A New Solution for Wrinkles?

Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed*** and may vary from person to person***.

Wrinkles — we’re all prone to developing them as we age, but it’s safe to say that none of us want to. While many cultures consider wrinkles as a sign of wisdom, experience, and maturity, in the North American culture, well, let’s just say that they are regarded as being ugly and a nuisance. Hence, along with “Botox,” laser treatments, and myriad cremes, lotions, and potions, the cosmetic industry rakes in billions of dollars a year in the pursuit of helping people eradicate their facial fine lines.

 Now, in the ever constant search for a solution to wrinkles, researchers have just developed a new method that they think may help erase the problem. Known as the “plasma skin regeneration tool,” it works to eliminate wrinkles in a one-sitting treatment time that involves a high-energy blast to the skin. A study was recently conducted to varify the effectiveness of this tool, which was shown to have an average recovery time of only five days. The study is published in this month’s issue of the medical journal Archives of Dermatology.

 According to the researchers, “While nearly a week of healing time may not seem to be an improvement over other minimally invasive resurfacing procedures and micropeels, the intensity of the healing process is quite minor, which makes it an attractive option for many patients.” The way that this non-surgical tool works is that it uses a “plasma,” which is where a state of matter gets transfomed into a gas by the removal of electrons from atoms. Next, the energy that comes from this plasma is “imjected” into the skin via intense, one millisecond pulses.

 In the study, researchers looked at eight participants who underwent three low-energy treatments that targeted their entire face. These were done every three weeks, where the researchers wanted to see if multiple, low-energy treatments resulted in the same healing time as one high- energy treatment did. After three months of receiving treatment, the participants reported having 37% less wrinkles (this was determined by the researchers) and a solid 68% reported an overall improvement in the appearance of their facial skin.

 The average healing time in the study sat at five days, were skin regrowth over the treated area took four days and redness disippated after six days.

 The name of the device is “Portrait PSR” and it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in North America. It can help with wrinkles as well as superficial scarring, such as from acne or other skin conditions. It works by either employing a series of low- energy treatments or one high-energy treatment, depending on what condition is being addressed.

 In a society where 11.5 million Americans pursued some form of surgical or nonsurgical procedure to help improve their appearance, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, perhaps it’s time we step back and ask why we feel the need to attack our visage with such vigor. You’ve made it to your senior years — enjoy the beauty that a lifetime of experience has brought to your face. You may find that it’s a much more fulfilling and satisfactory pursuit than going under a laser or knife.