1. When shopping for an antioxidant, potency is the best policy for gaining results and rejuvenating collagen within the skin. Revalé Intense Recovery Treatment uses an exclusive Coffeeberry formula that will provide an organic and super concentrated level of anti-aging antioxidant. With daily use, you can begin the healing process of “weathered” skin, and reveal a suppler and younger looking skin.

2. Renewing the skin on a nightly basis is made possible with the use of Retin-A or Retinol products. Reducing lines, uneven skin tone, and restoring lost collagen are all benefits of using this powerhouse anti-aging creation. Ask your physician about a prescription, or opt to purchase one of our Retinol Antioxidant Serum’s available in a strength that will work best for you no matter the level.

3. Preventing sun damage means preventing the aging process and saving you unnecessary trips to the dermatologist’s office. Having sun smarts takes education in the correct type of sunscreens to choose. Using high levels of zinc oxide is the best protection against the sun’s rays. A trusted medical grade brand is EltaMD. This brand offers a wide range of formulas that can suit any skin type. Their micronized zinc is so sheer you don’t even notice you’re wearing it. A chemical free formula is offered with a tint that can help your skin look more even and free up some room in your make-up bag. All in all, rejuvenating your skin is as simple as 1, 2, 3.

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Laser hand rejuvination – Video

If you have greater concern over lines and loss of elasticity, you may need an extra boost of collagen and skin resurfacing. The Active FX Laser is the latest in technology to deliver amazing results with downtime lasting about seven days. This treatment is a one-time cosmetic laser appointment that will target brown spots, lines and wrinkles, scars, and will help the skin build new collagen over time. The result is tighter skin, smoother and clear of past sun damage.

When unsightly capillaries or small spider veins have made you red in the face, the V-Beam laser can help. This treatment is fast and virtually painless with no anesthetics required. The areas being treated can be tender and red for a couple of days, and some mild bruising can occur. In some cases, spider veins on the legs can be treated with this laser as well.

Unwanted hair, shaving, and waxing can be a thing of the past in approximately six treatments with the use of Light Sheer. Dark and coarse hair is the best candidate for this laser treatment. We recommend the use of a numbing cream for comfort and you are always treated by a physician to ensure the best results and safest procedure.

It is very important that our patients are well informed prior to having any cosmetic treatment. A consultation is not only recommended but required when it comes to treating the skin with a laser. You as the patient should be completely educated, at ease, and excited about your beautiful new skin! Hear what this patient had to say about laser treatments at Torrey Pines Dermatology.

The Total FX laser treatment is a combination of Deep FX and Active FX™. When used together they are capable of offering the full range of fractional resurfacing. Deep FX offers a deeper micro-ablative treatment to target deeper wrinkles and scarring, while Active FX offers a large superficial spot treatment targeting sun damage as well as, tone and texture. With Total FX we are able to achieve maximum results in collagen production and skin resurfacing in one single treatment.

Active FX Laser Treatment

Active FX is a high energy fractional laser that interacts with the skin’s surface causing the upper layer to peel off and regenerate a layer of new, healthy skin. The laser beam uses a fractional pattern technique making the healing process much faster, enabling you to get back to normal activities sooner. This laser targets fine lines, sun damage and improves tone and texture.

Deep FX Laser Treatment

Deep FX uses fractional CO² laser microbeams to precisely target the deep dermal layers of the skin. The deep laser pulses lead to tissue regeneration and new collagen formation throughout the entire treatment area, ultimately resulting in long-term collagen remodeling. Deep FX targets deeper wrinkles and scarring and provides remarkable results with minimal downtime.

How Total FX Works

At our dermatology practice serving greater San Diego, we use the Active FX laser skin resurfacing system to stimulate collagen production in the inner layers of the skin, promoting smoothing and tightening throughout the affected area. The Active FX carbon dioxide laser also removes unhealthy patches of skin, causing production of fresh, new skin, and, because it is more powerful than the Fraxel® laser, the skin requires only a single treatment session of about 30 minutes to achieve optimal results.

What Total FX Treats

Patients can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, sun spots, uneven pigmentation, loose skin, and other symptoms of aging and sun damage when utilizing the Active FX laser skin resurfacing system. Patients will be able to recapture the youthful beauty of smooth, healthy, taut skin.

What to Expect from a Laser Treatment

Active FX patients can expect excellent, long-lasting results that begin to appear during the first week following treatment. The treatment process is brief and patients should expect three to five days of “down-time”, after which they should be able to return to normal daily activities. Most patients will endure minor side effects such as redness, swelling and peeling, typically lasting a week. Smooth, youthful skin and other benefits that result from Active FX laser skin resurfacing can last for several years after recovery.

Contact Our Office

At our La Jolla practice, near Del Mar, our dermatologist team, lead by Dr. Kristen Richards, offers the finest in medical-grade skin care in San Diego. Contact us to book an appointment at our La Jolla, CA office.

Types of Skin Cancer

 Basal Cell Carcinoma

The most common type of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), can take many forms and grows very slowly, rarely metastasizing. However, it will cause extensive damage to skin tissue over time if left untreated, so early detection and prompt treatment are recommended. BCC tumors usually appear in places that receive frequent sun exposure, such as the face, arms, and hands.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Far less common than BCC, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is usually found in very fair-skinned patients who have had a good deal of sun exposure over a long period of time. It is also most commonly found in areas that are regularly exposed to the sun, although they can potentially appear anywhere on the body.

Melanoma

The rarest but most dangerous form of skin cancer is melanoma. Because it grows and spreads quickly, early detection is crucial to successful skin cancer removal. Melanoma usually develops in an existing mole or appears as a new mole.

Skin Cancer Removal

The removal of skin cancer is generally achieved through surgical excision. A specialized technique, known as Mohs micrographic surgery, allows for total skin cancer removal in 97 to 99 percent of cases, with minimal damage to surrounding tissue. Torrey Pines Dermatology is one of the few San Diego-area practices to offer this technique. We are dedicated to providing the most advanced and effective treatments available for conditions and diseases of the skin. That is why Dr. Kristen Richards, one of our highly experienced dermatologists, is Fellowship-trained in a specialized skin cancer removal technique known as Mohs micrographic surgery.

View video testimonial of our skin cancer patient.

What Is Mohs Surgery?

Mohs is a specialized micrographic surgical technique used to remove cancerous lesions in the skin. Allowing physicians to remove skin cancer more effectively, while causing less damage to surrounding healthy tissue than any other method, Mohs is particularly ideal for the removal of large tumors, such as those with irregular edges, and skin cancer that appears on the face or near delicate parts of the body.

How Is Mohs Performed?

The first step in the Mohs micrographic surgery process is the removal of the visible portion of the tumor. This is accomplished through surgical excision or curettage (scraping). Once this step is complete, a thin sample of tissue is taken from the area of which the tumor was removed then carefully examined with a powerful microscope to screen for the presence of any additional cancerous tissue. If such tissue is found, its precise location is determined and another small section of tissue is removed from this area. This sample is examined under the microscope as well, and the process is continued until it is determined that no additional cancerous tissue remains. By using this systematic method to seek out the roots of a tumor, Mohs surgeons have a 97 to 99 percent chance of successfully removing the entire cancer, leaving the surrounding tissue largely unharmed. Mohs surgery has been especially helpful for removing cancerous tumors when other forms of treatment have been unsuccessful.

The final stage of the Mohs surgical procedure is the closing of the wound left by the excision. The specific method used to complete this step will depend on the size, shape, and location of the incision. Small, shallow openings may be dressed and left to heal naturally, while larger wounds may need to be closed with stitches or repaired with a skin graft. The decision as to which of these methods will be most effective is generally made once the cancer has been removed and the extent of the excision is known.

View video about how is mohs performed.

View video testimonial of our Mohs surgery patient.

Contact Our Office

Kristen Richards, M.D. is one of very few Board-Certified, Fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons in the San Diego area. Skin cancer surgery and reconstruction is her specialty.

Contact us to book an appointment at our La Jolla, CA office.

What is Active FX?

Laser skin renewal, also known as laser skin resurfacing, is an exciting cosmetic dermatology treatment that allows our patients to achieve smoother, younger skin without relying on chemicals or surgery. At Torrey Pines Dermatology in San Diego, we use the state-of-the-art Active FX fractional laser resurfacing system because it produces better results with fewer side effects and shorter recovery times than other laser platforms.

Active FX is a high energy fractional laser that interacts with the skin’s surface causing the upper layer to peel off and regenerate a layer of new, healthy skin. The laser beam uses a fractional pattern technique making the healing process much faster, enabling you to get back to normal activities sooner. This laser targets fine lines, sun damage and improves tone and texture.

What does Active FX treat?

Patients can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, sun spots, uneven pigmentation, loose skin, and other symptoms of aging and sun damage when utilizing the Active FX laser skin resurfacing system. Patients will be able to recapture the youthful beauty of smooth, healthy, taut skin.

Active FX is our most popular laser because it can treat a variety of conditions. It remodels deep tissue restoring brand new collagen to the skin, which leads to wrinkle reduction and skin tightening. It also does skin surface changes to remove sun damage.

How does it work?

At our dermatology practice serving La Jolla, we use the Active FX laser skin resurfacing system to stimulate collagen production in the inner layers of the skin, promoting smoothing and tightening throughout the affected area. The Active FX carbon dioxide laser also removes unhealthy patches of skin, causing production of fresh, new skin, and, because it is more powerful than the Fraxel laser, the skin requires only a single treatment session of about 30 minutes to achieve optimal results.

What is the difference between Active FX and Fraxel laser?

Active FX covers about 80% of the skin’s surface, while Fraxel treats only about 20% of the skin’s surface at a time. The 80% coverage by Active FX seems to provide a good balance of desired results with amount of down-time.

Because Fraxel works with only 20% of the skin’s surface at a time, patients would need to go in for multiple treatments to get the same effects as 80% coverage. So, although 80% coverage sounds like a lot, it is actually creating more results in less time.

Active FX results also indicate that there is less pain associated with this procedure; most people can drive themselves home after having it. With Fraxel, pain is higher and patients may not be able to drive themselves home.

“I love Active FX because I can get the same result in one treatment than I could with five or six using Fraxel.” – Kristen Richards, M.D.

How long is downtime?

The treatment process is brief and patients should expect three to five days of “downtime”, after which they should be able to return to normal daily activities. Most patients will endure minor side effects such as redness, swelling and peeling, typically lasting a week.

How long until the patient will see results?

Active FX patients can expect excellent, long-lasting results that begin to appear during the first week following treatment. Smooth, youthful skin and other benefits that result from Active FX laser skin resurfacing can last for several years after recovery.

Kristen Richards, M.D. is a highly trained Board-Certified Dermatologist with over a decade of experience in Cosmetic Dermatology.

Contact us to book an appointment at our La Jolla, CA office.

People of all ages should make skin care an essential part of their daily routine, especially here in San Diego where we soak up the sun daily. Taking good care of your skin at an early age can help prevent the unwanted effects of aging later in life. But even taking preventative skin care measures when you’re young, however, doesn’t preclude you from the inevitable effects of aging. As you age, your skin may droop or thin due to the slowing remodeling of skin tightening proteins. Years of sun exposure can also lead to brown spots and pronounced blood vessels.

What is Fraxel? What does it treat?

There are many medical and cosmetic treatment options available for those looking to minimize the visible effects of sun damage and aging. Fraxel is a laser treatment for skin that produces significant results without injections or surgery. This skin rejuvenation procedure helps remove years from your appearance so you regain a more youthful look. Whether you wish to target sun damage, wrinkles, or other signs of age, laser treatments deliver remarkable results, often with fast recovery so you can quickly return to your daily life with renewed skin—and renewed confidence.

Similarities between Fraxel and Active FX

Active FX is a new laser skin treatment technology which offers improvements in skin texture, tone, and firmness in just one treatment. Active FX and Fraxel both employ “fractional” methods, meaning  a fraction of the skin’s surface is treated rather than the entire surface. This allows for faster healing, while reducing collateral skin damage, swelling, and redness.

Differences between Fraxel and Active FX

Fractional lasers differ from other ablative lasers in that they remove the tissue only in small areas, leaving the surrounding areas uninjured. Fractional lasers are typically used to address cosmetic skin problems such as pigmentation problems and scarring.

Active FX covers about 80% of the skin’s surface at a time (compared to the 20% of skin surface Fraxel treats), offering a good balance of desired results with length of down-time. Because Fraxel treats only 20% of the skin’s surface at a time, you will need to go in for multiple treatments to get the same effects as 80% coverage. So by treating 80% of the skin’s surface, Active FX actually creates more results in less time. Active FX usually results in less pain as well; most people can drive themselves home after having it. With Fraxel, pain is higher and patients may not be able to drive themselves home.

“I love Active FX because I can get the same result in one treatment than I could with five or six using Fraxel.” – Kristen Richards, M.D.

How long is downtime with Fraxel and Active? How long do results last with Fraxel and Active?

The range of Fraxel treatments vary in aggressiveness, downtime, and number of procedures needed and results. Fraxel Re:fine, can produce significant results for mild to moderately damaged skin over the course of 3 to 6 treatments.

The treatment process for Active FX is brief and patients should expect three to five days of “downtime”, after which they should be able to return to normal daily activities. Most patients will endure minor side effects such as redness, swelling and peeling, typically lasting a week.

Get Active FX Treatment in La Jolla

Dr. Kristen Richards of Torrey Pines Dermatology in San Diego utilizes the Active FX laser skin   resurfacing system to stimulate collagen production in the inner layers of the skin, promoting smoothing and tightening throughout the affected area. Because it is more powerful than the Fraxel laser, the skin requires only a single treatment session of about 45 minutes to achieve optimal results. Contact us to book an appointment at our La Jolla, CA office.

Even if you don’t feel like purchasing skin care products today, you can view large pictures, detailed descriptions, customer reviews, and more of each product. Browse favorites such as Pore Refining Cleanser from Torrey Pines Dermatology, Day Cream from Revale, and Bio Cream from Neocutis. Nearly our entire inventory of products is available in our store including products to fight acne, reduce wrinkles, moisturize and hydrate your skin.

But Wait, There’s More…

As if getting your favorite skin care products delivered to your doorstep wasn’t enough, we’re offering 20% off all products to fans of our page! It’s as easy as clicking the  icon at the top of the page. Also, keep your eyes peeled for extra special daily deals like free shipping and doctor’s recommendations.

Remember, the 20% discount only applies to online purchases so take a load off and order from your computer without the hassle of traffic and parking. This especially benefits those who need skin care products but don’t live in the San Diego area and can’t make it to our La Jolla office. You can order from home and we’ll ship your products to you, wherever you live in the U.S.

We’ll be announcing all sorts of other events and specials on our page so be sure to Like and stay updated. ’

Click any of the pictures above to be directed to the Facebook store.

Sculptra®Aesthetic works differently than other anti-aging treatments:

• Sculptra®Aesthetic works gradually to replace lost collagen in the nasolabial folds – a key cause of aging
• It can give you subtle, noticeable results that won’t give you away and can last up to 2 years
• An average number of treatment sessions of Sculptra is 3 injections over a few months.

Q: How does Sculptra®Aesthetic work?

A: Injectable poly-L-lactic acid works within the deep dermis to replace lost collagen providing a foundation that gradually restores the look of fullness by correcting your shallow to deep facial wrinkles and folds.

Q: Are people satisfied with Sculptra®Aesthetic?

A: 84.9% of people treated were satisfied after 13 month

Torrey Pines Dermatology is holding an event in March 2011 offering personalized consultations, discounts and rebates on Sculptra treatments. For more information about how you can be a part of it, email us at rachael@torreypinesderm.com or call our office at          (858) 362-8800

Be Yourself Again
Not only does proper treatment help you look better and feel better, it could prevent future scarring. Here are some simple steps to help control outbreaks:

- Routinely wash your face with warm water and pharmaceutical grade cleanser to help keep the skin clean and clear away dead skin cells. Don’t forget that topical acne treatments can take 10 to 12 weeks to be effective, so be patient. Most people give up long before they give their medication enough time to work.

- Try oil-free, water-based sunscreens and makeup. Make sure they are “non-comedogenic” meaning they won’t clog pores or exacerbate breakouts.

- Consider microdermabrasion or a light chemical peel to remove upper layers of skin and unblock pores. Treatments and peels work best when customized to your skin type by a Medical Esthetician or Dermatologist.

We’re Here To Help
For the rest of January, get a free acne fighting SilkPeel with the purchase of three SilkPeels. This exfoliating treatment extracts dirt and oil from your pores while infusing a customized topical solution to kill bacteria and soften your skin. You are now closer than ever to getting clear skin!

Be sure to check out the Facebook page every month or so for new and exciting promotions. Don’t forget that appointments can book several weeks in advance so schedule soon and secure your place.

This holiday season Torrey Pines Dermatology is proud to support the United States Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. This remarkable program has been supplying underprivileged children with new toys for Christmas since 1947. The primary goal of their philanthropy is to “deliver a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.”

As a supporter, we are now taking donations of new, unwrapped toys in our office which we will collect and bring to a local drop-off area. In years past, local residents and TPD patients donated dozens of new toys for disadvantaged children to open and enjoy for the holidays.

Some patients who couldn’t make it to the toy store were generous enough to leave a few dollars in cash to support the cause. In our last collection campaign, Dr. Kristen Richards matched every dollar collected in our office and used the money to purchase new toys to donate.

The holiday season is a time of giving and thinking of others. This may be the only time all year some of these kids receive a gift or have a toy to play with. Join us in our mission to collect as many toys as possible and create a wonderful Christmas for children in need.

For more information visit www.toysfortots.org