Sage Advice about Lasers and Retin A
By Barbara Strickland, Certified Para-Medical Esthetician

What will LASERS do for me?

Lasers, in the hands of a wonderful physician, can do just about anything in terms of removing or diminishing unwanted lines and wrinkles, acne scarring, spider veins, discoloration, and uneven texture caused from the photo aging process. They do not replace Corrective Surgery in terms of reconstruction, but when combined with your custom blended skin care regime, remarkable changes occur. An intelligent individual would not have the car stripped and repainted and then fail to apply a coat of the finest moisture repellent and an excellent sealant to protect the car from the environmental damage caused by wind, sun exposure, or heat and cold. Your skin basics are easily recognizable.

1.      During the healing process use tons of Gelloid Moisturizer and Mask or MSSR Hydrating Moisture Mask, which in addition to soothing the skin, cuts down on the burn victim look by at least 30%.

2.       Use SPF 25 (or SPF 40 if your skin is very fair) every day, even if cloudy, raining, or snowing on your new skin.

3.      Use our fabulous Bleaching Lotion or Bleaching Emulsion with Kojic Acid for two years so that no additional discoloration occurs. Many individuals don't do this and trade their wrinkles and lines for discoloration on their new skin.

4.      Adjust your products to suit the needs of your new skin so you will look as fresh and youthful as possible.

5.      Start Moisture Replacement Facials (Mini Facial Enzyme Kit or Mother Strickland’s Calming and Hydrating Treatment Cream) as soon as your physician releases you to do so.

What will RENOVA and RETINA do for me if I already use Glycolic Acid?

In the "olden days", before Glycolic Acid, AHA Acids, Hyaluronic Acid, L Ascorbic Acid or Vitamin C, Retina had to be used on the entire skin so that all areas would repair at the same rate. If spot treating were done, the areas that were NOT treated looked less healthy 12 months later when the Retina really started showing results. In addition, the side effects from Retina may include redness, itching, flaking, peeling, dryness, and rashes.

Because Retina and RENOVA or Avita may contain comedogenic ingredients, we recommend using Retina Micro if you are acne prone, because it will not cause or exacerbate acne.

If you have questions regarding the use of Retina Micro, please contact me at AskBarbaraQuestions@sageskincare.com

The advent of Smoothing Cream, Smoothing Gel and Firming and Brightening Crème have changed the way Retina and now RENOVA, which has been formulated specifically for wrinkles, may be used. Smoothing Cream and Smoothing Gel change the color and texture of the skin, diminish fine lines and wrinkles, acne and discoloration caused from lentigos and actinic keratosis (brown and red pre-cancerous lesions.)

You may spot treat with Retina and RENOVA while using Smoothing Cream or Smoothing Gel or Firming and Brightening Crème on the whole face. This allows you to target areas that need extra or special treatment without encountering the side effects involved in using Retina and RENOVA on the whole face.

I strongly recommend that Retina and RENOVA be used only during the winter months (avoid use during September through end of May).  In addition, Corrective Facials should be done at least once a month during this time, along with extra use of Smoothing Cream, Smoothing Gel and Firming and Brightening Crème , and all the Winterize your Face regular steps.