Category Archives: blog

How often do I need a facial?

facials downtown scottsdale

Your skin is a beautiful thing – a living organ, with cells that regenerate every 30 days or so. New cells come to the surface and flatten to form the top layer of the epidermis, while older cells are constantly being shed. A facial nourishes these brand-new skin cells, providing increased blood circulation and helping to remove the dead cells on top of your skin. Facials can also treat a myriad of skin problems — acne, sun damage, age spots, dry skin, broken capillaries, fine lines, and signs of aging.

Your skin condition and age will partially determine how often to get a facial. Depending on your skin type and skin care goals, you may need only a monthly facial or multiple treatments over a period of months. At True Med Spa, your medical aesthetician will set up a facial treatment plan that will give you the very best results for your skin care goals.

Benefits of facials in treating acne

Facials can benefit people who suffer with acne. Whiteheads and blackheads are a non-inflammatory type of acne caused by pores clogged with oil. This type of acne, called comedonal acne, responds well to a monthly facial.

The acne facial at True Med Spa works by exfoliating the top layer of skin, which unclogs pores and helps oil flow naturally through the follicles, thus avoiding future breakouts. Extractions remove the existing comedones, which both helps your appearance and also lessens the likelihood of developing a pimple (which occurs when a comedone becomes inflamed). At True Med Spa we offer specific facial treatments to treat acne so you can get on with your life, confident in your beautiful skin.

Facials erase sun damage

Facials also work to treat the damage from the damaging rays of the sun in Downtown Scottsdale.** As we age, our skin reflects damage from the sun, lifestyle factors, and the wear-and-tear of daily life. Many people have found that a monthly facial is effective at treating age spots, sun spots, prematurely aged or sun damaged skin, rosacea, broken capillaries, spider veins, acne.

An IPL Photofacial treats sun damage on your skin. This type of facial is the ideal answer for patients with active lifestyles because the procedure requires no downtime. At True Med Spa, we have embraced the latest technology – a generation beyond laser machines, which emits a single narrow wavelength of light. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology delivers hundreds of wavelengths of light that are selectively absorbed by different tissue allowing a multitude of skin conditions to be treated with IPL technology. A medical aesthetician at True Med Spa can work with you to determine how often you should get an IPL Photofacial based on your skincare needs and goals.

Facials can erase signs of aging

Sun damage isn’t the only factor that damages skin. As we age, the rate of healthy young cells that migrate to the topmost layer slows down, which makes skin look dull. Harmful ultraviolet rays (UV rays), various environmental factors, and our facial expressions all accelerate our aging process resulting in the development of fine lines and wrinkles like crow’s feet. Additionally, over time our skin becomes thinner and drier. We also lose collagen, the main structural protein in connective tissue that provides our skin with a plump healthy appearance. The benefit of facials lies in restoring youthful skin, and resolving these multiple skin problems, erasing the spots, lines and other irregularities that detract from our normally healthy skin.

At True Med Spa, we recommend the True Anti-Aging facial to effectively hydrate skin and promote clear and younger looking skin. This facial includes antioxidants that nourishes to promote clear and well-hydrated skin. For the best results, we also recommend our Laser 360 Rejuvenation, True Photofacial, True iPixel Laser, Anti-Aging Hydrafacial, and MD treatments to effectively minimize fine lines and wrinkles. Our full line of medical grade Anti-Aging Facial products are available as your take-home regimen.

Regular Facial Benefits

With regular facials, you benefit from the expertise of a medical aesthetician and brighter, healthier skin. A cleansing and skin evaluation allows for a custom evaluation of specific conditions like dry skin, broken capillaries, age spots, sun damage, fine lines and wrinkles.

In addition to a targeted skin care regimen, regular facials also exfoliate your skin. Exfoliation removes the top layer of your skin primarily consisting of dead skin cells. Exfoliation is either a mechanical or chemical process that works to remove dry, dull, or dead skin cells and reveal healthy skin underneath. Mechanical exfoliants are scrubs or other course products that rub away dead skin. Chemical exfoliants are acids and enzymes that slough off dead skin.

For more information about facials and skin care treatments, request an appointment with True Med Spa. We will personally assess your skin and work together to develop a treatment plan in line with your skin care goals. Click here to make an appointment today.

Treating and Preventing Acne Scars and Redness

acne scar treatment downtown scottsdale

Acne can really leave its mark on your skin long after the blemish has disappeared. Fortunately, there are safe and effective treatments available to help lessen the redness and scars that acne can leave behind. Available treatments can help reduce raised scars and diminish scars that are depressed into the skin. Acne is a very common skin condition that can affect anyone including teens and adults. At True Med Spa in Scottsdale, we use Dr. Zein Obagi’s ZO Skin Health line of skin care products to help manage acne at home. The acne formulated products help control surface oils by decreasing sebum production and prevent future breakouts. These products, while strong enough to fight acne, also leave the skin hydrated, which helps minimize redness and irritation that often occur when acne breakouts.

Common Acne Treatment Mistakes

Many people who suffer from acne suffer alone, thinking that the acne will improve. People make many mistakes in treating acne including using harsh skin abrasives, exfoliating treatments, and even popping and picking pimples. Be gentle with your face. Acne is not caused by dirt; it is caused by bacteria from excess oils. Gentle cleansing in the morning and in the evening is sufficient for healthy and clean skin. Do not over scrub and never pick your blemishes! Popping and picking will cause scarring and more redness. As a rule of thumb, always keep your hands off your face – hands are covered in bacteria.

Sometimes you need professional medical intervention to see an improvement in your acne. Acne can be an difficult and embarrassing skin condition, but there is hope for acne sufferers.

Acne Treatment in Downtown Scottsdale

True Med Spa in Downtown Scottsdale works with acne patients in their teens, 20s, and adult years to create a customized and personalized skin care regimen that will fight to banish acne and treat acne scarring and redness.

Acne Facials

Acne facials are an effective way to treat active acne breakouts in order to prevent scarring and redness. The Acne Hydrafacial MD at True Med Spa is the newest advance in non-laser, non-invasive skin resurfacing. This facial is the only hydra-dermabrasion procedure that combines cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, hydration, and antioxidant protection. With an Acne Hydrafacial MD, your skin is left looking and feeling clearer, soothed, and moisturized.

Another effective treatment for both acne and acne scars is the IPL Acne PhotoFacial. The IPL Acne facial available at True Med Spa destroys the most common bacteria that cause acne. Intense Pulse Light (IPL) is one of the safest FDA approved acne treatments available for any skin type. We find that people typically have the best results using a combination of the Acne Hydrafacial and the Acne PhotoFacial.**

Acne Scar Treatment

When scars have set in and redness is a bit more stubborn, you need more than acne treatment; you need to fix the redness and scars. The iPixel™ Acne Scar Treatment is an effective way to reduce the appearance of red marks and scars that acne leaves behind. This acne scar treatment works by stimulating the collagen to grow without taking off a layer of skin like other treatments may do. The treatment is done in a series of 3 sessions over a period of 3-4 months. Many patients see results within 14 days of treatment.**

Regardless of what you may be suffering from, it is important to remember that you’re not alone. Contact us to request an appointment and see how True Med Spa can help your acne and acne scars.

The Truth About Preventing and Treating Crow’s Feet

crows feet treatment downtown scottsdale

We have all seen the those fine lines around our eyes. Perhaps we see them more on a day when we’ve been squinting in the sun or when we haven’t gotten enough sleep – crow’s feet. Radiating from the corners of your eyes, crow’s feet are among the first wrinkles to develop in men and women. Crow’s feet usually develop in your 30s but can develop years before depending on your lifestyle and genetics. Crow’s feet can prematurely age us and while they may not bother some, most people would prefer them gone.

So what causes crow’s feet and what can be done to prevent and treat them?

Causes of Crow’s Feet

Eye wrinkles can be caused by a number of things. Factors that influence our propensity to get crow’s feet include genetics, squinting, sun exposure, sleeping on one side of your face, and free radicals.

The most common cause of crow’s feet is sun exposure, both in the form of sun damage to your skin and squinting in the sun. Repeated and habitual facial expressions like squinting is a major cause of wrinkles and fine lines anywhere in the face but especially around the eyes. In addition to squinting, sun exposure over time leaves our skin dried out, making us more susceptible to the fine lines of crow’s feet.

Preventing Crow’s Feet

Your eyes are the first thing that people see, so you want to make sure you keep the skin around your eyes looking good.

Preventing wrinkles before they emerge is the most important step in skincare. Although it sounds like crow’s feet are inevitable, the good news is that you can work on preventing crow’s feet before they start. The earlier you work to prevent these fine lines from developing, the less you will have to work to treat them later.

There are some basic things that you can do to try and prevent wrinkles and even to prevent further damage to your skin. The best thing you can do to prevent crow’s feet is to protect your skin from the sun. This includes using both SPF or sun block as well as wearing sunglasses or hats to shade your eyes from the sun. Wearing sunscreen and also large sunglasses that cover the sides of your eyes will offer some protection from the sun’s damaging rays as well.

Another way to prevent crow’s feet is to sleep on your back. People who sleep on their backs tend to have fewer wrinkles than those who sleep on their side or stomach. The reason for this is because pressure of sleeping on your stomach or your side causes your skin to push into the pillow and mattress. Over time this pressure causes wrinkles on the delicate skin around your eyes.

Drinking plenty of water will also aide in keeping your skin hydrated, which is critical in preventing wrinkles. Doctors recommend eight glasses a day or more for dry climates like the climate in Scottsdale.

Crow’s Feet Treatment Options

While prevention is key, what do you do if you already have crow’s feet? There are treatments that work well in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.

BOTOX® is effective in treating crow’s feet. A neurotoxin, BOTOX® is used to treat a variety of medical conditions but it is often used to improve the look of wrinkles on the face. An extremely common area for BOTOX® treatment is the area around the eyes. *While results vary from patient to patient, most people see the results of BOTOX® for crow’s feet.

During the one session treatment, BOTOX® is injection into the three main areas around both of your eyes. The injection works by reducing the muscle activity and lessening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The treatment for reducing the apparance within two weeks after treatment.**

True Med Spa is experienced in using BOTOX® to treat and lessen the appearance of crow’s feet. Learn more about BOTOX® here or request an appointment for a consultation today. 

Anti-Aging Exfoliation Treatments for Dry or Dull Skin

anti-aging chemical peel scottsdale

Exfoliation is an essential part of your skincare routine. If you’re suffering from dry flaky skin due to the weather or just feel like your complexion is looking a little dull, you should consider adding an exfoliation regime to your routine. Exfoliation works by removing the oldest dead skin cells on the skin’s outermost surface to reveal new, healthy skin cells.

What types of exfoliants are out there and what will work for your skin? The answer depends on your individuls needs and skincare goals. This post will lay out the treatment options at True Med Spa for dry skin or a dull complexion.

Microdermabrasion 

Your skin is the largest organ in your body and is constantly regenerating itself as old, dead cells slough off. As your skin continuously sheds itself, a manual means of exfoliation, also known as microdermabrasion, can help that process along. Manual exfoliation includes, natural scrubs like sea salt, sugar, or walnut scrubs, the now-banned microbeads, and microdermabrasion brush systems. 

Chemical Peels

There are a few different types of chemical exfoliants, also known as peels, that you can use on your skin. Chemical peels are a fantastic way to treat multiple skin conditions like acne scars, sun spots, melasma, dry/dull skin, and overall signs of aging. A chemical peel is a more effective alternative to manual exfoliation and chemical peels should be part of an anti-aging regimen. 

Some common chemical exfoliants used in chemical peels include:

  • Glycolic acid
  • Malic acid
  • Salicylic acid
  • Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) 

Chemical peels are available at True Med Spa where our trained skincare specialists will work with your unique skin to select the proper chemical peel for your skin..

Dermaplaning Treatment in Scottsdale

Dermaplaning is exfoliating treatment that provides an alternative to chemical peels or microdermabrasion and is a good choice for anyone who has fine facial hair, extremely sensitive skin, redness or rosacea, or visible facial veins. Dermaplaning skin treatment at True Med Spa is performed s experienced aestheticians who use a blade to gently exfoliate the outer layer of dead skin cells and remove fine facial hair commonly known as “peach fuzz”. Your skin is left looking and feeling smoother and ready for the application of skin care products.

Exfoliating Facials in Scottsdale

Any one of the facials at True Med Spa including the Hydrafacial MD and our Anti-Aging Facial will work to provide the best skin care possible while incorporating exfoliating steps to ensure the removal of dead skin cells and the full penetration of skin care products.

Laser Skin Rejuvination

Lastly, the iPixel™ laser skin rejuvination treatment is the leading approach to remove years of damage from your skin. This FDA-approved facial treatment combines the proven effectiveness of lasers that both exfoliate the skin work and work to rejuvinate the cells underneath. iPixel helps to remove fine lines and wrinkles and treats other skin conditions as well.

Which treatment is right for you?

Exfoliants can be used by all skin types and but you need to make sure that you are using a treatment that is formulated for your skin. At True Med Spa we advise coming in for a consultation before scheduling any procedure so that our experts can help you make the best decisions for your skin. 

What is Melasma and How Can You Treat It?


*Individual Results may vary.

Have you always wished you had perfect, clear skin without melasma?

Melasma is a common skin condition characterized by grayish-brown patches that appear primarily on the face. Melasma patches most commonly appear on the forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, and sometimes on the neck and arms. Melasma primarily affects women but can also affect men.  While most people dislike the look of melasma, it is a non-cancerous discoloration and that does not cause discomfort. Melasma is difficult to control due to outside factors, but it can be treated. Read one to learn more about melasma and how you can treat your skin discoloration.

Causes of Melasma

Melasma is often seen in women especially during pregnancy. Melasma is also known as the ‘mask of pregnancy’ when seen in women during gestation. Melasma is believed to be effected by hormones so women who are taking oral contraceptives or hormone therapy are also more prone to melasma. Some hormonal  birth control or hormone replacement therapy can make patients more succeptable to the sun and trigger melasma. Some triggers for melasma are sun exposure, hormone changes, and irritants.

The exact causes of melasma are unclear, but people with darker complexions, like those from Latin/Hispanic, North African, African-American, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean descent, are reportedly more likely to get melasma. A common theory is that melasma occurs when melanocytes produce too much color and thus people of darker complexions have more active melanocytes in general. While this is a commonly accepted theory, melasma may be more noticeable in people with lighter complexions.

Prevention

Melasma is triggered by sun exposure so it’s important to wear sunscreen or sunblock. Even a small amount of unprotected sun exposure can trigger melasma or make existing melasma worse. Use a sunscreen that’s higher than 30 SPF or a sunblock with zinc or titanium dioxide. Since the cause of melasma is unknown, unfortunately melasma cannot be prevented. You can however prevent the triggers of melasma by staying out of the sun, protecting your skin from the sun, and reconsidering the use of hormonal therapy. Melasma that is triggered by pregnancy should clear up when a women is no longer pregnant.

Melasma Treatment in Scottsdale

There are treatments that can be done to lessen the appearance of the brown spots caused by melasma.

Chemical Peels for Melasma

Chemical peels are a fantastic way to treat multiple skin conditions like acne scars, sun spots, aging, and even melasma. Chemical peels are available at True Med Spa (https://mytruemedspa.com/skin-fitness/chemical-peels/) and our skin specialists are well qualified to select the proper peeling agent based upon the type of skin condition that you are trying to treat. The Melasma Peel at True Med Spa in Scottsdale effectively treats irregular pigmentations that are caused by hormonal imbalances after pregnancy, birth control pills or other hormonal medications. Over the course of treatment, this peel promotes brightening, lightening, and correcting the pigmentation by suppressing melanocytes which are what produce the discolorations.

 

Treating Sun Damage with IPL Photofacial

sun damage treatment scottsdale

The sun is damaging – there is no way around it. Getting a little bit of sun every once in a while is important. The sun helps the body produce Vitamin D which is critical for strong bones and overall well being. But unprotected sun exposure also promotes premature aging, especially through age spots and sun spots.

Signs of Sun Damage

If you spend a lot of time in the sun, with or without sunscreen, you may notice spots appearing on your skin over time. Freckles, age spots, sun spots, and melasma are all signs of sun damage.

Often presenting as flat spots on the skin, age or sun spots are unsightly to look at and can causes people to be self conscious. These spots are most prominent on the hands, neck, face, arms and any other areas that are commonly exposed to the sun. The number one cause of age spots and other sun damage is unprotected or underprotected exposure to the sun. The sun’s UV rays might give you that a nice brown glow but they are also damaging to the skin.

Preventing Sun Damage

You can prevent sun damage by protecting your skin from the sun. Use of sunscreen, sunblock, hats, sunglasses, and long clothing can help prevent sun damage. We recommend an SPF of at least 15 but ideally over 30 SPF to help keep sun spots from forming. If you can, avoid the sun during the middle of the day which is when the sun’s rays are at their most damaging.

Treating Sun Damage with IPL Photofacial

While you can prevent further age spots from forming with these tips, what about the ones you already have? There is good news! Treatment for sun damage is usually not medically necessary but many people chose to have these unsightly spots treated. Most sun damage can be treated by removing or reducing the brown spots with an IPL Photofacial.

At True Med Spa, we offer a revolutionary IPL Photofacial. Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL Photofacial. IPL works in a single or series of treatments and treats a wide range of skin discoloration conditions like age spots, freckles, sun spots, redness caused by rosacea, broken capillaries, and acne. Another benefit to photofacials is that the treatment helps boost collagen production, which will leave your skin looking and feeling firmer.**

How does IPL work to target sun spots?

IPL photofacials use short pulses of light to penetrate just below the skin’s surface where melanin resides. This process essentially targets melanin only and damages the melanin that is responsible for brown ‘age spots’ or ‘sun spots’ and also the blood vessels that are responsible for any redness. Your skin then works to fight back and repair the ‘damage’ caused by the light pulses and ends up leaving you with a more even skin tone. This entire process is called photorejuvenation and it causes the benefits of a photofacial to appear gradually over a few weeks after the treatment. You should see benefits within a few days of your first treatment but sometimes full effects will take several treatments.**

At True Med Spa we use the next phase of IPL technology called Advance Fluorescence Technology (AFT™). AFT enhances penetration to the skin without using excessive energy levels. This protects the top layer of the skin, resulting in safer and more effective outcomes during your treatments.

Find out if an IPL Photofacial can help treat your sun damage. Schedule a consultation with True Med Spa to see how we can remove your sun spots with an IPL Photofacial treatment.