Distinctly Montana Magazine

d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a • w i n t e r 2 0 1 5 66 Sun ExPoSurE Can lEavE SKIn wIth hyPErPIgMEntatIon (Brown SPotS). what trEat- MEnt do you rECoMMEnd aS an EffECtIvE way for PatIEntS to trEat or MInIMIzE thIS CondItIon? hEthErIngton: At Bozeman Deaconess Cosmetic Surgery, our go-to treatment for hyperpigmentation caused by sun exposure is Intense Pulsed Light or Photo- Facial. It is also among the most gentle and non-ablative options for dramatic skin rejuvenation and can drastically reduce the signs of aging on the face, neck, décolleté, and hands. Over time, natural skin aging and exposure to UV radiation causes the skin to produce pockets of irregular pigmentation. Photo- facial rejuvenation helps even out pigmentation and also improves skin tone. Consider IPL for the following conditions: hyperpigmentation, rosacea, poikilo- derma (red neck), age/liver spots, pigmented lesions, and scar discoloration. wolPoE: Once we establish that the patient is suffering only from sun-induced hyperpigmentation we can offer the patient a few different options in office: Candela/Syneron Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) machine, a glycolic or lactic acid chemical peel; we also encourage patients to use hydroquinone which helps to bleach the spots and/or tretinoin or retinol which also stimulate epithelial cell turn over. Sun ExPoSurE Can affECt thE tExturE of SKIn and It'S ElaStICIty. what PraCtICES havE you found to BE EffECtIvE In rEStorIng and rEJuvEnatIng thE SKIn'S SMooth tExturE? wolPoE: As people age they begin to lose the battle between collagen produc- tion and degradation, lose moisture and subcutaneous fat in their skin. Our treatments for this therefore focus around increasing collagen production and restoring volume when necessary. Firstly, because IPL improves collagen production it can smooth out fine lines and wrinkles as can peels. Secondly, laser resurfacing is also effective in smoothing skin. The majority of lasers are fractionated, meaning they only treat a portion of the skin in an effort to minimize down time. There are two major types of fractionated lasers, non-ablative which do not disrupt the epidermis but rather stimulate collagen production by inducing targeted dermal injury, and ablative lasers which remove some of the skin surface stimulating robust collagen production. Of the two lasers ablative usually produces the most profound effect on skin tightening and wrinkles but also more down time than non-ablative lasers. Our non-ablative laser is the E-matrix from Syneron/ Candela which utilizes radiofrequency and is a bit more powerful than some Sunny Montana and Our Skin dr. wolPoE of the Billings Clinic is board-certified in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as well as Facial Plastic and Recon- structive Surgery. He spe- cializes in reconstructive and aesthetic treatments of the head and neck. traCy rauSCh is an Internal Medicine physi- cian currently practicing aesthetic medicine with Montana Medical Aes- thetics Clinic in Billings. She is a native Montanan and received her medical training from the Uni- versity of Washington in Seattle in 1996. hugh hEthErIngton, M.d., has been on the medical staff of Bozeman Deaconess Health Services and practiced at Bozeman Deaconess Cosmetic Surgery and Bozeman Deaconess Ear, Nose & Throat for over 15 years. He has specialized training in the trans-umbilical breast augmentation (or TUBA) and is the only physician in Montana to perform this procedure. CharlottE KutSCh, M.d., faad, had a private practice in Bozeman from 1995-2010 and from 2011 to the present. Now she is with the Western Montana Clinic in Missoula. Over time the effects of sun exposure in our sunny, higher altitude environment can do harm to our skin. here are some good practices and advice from montana's best professionals for skin care treatment.

• Cover