Issue #10 summary - GO BACK TO ARCHIVE

Experience the Power of Peptides
Deep Lines and Wrinkles: Causes and Cures
The most feared cosmetic symptom of ageing is the wrinkle. As we age, we most often gauge this process by the appearance of fine and deep wrinkles. We once believed lines and wrinkles to be an inevitable outcome of the natural ageing process. We now understand that wrinkle formation is merely a symptom of underlying skin changes and these changes are becoming more easily and effectively addressed through modern science.
   Peptides (small protein polymers) have been shown to counteract the degradation of dermal collagen, resulting in a significant change in the appearance of moderate to deep lines and wrinkles. As collagen fibrils are broken down through the natural biological process, peptide portions or by-products of this catabolic process act as signals or messenger molecules in the formation of new collagen fibrils by the fibroblasts.
   The topical application of specific peptides helps soften lines and wrinkles around your mouth, eyes and forehead. Medical science has recently discovered that peptides have the ability to send age reversing signals to collagen-producing cells, promoting younger-looking skin. Using patented Pro-Collagen Peptide technology, Tru Face Line Corrector is one of the first products to offer a targeted approach to help eliminate the appearance of lines and wrinkles caused by mechanical stress.

Photo dynamic therapy
Photo dynamic therapy is effective for many pre-malignant skin lesions and for superficial basal cell carcinoma at certain sites and gives a good cosmetic result, writes Dr Stephen White.
   Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is proving a successful treatment for superficial non-melanoma skin cancers and other non-malignant skin diseases. PDT requires two agents: a photosensitiser and a light source of a specific wavelength, both of which are harmless to the body as single entities, but when combined in the presence of endogenous oxygen produce singlet oxygen that causes controlled cell death. The treatment is highly selective, the photosensitiser is selectively absorbed by diseased cells and healthy cells are unaffected. One of the great advantages of PDT is that it does seem to lead to far less scarring and a better cosmetic result when compared with conventional treatments such as topical 5-fluorouracil, cryotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery.
   The basis of the photodynamic reaction is the activation of a photosensitiser in diseased cells by light in the presence of oxygen. This physico-chemical reaction causes the release of reactive oxygen, particularly singlet oxygen. Singlet oxygen is a short-lived cytotoxic agent that cannot diffuse very far from where it is produced, so its action is localised. The singlet oxygen damages cell membranes, mitochondria and cell nuclei. It may also damage tumour vasculature.
   Haematoporphyrins are potent photosensitisers. When PDT was being developed, systemic administration of these were used. This proved impractical, as haematoporphyrins led to a prolonged period of photo sensitisation lasting several weeks. A topically applied, short-acting photosensitiser is, therefore, more practical.
   5-amino laevulinic acid (ALA) is a precursor of the haem pathway. This biosynthetic pathway is present in skin cells. 5-ALA is converted by the haem biosynthetic pathway to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). It is PpIX that is the final photosensitiser. It is metabolised by the skin cells’ normal biochemical pathways within 48 hours and so does not lead to prolonged photosensitisation.

Reconstructing the ears
Although the causes that lead to ear surgery vary, the desire to correct the problem is always paramount. Aesthetic balance is a consistent goal in ear reconstruction, says Professor Juarez Avelar.
   The human ears are important organs in the aesthetic harmony of the facial contour. They may not be noticed when their size, shape, position and location are normal. However, any alteration in one, two or in all of these may cause unbalance of the organ itself and a significant, noticeable, aesthetic disturbance to the whole face. Any alteration to the facial contour due to a defect of the auricular skeleton usually causes dissatisfaction with one’s physical appearance combined with deep psychological damage. Those who are affected use a variety of artifices to hide the deformity and eventually show alterations in their selfimage.    Frequently a small deformity of the ear can cause an emotional reaction in child patients as well as in their parents. Even very young children feel uncomfortable when they recognise their own abnormality, leading to an inferiority complex. Taking all this into account, reconstruction of the ear is much more than a matter of surgery, because it should create the characteristic features essential to the patient’s physical and psychological recovery.

Male breast reduction
Fat and excessive breast tissue are the main causes of gynaecomastia. Discussing his techniques is James Romano, MD, selected one of “America’s Top Doctors”, a consumer source for identifying US specialists.
   Gynaecomastia is usually strictly defined as the visible or palpable development of breast tissue in men. The term comes from the Greek words gynae meaning “woman” and mastos meaning “breast”. In practical terms, this means abnormally large breasts on men. This is often related to the occurrence of excess fat or, less frequently, overdeveloped muscles. The condition is relatively common in adolescent boys, and 90% of the time symptoms disappear in a matter of months, or, as adolescence wanes, a few years later. But the remaining 10% are burdened with a social handicap that causes a deep and complex shame, and often puts a man’s relationship with his body into an altered state. Drugs, medications, hormonal imbalance, genetic conditions, and exogenous hormones can all cause gynaecomastia. During puberty it is normal for most boys to develop some proliferation of breast tissue. This is often make known by the onset of pain in the nipples or sub-areolar region. Ordinarily this condition is self-limited and subsides within 6–18 months. When this gynaecomastia persists, it is often embarrassing and psychologically debilitating. Removal of the excess breast parenchyma is the only effective treatment. This condition can be accentuated if the patient is overweight.
   Marijuana usage is commonly linked to gynaecomastia. Men who are taking estrogens or testosterone inhibitors because of prostate cancer, or patients with liver disease who have a hormonal imbalance are also susceptible. Gynaecomastia can develop as a result of taking anabolic steroids to enhance athletic performance or bodybuilding. Appropriate diagnostic studies are necessary prior to treatment, particularly in individuals taking anabolic steroids. These patients should also be evaluated for liver and cardiac disease before correcting the gynaecomastia.

GO BACK TO ARCHIVE