “super-screen.” It blocks UVA, UVB and IRA (infrared A), which has been shown to be very important in aging of skin.

S – Specialty. This is different for everyone. Some skin has more redness, so use a red reducer. If brown pigmentation is a problem, then a newer, safer bleaching cream is available. Some will need extra moisture at night, while others with acne-prone skin need a deeper penetrating cleanser.

I have found with the above plan and some good counseling by estheticians trained in my philosophy, amazing results are possible.

Dr. Kenneth Sanders is a board certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon who specializes in cosmetic surgery of the face, head and neck, as well as hair restoration surgery. Contact him at Knight and Sanders Plastic Surgery, 698-8711.