Common Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures That Keep You Looking Your Best

As an athlete, you keep your body in top form. As I have discussed in previous articles, it is also important to keep your skin in great shape. Even with all the maintenance you do to stay healthy, you might still have areas that you would like a little extra help dealing with. You may be surprised to learn that even world-class athletes need a little help now and then. While athletes are unlikely to have invasive surgeries, such as breast augmentation or liposuction, which have lengthy recovery and take away from training time, many benefit from non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

Read my Q&A about common non-invasive procedures and how they may benefit you.

Non-Invasive Procedures

Q. What is Pulsed Light Hair Removal?

A. Facial and body hair is something that you have to consider as an athlete, especially if it affects your performance. Hair can create friction and for athletes such as competitive swimmers, the absence of body hair can take a fraction of a second off their time, which could be the difference between victory and defeat. Even if it is purely cosmetic, pulsed light hair removal can liberate you from the constant need to shave and wax in order to feel and look your best. With light-based permanent hair reduction, just a few simple treatments is all it takes to permanently minimize hair growth, revealing clear, silky skin that's ready to bare every day, all year long. Unlike shaving that lasts days, waxing that needs to be repeated every few weeks indefinitely, or electrolysis that's tedious, pulsed light hair reduction is a lasting solution that takes away the everyday hassle of dealing with unwanted facial and body hair. See your Dermatologist to learn more.

Q. Why Should I Consider Microdermabrasion?

A. Athletics can really take a toll on your skin with build up from sweat and oil as well as harsh weather conditions. Microdermabrasion regenerates the epidermal cell structure, resulting in a 30 percent increase in the skin's elasticity, creating more beautiful skin. Microdermabrasion is performed with a jet of fine crystals which are vacuumed across the skin to remove the dead and damaged skin cells and to stimulate the collagen beneath the surface of the skin. After just one 45-minute treatment, patients report their skin tone and texture are improved; wrinkles are less apparent; even scarring is less noticeable and pore size is reduced.

Q. What Are Fillers and How Do They Work?

A. With your body cut and toned, you may notice that your face is losing volume and fat as well. Juvederm® injectable gel is a non-surgical, physician-administered treatment with minimal down time. A fine needle is used to place Juvederm® beneath the skin to add volume and diminish wrinkles. Results can be seen instantly and can last longer than 9 to 12 months.  Common areas treated include the laugh lines (on the side of your mouth), the nasolabial lines (from nose to the side of your mouth) and the marionette lines (from the corners of your mouth downwards). 

Q. What Do I Do About Severe Acne or Acne Scarring?

A. Friction from athletic equipment and stress can contribute to facial and body acne. Acleara Acne Therapy may be a good option for you if:

1. You have acne.
2. Your skin is oily and/or you have large pores
3. Over-the-counter acne medications just don't seem to work.
4. You choose to avoid systemic treatments for acne such as oral antibiotics
5. Your acne does not respond to antibiotics
6. You want to avoid the side effects associated with prescription medication.
7. Previous acne laser treatments have been too painful and not very effective.

Acleara acne therapy is a breakthrough acne treatment that combines a gentle vacuum with pulses of specially-filtered light to help clear your pores and treat acne outbreaks. Acleara is cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration to treat a wide range of acne in all skin types. Contact your Dermatologist to find out if they have the Acleara Treatment available for you.

Acne scarring can now be effectively treated and improved utilizing fractional laser treatment.  For minor scarring and skin irregularities, a non ablative fractional laser is used which has minimal down time of a few hours. For more advanced scarring, a combination of non-ablative and ablative fractional laser treatments are used. 

Minimally Invasive Procedures

Q. What If I Sweat All The Time, Not Just When I Am Exercising?

A. An estimated two to three percent of the population suffers from Severe Primary Axillary Hyperhidrosis—the medical term for severe sweating. Commonly an inherited condition, excessive sweating can be embarrassing and debilitating on a social, functional and emotional level if left untreated. Patients may sweat four to five times more than normal, far exceeding what is necessary to regulate body temperature. 

Historically, potent topical antiperspirants or oral medications were recommended as the best treatment available. In the last decade, injections of 50–100 units of Botox effectively controlled sweating. The problem becomes that 50–100 units at a time is costly to keep up on a regular basis. Now there’s a new answer to sweating at significantly reduced cost. Laser Ablation of Axillary Perspiration (LAAP) treats hyperhidrosis utilizing the Slim Lipo system. This procedure is a minimally invasive laser ablation of the sweat glands in the axillary (armpit) area. Performed under local anesthesia, the LAAP procedure requires minimal downtime and eliminates the need for bi-yearly Botox injections. Best yet, a single LAAP treatment typically results in a 75 percent or greater reduction in sweating. A second treatment can be performed, if necessary.

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