This website, Years Erased, has been up a little over two years and thousands of people have visited and contacted me for help in their lives. Unfortunately, it became to difficult to maintain my practice and this website at the same time.

I finally came to the conclusion I didn’t want to abandon the website, but needed to limit the amount of members  I could help.

You can click over to my new site at http://www.beautifulrightnow.com/public/5.cfm, to read a letter I wrote to all my friends and patients that better explains my decision.

Skin Care Dictionary

Acne:

a common skin condition characterized by inflammation, pimples and comedones which may cause scarring

 

Age spots:

flat light brown discolorations on the skin caused by sun exposure and typically found on people over 40, these lesions are commonly called liver spots

 

Aging skin:

a condition of the skin caused by sun damage, heredity and the passage of time, characterized by furrows, wrinkles, creases, cellulite and sagging

 

Anti-inflammatory:

the property of a treatment or substance that alleviates or prevents imflammation

 

Benzoyl peroxide:

an antibacterial chemical that is used in acne treatment gels and creams

 

Blackheads:

a pore partially blocked with trapped sebum which has begun to push through the skin’s surface, blackening upon the sebum’s exposure to air

 

Botox:

an injectible treatment that is used cosmetically to temporarily paralyze or relax facial muscles to eliminate or minimize wrinkles and lines

 

Cellulite:

dimpled and bumpy fat deposits beneath the skin that cause a “cottage cheese” appearance

 

Collagen:

an insoluble, fibrous protein that is naturally found in the skin and that can also be injected into the skin to return a supple, youthful appearance

 

Cosmetic dermatology:

the branch of medicine dealing with the treatment of skin and skin conditions with the goal of improving the patient’s appearance and beauty

 

Cyst:

a closed, fluid-filled sac beneath the skin

 

Cystic acne:

a severe skin condition typically causing scarring, characterized by multiple pus-filled cysts that become inflammed and infected

 

Dermal:

pertaining to the dermis (skin)

 

Dermalogica®:

a skin care product range and treatment system

 

Dermatitis:

a non-contagious inflammation of the skin that causes rashes, blisters and/or itching, which can have a variety of causes including allergies or exposure to irritants

 

Dermatology:

the medical specialization that is concerned with the treatment of skin and its conditions and diseases

 

Dermis:

the middle layer of the skin which contains the majority of the skin structures including its blood vessels, lymph vessles, hair follicles and sweat glands

 

Dysport®:

a protein extracted from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which is injected into the skin to reduce or eliminate frown lines and wrinkles

 

Eczema:

a form of dermatitis often caused by dry skin or allergies

 

Elastin:

a similar protein to collagen that gives skin tissue its elasticity

 

Epidermis:

the outermost superficial layer of the skin

 

Epithelialization:

the healing process of skin regeneration across a wound after injury

 

Erythema:

redness of the skin caused by inflammation , frequently caused by sunburn, allergy, infection or healing

 

Evolence®:

a long-lasting collagen dermal filler that must be injected by a trained skin care practioner

 

Eye wrinkles:

fine skin lines that appear around the eye

 

Face care:

the maintenance and treatment of the skin of the face

 

Facelift:

a cosmetic surgical procedure, also known as rhytidectomy, that improves the youthful appearance of the face by tightening skin and underlying muscles

 

Facial fillers:

injectible products such as collagen, hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyl apatite that rejuvenate facial skin by reducing or eliminating wrinkles, raising scar depressions, enhancing lips and replacing soft-tissue volume loss

 

Facial hair removal:

temporary or permanent elimination of unwanted hair on the face

 

Facial peels:

chemical or laser treatments performed by a skin care practitioner to reduce the appearance of blemishes, freckles, age spots, light scarring and other skin irregularities

 

Facial rejuvenation:

any treatment performed by a skin care practitioner to improve the youthful appearance of the face

 

Facial:

of or pertaining to the face

 

Folds:

the appearance of the skin when part of it bends or lays so as to cover another

 

Follicle:

the skin structure that contains a hair root and surrounds the hair shaft where it emerges through the skin

 

Glabellar creases:

the creases, or frown lines, that develop on the forehead between the brows

 

Glycolic acid:

an alpha-hydroxy acid that is used to promote the topical exfoliation of skin cells

 

Glycolic peel:

a treatment that uses glycolic acid to peel or exfoliate the surface skin cells to rejuvenate the skin

 

Hair removal:

permanent or temporary elimination of unwanted hair

 

Hemangiomas:

a benign overgrowth of blood vessels in the skin which may be present from birth or appear later in life

 

Hyaluronic acid:

a naturally-occuring substance found in the skin that helps to maintain skin moisture and plumpness

 

Hypopigmentation:

the patchy loss of skin pigment caused by a decrease of melanin production

 

Inflammatory:

caused by or characterized by inflammation

 

Intense pulsed light:

a focused, broad-spectrum light applied to the skin surface that is used by skin care practitioners to treat acne rosacea, aging skin, acne, and other conditions

 

IPL:

intense pulsed light used by skin care practitioners to treat skin problems

 

Juvederm®:

an injectible dermal filler made from hyaluronic acid, used to reduce wrinkles and fill in facial lines

 

Keloid:

a thick, pink scar caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue

 

Keratin:

a tough, fibrous protein that is the main component of skin, hair and nails

 

Laser acne treatment:

a laser skin treatment for severe acne breakouts

 

Laser facial treatment:

also called laser facial resurfacing, a treatment that destroys the surface layer of skin in a controlled manner, exposing the lower layer and rejuvenating the skin

 

Laser hair removal:

permanent reduction of unwanted body or facial hair using laser light treatments

 

Laser scar removal:

the use of laser light treatment to remove or reduce the appearance of scars

 

Laser skin resurfacing:

a skin treatment that destroys the surface layer of skin in a controlled manner, exposing the lower layer and rejuvenating the skin

 

Laser treatment:

skin treatment using the application of a strong laser beam of light

 

Laugh lines:

wrinkles that form from the nose to the mouth, also known as naso-labial folds

 

Lip collagen:

injections of collagen into the lips to produce an appearance of youth and fullness

 

Lip enhancement:

augmentation of the lips through surgery or the injection of fillers to create fuller lips

 

Lip wrinkles:

wrinkles that form in the lips due to loss of volume through aging

 

Lipid:

a fat or fat-like substance that helps to retain moisture in the skin

 

Marionette lines:

folds or deep lines that stretch from the corners of the mouth along the sides of the chin to the jawline

 

Melanin:

an insoluble brown or black pigment that gives skin its color

 

Melanocyte:

a skin cell that creates the pigment melanin

 

Melanoma:

a serious malignancy or cancer that has its genesis in melanocytes

 

Melasma:

sometimes called a pregnancy mask, comprised of tan or brownish patches of pigment across cheeks

 

Microdermabrasion cream:

a cream that mildly abrades skin to rejuvenate the face, refine pores and reduce scars

 

Microdermabrasion treatments:

a procedure during which fine granules are blasted onto the skin in order to abrade the top layers and rejuvenate the skin

 

Microdermabrasion:

the nonsurgical exfoliation of the skin accomplished by blasting fine granules onto the skin

 

Milia:

hardened white skin bumps caused by the retention of sebum, also called whiteheads

 

Nasolabial folds:

the folds or lines stretching from the edges of the nostrils to the corners of the mouth

 

Obagi®:

a line of skin care products aimed at the retail and medical markets

 

Oral commissures:

lines or folds extending downward from the corners of the mouth and extended into “marionette lines”

 

Oxidation:

damage of the skin due to aging, also called free radical formation

 

Perioral lines:

deep vertical lines that form on the upper lip, which are also called “smoker’s lines”

 

Periorbital lines:

sometimes called “crow’s feet, the lines or wrinkles that extend from the outer corners of the eyes

 

pH:

a measure of the skin’s acidity or alkalinity

 

Photoaging:

damage to the skin caused by long-term sun exposure

 

Pigmentation:

the hue of the skin, determined by the pigment content of the skin

 

Pimple:

a red and swollen infection of a skin follicle or pore, which may contain pus

 

Plastic surgery:

the medical subspecialty dealing with the surgical treatment or enhancement of external physical appearance

 

Pores:

the small openings in the skin that excrete sweat and oils

 

Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation:

skin darkening and discoloration resulting from past skin inflammation

 

Psoriasis:

a chronic scaly red skin rash characterized by gray flakes of dry skin

 

Reloxin:

this is the trade name that was going to be used by Medicus in the United States to market their neuro-muscular relaxing agent.  They have since decided to not use this name and are sticking to their original name, Dysport, used in other parts of the world.

 

Restylane®:

a dermal filler made from hyaluronic acid, typically used for lip augmentation or other wrinkles

 

Rhytid:

an unwanted skin wrinkle

 

Rosacea:

a skin disorder marked by facial redness that can lead to bumps, pimples and eye irritation

 

Scar:

a visible skin imperfection caused by the healing of injured skin and soft tissue

 

Sebaceous gland:

a skin gland that produces sebum, an oily subdstance that moisturizes the skin and hair

 

Seborrhea:

a condition of the skin marked by excessive oily discharge

 

Seborrheic dermatitis:

inflammation and scaly, crusted patches of skin caused by seborrhea

 

Sebum:

an oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands

 

Skin:

the tissue that comprises the outer surface of the body, and which is the body’s largest organ

 

Skin tightening:

surgical or non-surgical firming, lifting and smoothing of the skin to reduce sagging and wrinkles

 

Skin treatments:

medical or esthetic procedures intended to improve the appearance and structure of the skin

 

Smile lines:

deep lines that run between the nose and the mouth, also called “nasolabial folds”

 

Solar lentigo:

light brown spots that appear on the skin as a result of aging and sun exposure, also called age spots or liver spots

 

Subcutaneous:

of or pertaining to the layer of fatty tissue beneath the skin

 

Sun protection factor (SPF):

the scale that measures the degree to which a sunscreen protects the skin from the sun’s UVB rays

 

Tattoo removal:

a treatment intended to remove or substantially reduce the appearance of a tattoo using methods such as dermabrasion, salabrasion and laser

 

Telangiectasia:

small dilated blood vessels on the surface of the skin

 

UV or ultraviolet rays:

the electromagnetic radiation of the sun that causes photogaging of the skin

 

Vermillion border:

the line of demarcation between the lips and the rest of the face

 

Worry lines:

creases or wrinkles on the forehead or between the eyebrows

 

Wrinkle removal:

removal or reduction of the appearance of wrinkles through surgical or esthetic treatments

 

Wrinkle treatment:

a treatment intended to reduce or remove the appearance of wrinkles

 

Wrinkles:

unwanted lines, creases and folds in the skin caused by skin aging and damage