Face - Rao Dermatology

Sagging Skin

Rejuvenate Sagging Skin

Over time our skin loses its firmness as a result of the aging process and the long-time exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight.

Loose and sagging skin is one of the most visible signs of aging and can occur anywhere on the body but people predominantly seek treatment for loose skin on the face, neck, chin, jowls, stomach, arms, buttocks and thighs.

With our powerful skin tightening procedures you can lessen the signs of aging, look years younger and feel great.

Get Rid of Loose Skin Without Surgery

Sagging skin is often one of the first and most noticeable signs of aging that people notice as they get older. Skin that was once smooth and firm slowly loses its definition, becoming lax, lined, and wrinkled.

That excess sagging skin you see in the mirror beneath your face can create the appearance of a double chin, even if you are slim and trim and maintaining a healthy weight.

Saggy skin that hangs off the arms may leave you feeling self-conscious about wearing short sleeves in warmer weather, and a pouch that droops of around the abdomen can make you feel uncomfortable in revealing clothing, or in intimate situations.

Why Does Aging Skin Sag?
Youthful skin is kept firm and supple by the elastin and collagen found in the skin. Collagen, which is produced naturally in the deepest layer of the skin, gives the skin cells the structure necessary for that youthful and tight appearance, while elastin keeps it smooth, flexible, and elastic. As we age, collagen is no longer produced at the same rate, and the decrease in collagen causes the skin to begin losing its firmness and structure.

What Causes Sagging, Lax, Loose Skin?
While gravity does take its toll, there are several other causes of sagging skin:

Sun exposure: The invisible ultraviolet rays of the sun penetrate into our skin and damage the elastic fibers that keep skin firm. On-going sun exposure causes wrinkles, and is responsible for sun spots and other pigmented areas on the face, chest hands.
Genetics: Regardless of lifestyle choices, some people are simply genetically predisposed to rapidly aging skin, and will notice wrinkles and sagging earlier than others.
Significant weight loss: Part of what gives skin its volume and tautness is the fat stored within the skin structure. Anyone who loses a significant amount of weight, particularly in a short period of time, may notice loose and sagging skin when the fat deposits diminish.

Our Sagging Skin Treatments

Rao Dermatology offers multiple methods to counteract loose skin that provides noticeable and long-lasting results including:

Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers are injectables that use either natural or synthetic hyaluronic acid to plump up your skin. In contrast to neuromodulators, dermal fillers create volume and fullness which achieve a natural, youthful appearance and fill in thin lips, hollows around the eyes, or gauntness in your temples. The results with dermal fillers are instantaneous and long-lasting (three months to two years). We often use dermal fillers in combination with neuromodulators to achieve the best results since they each have different strengths. Our range of dermal fillers includes Juvederm®, Restylane®, Revanesse, and RADIESSE®.

The resulting concentrated solution is enriched in platelets and growth factors. Once this solution is injected into the skin, it can dramatically aid in tissue repair and promote collagen.

Ultherapy
An increasingly popular treatment, Ultherapy is a safe, noninvasive treatment that addresses sagging skin right at its source. By emitting ultrasound waves into the targeted area,

Ultherapy naturally stimulates collagen production while also stimulating the surrounding muscle structure beneath to restore, so you can regain a more youthful appearance.

Book Your Free Consultation

At Rao Dermatology, we are dedicated to finding the best treatment option for your skin. During your consultation, we will get to know you and the unique needs of your skin, and we will work with you to develop a personal treatment that gets results.

Under Eye Bags & Dark Circles

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Say Goodbye To Those Dark Circles

Dark circles and under-eye bags can form for a variety of reasons. It can be thinning skin, lack of fat, hyperpigmentation, or even skin conditions like rosacea.

Sometimes, they’re caused from lack of sleep and sometimes they’re simply a result of natural aging. Regardless of their reason for being there, you don’t have to just accept them.

At Rao Derm, we understand what under-eye bags and dark circles can do to your self-confidence. When you want to smooth the skin around your eyes and erase the signs of aging they create, we can help.

Eyebags & Dark Circles

If people keep telling you that you look tired, or if you look in the mirror and find an older, tired-looking person staring back at you, it could be that the dark circles under your eyes are to blame.

Although not getting enough sleep can be a factor in the development of dark circles, a number of other factors contribute to the appearance of the circles, including the thickness of your skin, the size of your blood vessels and pigmentation.

What Causes Dark Circles?
The appearance of under-eye “bags” can be due to a number of factors. Sometimes it is a bit of under-eye fat bulging through, sometimes it is fat loss in the tear trough area below the lower eyelid. Sometimes it is just the way your eyes are anatomically. Some other common causes of dark circles include:

Sun Exposure
Ageing
Lack of sleep
Vitamin Deficiencies
Allergies
Genetics
Eczema
Irritation

Although there can be many causes of undereye bags, what is important is the realization that there are ways of treating the condition.

Our Undereye Bag Treatments

We offer a number of different procedures that can help address the bags under your eyes including:

Dermal Fillers
Dermal fillers, sometimes called injectables, are a common cosmetic treatment for under eye bags and dark circles. Injectable serums and facial fillers add volume to saggy areas of skin, eliminating fine lines and wrinkles and smoothing out extra skin.

Many facial fillers also help fight the signs of aging, boosting the production of collagen and elastin, proteins that help keep your skin healthy and elastic.

While you can use facial fillers to improve under eye bags no matter what their cause, it’s exceptionally effective on dark circles resulting from hyperpigmentation.

Chemical Peels
Our chemical peels give your skin a deep and thorough exfoliation, removing dead and unhealthy skin cells in order to expose the fresh, new skin beneath. When skin is damaged in some way, chemical peels can sometimes eliminate the issue by stimulating new skin growth that comes in clear and healthy.

After your skin heals from the peel treatment, your new skin is stronger and thicker and less likely to form those pesky bags.

IPL Treatments
Although an intense pulsed light or IPL treatment also uses light to rejuvenate the skin and to help remove dark under-eye circles, it’s not the same thing as a laser treatment.

While laser skin resurfacing can help reduce pigmentation and thicken the skin, an IPL treatment is a better option for people who have small blood vessels close to the surface of the skin that are causing dark circles and eye bags.

IPL treatments don’t damage the outer layer of skin the way laser treatments do but will close off any capillaries or vessels just below the skin’s surface, causing them to fade from view. You’ll most likely need several treatments of IPL to get the best results.

Professional Skin Care
Whether your dark circles and under eye bags are mild or severe, they can benefit from a professional skin care regimen. We offer a range of skin care products from a skin care specialist for your specific skin care needs.

With modern, innovative skin care technology, you can find products made with nutrient-rich antioxidants that fight against the signs of aging, improving your skin’s texture and elasticity.

Book Your Free Consultation Now
Our team is committed to working with you to develop a synergistic approach for enhancing your skin’s health.

We encourage you to attend a free consultation with Dr. Rao where he will assess your situation and discuss treatment options.

We invite you to experience the rewards of a welcoming environment where you can expect to be listened to, understood, and delighted with the outcome. Use the form below to book your consultation today.

Broken Capillaries & Spider Veins

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Get The Clearer Skin You Desire

Broken Capillaries are small blood vessels that appear on the skin’s surface anywhere on the body. They can appear red or purple, and tend to form in clusters.

Not to be confused with varicose veins, broken capillaries or spider veins, because of their web-like appearance, are flat on the skin, not raised.

Luckily, there are ways to reduce the appearance of broken capillaries and get the clear skin you desire, including treatment options that are both efficient and non-invasive.

Effective Broken Capillaries Treatments

Tiny broken capillaries (telangiectasia), also referred to as spider veins are small red to purple dilated blood vessels or broken capillaries, often found on the cheeks, forehead, chin and the nose.

Broken capillaries are typically a symptom of rosacea, chronic sun exposure, inflammation/sensitivity, high blood pressure, or aging, and may also be hereditary in nature.

Broken facial capillaries affect both women and men, and they tend to become more numerous and prominent as we age. Many people find these veins undesirable and unattractive, and seek out our laser treatments as a cosmetic correction.

Our spider vein treatments are a quick and effective way to remove broken capillaries and overall skin redness. Once vessels are treated, they will not return, although it is possible that new vessels may form over time, principally if you are prone to getting them.

Our Broken Capillaries Treatments

Our facial veins treatments are nonsurgical and have little downtime, so you can get back to living your life. We can treat facial spider veins using either sclerotherapy, Excel V or broadband light (BBL) also known as IPL. Our proven procedures have made it possible to remove these broken blood vessels safely without scarring.

Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy effectively treats varicose and spider veins. It involves having an injection that will cause the veins to fade or disappear completely. The sclerosing agent is dextrose and saline. The injectable solution irritates the lining of the vessel, causing it to swell and stick together and the blood to clot. Over a period of a few weeks, the vessels turn into scar tissue and then fade, eventually becoming barely noticeable or invisible however some blood vessels are more resistant, requiring additional treatments.

Excel V
Targeting red, purple and blue facial veins, the medical-grade Excel V laser can treat all of your vascular concerns. The system uses a unique high power green laser that is absorbed by abnormal blood vessels in the skin. This laser heats the abnormal vessels, ultimately restoring normal skin tone and color. In as few as 1 to 3 treatments, unwanted and unsightly vessels and veins are reduced, and symptoms like flushing and blushing are managed.

IPL
A broad spectrum of light is transmitted through a small, smooth, transparent handpiece which is gently placed over the skin. Cut-off filters in the handpiece change the wavelength range allowing it to be customized for different applications and skin types. The laser light penetrates the tissue and is absorbed before the injured tissue is removed by the bodies natural process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will My Face Veins Disappear on Their Own?
Unfortunately, facial veins and capillaries will not disappear on their own. In fact, you will likely see more veins appear as time goes on. Laser treatment is your best option for eliminating them completely, otherwise you can try camouflaging them with makeup.

How Many Treatments are Needed?
The number of treatments required varies with the size and depth of each vein. For the maximum long-term resolution, multiple treatments may be necessary, with the average person needing 3 to 4 treatments. Most people notice significant improvement after one to three treatments.

Does the Laser Treatment Hurt?
Most people say the laser pulse feels like a small rubber band snapping against your skin. Typically our clients do not require medication or an anesthetic; however some opt to use a topical anesthetic.

Book Your Free Consultation Now

Our team is committed to working with you to develop a synergistic approach for enhancing your skin’s health and reducing the signs of facial redness.

We encourage you to attend a free consultation with Dr. Rao where he will assess your situation and discuss treatment options.

Blotchy, Uneven Skin Tone

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Treat Blotchy, Uneven Skin Tone

Blotchy skin is a term that is commonly used to describe uneven skin tone. It appears as reddish or red-brown patches and is a combination of concentrated pigment and blood vessel/broken capillaries.

It can be caused by a number of factors including sun damage, acne, rosacea, scarring or pigmentation issues. All of these issues can result in skin that is not blemish or pigment free.

Rao Derm offers a number of solutions to treat blotchy skin including IPL (Intense Pulse Light), non-invasive Laser Genesis and the very effective Sciton Profractional laser treatments.

What Is Blotchy Skin?

Blotchy skin is typically associated with red, sometimes irritated and itchy skin, as well as darker patches of skin that most commonly occur on the face, but can also be found on the neck and other parts of the body. Causes may include stress, genetics, hormones as well as environmental impacts such as UV exposure and changes in seasons (weather extremes) and lifestyle (excessive alcohol and smoking).

Blotchy skin appears as reddish or red-brown patches and is a combination of concentrated pigment and blood vessel/broken capillaries. These broken capillaries, also known as telangiectasia are more likely to happen if you have a dry, thin or sensitive skin or if you suffer from skin conditions such as rosacea or acne. These capillaries sit very close to the surface and are commonly found on the nose and cheek areas, making them more visible.

Blotchy Skin Be a Symptom of Chronic Skin Conditions
Chronic skin conditions can also lead to the appearance of blotchy skin. These include dermatitis, a condition that results in inflammation and an agitated barrier of the skin causing irritation and dryness. Skin appears red, inflamed and dry.

Rosacea is another chronic inflammatory condition that presents as flushing of the skin. Both conditions will give the appearance of blotchy skin. In the case of rosacea, certain triggers can cause skin flushing. Both of these conditions are not preventable but can be managed with appropriate treatments.

What Are Other Causes of Blotchy Skin?

Excessive alcohol consumption, stress, and excessive exercise can raise blood pressure, causing your capillaries to dilate and over time, causes them to become broken capillaries.

Smoking can be another cause of blotchy skin. It causes oxidative stress so that insufficient oxygen reaches the tissues resulting in blocking of the blood vessels, which in turn leads to dilation of the capillaries.

Other cases of blotchy skin include poor diets that can also affect the body’s ability to regenerate itself and excessive UV exposure with repeated sunburn breaking down collagen, making these vessels more visible.

Our Treatments For Blotchy Skin

IPL (Intense Pulse Light)

This treatment is a non-invasive approach to skin rejuvenation and collagen stimulation using infrared light.

It offers the advantage of improving skin tone and surface imperfections associated with aging, photo damage and especially vascular conditions such as rosacea.

The procedure is ideal for any part of your face, neck, or décolleté which show redness, and telangiectasia (tiny veins) or brown spots. It has been recommended for skin discoloration from sun damage and flushing symptoms from rosacea.

Benefits Of IPL

IPL has a wide variety of benefits including:

Even skin tone, removal of brown spots and sunspots
Reduction of fine lines and wrinkles
Removal of broken capillaries
Refreshed and glowing appearance
Tighter skin texture by stimulating the growth of new collagen and elastin

Laser Genesis

Laser Genesis treatments uses safe, non-invasive laser technology to clear fine lines and diffuse flushing, redness and scarring. A short series of treatments may be recommended for optimal results, and patients will notice an instant improvement following each treatment – without irritation or downtime. By gently and comfortably heating the skin, Laser Genesis stimulates collagen to reduce fine lines and scarring; additional heat helps clear dilated capillaries that cause redness.

Sciton Profractional

The Sciton Profractional procedure is designed to rejuvenate your complexion and treat a variety of skin conditions related to your skin’s quality. The laser can efficiently improve the health of your skin by making microscopic perforations in the tissue, which stimulate your body’s natural healing process.

Book Your Free Consultation Now

Our team is committed to working with you to develop a synergistic approach for enhancing your skin’s health and reducing the signs of aging.

During the consultation process, we will address your specific needs and goals and answer any questions or concerns you may have about the procedure. In addition, we will make recommendations as to the best treatment plan for achieving your desired results. Use the form below to book now.

Sun Spot Treatment & Removal

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A Radiant, Even Complexion Is Within Your Reach

Entering middle age brings with it a number of benefits, one of which is a clearer complexion. But as outbreaks of acne become a distant memory for most of us, other issues arise that may affect our self-confidence.

Sun spots, age spots, liver spots, granny warts – whatever name you use, these brown pigmented spots, are multiple, flat, discolored areas that appear on the skin and are caused by uneven distribution of melanin (skin pigment) as we age.

What Causes Sun Spots

As the name suggests, sun spots typically appear on sun-exposed areas of the skin, like the face, neck, hands, arms, and shoulders. Except for wrinkles, sun spots are one of the most telltale signs of a person’s age.

The melanin pigment in our skin absorbs sunlight and helps to protect our skin from UV rays. However, as we age, our skin’s natural ability to fend off UV rays slowly declines, and we see the development of sun spots and other signs of sun damage. They also most commonly occur in light-skinned people who have less melanin pigment that can protect the skin from sun exposure.

Apart from sun damage, a person may develop brown blemishes called melasma. Also referred to as the “mask of pregnancy”, this hyperpigmentation usually presents itself more commonly in pregnant women and patients with darker skin tone. Melasma can be aggravated by the effects of the sun and can often become darker or cover larger facial areas if not treated.

Our recommended prevention, treatment and maintainance approach is crucial to the management of these bothersome discolorations. Prevention with use of vitamin c serums in combination with sunblock is mandatory.

Our Treatment Options For Sun Spots

There are many over-the-counter skin creams that promise to eliminate sun spots, but many of them are typically ineffective. Rao Dermatology in Edmonton offers several different treatment options to minimize or eliminate sun spots including:

Laser Treatments
Our effective Halo laser treatment helps restore your skin’s youthful glow. Over time, sun damage and the body’s natural aging process can cause your skin to have sun spots, fine lines, and it can lose its natural, healthy glow.

Halo is the world’s first hybrid fractional laser, combining two lasers in one to take years of damage off of the face, and reveal your inner glow! The Halo laser is the most scientifically advanced treatment for sun damage, pigment, fine lines, texture, and pores, that doesn’t have the downtime of traditional ablative and fractional lasers.

You will see dramatic changes in overall tone, texture discoloration, skin reflectivity, lines, pore size, and glow.

Microdermabrasion
Quick and convenient, microdermabrasion is a non-invasive skin resurfacing treatment that works beautifully to reduce the impact of sun damage. A clinical exfoliation method, microdermabrasion uses a diamond-tipped wand to blow air-driven diamond crystals over your skin, which removes the top layer of sun damaged skin, exposing the smoother, live skin cells beneath. By cleansing, abrading, and exfoliating your skin, microdermabrasion triggers collagen production, minimizes enlarged pores, improves scarring, and evens out skin tone.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

Widely known as the “Vampire Facelift,” PRP uses the healing power of your own blood. For PRP treatments, your blood is drawn and put in a centrifuge to separate the platelets and serum from the blood cells. Afterwards, the platelets are enriched with growth factors then injected into your skin to accelerate tissue repair and stimulate collagen production. Your own platelets provide exceptional healing properties to reverse sun damage, that will help give you glowing, radiant skin again.

Intense Pulse Light
You might think IPL is a strange way to treat for skin damage from sunlight, but Intense Pulse Light (IPL) treatments are perfect for reversing ultraviolet damage and aging. IPL is a non-ablative (doesn’t cause injury) procedure that uses infrared light to rejuvenate the skin and stimulate collagen production. Improving skin tone and texture from photodamage and vascular conditions (think rosacea), IPL is a great treatment for sun spots as well as red and brown spots as well as tiny veins.

Different filters treat different skin conditions, so IPL can be adjusted to suit your unique skin concerns.

Book Your Consultation Today

Book your consultation with Dr. Rao today. He will take the time to address your specific needs and answer any questions or concerns you may have about the various sun spot removal treatment offered at Rao Dermatology. Also, he will make specific recommendations as to the best sun spot treatment plan for achieving your desired results.

Please fill in the form below to book your consultation now.

Revitalizing Skin Rejuvenation

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Flawless Skin Rejuvenation

At Rao Dermatology, we have developed a variety of treatments that deliver excellent skin rejuvenation results.

Our proven skin rejuvenation procedures work by treating the skin from the inside out, going beyond its surface to truly restore and rejuvenate your skin’s health.

Our goal is to preserve and cleanse the skin, encourage collagen stimulation, improve circulation, exfoliate and remove toxins, and correct skin imperfections by improving the skin’s appearance and its health.

Reinvigorate and Restore Your Skin

Fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin can serve as unwelcome reminders of the aging process for both men and women.

Over time, your skin begins to lose collagen, natural elasticity and show signs of cumulative degeneration. Factors such as genetics, lifestyle, gravity, diet and sun exposure all influence the rate of damage to the skin. As signs of damage become visible, skin rejuvenation techniques can help restore a more youthful appearance.

The good news is that your skin’s texture and clarity can be improved through resurfacing including chemical peels, laser treatments, and microdermabrasion. Suitable for all skin types, we can treat a variety of areas including all or specific regions of the face, neck, hands and arms.

The skin rejuvenation procedures offered by the office of Dr. Rao are fast and non-invasive compared to surgical procedures, with virtually no downtime so you can get to your life. We do recommend a series of treatments in order to achieve and maintain optimal results.

Conditions Improved by Our Skin Rejuvenation Techniques

The following skin conditions may be improved by our treatments:

Wrinkles: both static wrinkles (visible at all times) and dynamic wrinkles (appear when the skin is not moving and deepen when you make facial expressions)
Loss of skin tone: the weakening of collagen and elastin fibers in your skin
Vascular conditions: including visible blood vessels on the skin, facial redness, and blood-filled blisters
Pigmentation: hyperpigmentation including sunspots, age spots, and melasma
Scars: acne or injury-related scars may be treatable
Texture: roughness due to excess layers of dead skin
Pore size and congestion

Our Skin Rejuvenation Services

At Rao Dermatology, we’re committed to giving you clear, clean, and smooth skin using a synergistic approach that enhances your skin’s health.

Our proven approach includes prevention, treatment, and maintenance to achieve and preserve your skin care goals and medical facials play a key role in preventing, treating, and maintaining your clear and healthy skin. We offer the following medical facial services:

Chemical Peels
We exclusively use SkinCeuticals’ medical grade skin care products in our chemical peels to exfoliate and stimulate collagen production, effectively improving the skin by reducing acne scarring, minimizing sun damage, evening tone, and smoothing texture. Our chemical peels are cost-effective and, when done regularly, keep your skin glowing, radiant, and flawless.

Microdermabrasion
Using a medical grade, tipped wand comprised of natural diamond chips, microdermabrasion polishes your skin, removing and sucking up the dead skin cells and leaving your complexion soft, supple, and firm. Because microdermabrasion is a mechanical exfoliation, it opens up the skin, making it ripe for deep penetration with serums and skin care products and it effectively minimizes scars, discoloration, and fine lines.

Microneedling
This medical procedure involves using a fine needle to poke the skin, leaving what’s called a micro-injury. While it seems counterintuitive, these micro-injuries stimulate collagen production and open the skin to receive serums that plump the skin, fill in lines, and improve discoloration – it’s been used for decades to treat facial scars and is proven to improve both texture and firmness.

PRP
PRP stands for Platelet Rich Plasma. It is also known as the Vampire Face Lift. It involves blood being drawn from a patient, and the blood is then put into a centrifuge to separate the platelets and serum from the blood cells. The resulting concentrated solution is enriched in platelets and growth factors. Once this solution is injected into the skin, it can dramatically aid in tissue repair and promote collagen.

Book Your Complimentary Consultation Today

Book your consultation today with Dr. Rao today so he can help you pick the facial rejuvenation procedure that will best treat your main concern, or recommend combining certain treatments to achieve a more youthful look.

He will take the time address your specific needs and answer any questions or concerns you may have about our procedures. Also, he will make recommendations as to the best treatment plan for achieving your desired results.

Please fill in the form below to book your consultation now.

Facial Veins & Redness

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Tired Of Facial Veins?

Telangiectasia, the medical term for spider veins and broken capillaries, are small red to purple dilated blood vessels or broken capillaries, often found on the cheeks, forehead, chin and the nose.

There are many potential causes of facial blood vessels including long-term exposure to the sun and wind. Heredity, hormones, disease, high blood pressure and excessive alcohol may also be contributing factors.

Many people find these veins undesirable and unattractive, and seek out our laser treatments as a cosmetic correction. Our spider vein treatments are quick and non-surgical, so you can get back to living your life.

Tackling Facial Spider Veins

Spider veins are a common cosmetic problem that can affect both men and women. While they can occur anywhere on the body, when they appear on the face, they can be especially noticeable and can make you feel self-conscious.

While it still isn’t clear exactly what causes spider veins, some potential causes of facial spider veins may involve lifestyle choices such as drinking alcohol or excessive exposure to sunlight causing sun damage. Aging can also cause spider veins on the face. The weakening of veins and skin, and the aging skin can make the spider veins more noticeable.

If your facial veins are affecting your self confidence and impacting your day to day life, you may benefit from getting them treated. We offer non-invasive spider vein treatments that can reduce or remove spider veins, alleviate the discomfort associated with this condition, and help eliminate any insecurities you may feel about their appearance on your face.

Our Facial Spider Vein Treatments

As we mentioned, our facial spider vein treatments are nonsurgical and have little downtime. We can treat facial spider veins using either sclerotherapy or broad band light (BBL) also known as IPL. Our proven procedures have made it possible to remove these blood vessels safely without scarring.

Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a procedure that involves having an injection that will cause the spider veins to fade or disappear altogether. The sclerosing agent is dextrose and saline. The injectable solution irritates the lining of the vessel, causing it to swell and stick together and the blood to clot.

Over a period of a few weeks, the vessels turn into scar tissue and then fade, eventually becoming barely noticeable or invisible however some blood vessels are more resistant, requiring additional treatments.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does Treatment Take?
Treatment generally takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete, though this will depend on the specific skin condition as well as the number of areas you wish to address.

Does It Hurt?
For our laser treatments, each pulse of light is similar to a slight pinch, sting, or pinprick – some patients have even compared it to the snap of a rubber band. Overall, treatment is generally tolerated well, and anesthesia is typically not necessary.

Are Multiple Treatments Necessary?
For optimal results, we often recommend a series of about five treatments spaced approximately three to four weeks apart; however, this may vary based on your unique skin type and concern.

Book Your Free Consultation Now

Our team is committed to working with you to develop a synergistic approach for enhancing your skin’s health and reducing the signs of aging.

We encourage you to attend a free consultation with Dr. Rao where he will assess your situation and discuss treatment options.

Facial Skin Tightening

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Are You Noticing Sagging, Lax, Loose Skin?

Have you recently started to notice the skin on your chin and down your neck become more loose and saggy, delicate and thin as you age? Do you see a “turkey waddle” beginning to develop? Does it make you self-conscious about how old it makes you look because it doesn’t reflect the age you feel?

As both men and women age, laxity develops in the jowls and neck and can make you feel sensitive or insecure about your appearance and the loss of a defined jawline adds significantly to the aged look of your face.

With have a range of customized non-surgical procedures that can improve the tone and quality of your skin.

How To Deal With Sagging Skin

Sagging skin, loose skin, lax skin – however you describe it, by the time many of us hit our mid-30s this can, unfortunately, cause our faces and certain other areas of our bodies to lose their youthful plumpness, definition, and resilience.

What Causes Sagging, Lax, Loose Skin?

While gravity does take its toll, there are several other causes of sagging skin:

Sun exposure: The invisible ultraviolet rays of the sun penetrate into our skin and damage the elastic fibers that keep skin firm. On-going sun exposure causes wrinkles, and is responsible for sun spots and other pigmented areas on the face, chest hands.

Lack of elasticity and collagen: As we age, our skin tends to lose elasticity and collagen, causing it to become looser and less successful at holding back what is happening underneath – i.e., problems become more visible or noticeable at the skin’s surface.

Loss of volume: After age 35, many of us start to see a loss of volume in our faces. For example, as volume in our cheeks is lost, and gravity pulls the mid-section of the face down, folds may develop around the mouth, pooling at each corner, creating nasolabial folds. The lower portion of the face can also be prone to lose volume; when this happens, there may see shadowing near the jawline, which eventually becomes marionette lines and, finally, jowls.

Our Facial Skin Tightening Treatments

In the case of sagging, lax and loose skin, treatment should always begin with a proper consultation by a professional skin specialist. Typically, the best results are often obtained when a combination of treatments are applied. These treatments can include:

Laser Skin Resurfacing
By directing short, concentrated pulsating beams of light at irregular skin, precisely removing skin layer by layer, laser resurfacing can not only improve skin elasticity and produce a general tightening effect, but it also has the added benefit of simultaneously improving fine lines and wrinkles. Laser Genesis treatments utilize safe, non-invasive laser technology to clear fine lines and diffuse flushing, redness, and scarring. A short series of treatments may be recommended for optimal results, and patients will notice an instant improvement following each treatment – without irritation or downtime. By gently and comfortably heating the skin, Laser Genesis stimulates collagen to tighten the skin and promote healthy cell growth.

Book Your Free Consultation Now

Dr. Rao will take the time address your specific needs and answer any questions or concerns you may have about the procedures offered at Rao Dermatology.

In addition, he will make recommendations as to the best treatment plan for achieving your desired results. Please fill in the form below to book your consultation now.

Scar Treatment & Revision Edmonton

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Effective Scar Revision

Many of life’s moments leave a mark – some of which can’t be seen and others we’d rather live without.

A scarred face can have a severe psychological effect. Accidents, surgeries and acne can leave permanent scars on the skin. Your skin reacts to trauma by building scars made up of fibrous tissue. This tissue is not the same as your normal and healthy skin, making it appear discoloured, colourless, raised and/or indented.

Through an innovative menu of proven procedures, we can help patients reduce or erase the memory of acne, surgery or trauma, smoothing raised scars, restoring depressed marks and evening out irregular discolouration.

Tailored Scar Treatment Solutions

Facial scarring can be a source of low self-esteem for both men and women. Fortunately, your scars can be erased or greatly minimized with today’s advanced cosmetic technology treatments.

Facial scarring is usually a result of cystic acne trauma, burns, surgery, or a result of aggressive chicken pox. Scars typically result from a wound or injury. They are part of the skin’s normal healing process.

Typically superficial wounds heal without scarring. It is when the second layer of skin (dermis) is damaged that scars form on the skin. Acne scars come in many different shapes, sizes and even colors.

Each type of scar has its own unique characteristics and features. Because of those differences, the available treatments are not one size fits all and should be tailored to the individual.

Types Of Scars

There are a number of scar types that have each have their own unique characteristics including:

Icepick Scars – Characterized by thin but deep columns of missing skin tissues. Commonly arising from severe acne, icepick scars usually appear on the cheek or nose.
Boxcar Scars – Boxcar scars are round or oval depressions with steep vertical sides. Wider than ice pick scars, boxcar scars give the skin a pitted appearance.
Depressed Fibrotic Scars – If ice-pick scars are somehow aggravated, they can transform into large, hard, crater-like scars.
Macules – Flat pigmented patches. Typically the end result of severe acne, appearing and persisting after the original inflammation.
Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation – Appears anywhere on the body and varies in size. Often caused by hormonal changes, and/or acne inflammation.
Soft Scars – Generally small, these vary in depth and shape
Atrophic Macules – Soft and sometimes blue or white. These can appear on the body as well as the face.
Follicular Macular Atrophy – Small, raised, generally white bumps, usually seen on the chest or back.
Rolling Scars – Rolling acne scars are relatively broad depressions in the skin that have rounded, sloping edges.

Scar Treatment Options:

At Rao Dermatology we are pleased to offer both laser and dermal filler treatments that will successfully treat all types of scars from superficial to the deeper more noticeable scars. All our treatment plans are customized to the needs of the patient.

Laser Treatments

We offer a variety of laser treatments that can help enhance the look of scars including IPL, Laser Genesis, Nano Laser Peel and Sciton Profractional.

Our professional laser treatments offer a degree of control and efficacy that allows for highly precise sculpting of the skin. The laser can be used to target superficial to deep scar tissue and is ideal for patients who want dramatic results with minimal downtime.

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers are a powerful way to treat and potentially get rid of certain types of scars, being particularly effective for rolling scars and some less defined boxcar scars. They are safe and well tolerated, with great results to fill the depression associated with scars. They are excellent for volume loss caused by acne scarring.

Medical Facials

Medical Facials are a great way to maintain your skin and treat acne scarring. They are affordable milder forms of treatment that can still make a difference when done routinely.

Daily Advanced Skin Care Treatment

At Rao Dermatology, we truly believe that a proper skincare regimen is essential for healthy youthful skin. Every regimen should effectively address the 3 core steps: prevent, treat, and maintain.
To treat skin imperfections and scarring, a custom home program tailored to your skin can act as a continuation of our office treatments.

Book Your Scar Treatment Consultation

At Rao Dermatology we work closely with patients to determine the best course of treatment for their unique needs. We encourage anyone suffering from scars that are affecting their self-esteem to contact us to set up their complimentary consultation, where they can learn about the many treatment options available to help them achieve the beautiful, glowing skin they desire. Fill in the form below to book your free acne scar treatment consultation now.

Wrinkles Treatments

Book Your Consultation Now!

Non-Invasive Wrinkle Treatments

Although wrinkles are a natural part of the aging process, they are a concern for many of us as we get older.

Depending on lifestyle and genetics, some of us will be notice fine lines appearing as early as our late 20s, while others will inherit great looking skin and appear wrinkle free into their 50s.

Fortunately, thanks to advances in medical grade skin care and treatments, there are many wrinkle treatment innovations available to our patients.

What Causes Wrinkles and Fine Lines?

Many factors contribute to their development. Genetics, lifestyle habits such as smoking and diet, and environment all play a role.

Learn more about the factors that can cuases wrinkles here.

Most people will notice the appearance of wrinkles eventually but some will wrinkle prematurely and to a greater extreme. The biggest contributing factor that is preventable is sun exposure. Development of wrinkles can be delayed with daily use of SPF, a healthy lifestyle, and skincare that includes retinol.

Are Your Wrinkles Fine Lines, Furrows or Folds?

Fine lines are typically surface level and develop because of irregular thickening of the dermis and loss of water in the epidermis.

Most of the time fine lines are caused by sun damage and exposure to environmental toxins (particularly tobacco smoke) to thank for the development of fine lines. As we age, fine lines become deeper and eventually become furrows.

An anti-aging plan for someone with fine lines may include medical grade skin care to protect and strengthen the skin, chemical peels to keep skin looking fresh and clear and other facial treatments to maintain and correct skin discoloration as well as other skin problems.

Furrows are deeper lines that form in places where we make repetitive facial expressions. Some of the most common areas that we develop furrows are the crow’s feet wrinkles that show around the eyes when we smile, the 2 or sometimes 3 vertical lines that form between our brows when we frown and the horizontal lines in the top part of the forehead.

Furrows begin as dynamic wrinkles, meaning they are only visible when we contract our facial muscles. Over time, these dynamic furrows become static furrows, meaning they visible even at rest.

Dynamic furrows can be treated with neuromodulators (Botox or Dysport). Once they become static, a combination of neurotoxins and skin resurfacing is an option.

Folds are deep grooves in the face that are made worse by the loss of facial volume that occurs in our 30’s. Over the years these folds become deeper, and we see more shadowing in areas such as around the mouth and jawline, with more noticeable marionette lines running from the corner of the mouth to the jawline.

Our Wrinkle Treatments

Listed below are the main types of wrinkle and fine line treatments available at Rao Dermatology in Edmonton. There are subtle differences and some are used in combination – a consultation will determine which non-surgical wrinkle treatment is most suitable for you.

Neuromodulators

Neuromodulators use a chemical called botulinum toxin type A which is injected into muscles.
The chemical reduces the repeated muscle contractions from frowning and squinting over the years. You will begin to notice a visible smoothing of the creases around your eyes and softening of the lines on your forehead.

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers are injectables that use either natural or synthetic hyaluronic acid to plump up your skin. In contrast to neuromodulators, dermal fillers create volume and fullness which achieve a natural, youthful appearance and fill in thin lips, hollows around the eyes, or gauntness in your temples.

Chemical Peels

Without downtime, these customized, medical-grade chemical peels exfoliate and stimulate the skin to improve a variety of conditions, including hyperpigmentation, acne, signs of fine lines and wrinkles, and many other concerns.

PRP Therapy

PRP stands for Platelet Rich Plasma. It is also known as the Vampire Face Lift. It involves blood being drawn from a patient, and the blood is then put into a centrifuge to separate the platelets and serum from the blood cells. The resulting concentrated solution is enriched in platelets and growth factors. Once this solution is injected into the skin, it can dramatically aid in tissue repair and promote collagen.

Book Your Free Consultation Today.

If you are interested in seeking a wrinkle removal consultation with Rao Dermatology in Edmonton and our team of wrinkle experts, simply fill out our online consultation request form below.