Rejuvenation is the noun of the verb word ‘rejuvenate’ which means” make young or as if young again” as per the 9th edition of Concise Oxford Dictionary. It comes from Latin – “juvenis” – young.
The Process of rejuvenation is as old as history itself. Cleopatra used Ass’s milk to keep herself young & beautiful. Balms have been used since the time of the Pharaohs of Egypt. India was never far behind. It is said the sages lived for centuries.
We have lost the formulas with time, yet the undaunted search was always there.
The first person who rejuvenated himself was he who washed himself with water. Yes, water is a good rejuvenator, though it is very evanescent. In fact all modalities are transient, some less than the other.
We cannot stop ageing, we can only postpone it. The urge to look better and remain young as long as possible has initiated people to delve into the mysteries of the body and to search for that ” Amrit” or the “Elixir” of life, to defy death & ageing. The search is still on.
Now let us understand what is rejuvenation. It is an improvement of skin texture, closure of big pores, reduction of scars, marks & blemishes, reduction of facial hairs, lightening of the skin to look fairer, tightening and toning of the skin, reduction of blemishes & wrinkles, and reduction of excessive fat.
Recent advances in Cosmetic Dermatology have come up with many options which, though costly, give us a rather satisfactory result. The modalities can be surgical or non-surgical, ablative or non-ablative.
With Micro Dermabrasion we remove the dead cells and stimulate fresh growth of Epidermis. With aloe vera & other moisturizers we make the skin more turgid & it gives a polished look.
To decrease dark-pigmented lesions & tattoo marks we use Q-switched ND Yag Lasers.
To decrease vascular leacons we use IPL Lasers & Pulse Dye Lasers. To decrease hairs we can use IPL or High frequency Ruby Laser pulse
To remove Seborrhoic Keratosis or Acanthosis Nigricans can use Alexandrite Lasers.
To increase the collagen bulk and initiate fibroblast formation, which is the main anchor of rejuvenation we can use non-ablative low-energy photothermal treatment, Radiofrequency instrument, IPL Laser etc.
To remove pockmarks & depressed scars we can use radio frequency instruments, RF cutting of the margins of the scars, derma roller, dermal fillers, laser resurfacing etc & also with medicines.
To improve wrinkles, along with creams, we can use derma roller, dermal fillers, and laser resurfacing. :
We also use Botox to relax taut muscles & relax the muscular tension which also gives the face a youthful look.
With the increasing popularity of “Beauty Competitions” and the instinctive urge to look good and more confident, young as well as older people are seeking professional help. The emerging super speciality called “Cosmetic Dermatology” has come to stay. The domain of Dermatologists is touching newer horizons and expanding rapidly for the service of mankind.
Prof R. N. Dutta
Professor & Head
Department of Dermatology
IPGMER & SSKM Hospital
*This article is reproduced from the edition of “Souvenir” IV CUTICON Manipur 2007