Medical cosmetology has been around in Hong Kong for over a decade. There are numerous types and intensities of treatments available, which can be overwhelming for those who are not familiar with the industry. Advertisements for various medical cosmetology procedures and offers can also make it difficult to navigate. In this era of medical cosmetology, it is important to understand the trends in order to avoid getting lost in the mix.
Traditional medical cosmetology focuses on individual skin problems, such as spots, wrinkles, and sagging. From newspaper and magazine advertisements, one can see the various medical cosmetology instruments, such as lasers or color light, which improve issues such as spots, pores, wrinkles, and sagging. Although the claims in the advertisements may sometimes be exaggerated, treating the skin is not a one-way process of treating spots or wrinkles when they appear.
Newer concepts in medical cosmetology mainly revolve around the prevention and slowing of skin aging. Skin aging is an unchanging law, and the problem is how to slow down the speed of aging and prevent skin problems from occurring. Chronic skin inflammation is the source of skin problems and also the culprit that accelerates aging. Why does the skin experience inflammation? Environmental factors such as UV rays, environmental pollution, and high-sugar foods increase free radicals, which destroy DNA, cell membranes, and functional proteins, leading to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is different from acute inflammation, such as skin inflammation or skin infections, which result in symptoms such as redness, swelling, and pain. Symptoms of chronic inflammation are not obvious and include poor skin quality, redness/sensitivity, uneven skin tone, and slow skin recovery. The damage caused by chronic inflammation is not slight, leading to collagen loss, aging of elastic proteins, and the appearance of spots, wrinkles, and sagging.
To slow down skin aging, it is important to prevent UV rays, maintain a healthy diet, get enough sleep, keep the skin hydrated, and use appropriate skincare products to keep the skin in a healthy state. With the diversification of medical cosmetology products and instruments, the focus has shifted from treatment to prevention. In addition to maintaining good lifestyle habits, medical cosmetology products and instruments can also play a preventive role. For example, botulinum toxin injections can effectively control overactive muscles and reduce the appearance of dynamic lines. Women around the age of 30 begin to lose collagen, so they can start tightening treatments to slow down the loss of collagen and delay sagging. Everyone has different needs, so it is best to assess the skin’s needs and characteristics and develop a set of preventive measures to slow down skin aging.
Prevention is the foundation of medicine, and it is the same for medical cosmetology!