Audrey Kunin, MD

Retinol, a pure, topical form of Vitamin A, helps increase skin’s thickness and collagen production, firming and refining the complexion and restoring its vibrancy – a literal fountain of youth.

Many factors can come into play to cause adult acne, including of course hormones, but also stress, use of cosmetics and an increase in resistant bacteria. Many adult women also notice premenstrual or menstrual flare-ups on the face, often around the mouth.

Skin discolorations and so-called "age spots" can be troubling, especially if you haven't had them before – making you wish you had a magic skin "eraser" to just wipe them away. The skin goes through many changes as it ages, due to both genetics and external factors such as sun exposure, and various patches, spots, scars or discolorations can appear and deepen over time. Like wrinkles, they are simply a fact of life as we grow older.

At some point or another, nearly everyone has experienced those tiny, hard bumps of extremely rough, dry skin that can emerge on the upper arms, thighs, buttocks and other areas of the body – especially in the cold winter months; and those who have children may be surprised to find this condition on their babies or kids as well.

Melasma, literally meaning dark skin, is most commonly known as the “mask of pregnancy,” an area of hyperpigmentation that shows up across the face of more than half of all pregnant women. But you don’t even have to be pregnant (or female) to develop this skin condition. Increased estrogen (from pregnancy, birth control pills, estrogen supplements or other hormone sensitivities) trigger pigment producing cells called melanocytes to produce too much melanin, resulting in patchy skin discolorations.

Envision the endless images of women reclining with chilled cucumbers resting upon their eyelids. These chilled veggies’ ability to depuff undereye bags has reached mythical proportions. The reality; swelling diminishes slightly due to cold-induced vasoconstriction of swollen blood vessels and reduces fluid buildup. No chemical magic related to the cucumber itself.

However, white tea is rich in EGCG, a powerful botanical renowned for its calming action. Incorporated into an eye balm such as DERMAdoctor Wrinkle Revenge rescue & protect eye balm, white tea quickly helps soothe and depuff delicate undereye tissue. If it is cold you want, keep your jar in the fridge. The chilled cream will work in a manner similar to those cucumber slices without having to take even a moment to "chill" out.

Sharpeis are so adorable. I think it’s those deep wrinkle folds that simply beg to be pinched. What makes a sharpei look, well, like a sharpei and not a pug? This breed of canine has a defect in the genetic make-up of their skin. A gene known as HAS2 responsible for producing dermal Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is faulty in the sharpei. In mature human skin, it’s simply less active. This deep tissue filler substance provides lift and volume to the skin. Without out it, skin sags and develops deep creases. On a sharpei it’s cute; on your face, not so much. Those lines that run from the nose to the mouth, nasolabial folds, become pronounced with the loss of dermal HA. One way to help restore lift and volume is DERMAdoctor Wrinkle Revenge Serum. It contains Calcium Ketogluconate, a powerful ingredient shown to support skin’s natural filler. With continued use, the face becomes re-volumized, cheekbones become better defined and the face looks youthful. Wrinkle Revenge Serum is an alternative for costly and often painful injectable wrinkle fillers.

Skin cancer is the most common of cancers, affecting an estimated 1.3 million Americans each year. With rates of newly diagnosed cases rising at a rate of 4 to 5 percent annually, skin cancer continues to be is a veritable epidemic.

The dermis is like a Jello® mold strewn with pretzel sticks. Yes, a food analogy for the architecture of this all-important structural portion of our skin.

The pretzel sticks represent collagen fibers. These strong little strands hold up the skin like a tent pole. As we age, the skin loses 1% of its collagen fibers each year after the age of 40. This is why fine wrinkle lines appear.

Collagen fibers don’t exist in a vacuum, though. They live within the Jello® of the Jello® mold. Here, other important structures such as blood vessels, nerve endings and oil glands, amongst others, reside. What no one talks about is that as we age, the Jello of the Jello® mold begins to “melt”. This is why the face “falls”, deep crease lines develop (especially on the lower face) and jowls form.

Cosmetic surgery buzz words today are “lift” and “volume”. Rather than pulling the face tight in wind tunnel-like appearance reminiscent of the old fashioned face lift, injectable fillers are used to lift and revolumize sagging cheeks, nasolabial folds and marionette lines.

DERMAdoctor Wrinkle Revenge Serum fosters the “Jello®’s” overall health and structure, encouraging lift and volume of the aging face. Paired with a collagen builder such as Photodynamic Therapy, the pretzel Jello mold is complete, the face refreshed and a healthy appearance restored.