I am pleased to announce that we have just acquired a ThermaVein machine for thread veins and spider veins

ThermaVein is the instant, effective and safe treatment for thread veins and spider veins, medically known as telangiectasia.

ThermaVein uses a unique process known as micro thermocoagulation that seals thread vein walls causing them to permanently disappear. Thermocoagulation is a form of high frequency microwave energy that is delivered individually to each vein via a fine skin probe. Depending on the site, discomfort is either none or minimal. It has been described as being like having a hair plucked. Patients will see thread veins immediately disappear as the treatment is administered.

This thermocoagulation works in a very different way to the alternatives, laser and IPL. Laser and IPL treatments for thread veins commonly require numerous treatments, often 3-6 treatments about 3-4 weeks apart. The results can take weeks to show. In addition Laser and IPL can be painful and may pose the risk of bruising, scarring and pigmentation.

With ThermaVein there is no risk of bruising, scarring or pigmentation unlike many other alternative treatments. Effective results are usually achieved in one 20-minute session. Some redness may develop after treatment and this will subside over 1-2 days.

ThermaVein is a development of VeinWave that has been clinically proven to be safe and effective over the last few years.

On Friday 15^th February I had a ThermaVein treatment to the thread veins on my nose. See below for the photo taken immediately before and immediately after treatment.

I will post further photos of the result over the next few weeks.

Dr Peter Forrester
Cosmetic Doctor
Esher, Surrey

Dr Forrester's nose. Before and Immediately After ThermaVein

The term ‘retinoid’ describes a group of compounds closely related to vitamin A. Members of this group include:

• retinol
• retinaldehyde
• retinyl esters
• tretinoin (Retin-A™)
• isotretinoin(Roaccutane™)
• adapalene (Differin™)

Some of these are used as prescription treatments for skin conditions including acne.

Retinoids are the most potent skin anti-ageing skin preparations available. They have a proven ability to slow the skin ageing process and most importantly reverse existing ageing and photo-damage. Are they a new discovery you might well ask? Well no, they have been around for years. In which case why aren’t we all using them? The short answer is we should be, but there are reasons why we don’t.

Retinoids have been scientifically proven to have numerous beneficial effects on the skin and target multiple signs of skin ageing. Their anti-oxidant properties help to protect the skin from oxidative stresses and environmental damage. They increase the quantity and quality of the vital structural protein, collagen. They boost levels of hyaluronic acid, restoring the balance of hydration. Healthy DNA and cell growth is stimulated resulting in an increase cell turnover and natural exfoliation. They can lighten sun-induced hyperpigmentation and reduce excess oil production, acne & breakouts. With regular use these effects will restore health to aged and photo-damaged skin as well as help protect the skin from further damage.

The issue with retinoids is that used in effective concentrations they will initially cause skin irritation, redness, drying and flakiness.  The ability of facial skin to tolerate regular retinoids will vary greatly from person to person. When most cosmetic manufacturers produce an anti-wrinkle cream containing a retinoid they will keep the concentration very low so as to minimise irritation but sadly this will greatly reduce the effectiveness.

There are two ways of achieving benefits from a retinoid product.

The gentle approach or the new skin approach. The gentle approach will produce gradual improvement with minimal downtime. The new skin approach will produce a more dramatic improvement over a much shorter period but with greater initial downtime.

The Gentle Approach to retinol:
This uses a high quality product containing an effective concentration of active retinol, but introduces it with a strict regime of slowly increasing frequency of application over many weeks. During this time if there is any irritation the frequency is reduced for a few days and then subsequently increased again. In this way each individuals tolerance to retinol is established; some people can ultimately tolerate retinol every day whilst others perhaps only twice a week. Even only twice weekly usage will produce long-term benefits.

The New Skin Approach to retinol:
The renowned US cosmetic dermatologist, Dr Zein Obagi says that if you want new skin you have to be prepared to get rid of your old skin. This is probably the treatment of choice when it comes to photo-damaged skin and can achieve dramatic results that are difficult to achieve by other means. With this regime, retinol is introduced much more quickly and combined with other products including alpha hydroxy-acids to trigger a surge in skin renewal. The resulting redness and flakiness should be regarded as a good sign; this is not like an allergic skin reaction such as might be caused by sensitivity to a new skin cream. The reaction to retinol is a sign of increased healthy skin activity and will settle over the first 3-8 weeks. As the old skin is exfoliated and new, healthy underlying cells emerge there will be a dramatic improvement in colour, tone and texture. With continued use patients will notice reductions in wrinkles & lines and improvements in firmness.

I believe that one way to really understand a cosmetic treatment is to try it out yourself. Over the last few years I have had Botox, fillers and Dermaroller; all of which have given me useful insights into how they feel and work. I always try out new serums and skin products myself.

As a 59 year old with 60 fast approaching I need all the help I can get.

For the last six months we have had an INTRAcel machine and I’ve been increasingly impressed with the results that our clients are seeing. INTRAcel is a new device that cleverly combines two well-established techniques, micro-needling and radio-frequency (RF) skin tightening.

INTRAcel will:

• Improve the tone & texture of skin, producing a smoother and younger appearance
• Tighten the skin to reduce sagging, wrinkles and fine lines
• Improve stretch marks and scarring
• Improve acne scarring

I have now the chance to evaluate the results personally as 7 weeks ago I had my first INTRAcel treatment followed three weeks ago my second. The first thing to note is how quick the recovery has been. Both occasions followed the same pattern:

Immediately after treatment:
Very red indeed, but subsided over the rest of the day.

1st day after treatment:
Slight redness with barely noticeable bruising around eyes and on neck. Some pinpoint marks on forehead.

2nd day after treatment:
Most redness subsided. Overall a bit pink. Pinpoints and bruises hardly noticeable.

Most female clients would be able to get away with using camouflage or foundation to disguise the early appearances. However with just some sunscreen on I went to work the day after my both treatments without feeling self conscious about my appearance.

It was a week or two after the second treatment that I really began to notice changes; improvement in skin tone/texture/wrinkling, reduced jowling and a definite tightening of my jaw and neck line. My third INTRAcel is in two weeks time and I’ll update you all then.

Dr Peter Forrester

Director
The Cosmetic Doctors Company
Esher

As a doctor I am committed to only use therapies that have been proven by scientific research to be effective and safe. By scientific research I mean proper studies that have been published in scientific journals and not just a promotion that says 8 out of 10 women thought that something was good.

In January of his year I was intrigued by the eyelash treatment, Revitalash. The promotional brochures made mention of clinical studies but I couldn’t find any details, hence I decided that one way to assess this product was to try it myself. Like most men in their 50’s I had never given my own eyelashes much attention and had certainly never noticed whether they were long or short. On closer inspection I decided that they were probably on the short side and so resolved to give Revitalash a go.

Having never applied a product to my eyelashes before I got off to a shaky start but within a week or so I had got the hang of the once nightly application. For the rest of January nothing much appeared to happen. Into February and I thought that perhaps my lashes were looking a bit darker. This made me wonder if the appearance of lengthening was in fact just due to turning a darker shade. By March our two female receptionists were certain that my lashes were getting longer and I reluctantly had to concede that they might be right. Thereafter I continued to apply every night but other than that forgot about my lashes until mid-April when, in the space of 10 days three patients spontaneously admired my lashes – although they didn’t know I was using Revitalash. At this point I realised that my lashes had grown to the point where I was either going to have a career change and start a drag-queen act or ease off on the lash-lengthening. As I don’t have the legs to be a drag artist I decided to abandon the eyelash treatment . . . . . for the time being anyway.

We have been getting great results from our DermaLux Red/Blue LED light therapy. Either used alone or in combination with Medik8 Light Amplifier we have seen a significant improvement in clients skin tone & texture and a reduction in irritation and redness.

In addition, blue light therapy has been clinically proven to help acne sufferers and we can confirm that DermaLux has resulted in a marked improvement in acne breakouts amongst our clients. Blue light treatment is completely safe and non-irritant with no downtime. However for optimum results a course of 3-6 sessions may be required. Following on from our success with DermaLux we now recommend the Lustre Pure Light device.

We have been using the Lustre in two ways. Either for clients who have completed a course of DermaLux blue light and wish to continue treatment in their own homes or for those who find regular clinic attendance difficult. This is the first time patients have had an opportunity to use professional blue light technology at their own convenience, enabling them to take control of their individual treatment plan.

The Lustre Pure Light Device has been developed and tested by leading dermatologists and health-care professionals. This unique system is only available through specialist clinics. Just like our DermaLux treatment, Lustre Pure Light harnesses the safe, blue part of the natural visible light spectrum and the technology has been clinically proven to eliminate the bacteria that cause spots whilst also being gentle on the skin. It is designed to work alongside existing acne therapies to help achieve optimum results. The device is ideal for patients who want accelerated results from an acne treatment programme or for those who may be concerned about the adverse effects of other acne treatments.

The new homecare device is used for an hour per day. The patient wears it like an ipod with the controller in a pocket or attached to a belt. There are 3 separate heads that can be applied to the worst affected area on the face or body. A special medicated sticky strip attaches the heads to the face or body, meaning the patient can use the device hands free, whilst undertaking normal activities. The heads can be applied to the face, the chest and the back in fact wherever the acne is a problem.

The Lustre Pure Light Device can be purchased from our clinic in Esher. Please contact us for more information or to book a consultation.

Dr Peter Forrester
The Cosmetic Doctors Company
6 Esher Park Avenue
Esher KT10 9NP

Tel 01372 890 890

For further information watch the following video:

A research study has shown that injections of Botox into the frown lines can have a significant effect on improving depression.

The paper by Wollmer and others, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research (46 2012 574-581) used a randomised controlled trial to assess the use of onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox/Vistabel by Allergan) injected into the glabellar (frown) region as an adjunctive treatment for major depression.

All the participants had failed to get a good response to anti-depressant medication and they continued to take this during the trial. The results showed a statistically significant improvement after a single treatment with Botox into the frown lines. The improvement appeared not to be directly related to perceptions of a cosmetic change.

Dr Peter Forrester

The Cosmetic Doctors Company
6 Esher Park Avenue
Esher, Surrey KT10 9NP

Providing an effective and non-surgical way to reduce wrinkles and tighten facial skin is one of the greatest challenges in cosmetic medicine.

Dr Peter Forrester has until now remained sceptical about the ability of existing treatments to fully meet this challenge.

However, with INTRAcel he has found
a way that really does work to tighten
facial skin including the previously difficult
areas of jowls, neck, upper cheeks
and lower eyelids.

INTRAcel is a new device that cleverly combines two well-established techniques, micro-needling and radio-frequency (RF) skin tightening.  After the application of local anaesthetic cream, a grid of microneedles punctures the surface of the skin and delivers short bursts of RF energy into the deeper layers.

INTRAcel will:

• Improve the tone & texture of skin, producing a smoother and younger appearance.
• Tighten the skin to reduce sagging, wrinkles and fine lines.
• Improve stretch marks and scarring.
• Improve acne scarring.

Much of the age-related changes in skin result from the reduction in both quantity and quality of the essential structural proteins, collagen and elastin. RF energy has been shown to stimulate the growth of fibroblast cells. These are the source of collagen and elastin, the building blocks of youthful and healthy skin. INTRAcel’s microneedles are insulated right up to the tip and can operate at a variable depth. This means that specific skin layers can be selectively targeted with greater RF energy levels whilst leaving the outer skin undamaged, resulting in minimal down-time and a quick recovery. This is unlike laser treatments where the energy is delivered from the surface causing significant damage to the epidermis resulting in longer healing and downtime.

A treatment session will usually take an hour including the time for the anaesthetic cream to take full effect. The treated skin will be a little red for 1-2 days but can be concealed with make-up.  A toned and tightened effect will be noticeable immediately but the full effects will develop over subsequent weeks.  A course of up to 3 treatments at 4-6 week intervals may be indicated following which improvements will continue to develop for up to a year as new, healthy collagen develops.

Dr Forrester and his team are excited about the arrival of INTRAcel and believe that this heralds a new era in facial rejuvenation.

Dr Peter Forrester
The Cosmetic Doctors Company
6 Esher Park Avenue
Esher, Surrey KT10 9NP

Now available at
The Cosmetic Doctors Company
Esher, Surrey

Dermalux LED therapy is a non-invasive treatment that uses light energy to rejuvenate and repair the skin in a safe and pain-free way with no irritation or down-time.

Beneficial for all skin types including ageing, photo-damaged, sensitive, and problematic.

Minimises fine lines and wrinkles, firms skin, evens tone, soothes irritation and redness. Reduces acne, breakouts and inflammation

People often feel that their skin feels better immediately after exposure to sunlight. However the adverse effects of exposure to UV light are well proven, causing photo-damage, premature skin ageing and skin cancer.  Because of this we now recommend avoidance of prolonged sun exposure and year-round use of sunscreen.

Natural sunlight contains a spectrum of visible and invisible wavelengths ranging from infrared through red, orange, yellow, green, blue and indigo to ultraviolet. Dermalux LED Light Therapy uses carefully selected red and blue light to deliver the beneficial effects of light whilst avoiding the damaging effects of UV rays. LED therapy delivers enough energy to stimulate a beneficial cellular response but unlike laser treatments do not deliver enough power to damage skin tissue.

Red light has been proven to penetrate deeply into the skin and stimulate fibroblast cells. These cells are the trigger for producing collagen and elastin, the essential building blocks of youthful and healthy skin. Studies have show that red light can increase the growth of fibroblasts many hundreds of times.

Red light therapy has been shown to reduce photo-damage, reduce lines, improve tone & texture as well having an anti-inflammatory effect.

Blue light has a significant anti-bacterial effect that clinical studies have shown to improve acne.

Although many people experience a noticeable boost from a single treatment it is generally recommended to have a course of 3-6 Dermalux treatments for maximum benefit.

Dr Peter Forrester
The Cosmetic Doctors Company
6 Esher Park Avenue
Esher, Surrey KT10 9NP

It is now accepted that much of the progressive deterioration of facial skin that occurs with ageing is caused by the cumulative effect of years of exposure to damaging UV light. Sun-protection is not something to be adopted for just a few weeks in the summer but should be considered all year round. Significant amounts of harmful UV rays pass through clouds; this means wearing sunscreen even on cloudy winter days in the UK.

Sunlight exposes you to two kinds of UV light. These are known as UVA and UVB.
The effect of UVB rays is quickly noticeable – they cause redness and sunburn. However the effect of UVA rays is much less apparent but these are the rays largely responsible for skin cancer and photo damage such as wrinkling and pigmentation. Hence just because you don’t sunbathe or get tanned doesn’t mean that you do not need to wear sunscreen.

Many day creams, moisturisers and make-up now contain a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) usually SPF 15-20 but I believe that the recommendations for daily, year round SPF will undoubtedly increase. One of the problems with wearing higher SPF creams is that many people find them unacceptably thick and white; hence I am always looking for a high SPF sunscreen that is cosmetically acceptable in use. In this regard I am very impressed with the Glō Therapeutics Oil Free SPF40+.

Glō Therapeutics Oil Free SPF40+ provides broad spectrum sun protection with added hydrators and anti-oxidants. It is a non-greasy, lightweight sunscreen that can be used as a standalone or mixed with tinted moisturiser/foundation. Unlike many other SPF 40-50 sunscreens it does not feel thick or clogging. Although it contains zinc oxide, an important component of a good SPF, it does not leave excess white residue on the skin; instead it leaves the skin with a gentle healthy glow.

For a sunscreen with SPF40+ I believe it amongst the best available.

Dr Peter Forrester
The Cosmetic Doctors Company
Esher, Surrey

Truly effective anti-ageing skincare
doesn’t need to be expensive.

As I have said in my earlier blogs, scientific research indicates that the essential components of an anti-ageing facial regime are a Vitamin C serum, a retinoid and a hydroxy acid.

To these three add a sunscreen, moisturiser & cleanser and you will not need anything else.

I have evaluated numerous products and my favourite combination is

1. Medik8 CE-Tetra (Vitamin C Serum)
   
2. Glō Therapeutics Renew Serum (Retinol, Glycolic & Salicylic Acids)
   
3. Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser
   
4. SkinMedica TNS Ultimate Daily Moisturizer with SPF 20

These are all quality products with high concentrations of active ingredients.  The SkinMedica TNS Ultimate Daily Moisturizer with SPF 20 is a superb year-round moisturiser with sunscreen but during sun exposure this should be supplemented with SkinMedica Environmental Defense Sunscreen SPF 30+ or 50+.

Don’t let glossy, air-brushed promotions fool you into filling your bathroom cabinet with expensive miracle creams; these four products are all you will need.

Dr Peter Forrester
Cosmetic Doctor
Esher & Cobham, Surrey and Teddington, Richmond upon Thames