Anti-Aging Treatments

Anti-Aging/Integrative Treatments

Pavilion Compounding Pharmacy is pleased to announce our line of Quality, Pharmaceutical Grade Supplements, manufactured for us by Wellness Works, our partner supplier, to help support anti-aging. We especially like this line of Nutraceuticals, due to the extensive quality control measures, formulations suggested by members of PCCA’s advisory boards, based on solid evidence of efficacy and safety.

However: our experience does not stop there. We also provide customized vitamin formulations based on your specific needs. One of our long-time partners, Dr. Tasneem Bhatia, M.D., of CentresSpring MD, works closely with her patients and us to tailor a supplement regimen based on you or your family members specific needs. Dr. Bhatia, also works with balancing your hormones, as well as working with children’s unique needs for Autism, ADD, ADHD, and other childhood illnesses.

About Aging

Skin changes with age and these changes can make you look older than you really are. Fortunately, compound pharmacists have developed anti-aging dermatology treatments to help you fight the effects of aging.

Wrinkles, age spots and dryness begin to appear over the years, for example. Skin also loses fat, stops retaining moisture and becomes thinner, all of which make your skin look less plump and smooth. Your skin might take longer to heal, too.

Sunlight plays a significant role in skin aging. Exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) irradiation in sunlight and artificial UV sources causes premature aging of the skin, known as photoaging. Lifetime exposure to UV radiation can increase the risk for sun damage and photoaging on the most visible parts of the body, such as the face, neck, and back of the hand; women often show signs of photoaging on their upper chest, where v-neck blouses and sweaters expose the skin there.

Signs of photoaging include:

• Visible blood vessels and spider veins on the nose, cheeks, neck, and upper chest
• Freckles, uneven skin color
• Brown spots, known as age or liver spots
• General loss of skin tone in sun-exposed areas
• Wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, which increase in number and become deeper over time
• Forehead frown lines
• Red, rough scaly spots, which may be precancerous and require treatment

Dead skin cells on the top layer of skin can lead to wrinkles and loss of elasticity. Skin regenerates itself by shedding dead skin cells on a regular basis. Through this natural process, known as skin cell turnover, replaces skin cells about once a month in adults. After the age of about 50, though, skin cell turnover slows down to about once every 45 to 90 days. Dead skin cells can build up on the surface of the skin, which makes the skin look duller.

Processes occurring beneath the top layer of skin can also lead to wrinkles and saggy skin. These processes include the retention of water, the building of skin texture and strength, and maintaining elasticity so that skin holds its shape rather than sagging.

Young skin retains its youthful appearance largely because it retains water. The normal processes of aging, along with daily injury from exposure to UV sunlight, harsh chemicals, and other factors, can affect the way skin cells retain water. Dehydrated skin can be dry and itchy, and can look dull and wrinkled.

Two proteins in the skin, collagen, and elastin, work together to give skin its texture and shape. Collagen helps strengthen skin and helps with elasticity and hydration. Elastin helps the skin return to its natural position after being poked or pinched. Collagen and elastin fibers anchor themselves to make up the supporting structures of the skin but begin to loosen their grip over the years. Furthermore, the body produces less collagen and elastin over time to allow skin to sag and wrinkle.

Age-related disease could also cause premature aging of the skin. Researchers warn that some skin changes, such as discoloration, may be a warning sign of heart disease. Another study suggests that deep wrinkles in one’s forehead may be a sign of cardiovascular diseases.

Cigarette smoking can contribute to wrinkles and signs of aging. Nicotine narrows blood vessels on the top layer of skin. Impaired blood flow prevents the skin cells from receiving the oxygen and nutrients they need, which causes the skin to sag and wrinkle prematurely. The wrinkling increases exponentially with the amount of nicotine used and the number of years the individual smoked.

Fat loss associated with aging magnifies the effects of acne scars. Acne occurs when excess oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria cause swelling in skin pores, causing a break in the wall of the pore. Shallow breaks heal quickly, but deep breaks can allow infected material to spill into surrounding tissue. The body attempts to repair the lesions by forming new collagen fibers quickly, but the fast repairs are not as smooth as those fibers in the original skin. In some cases, the body produces too much collagen as acne wounds heal. When skin begins to sag as the natural consequence of aging, it “hangs” on the collagen fibers to create irregular cascading appearance to the skin.

Aging can cause changes deep within the body that affect the skin. The immune system weakens in time, for example, and this can leave the skin vulnerable to inflammation, hypersensitivity, infections, and other problems that can add to visible signs of aging. Poor immune function can cause skin to break out more often and heal more slowly, and rely on new collagen fibers that do not work as well.

Anti-Aging Treatments

A number of anti-aging treatments soothe dry skin and reduce the appearance of age spots.

Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a natural substance found in skin. It holds water to help skin stay hydrated and plump; hyaluronic acid can also help skin heal faster. HA is available as a dietary supplement and as an injectable temporary dermal filler.

Chemical peel

A chemical peel improves the appearance of skin on the face, neck or hands by causing the top layer of skin to exfoliate and regenerate. A chemical peel involves applying alpha-hydroxy acid or another mild acid to the skin, which makes the skin “blister” and peel to reveal the smoother and firmer skin below.

Dermal fillers

Dermal fillers are gel-like substances that restore volume, soften creases, smooth lines, and enhance certain contours of the face. Skincare professionals inject dermal fillers into facial tissue around the nose, mouth, and cheeks to give a more youthful appearance. Dermal fillers can restore volume and plump up skin in sunken cheeks and temples, smooth out a chin crease, and diminish vertical lip lines.

Fractionated laser

A fractionated laser uses the power of laser light to treat sun-damaged or scarred skin. The microscopic beams of laser light penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. The energy from the laser breaks down old, damaged skin and stimulates the body’s own natural healing processes to produce healthy new skin.

Some Commonly Requested Formulations for Anti-Aging Include: