lasers for longevity

can you turn back time

One of the most common questions patients ask me is if there is anything they can do to repair sun damage from their younger years and prevent the development of skin cancers

The slip, slop, slap campaigns of the 80s while prominent in our minds, didn't necessarily effect a change in the sun safety behaviours of adolescents. The people of this generation are now in their late 30s and  early 40s and are starting to notice sun damage and early skin cancers becoming evident.

Some of the stories people tell me while getting skin checks make my toes curl. Reef oil, baby oil, coconut oil, olive oil....all used to build a healthy tan. Then there was the. patient told me that was amateur ; she used to coat herself in vinegar first, to strip the top layer of the epidermis and then apply coconut oil to get that 'deep tan'.

Well we can't turn back time, but more evidence is emerging that the treatments that we usually consider to be aesthetic only, are able to slow and help prevent the development of skin cancers. Laser and light therapy shouldn't be relied upon alone and should be used as part of a holistic skin care plan

Here's my advice on some measures you can put in place

Get out of the sun

Without wanting to sound like I'm on repeat it is important to know that it is never too late to start sun protecting. People who say that 'it's too late now....all the damage has already been done', just haven't spent enough time in the waiting room of a dermatology practice. The damage keeps getting done!!! Get out of the sun now. The effects become cumulative. The sun suppresses your immune response and therefore impairs your healing. Sun damage starts to pile up and the onset of skin cancers can accelerate. It's never too late to start sun protecting.

What you can apply to your skin

SPF to block the UV rays, anti-oxidants to prevent active damage (Vitamin C, reservatrol, ferulic acid) and topical retinoids to help rejuvenate. Prevent and repair. Repeat after me - prevent and repair.

What can you take orally

Oral Vitamin B3 or Niacinamide...not quite the wonder Vitamin it was originally touted as, however there is still validity in taking Vitamin B3 as it definitely has DNA repair capabilities, and you know...every little bit counts

Polypodium Leucotomous is a supplement extracted from a tropical firm and it has been shown to have antioxidant and photoprotective properties. Orally it can provide protection against the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and its subsequent DNA damage

Now for the fun stuff

Lasers for preventative  action

Typically patients have laser treatments to remove visible sun damage and for aesthetic and rejuvenative purposes - they do an amazing job here, but there is new evidence that this rejuvenation isn't just skin deep.

Fractional Lasers

Both fractional ablative and non-ablative lasers have been studied in regards to their long term effects on patients that are regular users. Facial laser treatments have been shown to decrease the rates of development of non melanoma skin cancer (BCCs and SCCs) and also delay the onset of these cancers on the head and necks of patients that have routine procedures

In fact one study study has shown that when controlling for age, gender, and skin type, treatment with fractional laser decreased the risk of subsequent non melanoma skin cancer development by nearly 50% (20.9% vs 40.4%)

Examples of fractional lasers are the CO2 laser (this offers CoolPeel and the more intense DOT therapy) or MOXI laser which is a 1927 nm laser.

BroadBand Light

Another energy-based treatment modality we’re beginning to incorporate in our fight against sun damage is BroadBand Light (BBL) therapy. This treatment uses large pulses of light to remove superficial pigmentation and address vascular concerns.

Widely recognized for its effectiveness, BBL was the focus of an American study, often referred to as the "Stanford study." The study revealed that BBL technology can reverse skin aging by rejuvenating the genetic code of skin cells at a molecular level. Not only does the skin appear more youthful, but it also expresses genes associated with younger skin. In the study, patients who received annual BBL treatments over a 10-year period were found to have genetically younger skin cells when their genetic profiles were assessed at the end of the decade compared to their initial samples.

At Gold Coast Dermatology, the doctors and laser technicians utilize MOXI and CoolPeel devices to deliver fractional non-ablative and ablative laser in conjunction with BBL technology to 'reprogram your skins genetic code.