There are a number of reasons clients might want to get skincare treatments; they could suffer from unevenness, droopiness, scarring, pigmentation, fine lines/wrinkles, redness, large pores, sun spots, and other skin damage that worst of all may damage confidence. They want to do something about it, but they normally do not have any particular treatment course of action in mind. We understand that it may get confusing to look at a long list of services that have unfamiliar names and try to determine what might be best for your needs, so we have broken down different ailments clients have and recommended treatments that may match with a particular skin condition.
It is always best to set up a complimentary consultation with one of Lavande’s aesthetic professionals so that they may personally assess your skin, try to address your issues with more accuracy, and make recommendations that are appropriate for both your skin ailment as well as your skin type. However, hopefully this guide will be a good starting point for narrowing down the best treatment for you and your needs.
Click on your skin ailment in the menu to begin!
ACNE & ACNE SCARRING
Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes infamous spots to form on the skin. It is one of the most common skin problems ailing adolescents and even adults, and it has the capacity to affect not only appearance, but also confidence. Follicles and pores become plugged with bacteria and excessive oil, form blackheads and whiteheads, and become pimples if irritated or inflamed. Such appearances are not only undesirable, but can cause further skin problems such as scarring and uneven facial texture.
WHAT CAUSES ACNE?
Finding out the exact cause of acne can be difficult. There are many different factors to take into account when trying to pinpoint the source of your acne. Some common causes include but are not limited to:
One of the most volatile triggers and/or perpetuators of acne is none other than everyone’s familiar friend stress. Stress causes the body to release the stress hormone cortisol as well as the steroid hormone androgen from your adrenal glands, increasing oil production and therefore allowing acne to either surface or persist. This process leads to stress related breakouts, or stress related persistence of a breakout. Some researchers believe adult acne is on the rise because of the constant stress in our society. And as you well know, having acne adds to your emotional stress, perpetuating the vicious acne cycle. We recommend lowering stress levels with plenty of sleep, exercise and calming activities like meditation and mindful breathing.
While we diet is not the primary cause of acne, there is more and more evidence linking certain foods to acne, therefore in some people it may play a major contributing role. Carbohydrates found in sugary, starchy, or processed foods have what is known as a high glycemic index. These types of foods spike your blood sugar levels and eventually cause your skin to respond by releasing oil into the pores, which in turn results in breakouts. Hormones and antibiotics in dairy and meats may also contribute to acne in some people. Looking for “organic” or “hormone-free” foods may make a difference in your skin. High iodine levels in people consuming lots of seafood, seaweed, or iodized salt has also been reported to trigger breakouts. Further, there are many over-the-counter and prescription medications that may have side effects that can alter your body’s chemistry and hormones, leading to an acne outbreak. Acne begins to form in the pores for weeks before a breakout becomes visible, so it may be hard to pinpoint and eliminate diet-related causes of acne.
Hormones play a huge role in acne. During puberty, everyone – boys and girls – starts to produce masculinizing hormones called androgens. In women, the hormones include testosterone, DHEA-sulfate and progesterone. In men, the hormones are testosterone, dihydroxytestosterone and androstenedione. Androgen hormones cause oil-producing glands to enlarge, stimulating oil production. When there’s more oil and less shedding of dead skin cells, pores become clogged, and there you have it – acne. That’s why 80 to 85 percent of teens get acne. Hormonal imbalances caused by certain medications, pregnancy, and midlife internal biological changes may also lead acne breakouts.
Clogged pores are a commonly known cause of acne and breakouts. Pores, those small dots on the face that seem harmless but are far from, have special glands in them that secrete natural oils known as the sebaceous glands. These are tasked with lubricating hair and skin to avoid dryness and keep them healthy, but sometimes when they work too hard and release too much oil (sebum), after which you end up breaking out instead. This could happen due to hormonal changes, maturing and development of the body, and more. Once pores get clogged with this oil, as well as dead skin cells or bacteria, bumps will begin to form and skin will appear broken out.
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Luckily, Lavande Spa provides a wide variety of services specially designed to get rid of acne, acne scars, and large pores. Here are some treatments Lavande offers:
Vi Peel
AGING, WRINKLES, & FINE LINES
WHAT CAUSES FINE LINES & WRINKLES?
Aging is a delicate organic process that allows us to advance through life, grow from experiences, and gain wisdom, but it also inevitably diminishes our treasured youth and beauty. Over time, our skin goes against many adversaries in the aging process such as sun exposure, free radicals, medications, unhealthy habits such as smoking, gravity, and others. These assaults to the many layers of our dermis cause loss of skin elasticity, breakdown of collagen and subcutaneous fat which plumps our skin, droopiness, hollowing, volume loss, and fines lines and wrinkles. Our appearance eventually becomes tired and more sullen with age.
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Aging is a natural and inescapable part of life, but that does not mean you cannot fight back. Injectable treatments such as neuromodulators (Botox, Xeomin, Dysport) as well as dermal fillers (Juvederm, Restylane, etc.) do an excellent job of smoothing fine links/wrinkles, plumping skin, replenishing lost volume, and providing lift to combat gravity. Treatments such as Laser Titan or the 3D Non-Surgical Facelift would do a wonderful job for total rejuvenation of sagging skin, wrinkles, skin texture, and more as they stimulate collagen to take advantage of natural substances for rejuvenation. Many services can combat aging, so it is best to book a complimentary consultation so that our professional aesthetic providers can specially address your needs.
Neurotoxin Injections
Dermal Fillers
3D HIFU Facelift
Laser Titan
3D Revitalize Therapy
PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Therapy
Vi Peel
Microinfusion
REDNESS & ROSACEA
Excessive redness of the skin can be a real struggle, whether the underlying cause is from skin dryness, skin irritants, or skin conditions such as Rosacea. Most redness is caused by increased blood flow through superficial capillaries, which leaves them inflamed and visible on the skins surface. This can be from Rosacea, hormonal changes, heredity, sun exposure, injury, or other causes.
WHAT IS ROSACEA & WHAT CAUSES IT?
Rosacea is a chronic skin redness condition that has characteristic small, dilated, broken blood vessels (basically spider veins), swelling, acne-like skin protrusions, bumpy skin texture, and other symptoms that give the skin an overall irritated look. The precise cause is still unknown but it has been linked with genetic factors and certain extreme environmental factors. Rosacea most readily afflicts those between 30-50 years of age, those with fair skin, and women. It typically occurs around the facial area including the nose, cheeks, forehead, chin, but also even beyond to the chest, ears, and back in severe cases. There is no cure for this condition, but there are treatments that can help quell symptoms.
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
The first thing that can be done to combat redness of the skin very simply relates to everyday habit and routine. It is imperative that you go under the San Diego sun with an applied broad-spectrum sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher. Even better is to avoid the sun as much as possible, to constantly seek shade, and to at least dodge midday sun if you must be out and about. The next best course of action is targeted treatment. To take care of skin redness that has been spurred for any reason, you need to treat the underlying cause in order to see the result that you are looking for. Therefore, sometimes that anti-redness crème might not cut it, because it temporarily relieves redness rather than treating it. If it so happens that Rosacea is the underlying cause of redness, here at Lavande Spa we do have a number of treatments that can restore calmness to your skin.
The best way to attack Rosacea is through our IPL Laser Photofacial treatment. Our laser would use light to penetrate the dermis and target capillaries that are responsible for redness. These capillaries would become damaged and absorbed into the body, thus eliminating the means of redness and ridding your skin of this ailment. As Rosacea is a chronic condition, it will most likely be necessary to return periodically for treatment in order to target newly formed capillaries, and it may take a number of treatments overall to fully achieve desirable results. Overall, treatments that may help include:
IPL Photofacial
Vi Peel
Skincare Products
PIGMENTATION & PHOTO-DAMAGE
Living in sunny San Diego, it is quite common to enjoy outdoor activities, and go out to enjoy the relaxing and Vitamin D enhancing effects of sunshine on a regular basis. This blessing of sun comes with its consequences, however, as prolonged exposure also leaves you susceptible to sun damage, skin discoloration, and premature aging. Pigmentation in general is the body’s attempt to shield itself from the potential damage of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, with sun exposure stimulating the production of a dark pigment known as melanin in order to provide that protection to the skin. Sometimes the pigment is cleanly and evenly produced to make the skin appear tanned, and sometimes it is unevenly and irregularly produced to make sun spots, freckles, or other discolorations appear. Here at Lavande Spa we are able to help you combat these irregular effects and restore beauty to your skin.
WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS TYPES OF PHOTO-DAMAGE?
Those Darn Dark Spots : One of the most common and unfortunate effects of sun exposure for any reason is the culmination and creation of sun spots and photo-damage on the skin. These discolorations, generally in the form of hyperpigmentations, are due to an excess of melanin forming in certain patches of skin. In order to take care of the sun spot, the melanin will need to be broken down and the damaged tissue revitalized so that fresh, more evenly-pigmented, and more youthful skin can formulate.
The Pregnancy Mask : Characteristic of this common skin condition is dark discoloration and hyperpigmentation on the face in distinctive patches, particularly on the forehead, cheekbone area, upper lip, and chin. Similarly to other sun damage, melasma is due to a overabundance of melanin in pigmented areas, but this is an entirely different condition as there are also genetic and hormonal factors that contribute to the blotchy appearance of skin. Women and those with darker skin have the most incidences of melasma.
As Time Goes By: Years and years of frequent and continued sun exposure will often result in what many know as aging spots or liver spots. This is due to the fact that over time, melanin will clump together due to prolonged overstimulation and form spots of concentrated pigment that appear to visually accelerate aging. They’re most common for those with lighter skin, and are often seen in bundles and groupings of small dark spots on the hands, face, shoulders, and feet as these areas experience the most exposure to the sun.
Common Clusters : These little brown spots that can appear at any age are usually due to exposure to UV rays at a regular rate, which stimulates melanin production and occurrence. Freckles that are genetically induced may not be eligible for treatment as they might not be on the surface of the dermis in order to be properly targeted, but freckles due to sun damage might be eligible. Freckles will normally ail those with fair complexions, and normally in areas most exposed to the sun.
IPL Photofacial
Vi Peel
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Lavande Spa can offer a few solutions to the skin issue of pigmentation or photo-damage:
Microdermabrasion
Skincare Products
SCARRING & TEXTURAL IMPERFECTIONS
Scarring affects everyone differently based on their age, skin type, sex, genetics, wound healing disposition, and more, but most can agree that the ultimate consequence of a scar is not very pretty. Whether suffering from surgical scarring, pockmarks due to years of accumulated acne scarring, stretch marks, or just simply a scar that formed from some type of injury, a mark has been left behind as an antagonizing reminder. There is a way to erase it, however.
WHAT CAUSES SCARRING & SKIN TEXTURE ISSUES?
While scarring in the form of skin indentation, raised tissue, discoloration, and other imperfections is aesthetically unpleasing and emotionally upsetting, it is a natural outcome of our body’s healing process. After damage is inflicted to the skin through injury, burn, or other trauma, our body begins repairing itself with collagen, which is the same protein that our skin is naturally comprised of. However, the tissue being replaced has a different fiber composition compared to the new tissue, which is why we end up seeing hypertrophic (raised) or atrophic (sunken, dented) scarring. The scarred area is not only visibly different, it is also more susceptible to external harm and lacking in elasticity. We unfortunately end up with uneven skin texture and tone, but here at Lavande Spa there are many treatments, depending on your needs, that you can try in order to improve the appearance, size, and quality of scars. Our goal is to help you smoothen your skin to its former glory as best we can.
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
While it is quite simple to get stuck with a scar, it can be just as simple to get rid of it. Through a number of resurfacing treatments including laser treatments, microneedling, chemical peeling, and more, the scar tissue can be broken down and your skins natural inclination to produce collagen and new skin cells can take over to eventually bury any unappealing scars that might be bothering you. Of course, depending on the depth and quality of scarring, a number of sessions of any of these treatments may be necessary to achieve your goals.