Tackling Signs of Aging: Why Combination Treatments Matter

The skin is the first part of the body to show visible signs of aging. Changes in its appearance are normal and inevitable, and can include sagging, thinning, wrinkling, age spots, and dryness. These changes can be related to a number of factors including your genetic makeup, nutrition, lifestyle, and environmental factors.

While many of these age-related skin changes are nothing to worry about, most people are still eager to make their skin look as young and healthy as possible. And this is not just about the issue of vanity at all. Having a younger-looking appearance can help people look and feel good, as well as comfortable in their own skin.

How does aging affect the skin? 

Changes in the skin are brought on by internal and external factors. The aging of the skin also happens in different layers and then shows up on the surface.

• Epidermis – The epidermis or the skin’s uppermost layer can become more sensitive as the skin ages. Slower cell turnover rate, reduced sebum production, and a decline in hyaluronic acid can also make the skin surface look dull, rough, and dry. 
• Dermis – As you age, the production of collagen and elastin declines, resulting in disorganization of the dermal tissues. This decline also compromises the skin structure, making you more prone to lines and wrinkles. The skin’s elasticity, furthermore, continues to decrease, resulting in deeper or more prominent wrinkles.
• Subcutaneous tissue – The deeper layer is composed of fat and connective tissues, which thin with age. The lipid-storing cells in the adipose layer also reduce in size and number, leading to sagging skin and volume loss. This can also cause you to have hollow cheeks and deeper wrinkles. 

Below are the signs of aging or how aging manifest itself in the skin:

• Sagging – With aging, the body produces less collagen and elastin. This can then cause the skin to become drier, thinner, and less elastic. The loss of these essential proteins also leads to wrinkle formation, with the skin more likely to sag and droop. Aging also makes the skin more prone to the effects of gravity. Common examples of sagging include under eye bags, droopy cheeks, and jowls along the jaw.
• Thinning – This is a natural part of the aging process. The skin’s outer layer thins as you age and changes in connective tissue decrease the skin’s strength and elasticity. The dermis, furthermore, produces less collagen, causing the skin to repair more slowly, contributing to thinning skin. Thin skin can also be due to sun damage, certain medications, and other lifestyle factors.
• Wrinkles – As the skin naturally becomes more fragile and less elastic, wrinkles and creases in the skin show up. They tend to appear on areas of the body that receive the most sun exposure, including the face, neck, shoulder, arms, and back of the hands. Repetitive facial expressions such as frowning, smiling, and squinting also lead to the development of lines and wrinkles, which can deepen as you get older.
• Age spots – Also referred to as liver spots, age spots also appear on areas that have been exposed to the skin, including the face, neck, and back of the hands. These spots are characterized by small, flat, and discolored marks and are common among people over 40 years old (especially those with light skin), but can also appear sooner. 
• Dryness – It is common for older skin to deal with dry skin patches that tend to feel rough and scaly. One of the main things that make aging skin prone to dryness is that it has fewer oil and sweat glands. Sun damage and slow cell renewal can also result in dry and rougher skin as we get older. 

Other signs of aging include:

• Dull skin
• Blotchiness
• Enlarged/visible pores
• Rough skin texture
• Uneven skin tone

How to improve or treat signs of aging

The signs of aging are so varied, which means that a variety of treatments will be needed to treat or improve their appearance. There is no single procedure that can tackle most of these concerns at once. And, it is rare for most people to have just one sign of aging that they wish to banish or get rid of.

Mild skin laxity or sagging, for instance, can be treated with light-based treatments like Titan and NIR Skin Tightening. These procedures, however, can do little to nothing about age spots or broken blood vessels. You’ll need to undergo another type of laser-based procedure like Limelight or Laser Skin Rejuvenation to target facial redness, pigmentation, and other skin concerns.

Many aesthetic treatments are good stand-alone procedures, but they cannot address most signs of aging altogether. Different skin conditions affect different layers of the skin and will therefore need a variety of procedures or treatment modalities to target and treat the affected skin layer.

Why combine different aesthetic treatments

We at Cutis use a combination approach to tackle multiple concerns with fewer treatments. This involves the use of different modalities to reduce different signs of aging and help our patients achieve lasting and natural-looking results over time.

A multifaceted approach may include treatments such as microneedling, light-based energy devices, chemical peels, and even injectables like botulinum toxin and dermal fillers. 

Here are some of the aesthetic treatments you can combine to achieve maximum benefits and elevated results:

• Titan – uses infrared light and can tone, lift, and tighten skin on the face, neck, and other areas of the body. Titan also stimulates collagen production. 
• Laser Genesis – uses innovative laser energy to stimulate collagen regrowth. It can treat lines and wrinkles, minimize enlarged pores, and diffuse scars and redness. It can be combined with Titan to help you achieve a younger, fresher look.
• Limelight – uses intelligent pulses of laser light to tackle pigmentation, as well as reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores, facial redness, and tiny facial veins. It can also be combined with Laser Skin Rejuvenation.
• Professional microneedling – vertically pierces the skin with microscopic needles, creating fine fractional channels and igniting collagen and elastin. It can improve lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores, and different types of scars. You can also combine it with Laser Skin Rejuvenation to improve your overall skin quality.
• Pico Laser – a picosecond laser device that can shatter pigments into microscopic particles. It can penetrate deeper and treat dark spots, as well as improve acne scarring and epidermal lesions.
• Skin Resurfacing – treats sun damage, signs of aging, and uneven skin texture. It helps stimulate collagen production to plump the skin, as well as reduce the appearance of wrinkles and other imperfections.
• NIR (Near Infrared) Skin Tightening – uses pulsed infrared light to tighten and contour the skin, and reduce cellulite. It can treat sagging and crepey-looking skin, as well as soften lines and wrinkles.
• VI Peel – is a powerful yet gentle peel that can remove damaged skin layers and address fine lines, acne scarring, age spots, and pigmentation. VI Peel can improve the tone, texture, and clarity of the skin. 
• Imperium face treatments – use deep dermal heating or diathermy to rejuvenate the face. These also have various handpieces that can clean, repair, and nourish the skin, as well as provide anti-aging benefits. Find out which Imperium face treatment is right for you.

What is the importance/benefits of combination treatments?

With combination treatments, you can treat and target different skin concerns at the same time, replacing several individual treatments. The combination of two or more procedures can amp up your results without having to attend or book a series of treatments. 

• Reduced recovery time – combination treatments ease the downtime or recovery process.
• Less frequent appointments with your doctor/aesthetician – the use of different treatment modalities in one go spares you the trouble of having to book or sit through several appointments.
• Lasting effects – Many treatments complement each other and even enhance the effects of other procedures. This will then allow you to improve signs of aging with sustainable results.

Other benefits include:

• Create a customized treatment plan for patients
• Address different skin concerns at once
• Achieve elevated results
• Achieve beauty and skincare goals faster
• Target the root cause of certain skin concerns
• Improve both your skin and confidence

Book a consultation today

Are you looking to treat or improve visible signs of aging? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and consider combination treatments. Call us today at +65 6801 4000  to schedule a consultation with our aesthetic doctor.